OK so I had to wait forever for my utility bill, which was only for 25 days. In the end it was $62. The holdup? The utility company apparently has a short circuit that does not allow them to realize fewer days on the bill automatically mean a lower bill for normal households. They sent out a crew (two people) to check the meter because usage was not in line. The result? They determined that the usage was in line, but the meter display was going out and installed a new one. The bill is down by $33 from last month, unfortunately I do not get to pocket that money...yet. There will come a day.
I checked my bank account, made the adjustments in my checkbook for tiny fees (less than the cost of a stamp) for online transactions and made the corrections. Still need to balance it, but I need silence for that so it'll be tonight. I made an electronic transfer to savings (one I've been neglecting) of an entire 40 cents so my checking balance would be even. My savings balance? An entire $3.40, the account has been cleaned out for emergency purposes at least once. I put all the pennies in my wallet in my change jar to save. They are the only thing in it right now, they are the only thing I can spare all at once. The jar is small, when it fills I will count it out and roll them for deposit. I know that less than half full it can hold around $20 when silver is put in it.
Saturday evening I went to get bread, or rather attempted to go to the store. The car battery was so dead the dashlights did not come on. I looked down and the interior light was on, and had been at least since the kid's dad got off work. Well, the jump charger was needed charging. A little while later, it had charged some, try it again. Well, the dashlights came on, but the charger was drained of its charge without cranking the car. Wait until morning (charging the charger overnight) and try again since I do not have a slow charger (yet). Still not enough juice to turn it over. Someone on the way with jumper cables.
The oops moment? The charger had gotten soaked a couple weeks before when about five gallons of water spilled out in the trunk with it. The result? It seems I have to buy a new charger, two of them. One for jump starts and one for overnight charges. That slows down the savings plans, but not getting stranded somewhere is worth the peace of mind offered, so those are the next purchase along with the oil change.
I've reread the savings articles, and the techniques. My emergency fund is lacking as you can clearly see. So in order to build it there are a few set goals for it. First of all, I need to begin with three months worth of expenses as the goal. I'll begin with the smallest ones first. (There is only one of the half dozen supplements taken on the savings list at this point, because it is the cheapest.)
Vitamin D prescription =$5 a month x 3 = $15.
Internet (unlimited) = $55 a month x 3 = 165. (I would be looking for alternatives)
Debt payment (when I don't lose it) = $20 a month x 3 = $60 (It's the last upaid debt)
Those three alone come to $240 to cover three months worth. The rest of the bills? Well they aren't as set at the moment. The light bill? I'm going with the highest amount during the year, as the ability to lower it allows it to be used as a buffer amount.
Utilities = $200 x 3 = $600
Auto Insurance= $28 x 3 = $84
Total of all of these expenses for three months = $924
The expenses do not cover the phones, gasoline, or groceries in those figures. I prefer things in small doses as the larger numbers make me cringe. I have a $1500 savings goal for something personal, but it has to earned the same time as everything else so the goals for each are small. I intend to indulge in colored index cards to put each individual savings and earnings goal on.
There are also a list of things we frequently run out of that I would need to start stocking up on since they are for the kid. My tax return this year? I haven't got all the forms I need to file it, hopefully there will be a refund with money left to set aside for emergencies. A fund to move would be much adored.
OK I'll be back. Are you saving for something and growing thin on patience?
I checked my bank account, made the adjustments in my checkbook for tiny fees (less than the cost of a stamp) for online transactions and made the corrections. Still need to balance it, but I need silence for that so it'll be tonight. I made an electronic transfer to savings (one I've been neglecting) of an entire 40 cents so my checking balance would be even. My savings balance? An entire $3.40, the account has been cleaned out for emergency purposes at least once. I put all the pennies in my wallet in my change jar to save. They are the only thing in it right now, they are the only thing I can spare all at once. The jar is small, when it fills I will count it out and roll them for deposit. I know that less than half full it can hold around $20 when silver is put in it.
Saturday evening I went to get bread, or rather attempted to go to the store. The car battery was so dead the dashlights did not come on. I looked down and the interior light was on, and had been at least since the kid's dad got off work. Well, the jump charger was needed charging. A little while later, it had charged some, try it again. Well, the dashlights came on, but the charger was drained of its charge without cranking the car. Wait until morning (charging the charger overnight) and try again since I do not have a slow charger (yet). Still not enough juice to turn it over. Someone on the way with jumper cables.
The oops moment? The charger had gotten soaked a couple weeks before when about five gallons of water spilled out in the trunk with it. The result? It seems I have to buy a new charger, two of them. One for jump starts and one for overnight charges. That slows down the savings plans, but not getting stranded somewhere is worth the peace of mind offered, so those are the next purchase along with the oil change.
I've reread the savings articles, and the techniques. My emergency fund is lacking as you can clearly see. So in order to build it there are a few set goals for it. First of all, I need to begin with three months worth of expenses as the goal. I'll begin with the smallest ones first. (There is only one of the half dozen supplements taken on the savings list at this point, because it is the cheapest.)
Vitamin D prescription =$5 a month x 3 = $15.
Internet (unlimited) = $55 a month x 3 = 165. (I would be looking for alternatives)
Debt payment (when I don't lose it) = $20 a month x 3 = $60 (It's the last upaid debt)
Those three alone come to $240 to cover three months worth. The rest of the bills? Well they aren't as set at the moment. The light bill? I'm going with the highest amount during the year, as the ability to lower it allows it to be used as a buffer amount.
Utilities = $200 x 3 = $600
Auto Insurance= $28 x 3 = $84
Total of all of these expenses for three months = $924
The expenses do not cover the phones, gasoline, or groceries in those figures. I prefer things in small doses as the larger numbers make me cringe. I have a $1500 savings goal for something personal, but it has to earned the same time as everything else so the goals for each are small. I intend to indulge in colored index cards to put each individual savings and earnings goal on.
There are also a list of things we frequently run out of that I would need to start stocking up on since they are for the kid. My tax return this year? I haven't got all the forms I need to file it, hopefully there will be a refund with money left to set aside for emergencies. A fund to move would be much adored.
OK I'll be back. Are you saving for something and growing thin on patience?
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