Women in Red Savers 2017

[shanendoah]

shanendoah: 12/26/2017 $960 (Goal: $960)

Goal met! Yay for automatic savings. Now over to the 2018 thread to post my goal for next year.

[teachermom]

The savings just keeps taking a beating.....I just keep remembering....at least  had it! Had to put my dog down after, of course, vet bills trying to figure out what was wrong. Again....at least I had it. Still working on the 2018 goals and budget....post soon! Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you in 2018!

Teachermom

[shanendoah]

teachermom - *hugs* so sorry about your dog.

[teachermom]

shanendoah Thank you! It was my son's baby....he slept in his bed with her since she was 6 weeks old. He has crohn's disease and we had a really rough year. He got her for Christmas that year...he was 13. He is now 24......and took it very hard.

Teachermom

[nidena]

Dec 12, 2017 13:21:32 GMT -5 teachermom said:

How many of you have followed Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps and/or taken Financial Peace University? I took the last 1 1/2 yrs ago but never did the cash envelopes. I have always put the stuff on 1 card and paid it off but have noticed the balance creeping up...which means spending was creeping up. Started using cash envelopes for spending this month. I have a cash envelope for groceries $400, toiletries/paper products $50  dog food $50, entertainment $30, restaurants $150, clothing $70 and miscellaneous $50. Gas is still on a card that will be paid in full each month. We have been eating out of the pantry and we bought 1/2 a beef and a pig this last year.....so meat in the freezer and I saved each month all year for Christmas. So far (12th of month) I have only spent $100....$50 from toiletries/paper goods and $50 from the miscellaneous.....all spent stocking up on toilet paper, paper towels, laundry soap, dryer sheets and dishwasher soap. Target has the buy 2, get $5 gift cards on most of that stuff right now.....stocked for probably 6 months and $30 in gift cards!! I think I like this.....hard for me to part with the cash!! Anyone else find that?

Teachermom

I completed FPU in 2011.  It's the best budget that I had encountered up to that point and I've been using it ever since.  I did the envelopes for about a year but found that it easier to just keep track of the categories on my Excel product--which is quite large, now, with seven years worth of monthly tabs.  lol.  I hated carrying around change, really.  I just try to be mindful of the idea that it's easier to spend more when you use your debit card than pay with cash.  I do pretty well. 

For gas purchases, I use a reloadable gift card for Wawa (East coast gas station).  It's easier to carry and I know exactly how much I'm spending on gas each month.  I also use it when I buy the occasional snack from there and receive rewards for those, non-gas, purchases.

[nidena]

Returned from three weeks away last night.  As expected, the most spending occurred during the first week when I was in Ca vs the second two weeks in NV.  I had a rental car as well as took advantage of my 50% employee discount at WHBM when I took my bestie on a quest for new clothes.  I do this about every 18 months or two years, depending upon what she needs.  It was so much fun and I know she'll wear the dickens out of everything that was bought.  I didn't buy myself anything during my whole three weeks away.  Living in a sales tax free state helps you save when you go on vacation, that's for sure.

Anyhow, I'll pay off the credit card next week and press on with life.  I will post my new/amended goals in the new thread next week as well.  But, to share it since it began today, I'm aiming to eliminate superfluous spending, one day at a time.  There is (currently, anyway) absolutely nothing that I need.  Maslow's basic needs are thoroughly taken care of.  I have shelter (and it's almost completely refi'd, just waiting to find out when I need to redirect payments), I have a paid off vehicle (that is still running well (knock wood)), I have groceries (it's tough coming home after three weeks and having to wait until the next day to go grocery shopping so there is damn near nothing in the fridge for dinner and breakfast upon return), and I have all the other stuff that I could possibly need to exist.  I adjusted to living off $1600/mo for the first eight months after retiring from the military, then I adjusted to living off $3200/mo since April 2017.  I'd like to get used to living off $2000/mo for the foreseeable future and save that extra $1200/mo.  During school months, it's $4800/mo.  All the more opportunity to save some $$.

[seriousthistime]

Year-end updates

	Stars	Name	Amt. Saved	Goal	% Saved	Roses	Smilies
1		azucena	$19,599	$15,000	130.7%
2		azucena  [2]	$3,439	$2,500	137.6%
3		bankergurl	$19,810	$22,000	90.0%
4		chiver78	$0	$1,378	0%
5		finnime	$566	$2,997	18.9%
6		forwardwego	$21,690	$27,000	80.0%
7		Jaguar	$1,760	$7,000	25.1%
8		minnesotapaintlady	$24,682	$24,400	101.2%
9		movinonup	$34,639	$25,325	136.8%
10		nidena	$9,005	$33,300	27.0%
11		nikiz628	$3,898	$6,900	56.5%
12		Poptart	$50	$500	10.0%
13		regecko	$13,315	$12,000	111.0%
14		Saving4Norway	$23,000	$24,500	94.0%
15		sealy	$0	$15,000	0%
16		seriousthistime	$12,308	$13,878	88.7%
17		shanendoah	$960	$480/$960	200.0%
18		shopaholic814	$7,354	$20,700	35.5%
19		snapdragon	$9,388	$10,000	93.9%
20		teachermom	$18,256	$72,000	25.3%
21		TheHaitian	$40,513	$47,500	85.2%
22		tobinikui	$21,310	$23,210	91.8%
23		trimatty471	$17,554	$17,405	100.9%

This is not the last of the 2017 thread. forwardwego will still want to get her shoutouts in before we close this thread. So please, no more updates here except for the shoutouts.* Head over to the 2018 thread! The party's already starting there.

As I have updated the smilies each month, I've gladly added new people to our list of Savers, and sadly accepted that for some, this thread was not enough of what they needed to help them continue on with us. Sometimes, circumstances overtake our best efforts, and we simply can't continue on as we set out to do. Sometimes, it takes more than a time or two to try -- and not succeed -- before we really get the hang of it. A new year is a great time to restart!

As I updated the smilieseach month, I was so impressed to see brand new Savers setting goals, and putting money into savings, despite challenging circumstances. I know there are a few of us who tried and failed for a year or two before finally figuring out how it all works. Saving isn't something that just happens; it's much more fun to spend, and a lot more fun to think that we just save the leftover money (whatever that is... like "leftover wine," it's an oxymoron). It takes awareness and effort, with circumstances that are ours alone, and not be intimidated by how much more the next Saver is saving than we are.

Join us in 2018, and see what you might do, or do differently, with a fresh start.

Great job, everyone!

* trimatty, the above smilies reflect your update below. 

[trimatty471]

Dec 1, 2017 8:35:31 GMT -5 trimatty471 said:

Nov 1, 2017 7:40:40 GMT -5 trimatty471 said:

2017	Goal	Current Balance	Balance Needed	Complete
Roth IRA	1,200.00	1,200.00		100%
Freedom	5,000.00	5,149.36	-149.36	102.99%
Vacation	2,000.00	2,000.00		100%
College	800.00	800.00		100%
Sinking	550.00	550.00		100%
Repairs	1,250.00	1,250.00		100%
Holiday	1,500.00	1,500.00		100%
Renovate	5,105.00	5,105.00		100%
Total	$17,405.00	$17,554.36	-$149.36	100.86%

  

[forwardwego]

Part 1 of 1...December  2017 shoutouts:


azucena Congratulations on achieving your 1st goal for 2017 and also over 100% of 2nd goal!! You set a good example of setting goals and following through. That requires a lot of honesty and discipline. you have also done a good job of working with your spouse who is different from you in your background, income, and perspective. Thank you for the perspective you bring to the Savers' board. Good work having preliminary and stretch goals on the 2018 thread already. Looking forward to your progress and your input 


bankergurl Well done for you with 90% to goal. And I'm guessing it's actually a much higher percentage, but you got too busy to update. You also set a good example of being well-aligned with your significant other in your goals. And you are well-diversified in creating income. Thank you for sharing in that area. I just glanced over to your posts on the racers board to see that you are experiencing tough times with health issues of your loved ones. Take care Bankergurl. We look forward to seeing you on the 2018 thread 


chiver78 I look forward to seeing you on the 2018 Savers. Looking forward to your using the playing cards to make the weekly challenge savings interesting. 


finnime C'mon back in. The water's fine. Round 1 on the savers' thread can set the stage for a more successful round 2. 

Jaguar Congratulations on over 25% to goal  You set a good example of evolving, and getting back in the game when the original plan changes. Also I'd like to thank you on a personal level for always cheering on your fellow savers, and I imagine other WIR. Sometimes I get burned out or feel like no one really cares and then I see your input or acknowledgement. Looking forward to your 2018 goals and input   

minnesotapaintlady Nice work MPL as the only repeat dancing banana from 2016 to 2017. I'd  love to see you make that a triple in 2018!!! I think that earns you kudos for good goal setting and consistency 

movinonup AND a dancing banana for you too  . Good work accounting for a variety of expenses and goals, as well as balancing of debt paydown on the racers' board. 


nidena You've done the hard work of finding equilibrium after retirement. Nice work coming on strong  the second half of 2017. And earning your  ! You win for the best poker hand with the following smileys          . I guess we'd call that a wild card and 4 Jacks? 


nikiz628 You did some excellent rebounding in the second half overcoming a lot of Murphy's visits. good work tipping the scales past the 50% mark.  It makes me very happy too thinking of the partnership of you and your DH and the examples you set for your sons. As they say...success breeds success!

[forwardwego]

This space for final 2017 shoutouts part 2 of 2:


Poptart I'm happy to see you are ready to get started over on the 2018 thread. As I mentioned to finnime, your effort on 2017 thread didn't last the year, but may very well be the warming up you needed for 2018. Teachermom and seriousthistime have offered some good pointers for getting started. So glad you are ready to get going. 

regecko Congratulations on 111%! And earning your dancing banana in your first year on the savers' board. I notice you've only made 14 posts, so I'm calling that the award for "Few words, lots of action!" Well done, looking forward to seeing you nail that IRA goal next year!!


Saving4Norway Congratulations on $23K saved for 94% to goal. How are you doing? I know you miss your fur baby. Maybe there's room in 2018 for another well-deserving fur baby who needs a home like yours to call their own? 


sealy It's good to see you have a goal set for 2018 and $1K saved. Is that for EF? 


seriousthistime Good work SaverFriend with 88.7%. And noteably that is 99% if we factor out the experimental sweep fund. That makes you deserving of the "enduring, and willing to try new things awards" Thank you for your priceless contribution to the Savers  


shanendoah Congratulations on achieving both your first and second goals of 2017. So happy that 2018 will see you in a position to use those saving muscles that you built this year. You get the pioneer spirit award for doing the best you could with just a little to work with.  That sets a great example...

shopaholic814 you had a good start and achieved a commendable 35.5%!! I hope you'll join us for 2018. 

snapdragon Good job with pert near 94% to goal in 2017. That's grade A!! Good work rolling quickly and smoothly into your 2018 goals. 

teachermom Congrats on over 25% saved in your multi-year goal. Nice to see you're also ready on the 2018 board and sharing advice from having worked it yourself. 

TheHaitian Well done with over $40K saved and over 85% to goal. Though a lot of the saved funds were spent, it is still an accomplishment. Hope you'll join us for 2018. 

tobinikui Congratulations on nearly 92% to goal. Nice work getting the EF fully replenished!! Smart to overestimate expenses and then be happily surprised!!! And for you... the "keep on swimming award". 

Last, but certainly not least, is trimatty471 who at the last minute converted 98% saved into @101%  YAHOO!












REMINDER: no more individual updates on this thread, the WIR Savers 2018 thread is open and ready for goals and updates. 

[chiver78]

thanks, forwardwego! going to use my snow day today to figure out how to make the playing card thing easy to do. will post in the other thread when I figure that out lol...

[forwardwego]

And our 2017 WIR Saver Overview:
azucena minnesotapaintlady movinonup regecko shanendoah and trimatty471 were all six winners of the very special dancing banana 

with azucena and shanendoah scoring twin dancers
and minnesotapaintlady was a back-to-back winner having scored in 2016 also 


(With honorable mention going to bankergurl  Saving4Norway  snapdragon and tobinikui who all achieved in the 90% range.)



And WIR Savers: As a group per the final 2017 smiley update we saved a total of $303,096... which is 71.2% of our goal of $425,453. I am so happy for and proud of this group.





Special thank you shoutout to those who visit to encourage and share advice and experience. I apologize for any oversights. Please all pat yourselves on the back for being a saver in 2017, and c'mon over to 2018 Savers Thread...more IS merrier.

[Jaguar]

This thread is now locked and going into fall mode.