Holy crap, it's already April! Where did the time go?
I've made my travel arrangements for Paris to the tune of $2,000. I'd originally hoped to stay between $1,500 and $1,800, but when I started pricing the trip and deciding where I wanted to stay, I figured it was worth the extra money to be where I wanted to be. I wanted to be in St. Germain, and as luck would have it, I found a charming hotel in the heart of that arrondissement. It's not far from the Seine, so I'll be able to walk to Notre Dame and to the Louvre. I go in September.
In other news, I've upgraded my cellphone ... finally. I went with a smartphone (no surprise there), and I haven't looked back. I love it.
I've bought clothes and knickknacks. I've eaten out more than usual. I've spent on random things, big and small. There was the deductible for my accident back in February, as well as the cost of the rental car. There was my trip to Richmond for an art workshop, and then down to Virginia Beach to visit my parents, where I also spent on random things.
All that to say this: I've been spendy. I don't like it when I'm spendy. I have to do better.
I'm still saving the same amount. However, because I've been spendy, I've been taking savings out to cover it. Sigh.
Old habits die hard.
There is another possible financial thing, but it's too early to mention right now. It can be a good thing. Stay tuned.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Twitchy
I was in a fender bender this past weekend. It sucks, but there you have it. No one was hurt, but I have expenses now that I hadn't planned on. Rental car ... deductible ... mental and emotional health (believe me, those last two items are big expenses).
The good thing is that at least I have the money to cover the financial part of it. Four or five years ago it would've really hurt.
Also remarkable is that I'm back to being debt free. I just scheduled the payment for my new computer and the awesome, gorgeous new rug I bought for my living room (on sale for $179 from nearly $800), both of which I put on AmEx. I wasn't thrilled about taking that chunk out of savings, but it was either that or incur interest. Since my savings earn less interest than what is charged for credit, it made more sense to pay it off.
But ... wow, do I ever hate seeing my savings balance go down. Hate it. Just wait till it's time for me to plan (and pay for!) my vacation. By then I will have saved more money, and there's an "extra" paycheck coming in May. I will be able to afford for it, but I will hate spending the money. At some point I've got to stop getting twitchy when it comes time to pay for things.
The good thing is that at least I have the money to cover the financial part of it. Four or five years ago it would've really hurt.
Also remarkable is that I'm back to being debt free. I just scheduled the payment for my new computer and the awesome, gorgeous new rug I bought for my living room (on sale for $179 from nearly $800), both of which I put on AmEx. I wasn't thrilled about taking that chunk out of savings, but it was either that or incur interest. Since my savings earn less interest than what is charged for credit, it made more sense to pay it off.
But ... wow, do I ever hate seeing my savings balance go down. Hate it. Just wait till it's time for me to plan (and pay for!) my vacation. By then I will have saved more money, and there's an "extra" paycheck coming in May. I will be able to afford for it, but I will hate spending the money. At some point I've got to stop getting twitchy when it comes time to pay for things.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Monthly Update: February 2012
I can't remember the last time I did a monthly update, and to tell you the truth, I don't feel like looking it up. (I know, I know. I'm lazy.) And this isn't going to be a huge post. But I did realize I hadn't checked in in a while and thought enough had happened that warranted an update.
First, I finally bought a new laptop. I'm typing on The Precious now, actually. I decided on another Mac, and I'm very happy with it. I purchased it with my AmEx because of the cash rewards and for the warranty protection, but I have more than enough in savings to pay off the balance. I will be meeting with my financial advisor sometime this month and will ask what he suggests -- whether I should pay it all off in one fell swoop, or whether it would make more sense to pay it off in installments. I'm leaning toward to the former.
Second, for the first time ever, I filed my tax returns electronically. Yeah, yeah ... what took me so long. Well, cheapness is one reason. TurboTax ain't free. And the one year that I tried to use the FreeFile thing, there was a technical glitch and I couldn't access the forms necessary for my freelance income. And last year, I had to file on paper because of the home buyer credit. Anyway, back to my point: I filed electronically and it was a breeze. Like ... I'm embarrassed for having avoided it for so long and laboring over my returns.
I'm getting back a decent refund, one that's slightly more than I expected. And the refund for my state taxes is much more than I expected. I do love itemized deductions. I'll be using some of it to help pay for my Paris trip, which I am still planning. The rest will camp out in savings, which brings me to this ...
Third, The savings are slowly getting back on track. Mind you, I'm about to eat into it to pay off The Precious, but I still feel encouraged.
Other developments include the purchase of an area rug for the living room. I ordered through Gilt Group. It was deeply discounted (regularly $795; paid $193, which included shipping). It's pretty darn perfect. Today I finally came up with some ideas for the odd space in my living room, but I want things to settle down before I start buying things to bring my idea to life. That's the good thing about owning, I've discovered. I can take my time.
OK. I think that's it for me. Peace.
First, I finally bought a new laptop. I'm typing on The Precious now, actually. I decided on another Mac, and I'm very happy with it. I purchased it with my AmEx because of the cash rewards and for the warranty protection, but I have more than enough in savings to pay off the balance. I will be meeting with my financial advisor sometime this month and will ask what he suggests -- whether I should pay it all off in one fell swoop, or whether it would make more sense to pay it off in installments. I'm leaning toward to the former.
Second, for the first time ever, I filed my tax returns electronically. Yeah, yeah ... what took me so long. Well, cheapness is one reason. TurboTax ain't free. And the one year that I tried to use the FreeFile thing, there was a technical glitch and I couldn't access the forms necessary for my freelance income. And last year, I had to file on paper because of the home buyer credit. Anyway, back to my point: I filed electronically and it was a breeze. Like ... I'm embarrassed for having avoided it for so long and laboring over my returns.
I'm getting back a decent refund, one that's slightly more than I expected. And the refund for my state taxes is much more than I expected. I do love itemized deductions. I'll be using some of it to help pay for my Paris trip, which I am still planning. The rest will camp out in savings, which brings me to this ...
Third, The savings are slowly getting back on track. Mind you, I'm about to eat into it to pay off The Precious, but I still feel encouraged.
Other developments include the purchase of an area rug for the living room. I ordered through Gilt Group. It was deeply discounted (regularly $795; paid $193, which included shipping). It's pretty darn perfect. Today I finally came up with some ideas for the odd space in my living room, but I want things to settle down before I start buying things to bring my idea to life. That's the good thing about owning, I've discovered. I can take my time.
OK. I think that's it for me. Peace.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
And Then There Were 2
When I first started this debt blog, I had eight accounts spread among six financial institutions. And then I added a small local bank to the mix. As of today, I'm down to two banks.
I started consolidating a while ago, first cutting one of the two credit unions, and later cutting SunTrust when they decided to charge a monthly fee for using debit cards. (While they gave in to customer pressure shortly thereafter and changed the policy, it was too little too late for me.) I opted to close my ING account with Capital One bought them. In the end, I figured I'd keep HSBC as my "cookie jar" account for emergencies -- the account that's to remain just out of touch -- but when their website glitch the other day locked me out of my own account, resulting in my spending an hour on the phone -- most of which was spent on hold -- I reconsidered. Rather than have them reset my password, I had 'em close the account and send me my money.
As of today, I'm officially down to two banks. One is my "regular" bank. It's where my paycheck goes. It's where my main savings account is. The other is the credit union from my old hometown. I've had it since I was in college, but never really used it beyond getting my guaranteed student loan and keeping a token amount in the savings account. I have at various times forgotten that savings account even exists. That account will now serve as my cookie jar. I have set up a small but reasonable amount from each paycheck to be deposited directly in it. There is no online bank-to-bank transfer option -- an "inconvenience" that will keep me from tapping into it. But it's not so inconvenient that I can't get my butt to a local credit union service center to access the account.
I'm officially out of the big banks. Yay!
In other news, I've had to help a relative with a financial emergency. As annoyed as the situation has made me (he should be more responsible than this), I'm also grateful to be in the position to help.
Lastly, I've done a rough calculation of my tax return and it looks like I may get back more than I thought. While my refund will help fund Paris later this year, it will also help me get my savings back on track to where I want things to be.
I feel like I'm finally regaining some control following my spending spree in 2011.
I started consolidating a while ago, first cutting one of the two credit unions, and later cutting SunTrust when they decided to charge a monthly fee for using debit cards. (While they gave in to customer pressure shortly thereafter and changed the policy, it was too little too late for me.) I opted to close my ING account with Capital One bought them. In the end, I figured I'd keep HSBC as my "cookie jar" account for emergencies -- the account that's to remain just out of touch -- but when their website glitch the other day locked me out of my own account, resulting in my spending an hour on the phone -- most of which was spent on hold -- I reconsidered. Rather than have them reset my password, I had 'em close the account and send me my money.
As of today, I'm officially down to two banks. One is my "regular" bank. It's where my paycheck goes. It's where my main savings account is. The other is the credit union from my old hometown. I've had it since I was in college, but never really used it beyond getting my guaranteed student loan and keeping a token amount in the savings account. I have at various times forgotten that savings account even exists. That account will now serve as my cookie jar. I have set up a small but reasonable amount from each paycheck to be deposited directly in it. There is no online bank-to-bank transfer option -- an "inconvenience" that will keep me from tapping into it. But it's not so inconvenient that I can't get my butt to a local credit union service center to access the account.
I'm officially out of the big banks. Yay!
In other news, I've had to help a relative with a financial emergency. As annoyed as the situation has made me (he should be more responsible than this), I'm also grateful to be in the position to help.
Lastly, I've done a rough calculation of my tax return and it looks like I may get back more than I thought. While my refund will help fund Paris later this year, it will also help me get my savings back on track to where I want things to be.
I feel like I'm finally regaining some control following my spending spree in 2011.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy 2012!
I know, I know. It's been a while. My apologies. I've been fairly busy, and to be honest, there hasn't been that much to report. But there are two noteworthy things:
First, I entered 2012 free of credit card debt. This is my second year in a row of being able to say that, and you know what? It feels as good as it did last year.
Second, I still have savings. Mind you, I don't have as much as I expected, or would like, but the simple fact that I have savings is a good thing.
2011 could be described as the year of "Woohoo! I'm debt free!" It was like a small party. When I saw something I liked, I bought it. I didn't think about it; I just got it. Sure, there were some things that were in the plan -- the mattresses, a new couch -- and some things that weren't in the plan but were needed, like when my TV died and I got a new one. And then there were the many other items that were neither planned nor, really, needed. (Though I suppose one would argue that the only things needed are food, clothing, and shelter. But you know what I mean.) There were things like the blender, some pricier-than-usual clothes, and my recently acquired 1950s-era end tables. There was more, but those are some highlights.
2012, however, will be the year I seek equilibrium. I still plan to hit Paris sometime this year, but that's the only luxury I will allow. I will be paying for that with my IRS refund. Another major purchase is a new computer. I don't consider that a luxury given that this computer is so old that I can no longer run updates on it. It's gotten exceedingly slow, the battery doesn't stay charged, and the P key works pretty much when it feels like it. My fantasy is the 15" Powerbook, but it's way too expensive. So I'll get the small one. I will get a wireless router too at some point, but that's not a priority.
So that's it in a nutshell. I'll try to be better about checking in. Happy new year!
First, I entered 2012 free of credit card debt. This is my second year in a row of being able to say that, and you know what? It feels as good as it did last year.
Second, I still have savings. Mind you, I don't have as much as I expected, or would like, but the simple fact that I have savings is a good thing.
2011 could be described as the year of "Woohoo! I'm debt free!" It was like a small party. When I saw something I liked, I bought it. I didn't think about it; I just got it. Sure, there were some things that were in the plan -- the mattresses, a new couch -- and some things that weren't in the plan but were needed, like when my TV died and I got a new one. And then there were the many other items that were neither planned nor, really, needed. (Though I suppose one would argue that the only things needed are food, clothing, and shelter. But you know what I mean.) There were things like the blender, some pricier-than-usual clothes, and my recently acquired 1950s-era end tables. There was more, but those are some highlights.
2012, however, will be the year I seek equilibrium. I still plan to hit Paris sometime this year, but that's the only luxury I will allow. I will be paying for that with my IRS refund. Another major purchase is a new computer. I don't consider that a luxury given that this computer is so old that I can no longer run updates on it. It's gotten exceedingly slow, the battery doesn't stay charged, and the P key works pretty much when it feels like it. My fantasy is the 15" Powerbook, but it's way too expensive. So I'll get the small one. I will get a wireless router too at some point, but that's not a priority.
So that's it in a nutshell. I'll try to be better about checking in. Happy new year!
Friday, October 21, 2011
A Word About the Financial Planner Dude
I know I've mentioned him here before and how I've known him for a long time though I only recently started using him professionally. You might be asking, "What are you doing spending what little money you have on this dude?" Well, I questioned that myself a time or two. That is, until I actually started meeting with him.
It goes beyond him giving me such "advice" as "Don't spend. Save." Sure, that's part of it, but it's only a small part. He's helping me consider my psychological and emotional relationship with money. Why I panic when it comes time to spend money. The other thing is accountability. Much like this blog was when I was $20K+ in debt, having him gives me someone to answer to.
Mind you, he's also been helpful. He helped me redistribute my retirement fund through work, which has saved me a fair amount of money given the swings in the market. I've now also got a Roth IRA. And he's helping me see the bigger picture (and relax about it) instead of obsessing about the short term.
Despite all that, though, I debated about paying for another year. Now that I've got things in place, I wondered if I needed it. But since I have literally no one else in my life who knows a thing about money, I figured I'd at least do his minimum service -- basically I pay half his full rate and have fewer visits during the year. But given the low complexity of my financial situation, that shouldn't be a problem.
So when I went in yesterday, I had prepared myself for him to persuade me to do at least another year at the full rate. But no. In fact, he didn't even discuss that issue until the very end, and when it did come up, he reminded me that I was absolutely under no obligation. I told him that I understood that. And then I told him that given how simple my situation is, and considering the amount of money I'm dealing with (very little, I'm sure, compared with what he's used to working with), that maybe the minimum service would be better.
Which, he said, was exactly what he was going to recommend, and for those same reasons. It made me feel good knowing that he wasn't trying to take advantage of me and it just confirmed that he has my best financial interests in mind. And it feels good having someone with his knowledge on my side, especially as I get older and my needs change.
It goes beyond him giving me such "advice" as "Don't spend. Save." Sure, that's part of it, but it's only a small part. He's helping me consider my psychological and emotional relationship with money. Why I panic when it comes time to spend money. The other thing is accountability. Much like this blog was when I was $20K+ in debt, having him gives me someone to answer to.
Mind you, he's also been helpful. He helped me redistribute my retirement fund through work, which has saved me a fair amount of money given the swings in the market. I've now also got a Roth IRA. And he's helping me see the bigger picture (and relax about it) instead of obsessing about the short term.
Despite all that, though, I debated about paying for another year. Now that I've got things in place, I wondered if I needed it. But since I have literally no one else in my life who knows a thing about money, I figured I'd at least do his minimum service -- basically I pay half his full rate and have fewer visits during the year. But given the low complexity of my financial situation, that shouldn't be a problem.
So when I went in yesterday, I had prepared myself for him to persuade me to do at least another year at the full rate. But no. In fact, he didn't even discuss that issue until the very end, and when it did come up, he reminded me that I was absolutely under no obligation. I told him that I understood that. And then I told him that given how simple my situation is, and considering the amount of money I'm dealing with (very little, I'm sure, compared with what he's used to working with), that maybe the minimum service would be better.
Which, he said, was exactly what he was going to recommend, and for those same reasons. It made me feel good knowing that he wasn't trying to take advantage of me and it just confirmed that he has my best financial interests in mind. And it feels good having someone with his knowledge on my side, especially as I get older and my needs change.
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