Money Matters
jessica490
member
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Monday Accountability Post
1. How MM was your weekend?
2. Any progress towards goals?
3. What is your favorite splurge?
Re: Monday Accountability Post
1. How MM was your weekend? Okay. Got groceries and toiletries = $120, stocked up on diapers with sales and coupons = $18, and dinner out with MIL = $15.
2. Any progress towards goals? We are just letting the extra money sit in checking until the end of the month. H's "cash car" is broken and we aren't sure yet how much it's going to cost us to fix.
3. What is your favorite splurge? Buying gifts for others.
TTC since 1/13 DX:PCOS 5/13 (long, anovulatory cycles)
Clomid 50mg 9/13 = BFP! EDD 6/7/14 M/C 5w6d Found 11/4/13
1/14 PCOS / Gluten Free Diet to hopefully regulate my system.
Chemical Pregnancy 03/14
Surprise BFP 6/14, Beta #1: 126 Beta #2: 340 Stick baby, stick! EDD 2/17/15
Riley Elaine born 2/16/15
TTC 2.0 6/15
Chemical Pregnancy 9/15
Chemical Pregnancy 6/16
BFP 9/16 EDD 6/3/17
Beta #1: 145 Beta #2: 376 Beta #3: 2,225 Beta #4: 4,548
www.5yearstonever.blogspot.com
1. Friday- $0
Saturday- $25 pizza, $40 Groceries for our weekend in R.Island.
Sunday-$0
Total- $65- Weekend plans were last minute but I just used my fun money. We stayed at my sis's bf's family's beach house with the 2 of them.
2. Good progress! I applied for a part-time job on Thursday, got called on Friday for a job interview on Saturday, and walked out with a job! I start training this weekend!
$500 into mortg priniciple
$224 into house DP
$30 into vacation fund (final amount to pay off our cruise next May!) Now we just need to find flights and book excursions.
3. I like to splurge on clothes maybe 2-3 times a year (not expensive ones, usually at Kohls with coupons)
1. How MM was your weekend?
It was a good weekend for us. Friday - no spend. Saturday - groceries for $104, gas for $43, lunch in cash from DH's tips. Sunday - no spend
2. Any progress towards goals?
Yes! We added $300 to savings. Debt went up because of interest, but we should be able to make a nice payment to it next week.
3. What is your favorite splurge?
Eating out with my husband, or ordering in. I just love food.
1. How MM was your weekend?
Ok, Saturday $23-Groceries (woohoo!) $33-Kohls...per-usual I felt like I made out like a bandit we're doing some little updates on our bedroom I got 2 sets of 3 mirrors and one more Euro-pillow sham we had 2 on our king-sized bed and it just looked silly. $82 TJMaxx- new curtains for the bedroom, a new laundry hamper so I can relocate the 4-bin laundry sorter out of the bedroom and into the basement, 1 Euro pillow...despite Kohl's coupon and $10 gift card this was a better deal. $8.99-beer (first sip of Harpoon Octoberfest...priceless
)
Sunday-$70 Pedaling picnic bike ride...fundraiser for the group that maintains all the walking/hiking trails we enjoy with the dog...we rode 30 miles in beautiful 70 degree weather and ate yummy food from local restaurants
2. Any progress towards goals?
none, we shift all our money towards goals at the end of the month
3. What is your favorite splurge?
I always go overboard on baking supplies around Christmas...my friends, family, and co-workers love it. Fortunately I stocked-up on sugary decorations last-year, and those things have a 2-3 year shelf-life. It doesn't help that we live 10 minutes from King Arthur Flour
I think I dropped almost $300 there last year.
2-Not much this week. I put $80 from a second job toward my car.
3-Going out to eat for GOOD food, plus wine or beer. We do this a little too much...
1. How MM was your weekend?
Not bad. $80 on groceries and $30 on Thai food take out.
2. Any progress towards goals?
Nothing big this weekend. We got another dog sitting gig for this week, so that is an extra $100 that can hopefully go into savings next week.
3. What is your favorite splurge?
All food related things. Eating out, cooking large, expensive dinners for guests, buying expensive cheese and meats at the grocery store. That and vacations!
1. How MM was your weekend? Friday not perfect but okay. DH had a work lunch meeting where he bought someone he supervises lunch so that was $30 but maybe we can write it off as a business expense. We're terrible about keeping track of things like that but we need to work on it. Other than that, $7 on kindle book on Saturday and $0 on Sunday. Family came to visit on Sunday and brought bakery goods so we ended up not going to breakfast like planned
Much easier with our two children under 2 and easier on the wallet.
2. Any progress towards goals? We weren't planning on contributing to retirement accounts during my 3 month maternity leave because we are down to 1 income but we ended up with a bit more in our checking account so I added 200 to my roth and 250 to my DHs. Hoping to check up when Im back to work.
3. What is your favorite splurge? home decor items! I have so many things I want to buy for our house (bamboo blinds for living room, rug for bedroom, the list goes on!)
1. How MM was your weekend? Not terrible- groceries ($118), DH's car repair ($405), Target ($102).
2. Any progress towards goals? Nothing new- DH gets his first paycheck of the school year on Friday so that'll be nice. The small rug for our bedroom arrived- the wool wasn't what we expected (flatweave instead of pile) so we returned it. The bedside tables came and are beautiful and the bed frame is supposed to get here by Wednesday. We'll keep looking for rugs and buy the paint for the room this week too. If we can find a rug soon, we'll be able to order our new mattress by the end of the month.
3. What is your favorite splurge? Probably lunch of dinner out with DH- we usually get sushi. It's a nice treat.
1. How MM was your weekend?
Both good and bad. We spent a ton of money - and lots of things were just blah items like a fire extinguisher, extension cords, a hedge trimmer, extra trash cans, etc. But we also found two large rugs for the bedroom for under $200 each that were perfect. We jumped on that. We also replaced H's beat up desk with a nice desk at Costco - that was $150 but is so much more functional. H's old desk was literally a board on two sawhorses. Not good.
Anyway we stayed in budget (we had a LARGE "house stuff" budget this month) - but I'm still sort of tired of spending money. I think next weekend we will try to cool it down a bit.
2. Any progress towards goals?
We now have the kitchen bedrooms, closets, laundry room, and bathrooms unpacked. We still have more boxes to go but our living spaces are about set up, and that's huge progress for me. We've been living out of boxes or suitcases for nearly a month at this point, and I was getting sick of it.
3. What is your favorite splurge?
Once a year - travel. All the time - food. We seriously spend so much on eating out, it's bad.
1. How MM was your weekend? Not good, went to the County Fair and Oktoberfest on the same day. Didn't spend much at either, $80 total.
2. Any progress towards goals? Not this week, just normal debt payments.
3. What is your favorite splurge? Ordering food or eating out. Also going to events that cost. That is why we have an annual membership to the zoo.
Need to work on ILs that tend to want to create special memories when they can't really afford to, they are starting to shop at dollar general for some food items yet want to spend $25 to $40 a seat for a train ride.
1. How MM was your weekend? Perfect. We spent nothing.
2. Any progress towards goals? Yes! We sent $1,666 to SL from H paycheck and some left over in the budget. We only have $1,442 left on this loan and we will be left with 1 loan at less than 5k!
3. What is your favorite splurge? Gas money honestly. I love to drive. I miss taking off and driving aimlessly for hours like we did before we got all MM.
Love: March 2010 Marriage: July 2013 Debt Free: October 2014 TTC: May 2015
1. How MM was your weekend?
Friday - nothing (went to yoga but I have a class card, I think it worked out to $10 for each class)
Saturday - We went out to dinner, $75, but it was out of H's personal money, so budgeted in. It would have been cheaper, except we got a second round of drinks because they dropped my dinner on the floor so we had to wait a while (they offered free dessert but we didn't want it)
Sunday - I spent $85 on groceries. The bonus is I started teaching yoga again after taking the summer off, so I made $45 too.
2. Any progress towards goals?
I think that I have some better ideas and plans of how to get our grocery budget down.
3. What is your favorite splurge?
I spend ~$200 a month on yoga, but I make most of it back in teaching at least. It is also really good for my anxiety and a great workout so I don't feel too guilty about it. I would say other than that it would be eating out really expensive dinners with H.
Not bad. $95 on groceries, $25 on a local historical event (kids had free admission and we just bought some food), $30 for randoms at Target, $35 Home Depot (paint, etc). All was budgeted for however we did need more paint than we expected.
2. Any progress towards goals?
Still about the same, just plugging away trying to stick to the budget. Currently in discussion with my boss about adding some hours at work to help with a special project. I love working 4 days a week and having the extra day with my kids! This will allow for me to see how I do with working an extra day. Our daycare costs will go up but my pay will as well. If this project moves forward we'll be able to save extra and pay extra on debt.
3. What is your favorite splurge?
I'm not a big splurger. Um maybe a massage once a year? I do enjoy some good coffee! H and I are planning to work on our wardrobes! Being pregnant twice in the last 4.5 years, I have purposely let my shopping come to a halt.
1. How MM was your weekend? I think we did good.
Friday - $5 prints on shutterfly from our family pictures for the nursery (had $10 off), $20 for a print on Etsy. That finishes the nursery decorations!!!
Saturday - $30 Dinner
Sunday - $30 pizza hut for football games, $80 groceries. I love H coming with me grocery shopping, but with him it's always $120, without him it's $80.
2. Any progress towards goals? I wrote out our bills for Oct so I don't have to worry about that when the baby comes. I just need to remember to mail them. We paid off H's Lowe's card (0% for 18 months, paid it off in 12, trying to get his credit up with on time payments) - woohoo!
3. What is your favorite splurge? Right now is anything baby. But usually it's Christmas. I go overboard every year, but I just love giving gifts. I know we need to cut back, but it's hard.