Layout:
Home > Archive: March, 2007

Archive for March, 2007

Catching up

March 29th, 2007 at 02:15 pm

It’s been too long since I’ve posted but I’ve been so busy…. Midterms at school, Budget season at work, doing our taxes, etc. etc. etc… so here’s a catch-up for what’s been going on lately.

1. I aced my midterms! By golly, I have no idea how I did it but I won’t question the grades I received!
2. Taxes: I want to check them over again, but I finally got around to doing the first “rough” draft. I try to aim at paying a little back each year to Uncle Sam, but this year we’ll be getting about $1500 back. This is due to us being able to deduct moving expenses and my school tuition – things that I really didn’t plan on.
3. Plans on our Disney trip are coming along. I have to send in the money for the condo soon though – yuck.
4. Tomorrow is payday and with that I have to write a lot of checks that I’ve been holding back on…these are definitely “unusual” bills that don’t happen each month: $642 for the first summer school session. $600 for the Disney condo. $960 for our propane tank getting filled up. For a total of $2,202 out the door! Crap.
5. April is the month that I might receive a $5,000 raise at work. I say “might” because when I was hired a year ago, my boss told me that her norm was to give employees a $5,000 raise on their one year anniversary month. And, I know she sticks to that philosophy since 3 other people did get their $5,000 within this past year since I’ve been here. I’m excited to think that this will come about! If I get the raise and with the expected normal cost of living increase we’ll be getting for the new fiscal year, I should be making over $60,000. I do get my premiums on healthcare and dental insurance paid by my employer so my "salary" really will be around $65,000. For a 31 year old, that’s not too shabby, is it!?

Cutting back on IRA contributions.

March 1st, 2007 at 04:01 pm

Well, I just don't think we will be able to save for the Disney trip without cutting back on fully funding our Roths, unfortunately. Yes, I'm willing to reduce our Roth contributions back to $50 each per month for the next 6 months and putting that amount into our Disney savings account. That would bring us up to around $3500 for Disney which is what we'll plan on budgeting. Then we'll pick back up the Roth contributions. We just have to go to Disney this year (based on promises and other factors) for the kids and if we continue trying to save for the trip and fully fund the Roths, it just won't work.