"I'm wondering if you would consider giving an update on the 20 year goal. Are you on track in your opinion? What is working, what isn't, etc. toward that goal."
I don't know what made me think to post a mission statement on the top of this blog two years ago, but thank goodness I did! Otherwise I think my original vision would have been distorted by now, shifted by the winds of change and perception. I thought that in answering this question, I would review the statement and examine my thoughts on our progress in each area.
I set a specific date by which I would like to have reached each of the goals stated in the mission: August 2027. I chose that date not because it was 20 years from the start of this blog - it will actually be 20 years and 3 months - but because it will be the month my husband turns 60, at which point I would like for him to have the option of retiring. 20 years seems like such a long time. Long enough for a baby to become adult, an average mortgage repayment period, the lifespan of a healthy marriage. Yet already a tenth of that time period has slipped by, and we have so much more to do with what little we have left.
Only 18 more years to "achieve total financial freedom via savings and responsible investments." I first defined TFF in this post. The first step is really getting out of debt. We were doing really well with this for quite a long time, having paid 25% of what we owed before our immigration emergency and the insurance debacle added another $4,000 to our tally. Despite this, I expect to be debt free by the end of 2010.
By "responsible investments," I originally meant stowing our money in ecologically sound mutual funds through firms such as Domini. Sadly, I have yet to save the $2,000 or so necessary to open one of these accounts. Still, I've made some pretty impressive progress in this area, if I do say so myself. Two years ago I had about $80 or so in a PayPal money market account. August of 2007 Darling and I opened our Ing Savings account, and June 2008 Darling and I transferred $500 to an Ing IRA. Once the money was in the IRA, I couldn't get at it even when I desperately wanted to during the immigration scare. Even more impressive, we transferred money to the IRA even when we were saving every penny to get to England this year, and currently have $788 put away for eventual roll-over into an SRI.
In the meantime, Darling and I must accomplish this while "living in an ecologically sound and socially conscious manner." This is difficult to measure, yet I feel we've made great progress in this area in the past year. Our use of resources is ever dwindling as we purchase items in bulk with our own jars and eschew packaging, compost the majority of our waste, purchase most of our vegetables and dairy from Texas farmers, and grow some of our own food. We have yet to turn on the air conditioner this year and re-use waste water. We've lived a year and a half as part of a fouplex that has weekly dinners, shares a garden, and supplements it's energy needs with a solar panel. We are currently looking to take this a step further with our next living arrangement by joining a housing co-op.
To meet The Challenge, Darling and I must buy land, build a home, have children, and - should we choose to own one - purchase the greenest car on the market by 2027. These are all areas we have yet to make much progress in. Before saving for land, we need to pay off our debt. We are definitely preparing to save hardcore when the time comes - probably the start of 2011 - but besides setting up Darling for better job opportunities and crunching numbers, we're holding off for a couple of years.
Of course we have yet to "employ the credit industry to accomplish our goals." And it doesn't look like we will ever have to.
In my opinion, Darling and I are on track to meet our goals. We definitely have our ups and downs, but our situation is ever improving.
What's working?
* Eating whole foods purchased in bulk and cooking from scratch. This is cheap, easy, filling, and healthy.
* Spending time with like-minded friends and family members and reading inspiring blogs and books.
* Tracking my progress, online and privately.
* Setting goals and reviewing them regularly.
* Constant communication with my husband about my wants and needs.
* Living in a city with excellent public transportation
What's Not?
* I hate to say it, but our wanderlust is devastating our savings on a regular basis. Darling and I need to discuss what this means to us. Not to say we might quit travelling, but we might rethink the way we save for it.
* Working a day job and a night job. My hours have been overwhelming lately and have resulted in binge spending and frustration.
* Our current lack of budget. For obvious reasons.
* Healthcare. Rather, our lack of healthcare.
How are you progressing on your financial journey? What's working, and what's getting you down?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Stimulating Spending
Have a few extra bucks and want to stimulate the economy? Go somewhere local and tip your server.
Having been a waitress for a couple of years now, I can't think of a better way to keep cash flowing through your community than tipping 15-20%. Do you know what servers do with our money? We go to other local businesses (where our friends work) and pass it on to them. Often the same night we get the cash. Presumably those workers do the same, and the money cycles through the community until we have to mail it away to our landlords, who no doubt spend the money on Starbucks and mortgage payments.
We don't save (many, many of us in the service industry don't even have bank accounts), some of us don't have much debt to pay off (though most of us are paying back student loans), and the service industry lifestyle demands a certain amount of retail therapy to keep us sane. Can you think of a more stimulating formula?
After thinking of this post a few weeks ago I figured it would be appropriate to put my money where my mouth is. Already Darling and I do our best to buy local, so I wanted to take our community support a step further. I decided to dedicate the bulk of my bakery tips to local artists, starting with a photographer who hangs his work on the wall at work. Today I came home with a series of three framed photographs I can't wait to hang up. Next I will be saving up for a Flatlanders CD.
How do you financially support your community?
Having been a waitress for a couple of years now, I can't think of a better way to keep cash flowing through your community than tipping 15-20%. Do you know what servers do with our money? We go to other local businesses (where our friends work) and pass it on to them. Often the same night we get the cash. Presumably those workers do the same, and the money cycles through the community until we have to mail it away to our landlords, who no doubt spend the money on Starbucks and mortgage payments.
We don't save (many, many of us in the service industry don't even have bank accounts), some of us don't have much debt to pay off (though most of us are paying back student loans), and the service industry lifestyle demands a certain amount of retail therapy to keep us sane. Can you think of a more stimulating formula?
After thinking of this post a few weeks ago I figured it would be appropriate to put my money where my mouth is. Already Darling and I do our best to buy local, so I wanted to take our community support a step further. I decided to dedicate the bulk of my bakery tips to local artists, starting with a photographer who hangs his work on the wall at work. Today I came home with a series of three framed photographs I can't wait to hang up. Next I will be saving up for a Flatlanders CD.
How do you financially support your community?
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
First Co-op Visit
Today I visited the co-op Darling saw yesterday, and was very impressed.
The front room of the main house has a wall of windows that lets in the soft north light to illuminate countless chairs, a small dining table, a piano, and large television for playing DVDs. There is decoration but no clutter. The center of the room is clear and clean enough to hold a small yoga class, and our guide told us that people like to stretch there most mornings.
The kitchen shelves are lined with large jars of oats, grains, and nuts. Beans soak in a bowl on the counter next to a sprouting jar and the refrigerator contains home-made yogurt. On one side of the kitchen is a large pantry/utility room with energy star washer and dryer, on the other side a small office houses a pc.
There is one room available in this, the "noisy house," where some people watch movies and hold band practice. It's sweet enough, L-shaped with bookcases built into the wall, but Darling and I would prefer to live in one of the rooms opening up in the second house on the small property.
The second house, only a few feet away from the first, is made up completely of bedrooms and bathrooms. The second floor bedroom of this house is the largest, has its own bathroom and extra closet in the hallway. One of the several windows is actually a screen door which opens to a definitely-against-code-second-story porch, and it's large enough to consider bringing a fair amount of our furniture. This room will be made available about the same time our lease is letting up.
Oh yes, and the "neglected garden" Darling mentioned? Not so much. Apparantly he didn't get a good enough look to see the healthy tomatoes, heavy squash, tiny zuchini, flowering herbs, and other feautures of the large and eclectic garden.
The price is a little high, so we're not falling head-over-heels in love just yet. We're still going to check out a slightly cheaper nearby co-op on Sunday. But I'm feeling much more optimistic about the lifestyle in general.
The front room of the main house has a wall of windows that lets in the soft north light to illuminate countless chairs, a small dining table, a piano, and large television for playing DVDs. There is decoration but no clutter. The center of the room is clear and clean enough to hold a small yoga class, and our guide told us that people like to stretch there most mornings.
The kitchen shelves are lined with large jars of oats, grains, and nuts. Beans soak in a bowl on the counter next to a sprouting jar and the refrigerator contains home-made yogurt. On one side of the kitchen is a large pantry/utility room with energy star washer and dryer, on the other side a small office houses a pc.
There is one room available in this, the "noisy house," where some people watch movies and hold band practice. It's sweet enough, L-shaped with bookcases built into the wall, but Darling and I would prefer to live in one of the rooms opening up in the second house on the small property.
The second house, only a few feet away from the first, is made up completely of bedrooms and bathrooms. The second floor bedroom of this house is the largest, has its own bathroom and extra closet in the hallway. One of the several windows is actually a screen door which opens to a definitely-against-code-second-story porch, and it's large enough to consider bringing a fair amount of our furniture. This room will be made available about the same time our lease is letting up.
Oh yes, and the "neglected garden" Darling mentioned? Not so much. Apparantly he didn't get a good enough look to see the healthy tomatoes, heavy squash, tiny zuchini, flowering herbs, and other feautures of the large and eclectic garden.
The price is a little high, so we're not falling head-over-heels in love just yet. We're still going to check out a slightly cheaper nearby co-op on Sunday. But I'm feeling much more optimistic about the lifestyle in general.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Co-op Tour and Student Loan Payment
Darling toured a nearby co-op today. It features a (currently neglected) garden, work shed, and lounge full of musical instruments. Certain aspects of this co-op strike me as bothersome: they don't have a website and can only be reached by phone, what little paperwork we have been offered slightly contradicts what we've been told, and the price is fairly high and "variable." It looks like we wouldn't necessarily be saving money by moving to this particular set-up. But Darling was impressed with the amenities, and I look forward to seeing it tomorrow.
Today I was excited to find that my student loans have dipped below the $13,000 mark! To celebrate I sent a hefty payment, nearly twice what is due for next month. It feels good to be ahead with them again.
Today I was excited to find that my student loans have dipped below the $13,000 mark! To celebrate I sent a hefty payment, nearly twice what is due for next month. It feels good to be ahead with them again.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Working on Routine
I made yogurt in the crockpot!!! A half-gallon of yogurt made with our organic raw milk cost us only $4, much cheaper than anything I've fouund in stores. Now I just have to remember to eat it every single day.
I'm thinking this can be accomplished with daily smoothies. Tomorrow we will receive (and freeze) twenty bananas and a pound of blackberries from Greenlings. I've already purchased frozen strawberries and oj concentrate.
So my new morning routine is as follows: wake up early, blend some smoothie for breakfast, start the crockpot, and do some yoga before heading to work.
My evenings will end with prepping dinner for the next day, washing the dishes, and sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor.
In the evening Darling will straighten the lounge, take out recycling, and tidy the bathroom.
In a few weeks I will have a set schedule with the bakery, and the rest of my life will belong to me. This structure will enable me to plan healthier days, each including meal prep, excersise, and socialization. I'd like to start developing better time management strategies now, so when I have an extra 20 hours a week they aren't spent staring at the computer...
I'm thinking this can be accomplished with daily smoothies. Tomorrow we will receive (and freeze) twenty bananas and a pound of blackberries from Greenlings. I've already purchased frozen strawberries and oj concentrate.
So my new morning routine is as follows: wake up early, blend some smoothie for breakfast, start the crockpot, and do some yoga before heading to work.
My evenings will end with prepping dinner for the next day, washing the dishes, and sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor.
In the evening Darling will straighten the lounge, take out recycling, and tidy the bathroom.
In a few weeks I will have a set schedule with the bakery, and the rest of my life will belong to me. This structure will enable me to plan healthier days, each including meal prep, excersise, and socialization. I'd like to start developing better time management strategies now, so when I have an extra 20 hours a week they aren't spent staring at the computer...
Monday, May 18, 2009
Kitchen Magic
For my birthday my mom got me a crockpot. It's probably much more energy efficient and substantially less likely to heat up my entire house than the stove or oven, yet requires less attention and protection from neighbors' dogs, cats, and children than the solar oven Darling has been working on.
It also gives me a chance to finally check out A Year of Crockpotting, from which I've heard great things. And how excited am I to find 69 posts labeled "vegetarian?" Not including some of the 34 desserts.
If I prep ingredients the night before (perhaps after doing the dishes...) I could toss them in the crockpot first thing in the morning and have dinner waiting for me when I get home from work. This might halt the recent rapid decline of my diet as well as get me back in the kitchen.
It also gives me a chance to finally check out A Year of Crockpotting, from which I've heard great things. And how excited am I to find 69 posts labeled "vegetarian?" Not including some of the 34 desserts.
If I prep ingredients the night before (perhaps after doing the dishes...) I could toss them in the crockpot first thing in the morning and have dinner waiting for me when I get home from work. This might halt the recent rapid decline of my diet as well as get me back in the kitchen.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Remembering How To Be Broke
I have a surprise day off and a Darling to share it with. The only downside is that my husband wrote a tuition check today and I need to earn a few hundred dollars in tips to make ends meet by Monday.
I've developed some really bad habits at the restaurant that I promised myself never to learn. When I was promoted to server, and much more recently promoted within the server hierarchy, I looked at what my established co-workers did and believed I would be different. I thought my discipline would be better, my will stronger, my sensibilities less affected by fast money earned by the handful coupled with weeks of almost no income.
Tread Softly, I thought, always makes more than the minimum payment. She puts next month's rent in savings before buying the week's groceries. She has lived for weeks at a time on beans and rice, she eschews the box store and the boxed meal. She is far mightier than mere server mortals.
Yeah, not so much. I can live on almost no income, but it's hard to do so with money in my pocket and the promise of unknown amounts more tomorrow. I've started gambling on tomorrow, writing checks for as yet unearned money on a weekly basis. The income earned from my second job is delegated to worthy causes, but the list of worthy causes is ever-growing. In fact, I can't foresee a time in the near future when Darling and I will be able to live well on less, I can't comfortably imagine working only one job, only five days a week.
Because that is what I will be doing as of August 1st (at the absolute and total latest, even though we will have tuition due that month and it would be nice to go on a little trip for Darling's birthday...) I am taking some time to remember the frugal pursuits and activities I will occupy myself when I have only one job. There will be Barton Creek, and The Greenbelt, there will be free yoga at Ruta Maya's and dogs to play with at the shelter. There will be game night with friends, there will be time in the kitchen, there will be mornings spent knitting and evenings spent writing...
Less time will be spent wondering about money -will I have enough? more than enough? what will I spend the excess on? - and more time on frugality. A steady income and regular hours will ensure that.
I've developed some really bad habits at the restaurant that I promised myself never to learn. When I was promoted to server, and much more recently promoted within the server hierarchy, I looked at what my established co-workers did and believed I would be different. I thought my discipline would be better, my will stronger, my sensibilities less affected by fast money earned by the handful coupled with weeks of almost no income.
Tread Softly, I thought, always makes more than the minimum payment. She puts next month's rent in savings before buying the week's groceries. She has lived for weeks at a time on beans and rice, she eschews the box store and the boxed meal. She is far mightier than mere server mortals.
Yeah, not so much. I can live on almost no income, but it's hard to do so with money in my pocket and the promise of unknown amounts more tomorrow. I've started gambling on tomorrow, writing checks for as yet unearned money on a weekly basis. The income earned from my second job is delegated to worthy causes, but the list of worthy causes is ever-growing. In fact, I can't foresee a time in the near future when Darling and I will be able to live well on less, I can't comfortably imagine working only one job, only five days a week.
Because that is what I will be doing as of August 1st (at the absolute and total latest, even though we will have tuition due that month and it would be nice to go on a little trip for Darling's birthday...) I am taking some time to remember the frugal pursuits and activities I will occupy myself when I have only one job. There will be Barton Creek, and The Greenbelt, there will be free yoga at Ruta Maya's and dogs to play with at the shelter. There will be game night with friends, there will be time in the kitchen, there will be mornings spent knitting and evenings spent writing...
Less time will be spent wondering about money -will I have enough? more than enough? what will I spend the excess on? - and more time on frugality. A steady income and regular hours will ensure that.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Moving Thoughts
I finally e-mailed the nearest co-op to let them know Darling and I will be attending an introductory dinner on the 31st. Which is scary. I'm still in the denial stage of moving. I need to tell our landlord before I leave for work today.
A friend of mine has offered to sublet her apartment to me when she moves in August or September. That will be a little late for us, but she's offering me ridiculously cheap rent: $450 a month. We couldn't get a studio for $450 a month, much less a safe and decent one bedroom place. Sadly, it's north of the river, thereby not meeting my very strict "within walking distance of work" rule. But still, $450 a month...
**Edit**
I called our landlord to inform him that we will not be re-leasing. He didn't sound very happy, but at least the deed is done.
A friend of mine has offered to sublet her apartment to me when she moves in August or September. That will be a little late for us, but she's offering me ridiculously cheap rent: $450 a month. We couldn't get a studio for $450 a month, much less a safe and decent one bedroom place. Sadly, it's north of the river, thereby not meeting my very strict "within walking distance of work" rule. But still, $450 a month...
**Edit**
I called our landlord to inform him that we will not be re-leasing. He didn't sound very happy, but at least the deed is done.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Oops
Darling figured out his "oops" just before calling Amazon to dispute the $70 charge that hit our bank account yesterday.
Before we left for England he ordered a book online for the trip. In order to get free shipping, he accepted a free month's trial premium membership. Of course he didn't mention this to me, and of course it slipped his mind. Fortunately, we cancelled the membership in time to get a refund and should not get hit with any overdraft fees.
A $400 payment caught me up with my student loan holders. Nearly half of that will go straight to interest, which is more than a little devastating. I would have liked to have sent more, I originally planned to send at least $500, maybe $550, but Darling registers for classes today, and they have to be paid for by next Friday. Do you know what's not convenient in the world of a server? Owing a big pile of money Friday. Who makes money during the week any more?
Before we left for England he ordered a book online for the trip. In order to get free shipping, he accepted a free month's trial premium membership. Of course he didn't mention this to me, and of course it slipped his mind. Fortunately, we cancelled the membership in time to get a refund and should not get hit with any overdraft fees.
A $400 payment caught me up with my student loan holders. Nearly half of that will go straight to interest, which is more than a little devastating. I would have liked to have sent more, I originally planned to send at least $500, maybe $550, but Darling registers for classes today, and they have to be paid for by next Friday. Do you know what's not convenient in the world of a server? Owing a big pile of money Friday. Who makes money during the week any more?
Friday, May 8, 2009
Yet Another Fraudulent Debit
We use Internet banking and bill pay quite a bit here in the Softly household. In fact, we enjoy online grocery shopping so much that there is little reason for us to spend money any other way. That's why it's especially frustrating when a fraudulent charge is made on our bank account. Almost no one in my social circle banks online, and certainly no one in my immediate family. When I complain of a mysterious Amazon debit of $70 that has hit me with crazy overdraft fees, pity and understanding is not their first response. Their response is usually something around the line of, "well, duh."
The second response is usually the assertion that this sort of thing wouldn't happen with a credit card.
So far the benefits of banking and shopping online far outweigh the consequences. Maybe if we had a car, which would make running financial errands and shopping around far easier, we would have a different point of view. In the meantime our current bank has done an excellent job walking us through our options and fixing these little problems with minimum hassle. Hopefully this incident will be as easily corrected as previous ones.
The second response is usually the assertion that this sort of thing wouldn't happen with a credit card.
So far the benefits of banking and shopping online far outweigh the consequences. Maybe if we had a car, which would make running financial errands and shopping around far easier, we would have a different point of view. In the meantime our current bank has done an excellent job walking us through our options and fixing these little problems with minimum hassle. Hopefully this incident will be as easily corrected as previous ones.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Update and Reunion
I was asked before leaving for England for an updated look at my hair. Sadly, I have no digital camera, but someone took a picture of us on our trip and I put it on my sidebar today. I also picked out some new blog colors. You have no idea how tempting it is to just stick with black and be done with it. Black text on a black background. Simple and stylish.
I got a call today from my long-lost best friend and discovered she's moved to Austin! Which fills me with all sorts of joy. I get to see her tomorrow. Then on Tuesday I'm having lunch with my Dad. So I have something of a busy schedule considering ohmyGodIneedtopaythephonebillandItooktodayofftospendwithmyMom.
As usual, not panicking. See those pretty trees on my new title image? Trees mean not panicking.
I got a call today from my long-lost best friend and discovered she's moved to Austin! Which fills me with all sorts of joy. I get to see her tomorrow. Then on Tuesday I'm having lunch with my Dad. So I have something of a busy schedule considering ohmyGodIneedtopaythephonebillandItooktodayofftospendwithmyMom.
As usual, not panicking. See those pretty trees on my new title image? Trees mean not panicking.
Resume Polishing
The restaurant is thinking of opening a sort of offshoot business for which they will need management. I am cassually considering putting my name forward, but for perhaps less than noble reasons.
Putting "management" on my resume would be impressive, management associated with this particular company exponentially so. And I have a great track record. November I was drunkenly voted "hardest working server" at the employee party, December I was offered a massive recognition bonus, and I received a promotion earlier this year. I seem to be on a roll, and might be able to swing at least one shiny new title before my attitude gets me in trouble. It's at least worth applying for, right?
In the meantime, my boss at the bakery is looking to give me a new title, a raise, and new responsibilities having to do with accounting. It's strange to have started a job with the intention of perfecting my baking skills, and to be asked to manage the financial operations, but I'm definitely warming to the idea. I love learning even more than baking.
Putting "management" on my resume would be impressive, management associated with this particular company exponentially so. And I have a great track record. November I was drunkenly voted "hardest working server" at the employee party, December I was offered a massive recognition bonus, and I received a promotion earlier this year. I seem to be on a roll, and might be able to swing at least one shiny new title before my attitude gets me in trouble. It's at least worth applying for, right?
In the meantime, my boss at the bakery is looking to give me a new title, a raise, and new responsibilities having to do with accounting. It's strange to have started a job with the intention of perfecting my baking skills, and to be asked to manage the financial operations, but I'm definitely warming to the idea. I love learning even more than baking.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Moving Net Worth
Darling and I have decided once and for all to move when our lease lets up. This is an emotional and frustrating experience because we have never felt as comfortable in a home as we have here. We have plenty of space, perfect amenities, a beautiful garden, and Awesome Neighbors. We are close to our various workplaces, a short walk to hiking and swimming areas, and comfortably close to our favorite bus routes. Best of all, we pay incredibly low rent and fairly low utility bills, at least $100 less than we can expect to find a two-bedroom place for in this area.
However, our landlord is absolutely mad, and every day we seem to be edging closer to a bad legal experience with a man who thinks it's acceptable to respond to repair requests with "let me know if it gets any worse." He comes into our home without notice (and has offered to do it 'secretly' so we won't be bothered!), and alters our utility bills to reflect how green he thinks we are.
Worse of all, he seems to harbor absolutely no loyalty to his long-term tenants. One of my neighbors - a single mom who has lived here nearly three years and never had any problems with him - was laid off in March and can't expect to start her new job until this week. She barely made rent this month, but was slightly short on bills. He responded by charging exorbiant late fees and threatening to file for eviction if she didn't pay the money right away.
I was planning to dig in my heels, grit my teeth, and enjoy everything about living here but him for another year, but I can't support a man who would do that to a tenant. So we'll be turning in our notice by next Tuesday and moving June or July.
Which means I can relax again in...August?
Speaking of not relaxing things, to net worth!
I am, as I mentioned yesterday, behind. As in putting-the-rent-check-in-after-two-on-Friday-so-it-doesn't-clear-until-Monday behind. I need to earn another $194 this weekend to prevent that from bouncing. Fortunately, the investment account is fat with 786.26 unreachable dollars, which puts us at 592.44 in assets. A $193.21 drop from last month.
I owe my brother $550. I think I owe the HR department at work $861.18. I've basically decided to quit paying them until I get a bill and account history, or at least until I catch up with my other responsibilities, most notably my student loan providers.
Sadly, even logging onto my student loan website makes me sincerely anxious, but doing what I don't want to do is one of the benefits of blogging. I owe them $13,351.08, over $150 of which is interest! Yikes :( Want to Guess what my top priority is this month?
That brings my total debt to a whopping $14,762.26, $153.73 more than I recorded last month.
And my net worth is a depressing -$14,169.82, $353.94 less than last month and about $600 less than this time last year.
The only good thing about these numbers (particularly in light of the fact that, with tuition bills coming and a move in the next two months, things aren't getting any easier) is that I am $1395.74 wealthier than I was two years ago when I started this blog!
I'm thinking I'll dedicate myself to living significantly below our earnings this month, hopefully working overtime and sending as much money as possible to our debtors this month, and then saving like crazy (for the move) in June.
However, our landlord is absolutely mad, and every day we seem to be edging closer to a bad legal experience with a man who thinks it's acceptable to respond to repair requests with "let me know if it gets any worse." He comes into our home without notice (and has offered to do it 'secretly' so we won't be bothered!), and alters our utility bills to reflect how green he thinks we are.
Worse of all, he seems to harbor absolutely no loyalty to his long-term tenants. One of my neighbors - a single mom who has lived here nearly three years and never had any problems with him - was laid off in March and can't expect to start her new job until this week. She barely made rent this month, but was slightly short on bills. He responded by charging exorbiant late fees and threatening to file for eviction if she didn't pay the money right away.
I was planning to dig in my heels, grit my teeth, and enjoy everything about living here but him for another year, but I can't support a man who would do that to a tenant. So we'll be turning in our notice by next Tuesday and moving June or July.
Which means I can relax again in...August?
Speaking of not relaxing things, to net worth!
I am, as I mentioned yesterday, behind. As in putting-the-rent-check-in-after-two-on-Friday-so-it-doesn't-clear-until-Monday behind. I need to earn another $194 this weekend to prevent that from bouncing. Fortunately, the investment account is fat with 786.26 unreachable dollars, which puts us at 592.44 in assets. A $193.21 drop from last month.
I owe my brother $550. I think I owe the HR department at work $861.18. I've basically decided to quit paying them until I get a bill and account history, or at least until I catch up with my other responsibilities, most notably my student loan providers.
Sadly, even logging onto my student loan website makes me sincerely anxious, but doing what I don't want to do is one of the benefits of blogging. I owe them $13,351.08, over $150 of which is interest! Yikes :( Want to Guess what my top priority is this month?
That brings my total debt to a whopping $14,762.26, $153.73 more than I recorded last month.
And my net worth is a depressing -$14,169.82, $353.94 less than last month and about $600 less than this time last year.
The only good thing about these numbers (particularly in light of the fact that, with tuition bills coming and a move in the next two months, things aren't getting any easier) is that I am $1395.74 wealthier than I was two years ago when I started this blog!
I'm thinking I'll dedicate myself to living significantly below our earnings this month, hopefully working overtime and sending as much money as possible to our debtors this month, and then saving like crazy (for the move) in June.
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