Women in Red SAVERS 2020

[seriousthistime]

Is it just me, or is everyone experiencing emoji fails?  I have a few different emojis in my post, but they are showing up as the same nondescript emoji.  Basically indicates an emoji is there but doesn't tell you what it is.  As I scroll up the page I see all emojis are appearing that way. 

[finnime]

Feb 8, 2020 12:35:24 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

Is it just me, or is everyone experiencing emoji fails?  I have a few different emojis in my post, but they are showing up as the same nondescript emoji.  Basically indicates an emoji is there but doesn't tell you what it is.  As I scroll up the page I see all emojis are appearing that way. 

It's not just you. I've been having the same problem since yesterday.

[TheOtherMe]

Feb 8, 2020 13:02:24 GMT -5 finnime said:

Feb 8, 2020 12:35:24 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

Is it just me, or is everyone experiencing emoji fails?  I have a few different emojis in my post, but they are showing up as the same nondescript emoji.  Basically indicates an emoji is there but doesn't tell you what it is.  As I scroll up the page I see all emojis are appearing that way. 

It's not just you. I've been having the same problem since yesterday.

Same for me.  

[Rukh O'Rorke]

[Rukh O'Rorke]

[debthaven]

Same for me

[chiver78]

Rukh's two emojis on this page are visible for me, so maybe the problem has solved itself?

[debthaven]

I can see hers but I can't see mine (on the side).

[chiver78]

I went back one page to see my own recent post, and my music notes aren't there. it looks like the problem is only with the special emojis that Virgil hosts for the board. basic ones for mobile phone, for instance - 🙂🤣😁😎 seem to be fine. I'm going to report this post and see if any of the mods know what's up. I don't think Virgil has been around in a long time.

[mmhmm]

I'm not seeing any reports of similar problems on ProBoards' Support board but it's early. I'll keep checking. My guess is it has something to do with the preparations for V6.

[jenpen]

I've been seeing the same thing the last few days on Chrome and FireFox.  But yesterday, when I opened my LastPass browser on my tablet, I got an alert that the certificates for the emojis had expired.  I just now went to ymam in LastPass again to see exactly what the message was, and now all of the emojis are showing up fine there. They are still broken here on FireFox on my laptop.  Very strange.

[moon/Laura]

Part of this is due to the fact that PB is moving to https (secure) across the board. Previously, the only pages that loaded that way were login and payment pages. It appears that this has now gone into effect and they had said that images that weren't served using https themselves might break. Pretty sure that's what's going on here. 

[chiver78]

and the emojis seem to be okay today. (Chrome, on a laptop)  

[resolution]

Feb 8, 2020 12:09:48 GMT -5 speechchick71 said:

Feb 8, 2020 11:13:51 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

I would hate to think we are unwelcoming or standoffish to male Savers.

I know we have male savers....that comment about about us getting along because we're women had a smiley after it which didn't come out. I'm glad we all encourage one another, men and women alike. It was meant in jest.

Another thought:   I was reading a FB post from a "friend" (someone I know by name only). I don't remember exactly what she was talking about but said that she doesn't have a savings account, "that idea is a scam anyway".  Why would someone think that? Where do they keep their money?

Hopefully she keeps her money in a high interest checking account and just thinks that savings accounts are scams due to the low interest.

However some people are unbanked, either because of past bounced checks or because bank accounts can become extremely expensive if you don't have enough money in them. Many of them use those high fee rechargeable debit cards that you can buy at the super market, which charge you for every transaction and for things like checking your balance. Others use a payroll card issued by their employer, where their paychecks are direct deposited to the card. Those may also be high fee, depending on the deal that the employer worked out with the issuer. People can also cash their paycheck at the grocery store and buy money orders to pay their bills. It can be extremely expensive to be unbanked.

[shanendoah]

shanendoah [Q1]: $5,537.28 2/10/2020 (Goal: $5,040 3/31/2020)
ROTH [Q1]: $4,000 1/1/2020 (Goal: $1,500 3/31/2020)
Savings [Q1]: $1,537.28 1/10/2020 (Goal: $3,540 3/31/2020)

So I am bad at not putting the money in savings. So I put it in savings. But in addition to the big car expense, we just gave $1k to C's cousin. She has long been the caretaker for her entire family and now she's experiencing some pretty major health issues of her own. We are not able to travel to help out, so we're sending money. It will set back some of the savings goals, but we've got plenty of time to savie up for the Canary Islands trip. It's still 9 years out.

[snapdragon]

Snapdragon Update 2-10-20 - $7900.87 / $9500

Car/House $ 3703.48 / $5000

Savings $ 4197.39 / $4500

New Totals $ 7900.87 / $9500


Plugging away and just trying to keep anxiety at bay right now. 

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Rukh O'Rorke 02/10/2020 $2,630.47 (Start=$0 / Goal=$43,600)


Saving Goals for 2020

Account	Goal	Added	Saved	Percent
401k	$26,000	$328.79	$1,753.54	6.7%
HSA	$7,600	$292.31	$876.93	11.5%
EF:MM	$5,000	0	0	0%
EF:ETFs	$5,000	0	0	0%
Total	$43,600	$621.10	$2,630.47	6.0%

EF Multiyear Goals

Emergency Fund	Goal	Added	Amount	Percent
Money Market and ETFs	$20,000		$901.40	4.5%

Spending Targets

Spending  Categories	Goal	Amount	Percent
Vacation	$3,000	0	0%
Holiday/Gifts	$2,000	0	0%
Rukh Discretionary	$1,000	0	0%
Total	$6,000	0	0%

Still just limping.....but moving forward just a little bit....one step at a time. 

[bobosensei]

Account	Goal	Saved	Percent
401k	8430	702.64	8.3%
HSA	3500	250	7.1%
Roth	6000	0	0%
House Projects	3000	601.65	20%
Sinking Funds	2400	0	0%
Christmas	2000	0	0%
Total	25430	0	0%

I feel like I just recovered from Christmas by the skin of my teeth.  I just barely made paying off one of my credit cards in full.  I am sticking to a budget this year for sure.  I should be able to start my roth this month, I may just split the 500 I have and do a little in the sinking fund and a little in the roth.  We had a snow storm down in georgia.  All in one week it was one day 70 degrees, the next rain that flooded streets and tornado warnings, the next day snow.  I had a pine tree fall that fortunately did not damage my neighbor's fence.  I had two bushes catch it.  And my boyfriend was able to cut it all down so it didn't cost me anything but it made me think about needing the sinking funds to offset any surprises.

The 600 I spent for house work was in the form of a new back door.  After I made some repairs to rotted wood I ended up needing to replace the door because water was getting in.  Turned out the door had some rot too and might have been some of the problem.  I somehow got a tax refund of this year which is where I got the money for all that so will need to go back and look at my W4.  My income is up, but I don't expect a 2.5k charitable deduction again so I have to see how it all calculates.  I'd prefer a little more each pay check.  The refund was just under 500 for federal and about 350 for state so it won't be much.

[seriousthistime]

Update

Account Name	Goal	Start	Amt. Saved 2/14/20	Amt. Saved %	Roses
Gifts	$2,600	$2,300	$2,611	100.0%
Property Tax	$5,500	$0	$660	12.0%
Travel	$4,000	$5	$3,552	88.8%
Car	$3,000	$17	$1,451	48.4%
Survival Fund	$6,000	$16	$2,018	33.6%
Weekly Savings	$1,378	$13	$289	21.0%
Household/EF	$2,000	$5	$2,002	100.0%
Mortgage	$6,000	$695	$1,600	26.7%
Total	$30,478	$3,051	$14,183	46.5%

Seriousthistime, 2/14/2020, $14,183 (Goal, $30,478)


Weekly Savings Tracker:

$1	$2	$3	$4	$5	$6
$7	$8	$9	$10	$11	$12
$13	$14	$15	$16	$17	$18
$19	$20	$21	$22	$23	$24
	$26	$27	$28	$29	$30
$31	$32	$33	$34	$35	$36
$37	$38	$39	$40	$41	$42
$43	$44	$45	$46	$47

Got my tax refunds. That was quick.

[plugginaway22]

We are off to the coast of Virginia for a few days. It will be cold but sunny, and sunshine is what I need. This wasn't planned, so trying to keep expenses low.  I packed the cooler and took some cash from our in-house stash.  When I get back need to focus on tax prep and gathering all money documents for a meeting with financial guy.

[forwardwego]

Thanks for your encouragement/appreciation Rukh O'Rorke . My self-motivation was flagging.

A hearty welcome to newcomers flamingo  jenpen  resolution  
And welcome back to previous WIRSavers who had been away: idlechatter and speechchick71

It's very exciting to see 22 savers at the starting line 

January Shoutouts:

azucena Good job evaluating last year's savings result and tweeking upward for 2020, and accomplishing $1635.  I also sometimes save to the point of feeling pinched. but when I need funds for something, I'm very glad I Pinched myself 
ETA: I hope your DH is on the mend, and it's great that your savings and financial habits kept you from having to worry in that regard.

bobosensei Your goals look pretty well laid out with retirement, health, home, and holidays categories. And as you point out (here on the Savers) these are always subject to fine tuning as the year unfolds.  And congrats on being a new homeowner who is planning in advance for projects and expenses. 

chiver78 Nice start for you with $25, and your sentiment of  "this year seems easy so far, here's to keeping it up all year!"
Yep, one step at a time and then the next. 

debthaven Yay for 27.6% and 100%! Congrats on having money in the bank and not spending it. Adding to savings is a skill, and preserving savings is a skill too! 

finnime Very unfortunate to not get to beef up your EF with the latest monies, but very happy that you were able to cash flow the wiring issue and prevent a fire in your home.  
flamingo I'm glad you were able to zap the CC bill, and not lose any ground. Here's to saving in Feb  .

idlechatter Welcome back! Congrats on your updates of $2858 and $4308, and you are right, with the end in sight on your student loans it's great you are transitioning into savings! 

jenpen I agree, $4800 is a nice climb, especially since you accomplished that in addition to cash flowing emergency vet bill and car maintenance, and contributing to a family who certainly needs and I'm sure appreciates it. 

minnesotapaintlady Good job getting on the board with $3147, and using your rewards points to complete the IRA goal  

nikiz628 Kudos on nearly $4K saved! Have you thought of tracking your DH's retirement fund here? Maybe that will encourage you to occasionally bump up the contribution? Also how is the bi-weekly pay routine going? 

paynointerest Way to go with a whopping $15,650 saved !!!

plugginaway22 Good work for you with $831 saved in 2020, and over 80% in your big picture! It is challenging to figure a recording/reporting method when we are carrying over goals or doing multi-year. IMHO as long as we aren't kidding ourselves into becoming complacent, it's pretty okay to get credit for maintaining savings from a previous year.  Also congrats on being in the homestretch of retirement, 

resolution _Good 4 U....$2400 saved for some awesome goals for your secure retirement. Are you watching for a fixer upper to have as your homestead? rental? or resale? Have you done a fixer upper before? 

Rukh O'Rorke _Congrats on $2009 saved. Good job also having your eye on your multiyear goals and spending. So happy you had $100 in rewards. Did you use that, and have you gotten past your 24 hour "financial pinch" day? Thank you for your presence here. I appreciate your encouragement and thought provoking questions. 

Saving4Norway _Congratulations on $2200 saved and 73% to goal. How is the outlook on early retirement? And how is it looking on the trip to Norway? 

seriousthistime _Many thanks for what you do to keep us Savers organized, updated, and encouraged. Congrats to you on over $17K saved! I'm very excited that you are past 50% on your overall goal and your survival fund. Is a retirement date emerging? 

shanendoah _YEA! for "super adulting". Nice work with your plan for C's ROTH. Looks like you are going to totally smash your Q1 goal   

snapdragon Good work "slow stepping" your way to $7900. I'm thinking of you as you navigate through helping your dad (and his cat), and going through a fairly major home renovation. Do you have a projected finish date for the kitchen? I hope you'll share pictures.  

speechchick71 Hola Speech! From back in our Southern WIR days!! Nice start for you with $2288. Good 4 U fully funding your 2019 ROTH, and 2020! So happy to hear that with your tracking taking shape other areas of life seem to be lining up well too!

steph08 Nice big leap for you...over $2300 climb in a month! And over 25% to goal 

teachermom Kudos on growing your savings by nearly a grand in January. Good job with sorting, and downsizing. It will be worth it (wish I would do this too.) 

 

[idlechatter]

I'm backdating my update to 1/31 because my intentions are to update on the last day of the month.  Things have been a little crazy the last couple of weeks so I know I'm late!


idlechatter 1/31/20 $4,308.36 (Goal:$30,000), WIRS3

Savings Account	Goal	WIRS Start 1/19/2020	1/31/2020	Difference from WIRR Start	Remainder to Save
Emergency	$4,000.00	$0.00	$300.00	$300.00	$3,700.00
Car/Moto Maintenance	$1,500.00	$4.80	$4.80	$0.00	$1,495.20
Christmas	$1,200.00	$3.09	$3.09	$0.00	$1,196.91
House	$1,000.00	$0.47	$0.47	$0.00	$999.53
Car/Moto Purchase	$1,200.00	$0.00	$100.00	$100.00	$1,100.00
Dad (long term)	$1,000.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$1,000.00
Vacation (slush)	$4,500.00	$2,300.00	$2,800.00	$500.00	$1,700.00
401K	$15,600.00	$550.00	$1,100.00	$550.00	$14,500.00
Total	$30,000.00	$2,858.36	$4,308.36	$1,450.00	$25,691.64

[speechchick71]

Update


Speechchick, 2/20/2020, $4137 (Goal $28,500)

	Goal	End Of Feb 2020	% Saved	Roses
403b	17,000	2787	16.39%
Roth IRA	5,500	0	0%
Car expenses	4,000	600	15%
General Savings	2,000	750	37.5%
Total	28,500	4137	14.52%

Not quite the end of the month but the last paycheck of the month so here are my numbers. I've been working a few extra hours here and there, even going into OT to cover for my co-worker so it's helping the bottom line. There are so many sick people in the hospital. I know it sounds silly but it's true!  These people aren't just having a surgery or come in with a broken bone, they are coming in with pneumonia and flu and even meningitis.  Wash your hands everyone, don't touch your face, and for the love of Pete, don't pick your nose! There are some really nasty germs flying around out there, even in the warm parts of the country (I'm in SW Florida).

I have been making some "larger" purchases recently. I love going to concerts and have spent well over $2000 this year on tickets for concerts only thru July. More than half that will be returned to me when people pay me for their share but it's still a lot to be putting out. I do enjoy the added miles though on my credit card.  

Quick question:  My company finally started putting in their contributions to my 403b (I had to have a full year of employment until that started!). When you are all reporting on your 403b/401k, do you include only your contribution or the match as well?

[Rukh O'Rorke]

You could include if you are vested.

I don’t cus money isn’t mine till 2021

[snapdragon]

Well I just got my property tax bill and it has gone up almost $300.

I am starting to feel panicky about everything. My bills, Money, Work, Dad and his cat, his house and just life. And taxes let's not forget about tax time in there. 

Can I go hide in a corner or run away to somewhere else? At least until March is over?

[nikiz628]

Feb 21, 2020 10:27:45 GMT -5 snapdragon said:

Well I just got my property tax bill and it has gone up almost $300.

I am starting to feel panicky about everything. My bills, Money, Work, Dad and his cat, his house and just life. And taxes let's not forget about tax time in there. 

Can I go hide in a corner or run away to somewhere else? At least until March is over?

((hugs)) You definitely have a lot on your plate. But I don't doubt one bit that you will be able to figure out the best way to handle it all! 

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Sorry snapdragon!

Keep breathing!

[Deleted]

I think I used to always update after last paycheck of the month when I knew nothing else was going into savings, so I think I'll try to keep doing that. Employer did their quarterly $250 contribution to the HSA today, so that was nice to see.  This is my first time with a HDHP and I'm going to TRY to keep the HSA rather than use it for medical expenses, but that won't work beyond a couple urgent care visits and some prescriptions.

Fund	2020 Goal	Current	Needed	% Complete
401K	$15,000	$3298	$11,702	21.99%
HSA	$7,100	$1,188	$5,912	16.73%
College	$1,900	$400	$1,500	21.05%
IRA	$500	$500	$0	100.00%
Pr. High School	$500	$200	$300	40.00%
Vacation	$500	$0	$500	0.00%
Christmas	$500	$0	$500	0.00%
Total	$26,000	$5,586	$20,414	21.48%

MPL 2/21/2020  $5,586 - Goal $26,000

[TheOtherMe]

Feb 21, 2020 10:27:45 GMT -5 snapdragon said:

Well I just got my property tax bill and it has gone up almost $300.

I am starting to feel panicky about everything. My bills, Money, Work, Dad and his cat, his house and just life. And taxes let's not forget about tax time in there. 

Can I go hide in a corner or run away to somewhere else? At least until March is over?

If I lived near you, I would help with your dad's cat.  I'm a total cat person.  

I wish there was something I could do to help you. 

Just know that I care and I do know about having a sick parent and being a caretaker and totally empathize.

[seriousthistime]

Update

Account Name	Goal	Start	Amt. Saved 2/21/20	Amt. Saved %	Roses
Gifts	$2,600	$2,300	$2,611	100.0%
Property Tax	$5,500	$0	$660	12.0%
Travel	$4,000	$5	$4,000	100.0%
Car	$3,000	$17	$3,000	100.0%
Survival Fund	$6,000	$16	$3,186	53.1%
Weekly Savings	$1,378	$13	$382	27.7%
Household/EF	$2,000	$5	$2,002	100.0%
Mortgage	$6,000	$695	$1,600	26.7%
Total	$30,478	$3,051	$17,441	57.2%

Seriousthistime, 2/21/2020, $17,441 (Goal, $30,478)


Weekly Savings Tracker:

$1	$2	$3	$4	$5	$6
$7	$8	$9	$10	$11	$12
$13	$14	$15	$16	$17	$18
$19	$20	$21	$22	$23	$24
	$26	$27	$28	$29	$30
$31	$32	$33	$34	$35	$36
$37	$38	$39	$40	$41	$42
$43	$44	$45

I track savings but not amounts spent from those savings accounts.  Travel is now at 100% but will soon be spent. I may adjust my Travel goal upward once that happens. I need at least a bit of a cushion in that account.  Maybe the full $4,000 won't be spent.  We'll see. 

I'm finding that life never stops being a work in progress.