tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-179825172024-03-07T15:06:53.501-08:00Budget Living In Orange CountyOne Woman's Financial Journey To Live On a Budget in Orange County, CaliforniaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-20759451678204251902014-07-16T07:20:00.003-07:002014-07-16T07:21:15.517-07:00Another Blow..This 2014 year keeps getting worse for me. I am losing my job.<br />
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It's not final yet but it's 100% certain.<br />
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I am too depressed to even think right now. But I need to start a job search this weekend. The hardest part is going into work, knowing that I am being let go.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-42192073787739568312014-07-08T17:50:00.001-07:002014-07-08T17:51:15.254-07:002014 Eagle Creek Camping Trip Costs Update<div>
My last blog post talked about the cost of our first vacation in two years...the gas cost, for example, was an estimate based on the type of car, its mpg, and distance of the trip. I was petting myself on the back for keeping track of the costs and how our vacation won't cost us as much as our last one did. Hmmmmmm.....well......</div>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Extra Costs/Things I didn't factor in:</u> </div>
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<ul>
<li><b>A car rental </b>at Enterprise Rent-A-Car: we found out that the camp that we might be going to might have some rough terrain, so we decided to not use our barely-holding-it-together little chevro Aveo car and rent a compact car.</li>
<li><b>Roadside snacks</b> at each gas fill-up on the way to camp</li>
<li><b>An extra trip</b> back down the mountain because my in-law wanted us to make a phone call to his gf (no cell reception and she had no idea where we were) and to get him a few things such as a bow saw (for wood cutting) and ice. That's an hour of driving to the nearest town (Sonora) with good cell reception and an hour to drive back up to camp. This trip cost us an extra gas fill-up than predicted.</li>
<li><b>Birthday gifts</b> to my partner's little sisters at Sonora, Ca.</li>
<li><b>A dinner for two</b> at Marie Callender's restaurant on the way back from camp to home...we were stuck in traffic for nearly 12 hours and because we did not want to unpack the trunk to get at the gas stove and food, we took the stupid route and ate at the restaurant. We should have made some food that we can eat along the road BEFORE leaving the camp.</li>
<li>After dinner, we filled up gas at a really really <b>expensive gas</b> station at the last gas stop before going up the Interstate 5 freeway grapevine...We did not plan well and needed to put gas in to drive the little rental car up the high grade. The price of gas per gallon at this gas station is $4.59!!! To fill up the tank, this one stop cost us $51.46! This stop alone is over planned half the gas budget.</li>
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<b><u>Estimated Total Cost of Camping Prior to the Trip:</u> $308.20</b><div>
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1) Food & supplies (grocery shopping prior to trip): $66<br />
2) Gas: $103.2<br />
3) Walmart camping supplies trip: $139 (hopefully these items can be used over and over again in the next few years)<br />
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<i><b><u>THE REAL COST:</u> $465.64</b></i><br />
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1) Food & supplies (grocery shopping prior to trip): $66<br />
2) Gas: $36.13 + $51.46 + $16.17 + $28.58 = $132.34<br />
3) Walmart camping supplies trip: $139 (hopefully these items can be used over and over again in the next few years)<br />
4) Car Rental: $87.39 (entire trip)<br />
5) Roadside snacks: $4.24 + $10.12<br />
6) Birthday gifts for two tween girls (love them!): Crafting kit and Toiletry bags-$29<br />
7) Restaurant Meal: $36.25<br />
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<u><b>The Hindsight:</b></u><br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
<b>$196.14 is the difference </b>between planned and real costs of the trip. It is quite a lot considering some of the costs could have been prevented.<br />
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The girls' gifts could have cost far less if we did not buy them at the last minute. I think they would have preferred something more personal and less costly.<br />
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We bought wayyy too much food to feed for just two and brought the majority of it back home.<br />
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The car rental...we really didn't need the car rental but i know that by not putting our little car through the trip, it will save us money in the long run.<br />
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We definitely did not need to stop at the restaurant when we had food in the trunk.<br />
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We definitely did NOT need to have bought all those camping supplies at Walmart prior to the trip because R's family had most of the necessary items like gas stoves, canopies, even toilets, covered. Now, I feel like we need to take more camping trips around our city just to justify buying all those camping gadgets.<br />
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<u><b>Highlights of the Trip:</b></u><br />
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A forest fire broke out 1/4 mile away from our camp up the hill. We rushed toward the fire to help put it out but the professionals got the situation covered by the time we huffed and puffed up the hill and about 50 feet away from the fire.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-81862129807218602072014-07-02T11:40:00.001-07:002014-07-02T11:41:16.831-07:00First Vacation of 2014 - Wilderness campingI'm so glad to have our first vacation of 2014 (hopefully, to be followed by many more cheap vacations) and it's going to be wilderness camping near the <b>Niagara Creek area in Stanislaus National Forest</b>. The bad thing is that the gas is going to kill us. We are going all the way up there because of my partner's family reunion up there. I would have been happier with a much closer campground. On the bright side, it'll be an adventure and there will be no daily campground fees.<br />
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At approximately 840 miles for the round trip with a car that does around 35-38 miles per gallon (yay for small cars!; we have a dinky little economy car that actually gets pretty good mileage) and at $4.30 per gallon, we estimate that it will cost around <b>$103.2 just for the gas</b>.<br />
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We went to Walmart and went crazy... justifying our purchase of a two burner propane camping stove ($29) by swearing that we will go more camping instead of thinking about outside of country vacations for the next few years. We also bought some more camping supplies such as insect spray, biodegradable soap, cordage, tent stakes and a cooler. I bought a solar shower bag and a privacy shower/changing tent on a whim ($44). That was the most expensive purchase but i'm thinking if we are going to go week long camping trips where there are no amenities (free camp sites/wilderness camping), I'd like to have the option shower if there are no rivers/creeks around! I'm already daydreaming of our next trip to Zion national park in Utah!<br />
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We also got <b>Chromecast</b>, since we no longer have cable, to watch netflix and our hard drives that are full of movies and tv shows (obtained from a friend) on our TV. Now, there will be no need to buy a smart TV! Chromecast cost $35 at Walmart. We used to use our old PS3 to stream movies to the TV but our PS3 has decided to not get along with us lately and we can't afford a new PS3 or PS4. So for now, Chromecast is a more affordable option than Roku. More on this later after we play around with it more.<br />
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<b><u>Total Cost of Trip for Two:</u> $308.2</b><br />
Food & supplies: $66<br />
Gas: $103.2<br />
Walmart camping supplies trip: $139 (hopefully these items can be used over and over again in the next few years)<br />
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It's a lot higher than I'd like it to be and more than we can afford right now but a lot less than the vacations that people around me are taking this year!<br />
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We leave tonight, Wednesday, at midnight and come back on Sunday. We desperately need a getaway!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-75924553383013409302014-06-26T08:27:00.002-07:002014-06-26T08:27:58.155-07:00June Goals Update<u>June Goals Update:</u><div>
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1) House Cleaning: Living Room organized.</div>
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2) Yard Cleaning: Done. To be maintained. I still need to cut branches or trim branches off the trees.</div>
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3) Grocery Budget: $246.76 out of $250 budget per month. We made it this month only because we used quite a lot of what is in the fridge such as meats, fish, etc. </div>
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<u>Debt Payment Extra (besides minimum payments) For June:</u></div>
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$600.... .just thousands to go.....</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-40102035175861797312014-06-20T13:32:00.001-07:002014-06-20T13:32:50.249-07:00Uploaded pics deleted forever<p dir="ltr">I accidentally permanently deleted all the pictures including historical net worth snapshots and debt update snapshots from this blog and my Google plus profile. I must learn not to mess with things just because I an bored! *sigh* </p>
<p dir="ltr">All those posts since day 1.....</p>
<br/><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beanie.blog"><font size="2">Posted via Blogaway</font></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0Irvine, United States33.6630293 -117.810031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-86711412611692493262014-06-17T08:48:00.000-07:002014-06-17T08:48:18.228-07:00Chase Checking Account Showing N/A ??This morning, I checked my chase checking account as I do each morning in order to ensure bills went through correctly, etc. I found an N/A (unavailable) next to my checking account!<div>
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I called Chase immediately and they informed me that they can't access my account and their system is having some issues. They then told me that I have to call them back in a few hours to get an update. In the meantime, my coworker who also has a chase account can access her account just fine.</div>
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I am hoping that this is not a huge issue but it's nerve wrecking when you have bills going through!</div>
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I'll just have to sit on my thumbs for a couple of more hours. Is anyone else having this issue with Chase?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-30375535271010840062014-06-09T12:22:00.001-07:002014-06-16T08:06:36.677-07:00June 9 2014 goals update<p dir="ltr">Yard: backyard has been weeded and swept</p>
<p dir="ltr">House: laundry has been caught up. Fridge has been cleaned and organized; meaning nasty things have been thrown away. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Grocery budget: $56 spent out of $250. This is mainly for sandwich materials, milk, eggs, salad mixes, etc. Basically, for our lunches.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I really need to clean the place and keep it cleaned. Grocery budget is far on track.</p>
<br/><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beanie.blog"><font size="2">Posted via Blogaway</font></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-59395628911212461522014-06-04T08:59:00.001-07:002014-06-04T08:59:31.880-07:00Santa ana art walk Free!<p dir="ltr">Going to a free art walk in Santa Ana this Saturday. Budget for parking and dinner for two will have to be at $20. It does suck sometimes to go to even free events with rich friends! Because you know that they will want to dine at expensive restaurants!<br></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beanie.blog">Posted via Blogaway</a></p>
<br/><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beanie.blog"><font size="2">Posted via Blogaway</font></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-29717762763948301762014-06-02T16:56:00.001-07:002014-06-02T16:57:37.732-07:00Free art exhibit tonight<p dir="ltr">Tonight, we are heading to a free art exhibit in the neighboring city. It's called Cat Cult exhibit in Costa Mesa. It's supposed to be a medley of mediums depicting Cats as the subject. Since I like all things weird and funny, we are going! If we can walk to there, we would to make this a truly free experience but it's more than a couple of miles so we are spending the gas to go (<u>within</u> a 10 mile range).</p>
<p dir="ltr"><u>I</u> don't know...lately, I seem to get the best experiences from free or low cost entertainment.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In a couple of weeks, we may be going to a free gathering....a drum circle at the beach. Excited for that one and hopefully, we will make a few friends along the way.<br></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beanie.blog">Posted via Blogaway</a></p>
<br/><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beanie.blog"><font size="2">Posted via Blogaway</font></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-2801191949346363332014-06-02T07:58:00.000-07:002014-06-02T07:59:05.852-07:00June's To Do ListMy first <b>Monthly To-Do-List</b> on this blog and I will start it out simple since I want to actually meet the goals.<br />
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1) Clean the House<br />
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2) Clean the Yard<br />
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3) Keep to $250/month grocery budget<br />
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These three goals are to be broken down into sub-sections. For example, Clean the House will have "kitchen cleaned" as a sub-goal, etc. I am going to to keep a weekly update of these three goals just as a way to keep myself motivated.<br />
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<b><u>June 2, 2014 Kick-off status: </u></b><br />
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1) House - Dirty/messy and boxes of stuff that needs to be gone through, organized, sold, or donated.<br />
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2) Yard - Weeds galore<br />
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3) Grocery Budget - $0 out of $250 spent.<br />
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Next update date: June 7th, 2014Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-50857801523912732122014-05-28T07:26:00.002-07:002014-06-02T08:02:38.789-07:00Budget Fun Lately, I have been itching to go out more and have fun but it seems like even going to the fairgrounds costs at least $15 per person in parking and admission fees.<br />
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But over the past week, I have been getting my fun fix the budget way. We have been exploring hiking grounds that we've never been before. We went exploring around <b>Dana Point Harbor</b> and in the process, climbed...a lot..of stairs. I have even lost 3 pounds in the process even though this may just be water weight. I have been walking around the local wetlands area.</div>
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Last night, a friend of mine was able to get free pre-screening passes for <b>A Million Ways To Die In The West</b> with Seth McFarlane. The night was a lot more fun than we had expected. The radio station that hosted the event held fun games and competitions. I'd rather have this interaction with the rest of the audience than a ton of movie previews before a movie begins. I signed up for chances to gain more free movie passes in the future since we love going to the movies. The movie was hilarious and better than I thought it would be.</div>
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All in all, the memorial day was great fun with free <b>home BBQ</b>, courtesy of my sister and her family with exploring new trails. I can't wait for the weekend to be over to go exploring in another local area! Now...if only gas prices could be lower.......</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-62389010885488156032014-05-08T10:48:00.002-07:002014-05-08T10:48:50.682-07:00Verizon Wireless's final billNow that I'm happily with Republic Wireless, Verizon Wireless has sent their final bill to me.<b> </b><br />
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<b>$134</b> is the final bill!<br />
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This month is the last month that I'll have to pay over $100 for our cell phones per month and I am so happy that I finally made the jump. We needed to get new phones since our 8 year old beaten up phones were not working properly anymore anyway. Ex, Rob's the volume keys didn't work and my phone's not holding a complete charge, etc. So, switching to Republic Wireless wasn't as painful as it might have been if we were to leave nice smartphones behind to buy their specific Moto X phones.<br />
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Nonetheless, it was painful to see $600 go towards phones since it would be the first time that we had to pay for a phone. Ours always had been free phones since the day we had cell phones.<br />
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Anyway, Goodbye Verizon and your $100+ monthly cell phone bills!<br />
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Oh, I upgraded my Republic Wireless plan from $10 to $25 plan because I'm silly and want to be able to check out social apps to keep in touch with family. The final bill still would be (next month) around $55 for two unlimited everything cell phone plans.<br />
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So far, we're like two kids in the candy store for the first time and exploring the new world of 2014 (LOL!) with its fancy smancy apps. Family and friends have shaken their heads at me, saying "Welcome to 2005", hahaa.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-23655990866977162432014-04-22T18:03:00.001-07:002014-04-22T18:03:53.172-07:00First blog post from new phone!<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>I am testing how different blogger apps compare when blogging from phone. So far I am loving the new moto X phone!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-48398743330204431262014-04-17T14:10:00.001-07:002014-04-17T14:10:53.312-07:00Saving on the cell phone bill<div style="text-align: justify;">
Needing to save on our monthly bills, one of the things that I needed to save on was the Verizon cell phone bill, which has been incurring overage charges due to our current plans being only 700 minutes shared between the two phones. We have no land line so we definitely needed to an unlimited talk/text plan. </div>
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I decided to finally get Republic Wireless cell phone service. Our new Smartphones, Moto X, are arriving on Monday! I can't wait! This will be the first time that I will own and operate a smartphone. The last two months, I had been paying $160 for our two lines at Verizon. It takes a lot of calling when you're trying to find a job! Republic Wireless just posted my first statement and I'm so happy to a cell phone bill for two lines as low as this (the first bill statement is included after the page break): </div>
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<div class="col-md-8 col-md-offset-1" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; float: left; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.99997901916504px; margin-left: 78.328125px; min-height: 1px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; position: relative; width: 626.65625px;">
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Summary</h4>
<table class="table table-bordered table-condensed append-bottom" style="background-color: transparent; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; max-width: 100%; text-align: justify; width: 596px;"><thead style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><th style="border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 2px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; vertical-align: bottom;">Description</th><th class="data" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 2px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">Total</th></tr>
</thead><tbody style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td class="col-md-7" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">Monthly Total:</td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$33.84</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td class="col-md-7" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">One-Time Total:</td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.00</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td class="col-md-7" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">Taxes:</td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3.49</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td class="col-md-7" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Invoice Total:</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">$37.33</span></td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td class="col-md-7" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Payment:</span> <small style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;">(Includes any available account credits)</small></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">($37.33)</span></td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td class="col-md-7" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Balance Due:</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">$0.00</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="col-md-8 col-md-offset-1 invoice-mrc" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; margin-left: 78.328125px; min-height: 1px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; position: relative; width: 626.65625px;">
<h4 class="section-header" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
Monthly Charges</h4>
<table class="table table-bordered table-condensed append-bottom" style="background-color: transparent; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.99997901916504px; margin-bottom: 1em; max-width: 100%; text-align: justify; width: 596px;"><thead style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><th colspan="2" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 2px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; vertical-align: bottom;">Charge Detail</th></tr>
</thead><tbody style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">Moto X Wi-Fi + Cell Talk + Text Service Plan</td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$9.67</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">Universal Lifeline Telephone Svc Charge (Wireless) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(1.15%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.07</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">PUC Fee (Wireless) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(0.18%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.02</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">CASF (Wireless) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(0.46%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.03</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">CA Teleconnect Fund (Wireless) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(0.59%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.04</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">CA High Cost Fund A (Wireless) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(0.18%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.01</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">Utility Users Tax-Wireless(Business) - Local<span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(1.50%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.15</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">Telecommunications Relay Surcharge (Cellular) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(0.20%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.01</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">E911 (Wireless) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(0.75%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.05</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">Fed USF Cellular - Federal <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(16.60%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.60</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">FCC Regulatory Fee (Wireless) - Federal <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(1.50%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.02</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">Moto X Wi-Fi + Cell + 3G Service Plan</td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$24.17</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">Universal Lifeline Telephone Svc Charge (Wireless) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(1.15%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.19</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">PUC Fee (Wireless) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(0.18%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.05</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">CASF (Wireless) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(0.46%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.07</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">CA Teleconnect Fund (Wireless) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(0.59%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.10</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">CA High Cost Fund A (Wireless) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(0.18%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.03</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">Utility Users Tax-Wireless(Business) - Local<span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(1.50%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.39</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">Telecommunications Relay Surcharge (Cellular) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(0.20%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.03</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">E911 (Wireless) - State <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(0.75%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.12</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">Fed USF Cellular - Federal <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(16.60%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1.49</td></tr>
<tr class="taxes" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666;"><td class="col-md-7 name" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-indent: 15px; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;">FCC Regulatory Fee (Wireless) - Federal <span class="rate" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">(1.50%)</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0.02</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td class="col-md-7" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Monthly Subtotal:</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">$33.84</span></td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td class="col-md-7" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; float: none; line-height: 1.42857; min-height: 1px; padding: 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; width: 347px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Monthly Taxes:</span></td><td class="data" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.42857; padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">$3.49</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I really like the simple layout of the statement. Total cost for two lines: <b>$37.33</b>!! I decided to the $10/month plan for me, which includes unlimited talk & text with wifi-only data. I have free wifi at work and of course, at home. I can always upgrade to unlimited data plan later if Republic Wireless works out. For my partner, i chose the $25/month plan, which includes unlimited talk & text with 3G data anywhere. All non-wifi calls and data will be through the Sprint network.</div>
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Now, friends tell me that sprint 3G is the slowest but I don't think we'll mind since we never used internet on our phones before and wouldn't know the difference. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss, i guess. We can always go with the $40/month plan that has 4G later on, which would still come out to cheaper than the $120/month plan that Verizon has, which has 2G limit on data usage. </div>
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Republic Wireless has no brick and mortar locations but their website is very friendly to use and the community is great on feedback when you ask questions...if they're stupid questions.</div>
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I can't wait until monday...and hopefully, the service will be good with no dropped calls, etc.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-5026385733549186262014-04-09T11:13:00.001-07:002014-04-09T11:14:14.858-07:00New Job!I finally got confirmation that I was selected from a recent interview. It's a job within the field but it doesn't nearly pay as much as previous job but at least, I can start focusing on debt repayment and paying some bills!<br><br> I'll be making $20,000 less than what I was making but I'll still be keeping an eye out for better job opportunities. On the other hand, the job seems alot more interesting the previous one. Once I gain more experience in this particular sector of the field, I can actually (potentially) make more than the previous one, which was pretty much at the top end of the pay scale for that specific type of job. <br><br> Now, I can breathe a little bit easier knowing that I will have money coming in to the bank and not just going out. Finally, some good news.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-49091207501575446472014-03-26T09:08:00.003-07:002014-03-26T09:08:48.338-07:00Where are Storms when we need you?? Waste of $50 Last Year, as part of the "employee appreciation program" at R.'s work, there were several discount packages and coupon packages available for purchase. I know, instead of performance incentives and awards, they get this at year's end. Lol. <br><br>Anyway, R. called me on the phone and asked if we wanted to get a package or two since we had not gone on vacation or anything for over a year. The first thing on my mind was "I'd like to learn how to snowboard this winter season" so, I asked him to buy a ski/snowboard package. He bought a package for $50 that gave 8 lift tickets, two "Learn how to ski/snowboard" tickets, and a couple of Buy One, Get One free lunch tickets. It's basically a coupon package for Mt. Baldy in California. It's the most local place to go skiing. I didn't want to drive to Mammoth or anything too far. It seemed like a good deal at the time.<br><br> I should have paid more attention to the weather. Of course, California has suffered and suffering from a prolonged drought season with little to no rainfall/storm events and since we bought that package, I have been checking every weekend to see if there is snow or not and there hasn't been an opportunity to use this package at all. Why did I pick, of all seasons, this season to buy a ski/snowboard package without doing more research. <br><br> Of course, since the tickets were bought in October 2013 for the 2013-2014 ski season, so there was that possibility/hope that we'd have at least one chance to go snowboarding. Now, the only option I have left is to use the tickets for "scenic lift ride"....which is basically, getting into a rickety lift ride that goes up and down a mountain with some trees to gaze at. We'll still do that just so that we are not just throwing $50 away but I'm not sure if we would even be interested in going to Mt. Baldy four times (8 tickets, two of us). <br><br> I guess, at this point, I'd be happy to have any getaway even if it's not going to be as spectacular as we had hoped. <br><br> Has anyone used/bought any discount packages through the "employee appreciation" program and not regretted it?<br><br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-56823794166869647932014-03-13T08:17:00.000-07:002014-03-13T08:17:32.397-07:00Amazon Prime Increases Fee to $99 Per Year
Amazon Prime is great for people who have online shops, etc, because of their unlimited two-day shipping. I actually prefer netflix streaming over Amazon streaming. I found out today that Amazon is increasing their annual membership price from $79 to $99. Also, I found out that the student membership will increase from $10 to $49 per year. <br><br>
My mom has an Amazon Prime account that she uses mainly for her Kindle's lending library....which i thought was abit much for one free book per month. Now, that it's $99, maybe she would finally drop Amazon Prime. She never ships anything or buy anything from Amazon anyway. <br><br>
I think you still have some time to sign up at the old rate. So, if you need this service, I'd sign up soon!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-58207294540846523062014-03-06T10:03:00.003-08:002014-03-06T10:12:17.957-08:00Withdrawal from 401k Plan DecisionWithdrawal from 401k Plan is i know a horrible thing to do since I will only be getting some money after taxes and the entire withdrawal amount but as I'm still going for interviews (nothing heard back yet) and am not seeing too many job openings that apply to what my skills at the current time, I'm getting antsy! <br><br>On one hand, I want to take everything out (or most of it out if the plan allows me to) to pay off the current debt and have money left over to cover a few months expenses. On one hand, it's all the money that I have been socking away since I was 26, when i started contributing to retirement. The current balance of my 401K plan is at $151,000 (a few hundred more). Also, I have about $11,000 in a traditional IRA and Roth IRA. In addition, I have about $55,000 in my pension account, which i could leave in that account for annual pension payout of $16,000 per year when I retire (earliest retirement age is at 50 for this account). Or i can withdraw that money out. At age 36, I wish I am not faced with making these decisions since it will be hard to build up/make up any retirement withdrawals I make.<br><br>Currently, I'm leaning towards leaving my pension account alone...$16,000 per year guaranteed money when I retire is not great but it's better than nothing. I'm leaning towards withdrawing my 401k plan to pay off the debt...which means I might have to take out $100,000 to cover the taxes that will be taken out from the withdrawal amount. I will need at least $50,000 after taxes to pay off debt and to have some living expenses covered. <br><br>Either way, it's such a depressing decision. I will wait another month to see if I might get a comparable job by then since my tax refund will be covering April's mortgage. If not, I will just get any job and hopefully, will be enough pay to pay the mortgage, expenses, and minimum debt payments. R. is still in the process of being hired from his temporary position to a permanent position (pay will be the same but with benefits)...which means his monthly pay will be at least $300 less than currently (medical insurance for both me and him). But at least, there will be medical insurance available for us still. At least, that's something good.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-42653627376330499072014-03-04T16:16:00.000-08:002014-03-04T16:17:12.374-08:00Tax Refund 2014I am going to get $1768 back for tax refund this year. All I can say is thank goodness because every bit of this will be going to fund my mortgage for the next month. It gives me a little breathing room to work out a job situation. I wish I didn't have the debt load when the job was compromised so that I don't have to worry about covering everything. But it is what it is and this tax refund will certainly help. I hope everyone else's tax refunds are bigger and better used (such as going towards debt) this year!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-22168806316683102392014-02-27T07:43:00.001-08:002014-02-27T07:45:01.573-08:00Shopping for Interview ClothesFinally, some much needed rain! Severe drought in Southern California has had everyone and the media in a frenzy the last few weeks. It's not nearly enough but it's something. <br><br>Today, I am planning to go to TJ MAXX and Nordstrom Rack to buy a couple of work outfits. I'm dreading this because I'll be putting it all on credit card but I need the cash to pay utility bills and other necessities. Plus, I've always hated clothes shopping (was the make up shopaholic). <br><br>I even looked at salvation army yesterday to see if they had anything work appropriate. It was hard to find my size and alot of the items were pretty worn down....not something interview worthy. Also, the local "thrift" stores in OC have items that the same price as TJ MAXX sale items, etc....so, I might as well shop at TJ MAXX, Ross, etc. There is supposed to be one consignment shop in Newport Beach, that is reportedly big and cheap for good quality clothing (from all the rich people in the area, I presume). It's called "Consignment Attic". I heard that it has a pretty good selection of couches as well and I'm trying to ignore our sofa with peeling and frayed upholstery. I just need to focus on getting interview outfits. <br><br>I'm using this personal blog to help me write out thoughts and calm myself down (i get stressed out easier than most people i think). There might be quite a few frustrated and depressing posts down the line...yes, even more than usual...as I try to get through this.<br><br>
Current debt = $48,000
Emergency Savings = $0
Job = 0Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-73819508871538050012014-02-26T15:36:00.001-08:002014-02-27T07:44:37.070-08:00Out of a Job!I am currently out of a job! It doesn't help that I was sick for two weeks but I have been severely depressed about the situation. I have already exhausted my $4,000 emergency fund (I also had car troubles that reduced the emergency fund earlier)since I had to use it to pay my mortgage. <br><br>I am furiously applying for jobs in the environmental field but I have little hope that I would be paid the same amount. It would probably be $30,000/yr less but at this point, I am desperate for any job. I am going to have to use credit cards to buy interview clothes too. I am even thinking about getting any job, such as a retail job, just so that we do not starve and pay for lights, food, gas, etc. In addition, emergency surgeries had resulted a large medical debt that I had financed some on credit cards and some directly with the hospital. It's around $30,000. This is not including the $13,000 credit card debt that remains still(original amount was $15,000 when I took this loan out late last year). <br><br>
So, the currently debt stands at around $45,000 and climbing due to the job situation. I pray that I can find a job soon but it's been a long time since I had been unemployed and can not help but feel hopeless. It is amazing how things can go from manageable to disastrous. The subject of declaring bankruptcy had entered my mind, of course. However, I do not want to declare bankruptcy unless I can't find a job for more than six months at least. I want to at least fight for getting a normal life back and pay back what I owe.<br><br>I just have to remember to not implode! I will update the debt progress and emergency fund pages soon with all the breakdowns.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-2312196961679361012014-02-11T12:16:00.001-08:002014-02-27T07:44:37.067-08:00Sick & Bank Account is EMPTIED!Isn't it just perfect the way things go bad in a bunch? I got sick over the last few days and today, I'm back in the living world just to find out that my checking account with Chase has been emptied. I've made the necessary phone calls to chase as well as in person visit. <br><br>They are definitely reimbursing the charges but it might take a while. It could be a day to a few days. In the meantime, I have my mortgage going through by friday and HOA fees going through as well. Just to be on the safe side, I've asked my mortgage lender to waive the late fee penalty if I end up being late with the payment. Thank goodness, I've never been late with my mortgage payment in the 8.5 years I've had it. I wish I had stayed home today instead of coming into work. I can't even think straight but at least the fever's down with the help of Ibuprofin.<br><br>Stay healthy out there because there's something going around offices and schools right now. Two of my nearest co-workers are out sick at the same time too.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-92217035009983728822014-02-03T16:34:00.001-08:002014-02-03T16:34:42.967-08:00Automatic Asset Allocation for 401K Plan<b>Automatic Asset Allocation</b>
<br><br>That's what the green button says on my 401K plan with Nationwide...And I have been staring it at for quite a while over the past few weeks. All the financial gurus out there recommend rebalancing your stock/bond portfolio at least twice (2) a year, either automatically or manually. <br><br>I knew I wanted to rebalance my portfolio because over the last two years, the small cap and mid cap stocks in my portfolio have skyrocketed to nearly 30% of the portfolio. They had been doing very well, indeed. That fell out of congruence with the initial mixture that consists of 10% small cap and 10% mid cap stocks...big time. The portfolio had drifted away from the initial mixture by nearly 10% in each category while large cap stocks and international stocks fell slightly behind by 5% to 10%.<br><br>I knew I needed to rebalance badly! However, I just had not pressed that automatic rebalancing feature (free with nationwide plan) because it's hard to sell off well-performing stocks to buy lagging ones. But I DID it! On 1/31/2014, I finally rebalanced an 8 year old account with a future quarterly rebalancing schedule.<br><br>According to Morningstar.com, as a rule of thumb, when your assets drift 5% or more away from your allocation, you should re-balance. It proposed considering the alternative...which is what happened to people during the tech stock boom of the late 1990s. The technology stocks grew out of proportion withi many people buying more and more of the tech stocks and not enough of the other stock categories. When the market crashed in March of 2000, the largely disproportionate percentage of their portfolio had nothing to fall back on. That consideration mainly prompted me to finally hit that Automatic Asset Alloation button. Finally. <br><br>Then, of course, today, the markets tanked. What is it with me and timing, lol? Hopefully, this was a good move in the long run.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-71684882237898919422014-01-27T09:14:00.000-08:002014-02-03T16:35:34.347-08:00Importance of an Emergency Fund Strikes Again!<b><i>Unexpected expenses...and the Importance of an Emergency Fund</i></b><br><br>Once again, our emergency fund is going to be depleted before we can rejoice over the fact that we actually managed to save SOME money!<br>Over the weekend, I happened to look after R. pulled away from the garage to see a puddle of motor oil on the garage floor. <br><br>The mechanic suspects that it's the timing belt and the seals near it (?)but we will know for sure in two days when R can finally take it in on his day off. <br><br>The expected costs? Around $500 or more....depending on what other things need to be replaced. It is a 1992 used Toyota Camry that has seen 300,000 miles with four previous owners. It is still going strong despite having been in a couple of bad crashes and looking like a frankenstein car. We hope that the cost will not be over $1,000 but it might be.<br><br>I guess we definitely need to save more than the current emergency fund amount to be comfortable with expenses such as this. It just takes so long to save for us, considering our disposable income is minute at this moment. I can't help but feel frustrated with taking six months to save $1,000 to just see it poof in a day.<br><br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17982517.post-91961812211265118412013-12-31T12:54:00.001-08:002013-12-31T12:55:06.543-08:00Do I Really Need A Smartphone? <br><b>Our Daydream about Smartphones has been sacrificed for the moment.</b><br><br>I have been thinking about finally getting on the bandwagon and becoming smartphone owners recently. I've been itching to pull the trigger especially when all my friends and family have been pressuring us to do so. <br><br>However, I'm going to have to be happy in my ignorance and stay with our $77 monthly bill for two cell phone lines. I use my cellphone quite alot for work and need it to be reliable, so, a good cell plan is necessary. Until my current non-smartphone dies, the current non-data plan is satisfactory. <br><br>
<b>What made me change my mind about getting smartphones for now?</b><br><br>We just spent a little over $300 bucks (charged on the credit card, of course. Bad, I know.) on Sunday on a day trip to Universal Studios Hollywood with my cousin and her family. Over $300 = Between the cost of two tickets, parking fee, lunch at Universal City Walk, dinner inside the park, and buying sodas multiple times (I'm still working on cutting that out of S.O.'s daily addiction). We MUST and NEED to recuperate this money through sacrificing something else...which, at the moment, sticking with a cheaper phone plan instead of upgrading seems like an obvious choice.<br><br>The main reason for us going to the amusement park is that we wanted to spend time with our friends since it's been ages since I last saw them and their baby. The baby is growing up too fast. Another reason is that I just could not keep telling them that I can not hang out with them because I don't have the funds anymore. Especially, when this is a once in every 4 years deal. So, basically, I'm going to sacrifice in one area in order to fullfill another area. I'm glad that I got to spend time with them and the baby.<br><br>Smartphones can wait. I've lasted 36 years (December Birthday!) without them, I can go at least a few more months without them.<br><br>However, the entire day was spent being referee to my friend's fighting about *i'm not sure what*, with the fight escalating to walk-offs, screaming, and crying in public. Me and S.O. are so happy to see them but were disappointed that it was a miserable day of constant fighting while we stare away uncomfortably. We are even more disappointed because $300 is a big deal for us but it's spare change to them and we would have liked to have had a splendid day instead if we're spending this much money.<br><br>Oh well, at least these tickets will be good for an entire 2014 year...if we go back.<br><br>Then, of course, there are so many other things that we need to budget for instead of getting smartphones. For example, I need to budget immediately for dental care. Both me and S.O. need it deep cleaning as well as cavity work and possibly more. I need to save at least $500 for this purpose just in case, although we do have PPO dental insurance plans.<br><br>Tonight, we'll sit down and celebrate the new year while we write out what we need to save for in 2014, besides debt repayment. That's right...we're not going out and getting drunk this new year's eve for a change!<br><br>Have a Happy New Year to everyone who happens upon this little blog!<br><br><br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102665267593048596noreply@blogger.com0