Money Matters
formerlyjessica490
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 Accoutability
1. How MM was your weekend?
2. Any progress towards goals?
3. What has been a recent high for you in your life recently? What has been a recent low?
Re: Monday Accoutability
1. Pretty good! $20 Home depot, $20 Walmart, $79 Groceries
2. $450 towards vacation
3. High- I am so excited on how great our front yard looks! All our new grass, beautiful flowers, pumpkins, and new fall wreath my sister made for me, it looks amazing! Low- I don't think my last grandparent will be around much longer.....I'm so sad about this
2. We were all set to make some serious savings progress tomorrow, but yesterday we discovered a plumbing clog that H was unable to fix on his own despite hours of hard work. There are real plumbers here working on it as we speak and it probably means we won't be adding to savings this round of paychecks. I am hopeful, however, that we'll be able to cashflow it without touching our e-fund.
Edit: $555. Ugh. We decided to just pull it from savings and be done with it. One step forward, two steps back lately.
3. High-My pregnancy. Low-My parents are really starting to visibly get a lot older and my dad has been in poor health with a non-yet-diagnosed autoimmune issue. It's tough to realize that my parents are really getting older.
1. How MM was your weekend?
Pretty good. $100 in groceries, $34 in eating out, and $26 on movie and popcorn.
2. Any progress towards goals?
Not this week.
3. What has been a recent high for you in your life recently? What has been a recent low?
High: Getting pregnant
Low: Not being challenged at my job.
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. How MM was your weekend? It was pretty good- groceries ($151), pumpkins ($10), target ($45), winter boots/sneakers for DH ($145)
2. Any progress towards goals? Bathroom fixtures are all installed ($747), vent gets hooked up and on the roof on Friday ($180).
3. What has been a recent high for you in your life recently? What has been a recent low? High- seeing the finish line for the bathroom. We did a full gut to the studs and a lot of DIY. We came in about 1/2 of all of the estimates from companies ($8,600 spent vs. $15,000+ estimates). Low- work stress that is getting better. New boss, new structure, new team members.. lots of changes at once for me, but I'm working through it.
1. How MM was your weekend? It could have been better. We had an unexpected grocery shopping trip when we found out a friend visiting had planned on staying the night but didn't tell us. $12 at a brewery, $30 out to dinner, $40 groceries, $35 at Home Depot
2. Any progress towards goals? Nope.
3. What has been a recent high for you in your life recently? What has been a recent low? High - Our second anniversary is tomorrow. We both took the day off work and we're going to spend the morning and afternoon hiking and fishing. I can't wait! Low - My job has been high stress and I'm ready for a break.
1. How MM was your weekend? It was good finally! $5 on Papa Murphy's pepperoni pizza on Friday (chopped up some green pepper at home so didn't have to pay extra for it). $10 on a prescription copay and $51 on groceries on Saturday. $12.61 on breakfast with book club on Sunday morning.
2. Any progress towards goals? No, I still haven't reviewed the August or September expenses...it sounds like a massive project but I just need to sit down and do it.
3. What has been a recent high for you in your life recently? What has been a recent low? High - H and I seem to be on the same page about a lot of important things lately. Low - the looming what ifs of life right now, with potential career changes and starting a family. I'm a planner by nature and these things can't be precisely planned out.
2. Nope. This week is the mortgage paycheck. The magic doesn't really happen until the end of the month.
3. Bad: Job is always stressful and it's been a really hard year after nearly two years of TTC. With all of the health and reproductive issues I've had, we're seriously considering throwing in the towel and pursuing adoption in a few years. Good: We're starting to plan our next international trip for April/May. We definitely need a vacation!
2 - $113 in retirement and $133 in home improvement fund
3 - Good - DH's studio pretty much complete and him actually getting back into photography jobs. It's been way too long. I can't really think of anything bad going on right now. If I had to think of anything that might be stressing me it would be that I am concerned that I'm not pregnant yet. I know it hasn't been that long compared to some. We are on the 5th cycle currently and once I hit the 6 month mark I will have to call my OB for further testing because I'm old - lol actually advanced maternal age (36).
2. Nothing money related, we both get paid this week. Non-financial goal, as of Saturday, 8 officially down 20 pounds since the beginning of the year. I'm working my tail off, so it's nice to see results. I know I'll hit my first plateau soon, so I'm milking the first 20 for all I can.
3. High: see #2. Low: we have a lot of family stuff going on with both sides of our families. H and I have been through a lot in the 10 years we've been together, but it seems to keep piling on. It's been a rough year.
1. How MM was your weekend? Pretty good - nothing unexpected. We spent about $12 on coffee/breakfast on Sunday and then about $70 at the Patriots game ($40 to park and $30 on snacks and water for me and a beer for hubby). Finally ordered some flannel sheets and was able to use up an old gift card so they were only $105 out of pocket. I also attended a Women's Car Care Clinic run by a local autobody shop and learned how to check/refill all my fluids, change an air filter, replace the windshield wipers, and change a tire! It was free and came with some swag (most importantly a new tire pressure gauge hehe) and will hopefully save me money in the future when I can handle things myself. Although my arms are sore from changing the tire - those things are heavy!
2. Any progress towards goals? I was finally able to join my 401k! Woot woot!
3. What has been a recent high for you in your life recently? What has been a recent low? Ask me again next week lol. I'm on day 6 of IVF stims and I am so exhausted and bloated and cranky that I think pretty much everything sucks. Although one of the partners I work for figured it out and she's been super supportive so at least work won't give me crap for being at half speed this week.
1. How MM was your weekend?
Fun! We actually went out more than usual, but the MM was low considering. Friday - $50 dr. appt., $27 nails, $12 lunch, $290 Home Depot (10 gallons of paint!)
Saturday - $75 Trash haul away, Out with friends: $10 drinks, $20 dinner, $17 dessert and coffee (we treated for this part)
Sunday - Saints game viewing party at Harrahs casino (free), free food and drinks (unfortunately, not good food), $8 for tips
2. Any progress towards goals?
Nope, there will be no progress for awhile until my reno is done. In fact, my new window estimate came back $880 higher than I was expecting.
3. What has been a recent high for you in your life recently? What has been a recent low?
Awesome surprise in the mail on Saturday!!! FEMA recently re-mapped flood zones across the country. One of my rentals went from being an A02 flood zone (bad) to an X flood zone (the best). X flood zone=no flood zone. That dropped my yearly premium from $1263 to $572. It's also a better policy with a lower deductible and $40K in contents included for $5/month. My only "contents" are appliances, but cool. I just paid my annual premium in July and they will be sending me a check for most of the difference. I expect to get a similar letter for my personal home, although that flood insurance is already low, so the difference won't be as dramatic.
Like some of you unhappy with your jobs, I've started looking again. I like my job, but the writing is on the wall. It's not going to last much longer. I offered to go part-time, if it comes to that, my boss was open to the idea. But obviously full-time is better for me right now and it's possible I'd just be laid off completely anyway.
1. How MM was your weekend? Not too horrible I suppose. Friday lunch with my grandmom $20, hair cut $36 (why is hair SO expensive??? Next time I'm going to great clips) then dinner and a movie with friends from work $30. Saturday $12 for leggings on Amazon and Chick Fil A $13. Sunday - $9 at the grocery store.
2. Any progress towards goals? Paid down some CC debt I've managed to wrack up on a 0% interest card. Paid off a small card (less than $300). And then the usual payments to boat and school.
3. What has been a recent high for you in your life recently? What has been a recent low? Low - H and I have had a rough time lately. A lot of stuff happened this summer between us and it's just been hard. I feel like in some ways we've changed in ways that can't be repaired. It has me feeling down, but he doesn't feel the same so it's hard. High - I decided today to take a mini-staycation between Christmas and New Years. Even though work is slow during that time I'm just going to take 4 days off and with holidays + weekends I'll have 11 days off and only use 36 hours of leave. Score.
1. How MM was your weekend?
I spent a ton on groceries ($200) but the pantry and fridge are bursting so I should be able to keep it low next week. Truth is, I shop at whole foods for the most part (this week went to Trader Joes too - so that was a lot of stocking up) and buy almost all organic so we can normally spend 125-150 in a regular week (I also eat out may 1-2 x/month and H eats out 1-2x/week for lunch)
2. Any progress towards goals?
Staying the course. The electrical work I was worried about last week isn't going to be out responsibility so that is good.
3. What has been a recent high for you in your life recently? What has been a recent low?
High/low - got a new job starting in November. I have a lot of mixed feelings about leaving my current job, but I'm also excited about the new opportunities. Also a paycut but hopefully less stress and it's a better schedule. So thats my high and low.
1. How MM was your weekend?
Pretty good! We spent no money this weekend other than tithing at church. Normally we would have grabbed groceries but that was postponed until today so I guess you could add $150 for that.
2. Any progress towards goals?
Doing to the usual.
3. What has been a recent high for you in your life recently? What has been a recent low?
End of Sept and first part of October were pretty great! End of Sept I received a bonus and Oct I received a raise. Still need to sit down and adjust the budget some. A low would likely be the fact that we were really hoping to have moved this year but it's just not going to happen and that's okay. We know it'll be worth the wait.
2) We are both within striking distance of hitting our hours for year-end bonuses, so we are starting to plan what we will be doing with that money. I think most of it will go to a baby fund to sit there until we are ready to use it. We are also starting to talk about changes for 2017. I think I am going to add dedicated funds for vacation and home improvement to give ourselves firmer ceilings on those categories (right now those expenses come from the "slush" fund and our cash flow), and then we will start focusing our energy on taxable investments. We plan to stay in our current house for at least 5-7 more years, but it's time to start thinking about how we will bankroll the next one.
3) A huge high for me was finishing my LLM degree. It took two years, and I did not receive an hours reduction at my work for it, so it has been a long and tiring two years. At the same time, I actually worked it so that I made a profit on it between credit card sign up bonuses and tax breaks. I'm glad it's over! A low for me is turning 30 this weekend. It sounds stupid, but I'm dreading it. I feel like the clock has finally started ticking for me, and it's going to inspire some major changes in our life. I'm both excited and terrified about it. But I really hate change, so I'm struggling with this right now.
BTW I flipping loved Amsterdam. We were there on Christmas day when a lot of stuff was closed, and it was rainy and gross, and H and I managed to get separated with only 1 working cell phone between us... but despite having everything working against us, it still managed to wow me. It is very high on my list for a return trip.
I'm sure you already know this, but the Keukenof gardens are open from late March through early May. TULIPS!
@als1982 Amsterdam accommodations are a little pricier I found so I would start looking for deals now. We spent more on 3 nights in Amsterdam than we did on 5 nights in Paris and we weren't even in the thick of the core area. But we absolutely loved it and can't wait to go back!