tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40187768563052196202024-03-13T18:04:22.983-04:00Keeping Up With No Oneone twenty-something's journey into fiscal responsibilityKathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-81963550186595380262013-03-27T10:40:00.000-04:002013-03-27T10:41:26.063-04:00respiteHello Friends,<br />
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I've decided to take a break from blogging. Obviously, I haven't had much, or anything, really, to write to you about since my last post was at the beginning of the month. Truth be told, I feel like I'm just talking about things, but not really doing them, which defeats the whole purpose of why I started this blog. <br />
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I'm obviously not ready for change. I know that I should change, and I have, in little ways, but not in big ones. Someday, something drastic will happen and I'll have to change the way I do things. <br />
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If you need something to tide you over, Financial Literacy Month starts on April 1st - sign up to thake there pledge <a href="http://www.financialliteracymonth.com/30Steps/Step1.aspx">here</a>.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-11655851123793935832013-03-05T12:47:00.001-05:002013-03-05T12:58:36.389-05:00superchargedA year ago, I wrote <a href="http://kuwno.blogspot.com/2012/02/its-electric.html">this post</a> about our electric bill(s). In February 2012, we paid $289 for electric which inspired me to make the leap to <a href="http://www.constellationenergy.com/">Constellation Energy</a> as our energy supplier. They gave us a fixed rate of 9.55 cents for twelve months. My, how time flies! I was in denial when I received the renewal notice in January, thinking I had until April, at least. <br />
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In January 2013, our bill was $289 - a little higher than I expected, but it was pretty cold all month and we had the heat on in more rooms than normal (like the downstairs half bath & kitchen). But early on Saturday morning, I got my monthly e-bill from <a href="http://www.atlanticcityelectric.com/">Atlantic City Electric</a> and you'll never guess how much it was for. <br />
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Seriously, it's crazy. You'll never guess. Unless I've already told you, of course. Just pick a number in your head. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjTa3URef7MTDvtC2VS9hTjogvGaYY3rTJT-G1Fg9glIHT210BI90mY-NAExaNeXSAJ3mxZ36zvj5rSB2VrC8BCXFExShgxtUvShY3ofgeox0yT5hgqYfWw96kus_Ak8IJlhGDCjJwpc/s1600/homer.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" jsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjTa3URef7MTDvtC2VS9hTjogvGaYY3rTJT-G1Fg9glIHT210BI90mY-NAExaNeXSAJ3mxZ36zvj5rSB2VrC8BCXFExShgxtUvShY3ofgeox0yT5hgqYfWw96kus_Ak8IJlhGDCjJwpc/s320/homer.gif" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">just a friendly <a href="http://mrohrling.yolasite.com/snc1p.php">reminder</a> from Homer</td></tr>
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It was <strong><em>$400!!!!!!</em></strong> $408.15 to be exact. What. The. Fudge. Shut the front door. Expletive after expletive after expletive. The real kicker is we're still using less electric as compared to other homes in our neighborhood! <br />
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Yesterday, I went online to see why on earth it was so high. AC Electric charged us about $170 to deliver the electric. Then Constellation charged us almost $240 in supply fees for the month. It boiled down to about 10.22 cents per kilowatt of electricity use. This means we're out of our fixed rate contract and now in the variable rate period. Yesterday, I was ready to cancel my service with Constellation, but after calming down and doing a little more research today, I found they were still about a cent cheaper than AC Electric's current rate of 11.77 cents per kilowatt of use. <br />
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I'm going to call Constellation this afternoon to see what kind of rate they'll give us if we renew our contract for another year. Hopefully, we'll be able to get our original 9.55 rate back, but if not, I guess we'll stick with the current rate. <br />
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After all, a <a href="http://www.penny-saved.com/">penny saved</a> is a penny earned, right?Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-72382862848171898642013-03-01T09:42:00.000-05:002013-03-01T09:42:31.180-05:00the pitsUgh, Readers, it has not been a good week. It started out promising, but quickly went downhill.<br />
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I officially fell into the bottom of the hole yesterday, when I checked my PNC balance only to find there was negative $38.00 in it. Double Ugh. <br />
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Apparently this week was when everyone decided to cash every check I had ever written them. Seriously, people, get to the bank on time. I budgeted that money during the pay period that check is dated, not the one four weeks later. You can deposit checks using your smart phone now-a-days, there's no excuse for that. <br />
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Then, since I was in a bad mood, I fell off my no soda wagon and drowned my sorrows in a 20 ounce Coke and half a bag of Sun Chips. Then I wanted to throw up for the rest of the afternoon.<br />
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At least today is payday and it's a three paycheck month. <br />
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Anyone else encountering road blocks lately?Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-64838329526571182192013-02-21T10:57:00.000-05:002013-02-21T11:20:35.709-05:00two certaintiesFirst, let me say - giving up buying food at lunchtime is much harder than I anticipated. I've already messed up at least three times and it's only been a week! Big bummer. Like any good <a href="http://kuwno.blogspot.com/2012/09/all-or-nothing_21.html">perfectionist</a>, I was ready to give up and throw in towel for the rest of Lent, but I'm trying to trudge on.<br />
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Last night, The Hubs and I had our taxes done. Unfortunately, we have to hold off on filing (or rather, our accountant does, since she has the return) because we're claiming a residential energy credit. <br />
I need to point out to all of you how imperative it is to have a great tax professional, especially if you have exemptions. Obviously, you want someone who knows all the laws, but you should also look for someone who understands your line of work and who can help you max out your benefits. Ours works with a lot of teachers in The Hubs' school district, which is how she came recommended to us, but she's also very knowledgeable about what I should be tracking as well. Even better, she has a great personality. Two years ago, we went to a guy that was very old school and we didn't feel like we were getting what we paid for. Now, I'm happy to hand over a check because I feel like she's working hard for us. <br />
In any case, I'm happy we're getting a modest refund from the Feds (about the same as last year) as well as about $200 from the State. Last year, we owed NJ a few pennies (literally, it was only about $15), so I was super thorough this year about documenting any expenses to avoid that. Here are a few tips our accountant gave us that might help you as well! <br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sidenote: Please remember I am *not* a tax professional and only dispensing some handy advice that has worked for our two-income, no-children household. Always, always, always checks with your own financial expert in regards to your taxes.</span></em><br />
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1. Track any job-related expenses, such as mileage and tolls, which were <u>not</u> reimbursed by your employer. Make sure you have documentation of such expenses (such as a spreadsheet, or even a notebook in your car), in case you're audited. This year, we were also able to include The Hubs' airfare & hotel expenses for the Cross Country trip to Disney, as well as little expenses like supplies for his classroom. I was able to deduct the fees to obtain my Notary Public license, as well as the money spent submitting applications through the Civil Service Commission. <br />
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2. Keep all your health care receipts. This includes co-pays, prescriptions, and glasses/eye exams. The Hubs and I are state employees, so our bi-weekly contributions to our health care plans are too small to write off on our taxes. But, we were able to combine all of our other health care expenses as a write off. This includes the miles we traveled to get to and from our doctor's offices! We forgot about this perk in 2012, so we had to give a rough estimate, but I'll be much better in 2013 about tracking our miles. You can get a print out of your yearly prescriptions at most pharmacies (as long as you consistently use the same place) which is so much easier than trying to keep a years worth of receipts. If I forgot to grab a receipt from the doctor's office, I just printed a copy of the check online or printed out a bank statement with the charge highlighted.<br />
3. Donations are your friend. The key is to strike a balance between monetary donations and product donations. In 2011, we had all monetary donations, so our accountant told us we needed to start making trips to Goodwill (or any other like organization, Goodwill is just what we have around here). What you donate to Goodwill is considered a portion of your income. In 2012, we were able to donate three separate times, which led to a deduction of $1,700! That's definitely not chump change. Unfortunately, our monetary donations took a hit - less than $150 - so that's something we need to increase this coming year. I enrolled in a "Charitable Contribution" payroll deduction through my job this year, which will (hopefully) help even us out.<br />
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4. Make sure you're maximizing your pre-tax retirement contributions. Obviously, the more you sock away pre-tax, the lower your taxes will be in the first place. In 2011, I had about $2,000 I was able to write off due to my Deferred Compensation plan. In 2012, though, I dropped my contributions by a lot, and I didn't have anything to write off this year. Boo. <br />
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So those are a few things that helped us maximize our refund this year. Are there are tips or tricks you've learned over the years? Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-73852149810736309612013-02-12T10:21:00.003-05:002013-02-12T10:26:42.020-05:00the sacrificial lambFriends, Readers, Countrymen (& women): Although it hasn't been an official year yet since I started this blog (that happens next Friday), we are on the eve of what prompted the blog last year: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent">Lent</a><br />
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Last year, you traveled with me when I resolved to <a href="http://kuwno.blogspot.com/2012/02/we-are-living-in-material-world.html">give up shopping </a>for forty days. While it wasn't <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4018776856305219620#editor/target=post;postID=4378661629206082878">a total success</a>, it definitely helped me reflect on how I think about money and, more importantly, how I spend money. <br />
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I wish I could tell you now that I'm better off financially than I was almost a year ago, but sadly, I'm not. In fact, I'm worse off now due to having to purchase a new vehicle and various financial roadblocks we've hit along the way. For all my new-found understanding of how I spend, I really haven't changed my habits very much, if at all, which is disappointing on a lot of levels. But I'm not going to throw in the towel just yet. <br />
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This year's Lenten challenge is kind of a doozy. It's definitely going to be hard, but in a good way. Starting tomorrow, I am not allowed to purchase any food or drink item at work. If I didn't bring it in my lunch bag, I don't get to eat it. No work cafeteria, no Wawa, no Real Pizza, no lunch outings with my co-workers (sorry, girls!), no snacks or soda from the vending machine, no buying a candy bar from the sheriff's officer trying to raise money for his kid's sports teams. Nada. Since I started tracking my spending, I realized I'm wasting around $30 a month eating out when I can easily bring it from home. In fact, on some of the occasions where I grab something at lunch, I already did bring something from home, but didn't feel like eating it. That attitude has got to go. Yesterday, I had my last turkey sandwich from our work cafeteria. Today, I'm going to have my last $5 lunch combo from the pizza place down the street. Tomorrow, I'm <i>finally</i> going to finish off those leftovers from this weekend. Hopefully, it's not moldy.<br />
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Are you giving anything up this year?Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-18281510810361130302013-02-05T12:05:00.000-05:002013-02-07T12:15:29.212-05:00spring cleaningIs it cold where you are? If you're in New Jersey (which I know most of you are), it's been downright frigid this week and snowing a little bit every night (yuck).<br />
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Even though the first day of spring is <a href="http://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-seasons">43 days away</a> (but who's counting), on Saturday, I was feeling quite motivated by <a href="http://www.groundhog.org/">Punxsutawney Phil's</a> prediction of an <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/pa-punxsutawney-phil-predicts-early-spring-132856636.html">early spring</a>. I decided I would clean all those things that fall by the wayside. You know, the cleaning you <em>should</em> do, but that gets bumped to the bottom of the list because the tub is gross, the floors need to be washed, and the laundry needs to be done. <br />
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Here's what I tackled:
<li>the Brita pitcher</li>
<li>the Keurig machine</li>
<li>my makeup brushes</li>
<li>the washer</li>
<li>the dishwasher</li>
<li>the microwave</li>
<li>the glass stove top on my oven</li>
<li>the bathtub</li>
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And here's what I used:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNhFIHnuJLWpTxyMZS00ywTrfcXT9YOamWDmEuX9QfHAKIiqYwGvXc0ZHVNwmExJ1GKli0P54CnqSyE0_A61QULcLPBiCMgIssq6rRfsgqLgDWUYA51d_xD7BmZYhHdrBIfL8kO2O2rg/s1600/vinegar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" jea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNhFIHnuJLWpTxyMZS00ywTrfcXT9YOamWDmEuX9QfHAKIiqYwGvXc0ZHVNwmExJ1GKli0P54CnqSyE0_A61QULcLPBiCMgIssq6rRfsgqLgDWUYA51d_xD7BmZYhHdrBIfL8kO2O2rg/s200/vinegar.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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A gallon of white vinegar and a few other cleaning supplies I already had around the house. The vinegar probably cost about $4, though I don't remember because I bought it so long ago. I used about half the gallon for Saturday's cleaning extravaganza. <br />
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The Brita pitcher was the easiest, obviously, since all it required was washing the pitcher out in hot, soapy water and replacing the filter. Did you know you're supposed to soak the new filter for 15 minutes before inserting it in the pitcher? I didn't. Oh the things you'll learn when you actually read directions! <br />
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For the Keurig, I followed <a href="http://www.diy-guides.com/how-to-clean-a-keurig-coffee-machine/">these instructions</a> I found on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>. I put the drip tray and K-cup holder in a pot of hot soapy water and wiped the outside down with a few Clorox wipes. I dumped out the remaining water in the reservoir and washed that out as well. I filled the reservoir back up with 48 ounces of white vinegar and proceeded to run the largest cup cycle until I couldn't smell the vinegar anymore. Actually, I had to have The Hubs sniff the last couple cups for me because I became desensitized to it. I haven't noticed any difference in the taste of my tea, but at least now this is done for another six months or so. <br />
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Next I moved onto the washing machine. My LG washer has a "tub clean" cycle, so I just poured the vinegar into the tray where my detergent usually goes. About half way through, I got the idea to put the bath tub grippers in as well. Once the cleaning cycle was done, I just opened the door to let it air dry since front loaders have a tendency to get mildew-y (yuck!)<br />
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Then I took a lunch break - Cleaning is hard work! ;-) <br />
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I cleaned my makeup brushes using a method I found <a href="http://www.pktaswegrow.com/2012/03/money-saver-homemade-makeup-brush.html">here</a> - very easy, very effective. Since I was in the bathroom anyway, I cleaned the tub. This was my only non-eco cleaning - I love the <a href="http://www.kaboomkaboom.com/">Kaboom Foaming spray</a>. <br />
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I simultaneously cleaned the dishwasher and microwave at the same time using a method I found at <a href="http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/">One Good Thing</a>. For the microwave, nuke a bowl containing 1 cup vinegar & 1 cup of water for about 5 minutes (depending on how high your power is) then remove the bowl (carefully!) & wipe up the stains. You can also add a lemon peel to the mixture for a fresher scent. I took the hot bowl of water & vinegar, dumped it into a pot on the stove, and brought it to a rigorous boil so it could get any stains off the bottom of microwave too. Easy peasy. <br />
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The dishwasher uses the same premise, although instead of using a diluted vinegar solution, you do one cup of straight vinegar in the top rack of your empty dishwasher. Run the hottest cycle available (newer dishwashers might have a self-clean cycle). In our dishwasher, this was a "normal cycle" with a "Sani-Rinse", since our sensor is half-kaput and only certain buttons work on it. The <a href="http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/how-to-clean-your-dishwasher.html">instructions</a> also say to run a second, shorter cycle with baking soda to freshen the inside and loosen stains, but I skipped this step due to the aforementioned sensor issues.<br />
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I tried to clean our glass stove top last using <a href="http://behindthestudio.com/2011/06/15/how-to-clean-your-glass-cooktop/">this method</a>, but it didn't work for me. I think the number one issue was my liquid wasn't hot enough, but I also didn't have any rags which were big enough for the whole stove top. Instead, I used a hand towel, a kitchen towel, and a washcloth. The instructions also mention you might have to repeat the steps, but I was over cleaning at that point. Groundhog Day was on repeat and I was ready to park myself on the couch. <br />
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What are your favorite cleaning methods? Anyone else out there getting more bang for your buck?Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-32165319005499603132013-01-23T10:08:00.001-05:002013-01-27T12:54:22.139-05:00ridin' dirtyWell friends, I did it. I bit the big one and bought a new car. A 2011 Nissan Versa, in fact. Here she is:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkowC4Je5wo410LBcLkKw7QDavvMd7mil-0brvtIgazrfhbPSzLmcRfC3K_JKmn0Pe5t6YOlRqXwF7OFOQNlJWm4P-9YmrBQmEDA_L2jhMuE9pkgETAAL95IMS4VT6P28ohTq1Nf8QbA/s1600/car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" oea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkowC4Je5wo410LBcLkKw7QDavvMd7mil-0brvtIgazrfhbPSzLmcRfC3K_JKmn0Pe5t6YOlRqXwF7OFOQNlJWm4P-9YmrBQmEDA_L2jhMuE9pkgETAAL95IMS4VT6P28ohTq1Nf8QbA/s320/car.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've been calling it Strawberry, but Jellybean (or, "the bean") also has a nice ring.</td></tr>
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I found her at the end of the work day on Friday after spending hours upon hours on <a href="http://www.edmonds.com/">Edmonds</a>, <a href="http://www.autotrader.com/">Auto Trader</a>, and <a href="http://www.kbb.com/">KBB</a>. She was at <a href="http://www.cherryhilltriplex.com/">Cherry Hill Mitsubishi/Suzuki</a> and listed for $9,995 - just $5 off the top of our budget. I read the website over and over again, trying to see if the list price included incentives that I knew I wouldn't qualify for (like military or student discounts) or if that was the price with some crazy down payment, but didn't see anything. I made an appointment for the following day in order to "lock in" the internet price. <br />
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When we got to the dealership, I let the salesman, Al, know that I absolutely could not afford a price higher than the one advertised on the website. If there was any reason they couldn't give me that price, he should show me other cars. He was very nice and checked with his manager before coming back and confirming that was the price I would get. Obviously, I test drove the car and it was awesome, but that's not too hard when you're coming off a 2002 Saturn with 176,000 miles on it. <br />
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The worst part about the dealership was how looooooonnnnggggg it took to sign the actual papers! Our appointment was at 11:00 AM and we didn't leave with the car until almost 3:30 PM. Granted, there were a lot of people at the dealership, so I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt that I wasn't the only person buying a car that morning. Moral of the story: Either go when they first open, or wait until the afternoon lull (around 3:00 PM). <br />
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Also, because of all that waiting, I got hooked into a few fees that I might not have ordinarily signed to had I not been so bored. The first was the motor vehicle fees. I had every intention of registering and transferring my license plates myself; However, the finance manager told me they "don't allow it" and that they would be handling the registration and tags. Ugh. The second fee was a warranty. Initially, our salesman asked if I wanted to add a 4 year warranty for $10 more to my payment or a 6 year warranty for $20 more. I declined. About a half hour later he came back and said "the finance manager called in a favor and we were able to get you a warranty without increasing your monthly payment." Okay, sounds great! However, what they really did was charge me for the warranty ($1,900), but had the bank lower my interest rate so my payment was the same. I told him I wasn't happy with that behind the back switch (couldn't he just have gotten me the lower interest rate in the first place?), but honestly, I was too hungry and tired to care at that point. So I signed. <br />
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My payments are $180 per month for the next six years. I have a 3.6 % interest rate, which is better than I expected, but I'll still probably refinance with PNC next year if their rates are still low. I'm not happy about making car payments for that long, but honestly, I feel less stressed with the thought of the car payments, than with the thought of driving the Saturn around and hoping it makes it through another day. <br />
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Plus, it's got all sorts of crazy awesome features that I've never had in a car before, like power windows and locks, keyless entry, MP3 compatible (hello, Pandora!) and, my favorite, cruise control. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the stellar gas milage - 31 MPG on the highway! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01JcCJzVYd6MPL8UfgPdbFrgKmPvBwWM_R24r63-2pXnDC1ihqndCoEwB6GLBsiOntusacMx2XgZYn1GtWFcNYgtvtRJeAB0lHeBj3ux8_hjKLregVRK9NXE34rRgilAeSFNUZRxgRHg/s1600/car2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" oea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01JcCJzVYd6MPL8UfgPdbFrgKmPvBwWM_R24r63-2pXnDC1ihqndCoEwB6GLBsiOntusacMx2XgZYn1GtWFcNYgtvtRJeAB0lHeBj3ux8_hjKLregVRK9NXE34rRgilAeSFNUZRxgRHg/s320/car2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so many features! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, who wants to go for a ride?Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-50374125113220933772013-01-18T11:29:00.000-05:002013-01-18T11:51:41.240-05:00get down (payment)I finally input my December expenses into the online tracker. I was still in the hole almost $500 for the month, which actually isn't as bad as I thought, taking the extra Christmas spending into consideration. <br />
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We're still spending way too much money on groceries. By my count, it's between $300-$400 a month, and that doesn't include when I ask the Hubs to stop on his way home and pick something up. I definitely need to get back into the Fresh 20 groove (which I still owe you a post about) and start using coupons more frequently. I started drinking green smoothies again, which pretty much eliminates the need for any breakfast foods (the Hubs isn't a big breakfast eater). <br />
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I did cut down on the Wawa spending, though I didn't give it up totally <a href="http://kuwno.blogspot.com/2012/12/tracked.html">like I wanted to</a>. I think on every visit to Wawa, I would buy something, get back to my car, and then say "shit! I'm not supposed to be coming here!" But ya live and learn - I have yet to buy anything there this month! <br />
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I've been putting in applications left and right for part time jobs. I recently received an e-mail from Revel Casino for a Restaurant Host job; However, they want to interview me next Wednesday at 1:00 PM. Uhhhh, clearly, that's not going to work out, since I work a full time job. Of course, there's no contact information for the Recruitment Office in the e-mail so I'll have to try to get a hold of someone on my lunch break today to see if it can be changed. I also received a call from my current job's Human Resources for an interview for another position in the Courthouse's Civil Division. I'm pretty excited for that - hopefully, it will come with a pay raise! <br />
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But enough about me, let's get to the point of this whole post. You're already aware of my car troubles (if not, see <a href="http://kuwno.blogspot.com/2012/12/lemons-part-2.html">here</a>) and the subsequent <a href="http://kuwno.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-three-fs.html">search</a> for a new one. The other night The Hubs and I were talking about what we were looking for, how much we can afford per month, and what we plan to put down. Since 2012 was a pretty disastrous year for us, financially speaking, we really don't have a big pile of money to throw down on a car. The Hubs thinks this is fine, since we're not purchasing a new vehicle, but I'm leery that not paying anything except taxes & tags will screw me in the long run. <br />
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After doing a little research, I've found we're both right, but The Hubs is a little more so in our case (but don't tell him that). If we were buying a new, or even slightly used (say a Certified Pre-Owned), then I would be correct by wanting to make a larger down payment which would cover the car's depreciation during my first year of owning it. But, since we're buying an older model, it's already had it's maximum depreciation. <a href="http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/how-much-should-a-car-down-payment-be.html">Edmund's</a> recommends 10% for a used car. At the $9,500 price tag I'm looking to spend (or stay under), that's about $900 plus the $600-ish for sales, so about $1,400 all together. I think that's a number we can handle, provided that the dealerships are willing to negotiate their sticker prices. <br />
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The one thing I'm not worried about? My interest rate. Even though I might be the worst credit user in awhile, my credit score hasn't suffered, and I think I'm still bound to get a nice rate. I'm hoping for 4%. In any case, I better bone up on my negotiation skills: <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">car shopping pretty much makes me want to jump off a building</span></div>
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<em>P.S. if you follow me on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/">Instagram</a> (@kathyquicktick), you'll see just what I did to my Kohl's card the night after <a href="http://kuwno.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-three-fs.html">this post</a>.</em>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-43856300856438712622013-01-15T10:53:00.001-05:002013-01-15T11:21:52.057-05:00the three f'sFury, Frustration, and you can imagine the last F. <br />
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First (no that's not the last F hah!), lets start with something non-financial. I have gotten massive <a href="http://www.emedicinehealth.com/nosebleeds/article_em.htm">nosebleeds</a> for three of the last five days. I'm talking takes a half hour to clot kinda stuff coming from waay up in my nasal cavity. It's a ton of fun, as you can imagine.<br />
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I still have not purchased a vehicle. I've only been to three dealerships so far, but pretty much no one's willing to negotiate on the prices of cars I am interested in and we all know I can't afford a ridiculous car payment right now. I probably can't afford a car payment at all, but driving my car for much longer is no longer a viable option. Almost two weeks ago, I spent $430 to replace the engine and transmission mounts (rubber rings that hold both pieces in place); However, that did nothing to solve the <a href="http://kuwno.blogspot.com/2012/12/lemons-part-2.html">transmission issue</a>. Admittedly, the jerking is better than it was before the repair, but I still can't accelerate rapidly, which is an issue when 30 out of the 35 miles of my commute are on the Parkway. There's part one of the Fury. <br />
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Fury: Part Two (it's a three part show) involves receiving a bill from my primary care physician last night for my flu shot. Apparently, <a href="http://www.cigna.com/">Cigna</a> decided to terminate my coverage 11/17/2012 even though I was supposed to be covered until 12/28/2012. Now I'm in a massive appeals battle with them. This is equal parts Fury and Frustration. <br />
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Fury: Part Three happened on the way home from work yesterday when I realized I needed to pay my Kohl's bill soon. I logged on and saw they charged me a $25.00 late fee for last month. Additionally, because I was "late" they ratcheted my interest rate up to 25% and wanted a minimum payment of $70.00! This was my last straw with Kohl's - I don't remember if I blogged about how they hiked up my minimum payment for absolutely no reason a few months ago. After asking other people who have charge cards with them, I found out I was the only one who suffered that increase. I called to "decline the changes", but was told if I did, they would close my account all together. Since I haven't had my Kohl's charge that long, closing the account would actually look worse on my credit report than keeping it open, so I didn't do anything about it. Last night, I called Customer Service regarding the late fee, and the representative said "I guess we'll take your word for it and remove the late fee." I went bananas on her. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollaback_Girl">B-A-N-A-N-A-S</a>. "Of course you're going to remove the late fee, because I have never made a late payment in the two years I've had your card and I've made your company a lot of money" is what I said to her not so nicely. At the end of the conversation, I informed her I would be transferring my remaining balance onto one of my other credit card and no longer shopping at the store. Which is exactly what I did. <br />
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The third F, as you've probably figured out, rhymes with Duck and ends with You. Not you personally, readers, because I love you all for reading this blog and I would never ever ever say those things to you. It was a big middle finger to the universe. At other points last night, it ended in F-It because I was feeling quite depressed about our financial situation and had no other words for my feelings. It's still pretty accurate for how I feel today, too. <br />
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I'm sure it'll all get better, but the question is when? I'm tired of waiting. Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-24749540305309050812013-01-03T16:25:00.002-05:002013-01-03T16:25:57.460-05:00resolutionsWell, we did it. We made it to 2013.<br />
<br />From reading my friends Facebook posts, it seems like 2012 was a pretty stinky year across the board - Maybe the Mayans didn't mean to predict the end of the world, but were forewarning of a crap-tacular year. If that's the case, they hit the nail on the head.<br />
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I love the start of a new year. It's so fresh & cleansing. Needless to say, I love resolutions. I see the new year as a time to look back on the goals I previously made (if I made any), see where I'm at with them, tweek or make new ones. Because, really, aren't resolutions just goals with a fancier name?<br />
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Obviously, my goal/resolution is to keep on the saving money/paying off debt train - keeping in mind my long term goal is to pay it all off by the time I'm 30 (a little less than three years), but for 2013, my specific goal is to stop being lazy in all facets of my life. Or, at least, less lazy.<br />
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On the money front, it means to continue being proactive in tracking my spending, saving where I can, and - the big one - getting a second job. It's a move I've been putting off, but since getting a new car is literally right around the corner (this Saturday, in fact), it's something I have to do in order to avoid falling off my own fiscal cliff. Getting a second job will also help reign in my spending - I can't spend money when I don't have the time to do it, right? <br />
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On the savings money front, my friend Jenn just sent me this photo today:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45sp-81K6DvU9wBp8yo8nnPuk1ek96deyp6x8Jmb5BRiBujSLJlW0vYfEMj4-VfGBFOn17tpPFfreit05H_7ge8mOnOIwagwrRp1fJyejk8ZfgOz-DCJj1i1wnNqx6fs26etjvcmwi4Y/s1600/money.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45sp-81K6DvU9wBp8yo8nnPuk1ek96deyp6x8Jmb5BRiBujSLJlW0vYfEMj4-VfGBFOn17tpPFfreit05H_7ge8mOnOIwagwrRp1fJyejk8ZfgOz-DCJj1i1wnNqx6fs26etjvcmwi4Y/s400/money.jpg" width="321" /></a></div>
Is anyone else up for the challenge? I'm going to go "Punch the Pig" right now! (that's PNC talk for putting money in your savings account)<br />
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Did you make any resolutions this year?Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-83994736864084467252012-12-19T10:48:00.003-05:002012-12-19T11:09:52.262-05:00lemons part 2In the seemingly unending car saga that is our life, we have had not one, but both cars putz out on us within the last week. Can it get any better? <br />
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At the beginning of last week, my car's transmission started making the dreaded clunking noise. It wasn't terrible, as long as I could accelerate slowly and gave it ample time to warm up in the morning, but still, it's just one of those sounds that you know is bad news. <br />
Then on Wednesday night, I'm out running errands in The Hubs' car when it won't start. I know it's not the battery because we just had that replaced about a month ago, plus all the lights are on in the car and the radio works. It has to be the starter. (His response when I call him and tell him: "is this a joke?") I call AAA and I wait. And wait. And wait. It's just about the end of their allotted time frame for when they could show up when I tried to start the car again. Miracle of miracles, it worked. I hightailed it out of that parking lot and back home before it could fritz out on me again. Of course, after I got home, the car wouldn't start again. <br />
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On Thursday, we both took off work so we could get the car looked at. After a few tries, it started and we were able to take it to our <a href="http://patsautoandtire.com/">mechanic</a> in Absecon. As suspected, it was the starter. The Hubs was able to borrow my mom's car on Friday to get to work while it got fixed. Another $300 down the drain. I also took my car for an oil change in the hopes that it was just low transmission fluid causing it to turn over so hard. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and the car still has problems switching between first and second gear. I'm taking it in for a full transmission service on the 27th, which will switch out all the old fluid and filter, but there won't be any major repairs done. A new transmission will cost more than the car is worth, so the plan is to just to drive as little as possible until it totally gives out. <br />
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In response to all this, the hunt for a new car for The Hubs has been renewed and I'm hoping by the end of next month, we'll have found one that's smaller, more fuel efficient, and, most importantly, more reliable. The Hubs owes more on the car than I thought (about $9,000), but I did an online instant trade-in offer on <a href="http://www.autotrader.com/">Auto Trader</a> and got a quote for about $6,500 on the trade-in value. I think that number is a little low, so I'm hopeful we can get between $7,000 - $7,500 for it, especially now that we did so many repairs. I've used a few <a href="http://www.autopaymentcalculators.com/loan_payment.html">online calculators</a> to figure out if we get a car between $15,000 - $17,000, his car payments will be approximately the same as they are now for the same amount of time (five years). We're going to my in-laws this weekend, so I'm going to try and push him to go car shopping in the Leigh Valley region either Saturday or Monday. <br />
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As for me, it's a bit more complicated (isn't it always?). I haven't had a car payment since 2010, and, as you probably know from reading this blog, my current finances sometimes don't allow for me to go grocery shopping in a pay period, let alone make a car payment. I also have zero money set aside for a down payment and (obviously) my car is worth virtually nothing as a trade-in. The only way I could afford a car payment right now would be to buy another older vehicle, and honestly, what's the point in that? I run the same risk of a different older car breaking down that I do with the one I currently own. I've found one <a href="http://www.bennettchevrolet.com/">dealership</a> nearby that is offering a $4,500 "cash for clunkers" program and I plan to check them out, but I'm not getting my hopes up. The plan is to buckle down and get a second job (hopefully one close by), so I can sock away some extra money for a heftier down payment. I've also been whispering sweet nothings to the engine and rubbing the dashboard <strike>creepily</strike> loveingly to keep it moving. Totally normal, right?<br />
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I know my <a href="http://www.glentickle.com/">brother-in-law</a> and his wife recently had a similar <a href="http://mischievouskitty.blogspot.com/2012/11/perfect-timing.html">circumstance</a> happen to them, but <a href="http://mischievouskitty.blogspot.com/">Stephanie</a> is waaaaaay more fiscally responsible than I am, so they were able to weather the storm a bit better than we are. <br />
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We did have one sliver of good luck (money-wise) this week - The Hubs won his fantasy football pool at work and came home Monday with $1,100! Football season is one of the only times I'm grateful I married a sports fanatic.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-50756262121898482192012-12-11T09:54:00.003-05:002012-12-11T09:54:59.341-05:00happeningsI totally spaced on Saturday and bought Wawa before my newphew's championship football game. Did not even remember about the challenge until Sunday night - whoops! Back on track. <br />
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Bought food at our work cafeteria yesterday, even though I brought leftovers for lunch. Trying to just acknowledge the shortcoming, but not beat myself up over it. No more buying food this week! <br />
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The Hubs and I signed up to be Secret Santas for a local child in need. He's six years old and only asked for essentials like socks, pajamas, and t-shirts, which makes me think his family might have lost everything in the storm. He also wrote he liked Jake and the Neverland Pirates, so last night I ordered the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083ZHL60/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00">VTech J&NP Learning Laptop</a> for him as well as our nephew whose birthday is the first week of January. Hopefully, it comes in time (we're supposed to turn in the presents by Saturday).<br />
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In bad news, my car's transmission has taken to clunking when shifting into certain gears. It's most notable if I accelerate quickly and when I put it in reverse. So far, I've been able to avoid driving except when necessary, but obviously I can't avoid travel all together. There's really nothing I can do about it, anyway, since we don't have the money to get it fixed and I definitely don't have the money for another car right now. It's mostly just frustrating. <br />
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Anyone want to contribute to my car fund? I'll chauffer you around in exchange for your donation ;-)Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-54205222249930244112012-12-07T10:46:00.000-05:002012-12-07T11:01:13.825-05:00friday noirWho forgets to talk about Black Friday on a personal finance blog? Me, apparently. <br />
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I shied away from talking about the sales before "the day", because you could've found that in every corner of the internet. The problem with that is then you forget the whole thing, as in this case. <br />
While I had every intention of going to Wal-Mart for their 10 PM Thanksgiving night sale, I was thoroughly exhausted after cleaning and cooking all day (it was my first year having people over for Thanksgiving dinner), that I barely got through my glass of wine before passing out on the couch. <br />
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For me, Black Friday tends to be a day where I spend money on myself or the house. The best deals of the day were definitely at Macy's. I wasted a lot of time in morning looking for a new work suit when I really should've been in the home department. The morning specials were crazy good! I ended up getting a 4 quart stainless steel saute pan for $11 and I've used it at least ten times since then. I love it. I also picked up a 5-piece roasting set (pan, rack, baster, & lifting tongs) which was on sale for $20, then I had a 15% off coupon bringing the total price to $18. Unfortunately, the 15% off coupon only worked on regular sales and not the morning specials, so that was the only item I was able to get a deeper discount on. <br />
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It seemed like every time I was in the line waiting to check out, I would see something else I wanted (like the above roasting pan). On my second go-round of the home department, I scored a 53-piece <a href="http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/international-silver-capri-frost-53-piece-flatware-set?ID=402325&CategoryID=7919#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D376%26ruleId%3D69%26slotId%3Drec(5)">flatware set</a> for only $32 (regular price: $80). Obviously, The Hubs and I have every day flatware, but we only have service for four. It doesn't make a difference to us whether we eat dinner with a salad fork or a dinner fork, but in prepping for Thanksgiving dinner, I realized I didn't even have matching flatware for my family of five. Now I won't have to borrow my mom's silverware to have a dinner party. #grownup. <br />
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Lastly, my big purchase of the day was a <a href="http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/ninja-nj600-professional-blender?ID=551811">Ninja Professional Blender</a>. The Hubs and I have been looking for a nice blender since we got married. First, we had one of those "blend and go" little machines which smelled like melting plastic when you would run it and couldn't chop ice at all. Gross. Then we got a basic Kitchen Aide blender, which was better, but still didn't crush ice like we needed. My mother-in-law got us a Magic Bullet set she found at a yard sale, but still no dice on the ice. I called The Hubs and he gave his blessing on the Ninja purchase. I hoped I would be able to use a $10 off coupon as well, but, unfortunately, that didn't work. $90 later, we have a blender that can in fact "turn ice into snow" and I've been able to enjoy my green smoothies once more. Yipee! The rest of the mall was a bust that Friday, but that's what long weekend are for, right? I, for one, appreciated the extended Black Friday sales and was able to pick up some actual gifts on Saturday. Of course I took advantage of Cyber Monday sales as well. <br />
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All in all, I was able to wrap up (pun intended) most of Christmas shopping in one weekend. I have two more actual presents to get, then the rest of family has asked for cash. <br />
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How are you doing with your Christmas list? Have you gotten any good deals lately?Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-20555514099299675952012-12-05T10:22:00.000-05:002012-12-05T10:51:01.427-05:00trackedI think I've told you all about how I've been tracking my daily expenses in a notebook, right? If I didn't, the concept is pretty simple: buy a small notebook, carry it everywhere, & write down everything you spend money on. Last week, I filled my first notebook. It lasted from just after Labor Day (September 4) to the end of November. <br />
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The problem I ran into was categorizing what I wrote down. It would've been pretty difficult to go through by hand and see where I spent the most money. I was unsure of how to create my own Excel tracking sheet, but I found online (of course I can't find the link to now), which was easy to use & I could customize my own categories as well as my method of purchase (auto-debit, credit card, check, etc). <br />
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I spent most of the day Friday organizing my notes into the Spreadsheet. By lunchtime, I was thoroughly depressed by how much money I was spending needlessly. Even though I was writing it down, I guess I had become desensitized to the process - just writing my spending didn't mean anything anymore. But seeing my monthly shortfall in big red numbers sure did. <br />
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That process spurred this month's challenge: No Wawa for one month. It is downright embarrassing how much I was spending on food at Wawa on a monthly basis. $22 in September, $31 in October, and $59 in November! More than $100 in three months. It was probably just because I didn't feel like eating whatever lunch I brought that day, or we hadn't gone food shopping so I needed breakfast. This was in addition to the other money I spent on food/eating out (but not groceries). Ridiculousness. <br />
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We're only five days into the month, but I'm doing good so far. I did buy an orange juice there on Saturday morning before we went to my in-laws (& I bought The Hubs a breakfast sandwich, but he's not included in the challenge), but I drank half & saved the other for another morning. The Hubs was kind enough to go grocery shopping on Monday afternoon so now we have food to eat at dinner (and consequently, leftovers for lunch the next day). <br />
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An informal and totally non-scientific poll of my co-workers found that most don't track their spending on a daily basis, but log in weekly/monthly to make sure everything is hunky-dory. Even though PNC's Virtual Wallet can do the tracking for me, I've realized I'm the type of person who needs to do everything manually, otherwise my brain just doesn't register that money is flying out the window.<br />
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What about you?Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-73258716371163004112012-11-28T11:05:00.000-05:002012-11-28T11:22:20.115-05:00copycats<em>I originally wrote out a whole post about how I thought I was being ripped off, only to find out I technically wasn't, so I revamped the post accordingly. </em><br />
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Have you ever had a moment when you realize you've been ripped off? I did this morning and I was pissed. Then, a bit later, I had another moment where I realized I actually hadn't been ripped off and I was relieved. And kind of annoyed. Let me take you through the journey. <br />
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Last weekend, The Hubs and I were conferring on what to get his parents for Christmas. We had picked their "joint gift" about a month ago in a catalog, but wanted to get them each something small. We had a theme going on and decided to stick with it. I can't spill all the beans, since I know they read the blog, but trust me, it's awesome. <br />
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I was purusing <a href="http://www.groupon.com/">Groupon</a> and <a href="http://www.livingsocial.com/">LivingSocial</a> for deals that day (for others and for us) and noticed a gift that would be great for my mother-in-law and tied into the theme. At $20, it certainly didn't break the bank, so I ordered it. <br />
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Last night, I was searching <a href="http://www.etsy.com/">Etsy</a> for some ideas to give my siblings-in-law for the annual family Pollyanna. Lo-and-behold, I stumbled upon the same gift I had just ordered for $8.00. <em><strong>$8.00!! </strong></em>My first thought was: Is LivingSocial taking such a high percentage of a seller's profits that they needed to mark their products up more than 50%. And, what's even worse, LivingSocial lists the product's "retail price" as $28.00. No where in their Etsy shop is that product listed for $28.00. <br />
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I later realized the product I was looking at on Etsy was a copycat of the product I had bought on LivingSocial. I mean, seriously, I couldn't even tell the difference. I would put a picture up, but then it would ruin the surprise. <em>Note, after pasting them side by side in Paint, I realized they actually don't look that similar. But when you're clicking back and forth between webpages (and simoultaneously trying to look like you're not blatently online shopping at your job) it looked like the same thing, I swear.</em><br />
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Moral of the story: when buying goods off a deal-based website, do your homework. Is that the actual retail price? Can I get it cheaper somewhere else? Would my my mother in law really been able to tell if I gave the $8 product or the $20 one if I didn't just tell the whole internetz? Lucky for me, she knows I'm <strike>frugal</strike> cheap and she loves me anyway. Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-39471217722985450932012-11-25T19:52:00.001-05:002012-11-25T20:03:48.509-05:00iProblemsLast week, my iPhone 4s broke. Well, not totally, it still worked, but I couldn't connect to any WiFi networks. The option to even have WiFi was totally gray-ed out. A Google search revealed it was an issue with the new iOS 6 software and the phone would pretty much need to be repaired or replaced.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(go read <a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/slideshows/5fbc063607/the-best-of-the-90s-problems-meme#slide1">Problems of the 90's</a> meme & get ready to pee yourself from laughing.)</td></tr>
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I tried "fixing" it on my own first - soft resets, network resets, and, last night, a hard reset & total restore back to factory settings. Nothing worked. My only other options were to try and downgrade back to the iOS 5 software, or take it to an Apple Store. I'm not a risk taker when it comes to technology, so I went with the latter. Thankfully, Apple opened a store at <a href="http://www.thepiershopsatcaesars.com/">The Pier</a> in Atlantic City a few years ago & I was able to book an appointment at their "Genius Bar" online last night (tip: book the appointment in advance, if you can. We would've waited a lot longer had we just walked in). </div>
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Long story short, they were unable to fix the problem and I had to get a new iPhone. Luckily, we are still approximately three weeks shy of our one year iAnniversary (I made that up. Clever, right?) & I was able to get the new phone at no cost. Had we not been covered under the warranty, it would have been $200 for the replacement phone. Yikes! I definitely dodged a bullet there. </div>
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Unfortunately, the new phone is only covered by a 90 day warranty, which means from March to December I'll be whispering sweet nothings into my iPhone's ear and praying each night that it keeps working. I'm telling The Hubs to do the same, since his phone is still working (knock on wood) with our warranty deadline around the corner. It's too late for us to buy the extended <a href="http://store.apple.com/us/product/S4575LL/A/applecare-for-iphone">Apple Care</a> plan - you have to sign up within 30 days of your Apple purchase. I tend to turn up my nose at extended contracts - but now, in this age of technology, I'm starting to rethink that. </div>
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What's your policy on policies? Are they ever worth it?</div>
Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-51911323277889931602012-11-15T11:05:00.000-05:002012-11-15T11:22:42.357-05:00my first wordwas N-O. And like most kids, I said it <em>a lot</em>.<br />
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It's funny to look back on because now, as an adult, I have a difficult time saying no to pretty much anything. I think (based on absolutely no research) that's common in women. The Hubs probably hates it, since now by default, he pretty much does whatever I'm doing in our spare time. Plan your party? Sure. Host Thanksgiving dinner? Okay. Help you move? We'll be there with bells on. <br />
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While I am a people pleaser, I don't say yes to things because I want the laurels. 99% of the time, I enjoy whatever I'm doing and, more importantly, helping people is what feels right to me. I'm a "fixer" by nature & if whatever you need done makes your life easier/less stressful, then I'm glad to help out. <br />
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Unfortunately, saying yes can add up, financially speaking. This week, I had to decline an invitation to a friend's bachelorette party. The reason was two-fold: I have obligations with The Hubs' family that weekend which can't be changed, but also, it would have been expensive. With the holidays coming up and having so many financial "situations" (for lack of a better term) the past few months, it's money I just can't spend right now. <br />
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I'm bummed, but the best decisions are always the hardest ones, right? Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-64876686108517476802012-11-09T14:21:00.000-05:002012-11-09T14:30:33.438-05:00reward me!Today, I discovered the beauty of credit card rewards. <br />
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Not to say that I never used them in the past. On the contrary, I have always redeemed my rewards; However, it's usually in the form of a Starbucks gift card. On a few occasions, I've redeemed my points for gift cards that I used as a birthday/holiday/wedding shower gift. I've never redeem them for cash rewards, in stark contrast to the Hubs, who <u>only</u> redeems his points for cash back. <br />
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Today, while I was scheduling my online payments for the months, I decided to check out what kind of options were out there for my points. Picture me maniacally rubbing my hands together while thinking of all the cool stuff I can get. Then picture someone sticking a needle in my bubble. <br />
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For all the money I spend, I have next to nothing in rewards! Boo. Cue the violins, please. <br />
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In my (limited) experience, American Express has always been a bit stingy with their reward points (or perhaps I just don't have the right card to accumulate them). I had a little more than 4,000, which bought me nothing of note in their online store. Instead, I used 3,333 of those points to pay off an "everyday charge" (a $20 reload on my Starbucks card). So I'm left with about 700 points which I will probably never use and won't accumulate anymore because I never break out the AmEx. Moving right along.<br />
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I also never use my Discover card, so that had a whopping 313 points on it (or $3.13 in U.S. currency). Oh yeah, I'm a big spender. <br />
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Our joint Chase card looked promising though. After all, we did just put $1,800 on it after repairing the Hubs' <a href="http://kuwno.blogspot.com/2012/10/lemons.html">car</a>, so I should have gotten 1,800 points, right? Wrong. Well, not totally, but the statement hasn't closed with that transaction yet. As of today, I had about 4,000 points, which gets you more than American Express, but not much. <br />
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I contemplated redeeming some points for an iTunes gift card, but I couldn't think of any paid apps that the Hubs' or I wanted recently so I nixed that idea. <br />
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As I was purusing the <a href="https://ultimaterewards.chase.com/Home.aspx?jp_ltg=topNav&AI=273378289">Ultimate Rewards</a> site, I saw you could "Shop the Ultimate Rewards Mall" and earn more points. More points? Okay! So pretty much, you're online shopping, but when you use the Chase card they give you an extra amount per dollar. I ended up buying two things I knew I was going to have to get anyway: a gift for my mother-in-law (whose birthday is next week) and heartworm medicine for my mom's dog. I can't tell you all what I got my MIL until she receives it, but I got 7 extra points per dollar for what I spent. 8 points per dollar! Awesome. <br />
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Then I received 6 extra points per dollar at 1800 Pet Meds. So 7 points x the $60 I spent on heartworm medicine = 420 points on that purchase! Awesomely Awesome. <br />
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Understandably, this could get a bit out of control, given that I can pretty much justify any purchase, <em>ever.</em> But I'm exercising a little thing called self-controlled. At least for the rest of today. Once I know my MIL received her purchase, I'll pay that charge (under $50, no biggie). And the next time I see my mom, she'll pay me for the heartworm meds, so that can get paid off right away too. Maybe by next month, I'll have enough points to trade in for a nice Christmas gift for someone! <br />
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What reward program do you use? Do you prefer the cash back or a gift card to "treat yo'self"? (as <a href="http://www.tomhaverfoods.com/">Tom Haverford</a> would say)Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-23770696688846551222012-11-08T12:23:00.000-05:002012-11-12T10:31:59.418-05:00hey hey what can I do?Every time I've opened a blank post up this week, I haven't been able to come up with something to write. I like to try and keep my posts focused, lest this become reminiscent of my teenage <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/">LiveJournal</a> days; However, clarity has been elusive. I'm going to indulge my stream-of-consciousness today in the hopes a more focused blogger will appear at the end. <br />
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When we last left off, pre-hurricane, we had just spent $1,800 on the Hubs' car. Prior to this, we had about $2,200 on our joint Chase card. We made a lump payment of $1,000 before the car repair; However, now we have a $3,300 bill. Ugh. At least at the end of this month, we'll get the Hubs' check for coaching track and that can get paid off. Sandy delayed that by at least a week though, since the whole season was pushed back a week (including the bonus pay schedule).<br />
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Speaking of Sandy, I had a bit of a panic moment this past weekend, when I believed there was a very real possibility we weren't going to be paid as scheduled tomorrow (since no one was in last week to submit their time sheets). Thankfully, it looks as though the State of NJ is going to come through and deposit a much needed paycheck in my bank account tomorrow. Phew. <br />
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Post car, but pre-Sandy, we went to the Hubs' cousin's wedding in North Jersey. Seriously, people, I love you all, but we need to get out of this wedding phase. I forgot to buy a card & we didn't have time to grab one before the wedding on Friday, so I figured I would mail it to them when we got back, but then I thought that having the cash might be in our best interest if the power was out for an extended period of time. Well, our power came back on sooner than most (so so lucky), but I just can't be trusted with money. In general. Ever. Plus I kind of over spent on groceries right before the storm, so I was doubly broke. Luckily, we didn't lose any food with the storm (again, so so lucky). I just wrote them the check this morning. Whoops. <br />
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I did fall into a bit of money yesterday, though! I'm in a football pick-em pool at work and I scored the most points two weeks ago and won $100! I would've won $185, but I hadn't paid my entry fee yet, so that had to be subtracted. I'm currently 13 points off the leader, so I don't know if I have a shot of winning any of the top three prizes, but I'm trying not to think about it or I'll mess up my winning strategy (which is really no strategy at all, but quickly trying to get all my picks in before the start of the first game on Thursday night). I already spent the $100 in the form of a check to the above mentioned bride and groom though. Whoomp whoomp. <br />
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I've been spending more money on food lately than I should, specifically lunches. I'm in one of those funks where whatever I've brought doesn't actually appeal to me by the time I need to eat it. Yesterday was one of those days and today is shaping up to be one too. Plus we're going to lunch tomorrow for my co-worker, who already transferred to another county, but we couldn't celebrate since we weren't at work last week! <br />
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Lastly, I'll leave you with a little quip about spending money to make money (kind of). After Financial Literacy Month was over, I was reading other personal finance blogs and came across <a href="http://manvsdebt.com/">Man vs. Debt</a>. I saw he offered a "class" of sorts called "You vs. Debt" and I thought it would be interesting and relevant to the blog so I signed up. I just started getting the e-mails and was getting pretty excited about the whole thing (well, as excited as you can be for a personal finance class). Yesterday, I got the e-mail to complete my registration and when I went to the website, you had to pay a one time fee of $97! I guess in the grand scheme of things, $97 isn't a lot of money, but really, what could they possibly tell me that I don't already know? I get it - I need to spend less and make more. It's harder than it seems when you're a spender. That's the secret. I just put it out there for free. It was definitely a major WTF moment for me. <br />
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It feels to get that jumble of money related "stuff" out there, as disjointed and unorganized as it might have been. How are my lovely readers out there doing? I haven't had any comments on the last four posts - did I lose you all?Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-58057610849650967822012-11-05T20:32:00.000-05:002012-11-05T20:32:50.889-05:00hall-o-weenieYour financial tip of the day: Get to the store & buy your Halloween candy for next year at 70% off. Don't buy chocolate though, it doesn't keep as well. Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-14459563472862543562012-10-31T16:37:00.001-04:002012-10-31T16:38:17.377-04:00rocked us like a hurricaneYou're probably all aware of the absolute devastation Hurricane Sandy has brought to New Jersey, specifically the island communities. It's heart-wrenching to see photos of the communities I grew up in completely destroyed.<br />
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The hubs and I are fortunate that we did not sustain any damage to our home. There are a few tree limbs to drag out to the curb, but our power was restored over night last night and even our food made it through. Unfortunately, some of our neighbors were not so lucky. Our friends have not been allowed back onto the islands to see if their homes have been damaged. I was donating our extra supplies at the local shelter and a woman absolutely broke down in front of me - her home had been completely destroyed. It took everything I had not to cry as well.<br />
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I hope all of you are safe & dry tonight. If you have extra supplies; water, snacks, toiletries, etc., please consider donating them to the Red Cross or another local organization assisting with recovery efforts. If you are local and want get your hands dirty you can call <b>1-800-Jersey-7.</b> You can leave a voice mail and they will contact you with volunteer opportunities in your area.<br />
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Be safe all.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-40061128600840798812012-10-25T12:11:00.000-04:002012-10-25T12:26:01.524-04:00lemonsOh readers, what a week it's been. Some of you have heard this saga already, but let's review it one more time for the people in the back. <br />
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On Thursday morning, there was a large puddle under the Hub's SUV (which I actually didn't notice until that afternoon). It was power steering fluid. We pour another container of fluid in it Thursday night. By Friday morning, it's gone again. At 5 PM on Friday, I get a call saying the truck won't start. Great. I called our mechanic & let him know we were going to tow it over. The Hubs was able to get it started before I called AAA and drove it to the shop. And so began our week as a one-car household. <br />
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In a nutshell, the power steering basically exploded. Not literally exploded, but it was kind of like getting a hole in your aorta and spewing blood everywhere. The entire engine was coated in power-steering fluid and driving for two days without fluid had damaged the pump. Both of those parts needed to be replaced. The car wouldn't start because the battery was on it's last leg, so that needed to be replaced. Then, because all that work was going on in the front end, we had to have a wheel alignment done. <br />
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But wait, I'm not done yet. <br />
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In August, we took the SUV for new brakes. At that time, our mechanic, Chris, let us know we needed new hub bearings. We didn't have the extra money to spare at that time (it would be about $600), but we made a mental note to plan for that service once school started. When Chris called me yesterday to let me know the worst of the repairs were over, he said "but I can't in good conscious let you drive it off my lot with the bearings as they are now."<br />
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What was I supposed to do? Those had to get replaced as well. The good news was only the left side needed to be replaced. The right side can hold out a few more months. <br />
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Still not done, though. <br />
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Last summer, the Hubs' gas sensor stopped working. A bit of googling revealed this was a common problem in Trailblazers, but Chevy would not acknowledge the problem with a recall. In Fall 2011, we received a letter from Chevy indicating they would be willing to <a href="http://www.autoweek.com/article/20111007/CARNEWS/111009914">cover half the cost</a> of a new fuel sensor as long as we had it fixed at a dealership. Again, not something that was emergent, so we put away the letter for another day. In light of all these repairs, I went digging in my files for this letter. The Hubs and I both thought we had until the end of this year to have the repair done, but, of course, it needs to be completed by 10/31/2012. Yes, that's right, 5 days from today. Nothing like a little last minute action to light a fire under your ass. <br />
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We're picking up the truck up tonight and tomorrow morning bringing it back to our local dealer to fix the fuel sensor. They let me know on the phone the part was a little less than $150, so hopefully, they won't kill us on labor and we'll be able to put this epic repair on the books. <br />
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In response to this nightmare, we decided we're going to trade in this vehicle (and by we, I mean me, but the Hubs also later agreed). Although most people probably wouldn't bother to fix the car in that case, ultimately, I believe it will help us in the long run because we'll be able to take our time in shopping for a car and won't feel rushed into a decision that might not be the best in the long-term. <br />
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I'm a bit miffed that my husband is getting a new car before me, but I'll be so happy the day the Trailblazer is gone. Besides, now is the fun part: Car shopping! We'll definitely be downsizing - right now I'm digging the Kia Soul. The Hubs is a big guy (6'2" - I won't tell you what he weighs ;-) ), so we need something with head & leg room, but that's also fuel efficient. Feel free to send in your endorsement!Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-29648901874371772602012-10-23T11:17:00.000-04:002012-10-23T11:18:53.752-04:00twenty sevenYesterday was my Twenty-Seventh birthday. <br />
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Last week, I was pretty depressed about the whole thing. Not in an "I'm so old" way, but more in a "what the eff am I doing with my life" kind of way. <br />
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As I was telling my mom last night, I feel like my life has become so routine that I've lost the spontaneous nature I used to have. My days pretty much look like this: get up - go to work - come home - make dinner - zone out on the couch - go to sleep - repeat. There's no za-za-zoom. I think the part that bothers me most is the lack of fufillment; I don't find any meaning in my job, so I probably rely on the hubs (& Molly) to make up for it. That's a tall order for anyone and an unfair one at that. So then I rely on "things" to make up the difference. And we can all see where that's gotten me. <br />
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It's time to get off my hamster wheel. I'm not sure what that means for me yet, but I'll be sure to bring you all along. <br />
<br />Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-32867611093007753532012-10-18T11:10:00.000-04:002012-10-18T11:44:01.027-04:00three points<div>
I was passing the time at work reading <a href="http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/">A Cup of Jo</a> 's archives yesterday and I happened upon a post about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authenticity">authenticity</a>. Joanna's mother wrote this to her regarding the subject:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"It seems to me that being authentic is being brave enough or just candid enough to be honest about what you are experiencing or who you are, whether it is popular are not... Whenever you are honest, you are speaking for a thousand silent people who don't have the voice to say what they really feel or are really experiencing. So, if you ever talk about [the thing you went through], you will touch a million hearts. Because you are speaking for more than just yourself. You are never alone in what you are feeling."</blockquote>
It resonated with me the whole day. I think I've done an okay job being authentic (so far!) with those that read this blog, but lately, I think I've been sticking my short-comings in the corner and not acknowledging them as I should. I don't want, nor can I afford, to resort back to the "ostrich syndrome" (sticking your head in the sand to avoid something). So with that, here's a list for you of what I've been able to do and what I still need to do in my financial life. <br />
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<strong>For Better</strong>:<br />
<li>Writing down daily expenses/purchases in a mini-notebook, including anything auto-debited from my account </li>
<li> Transferring chunks of money into my short-term savings account - I've learned that the less money I see in the "available" column, the less I spend overall. </li>
<li> Spending less money on groceries, overall. I'll have a post about that soon.</li>
<li> Being able to say no/put things back/be more realistic with my purchases. For example, I was in Target on Tuesday, and put back more than a few things that I just didn't need. </li>
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<strong>Still Needs Work:</strong><br />
<li> Using coupons. I'm doing pretty good with using coupons at major retailers, especially if gifts are involved. My grocery couponing is pretty much non-existant.</li>
<li> Giving up some other non-essentials, like soda, specialty lattes from Wawa/Starbucks, & eating out when I don't feel like eating what I've made for lunch/dinner. </li>
<li>Increasing retirement contributions. I've upped the contributions on my Deferred Compensation & Roth plans to 2% of my annual salary. Still no where close to the 10% I used to be at, but we're getting there. </li>
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<strong>Has Been Totally Ignored:</strong><br />
<li> Not using credit cards. This could probably go in the "Still Needs Work" column, but I'm going to put it down here. In this <a href="http://kuwno.blogspot.com/2012/05/3320-332999.html">post,</a> I talked about not cutting up the cards after they were paid off, which was a stupid move on my part. My friend, Jenn, warned me that paying everything off in a lump sum probably really wouldn't "teach" me the lesson I needed, and she was right. I haven't used them lately, but I did during the summer, and now I'm not only paying the minimums on those, but my loan as well. Lesson <em>definitely</em> learned.</li>
<li> Automatic savings. Confession: I have no auto-save from my paycheck set up. I did go to the credit union and get the paperwork, but I never turned it into Human Resources and now I have no idea where it is. That's my only goal for next week. </li>
<li> Budgeting - in the sense of giving myself X amount of dollars to spend on a certain thing (like gas/groceries/shoes) per month. I am reviewing my Virtual Wallet Spending Tracker a few times a month to see where I need to cut back, but I just can't seem to give myself a hard & fast number. </li>
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So that's where I'm at. I'm getting there. Like most things, this takes a lot more time and effort than I initally think it will. I try not to get too frustrated with myself, but the <a href="http://kuwno.blogspot.com/2012/05/3320-332999.html">perfectionist in me</a> makes it hard somedays. I still get moody and want <a href="http://kuwno.blogspot.com/2012/03/things-that-make-ya-go-uggh.html">to buy a shirt</a> sometimes, but I'm getting better at realizing that <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500164_162-1103331.html">shopping high</a> is going to last about as long as my bad mood. <br />
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In the wise words of Alanis Morisette: <em>"And what it all comes down to/ Is that I haven't got it all figured out just yet"</em><br />
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How are you doing in your financial life?Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4018776856305219620.post-56159175388328050312012-10-15T11:39:00.000-04:002012-10-15T11:39:18.537-04:00too soon?I come from a pretty traditional family. Not the "you can't live together until you're married" traditional, but the "you can't decorate for the holidays unless it's the same month." For most of my childhood, we didn't decorate our Christmas tree until Christmas Eve. <br />
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When we bought our house, I couldn't wait to start decorating... except it was the end of February with no major holidays in sight (St. Patrick's Day doesn't count for me) and we were getting married in less than three months, so there were other things I needed to spend my money on. I tried to resist the urge to buy holiday decorations at full price, but I couldn't pass on the Christmas cheer, regardless of how much it cost.<br />
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Now, we've got <strike>swag</strike> decorations for pretty much every occasion, thanks to the clearance rack at Tar-jay. Which leaves me with the conundrum: What do I get everyone for Christmas this year?<br />
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I can see your heads spinning now. <em>Christmas???</em> You say.... <em>It's not even Halloween yet!</em> <br />
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I know, I know. For most people, it's entirely too soon. But, if there's one thing I've learned from all my financial hiccups over the years, it's much better for me to spread out buying everyone's presents over the course of three-ish months, than to try to cram it all in between Black Friday & Christmas. The latter almost always reverts to me using my credit cards, which is a no-no this year. <br />
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I actually have three presents so far, two for my mom and one for the hubs (which I bought yesterday). Then I have a bonus present, which means I haven't decided what family member or friend will get it, but it'll be good for someone. Momma Q has given me a few ideas about what she wants, which is great, plus there's always a nice stand-by of gifts I know she needs/will use. It's always hard for me to practice gift-buying restraint when it comes to my Mom, because to me, she deserves everything! <br />
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I'm going to suggest to the hubs that we pair down the gifts we give each other and maybe get something for the house that we'll both enjoy or go on a trip somewhere instead. <br />
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Has anyone else started their holiday shopping yet, or am I the only one?Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487456316176375454noreply@blogger.com2