I worked my scheduled three shifts this past week and spent a lot of time at the local parks doing some walking with my husband. We have been out several times this past week and enjoy being together and even if it makes walking to get some fresh air and exercise.
My husband gave me his 300 dollar contribution to the monthly budget and we ended up getting two new tires and an oil change for my car with the money. We were told that we will need new brakes and the other thing (I wish I knew what it was, but it has to do with the brakes). The shop told us that it would cost a total of 1,200 dollars.
I got paid on Friday and made an online payment to the mortgage company for March. I also paid two outstanding hospital charges that came in the mail. I made the payment to the cell phone folks. I also sent out a payment to the electric company in full.
I am surprised that our electric bill was 101.54 this month. This is for a full month. The electric company charges an automatic 20 dollar fee regardless of the charges. They charge 0.11 cents per KW under 1,000 KW. If you use more than 1,000 KW the charge per KW is 0.13 cents.
Our first bill in the new house used 440 KW. This was not for a full month. The most recent bill I paid on Friday was for 784 KW. We have been opening windows when it is warm outside. My husband turned on the air conditioning yesterday when it went over 80 degrees in the house. We have new ceiling fans that were a gift for my birthday and we have to get them up in each of the rooms at some point.
I continue the deposits into the savings account through the banks automatic deposit from my pay check of 75 dollars a pay period.
The cost of the brakes may have to be taken out of the savings account. I really don't want to do that, but my first pay of the month covers the mortgage for the next month and the beginning of the bills for the next month. I stay a month ahead because life happens. The second paycheck of the month goes towards anything that did not get covered with the first paycheck. The bills come through the mail and get paid immediately on my pay day to prevent anything from being late or overdue.
I have thought seriously about getting a credit card. I have not been in credit card debt for about five years. I found Dave Ramsey about 8 years ago and used his plan to help get my debt paid off. When we sold our Virginia home, almost half of the mortgage was paid off at that time and I only had the mortgage and a student loan payment.
I still have a new mortgage even if it is a hit higher than our old one. My student loan is coming out of deferment in March and I have been making payments of 200 dollars every month. The new payment will be 250 starting in March and I would like to work hard at getting this paid off by adding additional money to the principle.
My reasoning for a credit card would be to help with expenses towards higher cost items. I would prefer not to take the money out of the savings. I am very hesitant to get a credit card because I would prefer not to have any additional debt.
I guess I have made my own decision about the credit card. I don't really want one. I would just prefer to have the money on hand for the higher cost items that we have coming due instead of taking it out of savings.
I am working an additional shift tonight. I picked up tonight as overtime. I am also working Tues, Wed, and Thurs night. We have eaten dinner at home all week and have been actively working on using what is in the pantry and freezer.
Our taxes are completed and I am getting a small refund from the feds. I owe Virginia about 350 dollars in taxes since apparently there was not enough taken out last year. I am going to electronically send the return in when I get paid again.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Sunday, February 4, 2018
January Goals
Some of the January goals I hadinclude the following:
~transfer retirement from old employer to new employer plan
I am still trying to work on this. I have the forms downloaded into a pdf file and having difficulties getting them to print out at work. I am not sure what I am doing wrong.
~maintain 75 dollars every two weeks as a direct deposit from my pay into the savings
This has been started at the end of December and will continue as a direct deposit every two weeks into my savings account. This has been continued and will help keep an emergency fund in place.
~cancel CVS prescription coverage for my husband once all his meds are processed through the 90 day mail order. DONE!
~order new blinds for 8 windows and one large sliding door. DONE!
~buy curtains for my bedroom
We decided not to get curtains for our bedroom. The blinds are more than enough and they are heavy ones also. I am not going to add this as a goal for February as this is an expense we don't need at this time.
~buy curtains for the living room window and two windows in the dining room
See above. We are not going to have this as a goal for February since this is an expense we do not need at the moment.
~maintain the current standard of living and keep any cash flow that is left over from each pay period to put an additional deposit into the savings. DONE!
I received a 25 dollar check from the new mortgage company. It appears that I gave them 25 dollars too much at closing. This will be deposited into the savings account this morning. I have direct deposit each pay period and transferred 200 dollars from my checking to the savings this morning from January's excess.
~continue using our pantry as wisely as possible as funds are tight and remain so until we are financially settled into our new home. THIS IS ALWAYS ONGOING.
~Bed delivery DONE!
~measuring windows for blinds installation
DONE!
~transfer retirement from old employer to new employer plan
I am still trying to work on this. I have the forms downloaded into a pdf file and having difficulties getting them to print out at work. I am not sure what I am doing wrong.
~maintain 75 dollars every two weeks as a direct deposit from my pay into the savings
This has been started at the end of December and will continue as a direct deposit every two weeks into my savings account. This has been continued and will help keep an emergency fund in place.
~cancel CVS prescription coverage for my husband once all his meds are processed through the 90 day mail order. DONE!
~order new blinds for 8 windows and one large sliding door. DONE!
~buy curtains for my bedroom
We decided not to get curtains for our bedroom. The blinds are more than enough and they are heavy ones also. I am not going to add this as a goal for February as this is an expense we don't need at this time.
~buy curtains for the living room window and two windows in the dining room
See above. We are not going to have this as a goal for February since this is an expense we do not need at the moment.
~maintain the current standard of living and keep any cash flow that is left over from each pay period to put an additional deposit into the savings. DONE!
I received a 25 dollar check from the new mortgage company. It appears that I gave them 25 dollars too much at closing. This will be deposited into the savings account this morning. I have direct deposit each pay period and transferred 200 dollars from my checking to the savings this morning from January's excess.
~continue using our pantry as wisely as possible as funds are tight and remain so until we are financially settled into our new home. THIS IS ALWAYS ONGOING.
~Bed delivery DONE!
~measuring windows for blinds installation
DONE!
January
I started January with a goal of saving some money to put towards my savings account. I put in a direct deposit of 75 dollars every two weeks to go directly to the savings. I added 25 dollars as a one time deposit to the savings.
I ended January with 471.79 left in my checking account after all the expenses were paid for the month. I am not sure how I managed to do that other than when my mother in law came to visit we went out almost every day she was here and I paid for one meal. She did some grocery shopping for us and went out of her way to help us get settled in our new home.
I would like to put 200 dollars of the 471 into the savings account. I have some more health care bills coming in soon and the extra cash can be put towards those expenses.
My husband did his monthly contribution to the budget and gave me 300 dollars of his disability check and he pays his bills in full every month. He has a limited income and pays for his medicare premiums from his check. He usually does not have any extra funds and keeps 25 dollars a month in his savings account which he ends up using.
The savings for January increased some. There was a interest payment of 2.24, two deposits of 75 dollars each, a one time deposit of 25 dollars, and the transfer of 200 dollars from my checking to the savings that I just did online. The 200 dollars will be counted as a January deposit since it was from left over funds for the month.
I did have to take out the costs for the endoscope from the savings account that totaled 515.00. This was a cost that I knew I would have to pay since I spoke to the billing office at the hospital. It will take a while to recover this money and put it back into the savings.
February savings account balance: 8,554.20
I ended January with 471.79 left in my checking account after all the expenses were paid for the month. I am not sure how I managed to do that other than when my mother in law came to visit we went out almost every day she was here and I paid for one meal. She did some grocery shopping for us and went out of her way to help us get settled in our new home.
I would like to put 200 dollars of the 471 into the savings account. I have some more health care bills coming in soon and the extra cash can be put towards those expenses.
My husband did his monthly contribution to the budget and gave me 300 dollars of his disability check and he pays his bills in full every month. He has a limited income and pays for his medicare premiums from his check. He usually does not have any extra funds and keeps 25 dollars a month in his savings account which he ends up using.
The savings for January increased some. There was a interest payment of 2.24, two deposits of 75 dollars each, a one time deposit of 25 dollars, and the transfer of 200 dollars from my checking to the savings that I just did online. The 200 dollars will be counted as a January deposit since it was from left over funds for the month.
I did have to take out the costs for the endoscope from the savings account that totaled 515.00. This was a cost that I knew I would have to pay since I spoke to the billing office at the hospital. It will take a while to recover this money and put it back into the savings.
February savings account balance: 8,554.20
Health care costs January
I was going through my budget and added up some numbers regarding the high costs of January's medical costs that my family has incurred. We paid cash for all the copayments, procedures, medications, and follow up fees with radiology and hospital charges. We have private insurance through my work and I am thankful.
Here's the breakdown of costs out of pocket for January.
MD appointments 40 dollar co pays total 230 dollars.
90 day medications for the five of us (we take numerous ones for chronic conditions) 326.18
Radiologist fees 99.25
Hospital fees 53.48
Endoscope 515.15
The endoscope met my individual deductible of 400 dollars. If I need any other procedures, lab work, and anything besides meds or doc visit copays I will pay 10 percent until I hit max out of pocket.
Total cost for January medical costs was a whopping 1,224.06.
Oh my goodness. It's almost one full paycheck for a two week period at my job. We still have some bills coming in for February. I am expecting one for the anesthesia provider for the endoscope procedure and one for the follow up appointment with my GI doc. I am expecting a bill from the hospital that will cover the costs of their services for the procedure that my insurance does not pay.
Here's the breakdown of costs out of pocket for January.
MD appointments 40 dollar co pays total 230 dollars.
90 day medications for the five of us (we take numerous ones for chronic conditions) 326.18
Radiologist fees 99.25
Hospital fees 53.48
Endoscope 515.15
The endoscope met my individual deductible of 400 dollars. If I need any other procedures, lab work, and anything besides meds or doc visit copays I will pay 10 percent until I hit max out of pocket.
Total cost for January medical costs was a whopping 1,224.06.
Oh my goodness. It's almost one full paycheck for a two week period at my job. We still have some bills coming in for February. I am expecting one for the anesthesia provider for the endoscope procedure and one for the follow up appointment with my GI doc. I am expecting a bill from the hospital that will cover the costs of their services for the procedure that my insurance does not pay.
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