Sepherina Posted January 3 Author Report Share Posted January 3 We also have multiple accounts. A fixed portion of my income goes into our main account and then the rest is allocated to paying for villain training for our minions (College). Doing this ensures that at least the bills are paid and we have some money for groceries. For the past 2 years we have been a single income household due to the hubs helping to take care of his ailing father. It’s hard but we manage and we should be able to change that this year with his dad now gone. We could restructure some of what we pay towards our kids’ education (like asking them to take out loans…stupid US system) but we are trying hard to put them ahead of where we started. 4 Quote “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy” -Nightbirde “Dreams do not come true all by themselves. They are nourished by the bounty of hard work” -Unknown Disney Imagineer 2024 Word Svastha: Standing in One’s Own Power Current Challenge: Sepherina Focuses Prior Challenges Spoiler Sepherina: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 , #6 , #7 , #8 , #9, #10, #11, #12, ,#13, #14, #15, #16, #17 Avery The Patient: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 Link to comment
Sepherina Posted January 3 Author Report Share Posted January 3 I wanted to draw attention to the Money Gears from The How to Money guys. Their first “gear” is to start an emergency fund and try to save at least $2,467.00 (US dollars). (Inflation would put this number closer to 3027.00) You are probably wondering why such an odd amount, but I guess research shows that having about that much saved can allow you to weather a rainy day (or an actual emergency) without putting you in the hole. And saving beyond that before taking other actions (like paying off high interest debt) doesn’t really decrease your risk when said emergency does arise. Now how do we get there. Saving $6 ($9 adjusted for inflation) dollars a day or $48 ($60 adjusted for inflation) a week will do it. I know for some that isn’t change and may be significant. So start smaller if you have room. Again. Every dollar counts. https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/why-2467-could-be-the-magic-number-for-emergency-savings-2019-10-15 6 Quote “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy” -Nightbirde “Dreams do not come true all by themselves. They are nourished by the bounty of hard work” -Unknown Disney Imagineer 2024 Word Svastha: Standing in One’s Own Power Current Challenge: Sepherina Focuses Prior Challenges Spoiler Sepherina: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 , #6 , #7 , #8 , #9, #10, #11, #12, ,#13, #14, #15, #16, #17 Avery The Patient: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 Link to comment
Sepherina Posted January 3 Author Report Share Posted January 3 18 hours ago, Jarric said: Thanks for setting this up, I'll be lurking here for budgeting tips and the like. Welcome. Happy to see you here! 18 hours ago, Jarric said: I also used to like reading Mr Money Mustache, though I haven't looked at it in a few years so I'm not sure how well it holds up now. Mr. Money Mustache — Early Retirement through Badassity (mrmoneymustache.com) I have read some of his stuff too but found for us that the FIRE movement didn’t really jive with our current life stage or our values. (Although I would love to retire early). He is a good resource though. I added your link to the post with the rest of links on the first page. 1 1 Quote “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy” -Nightbirde “Dreams do not come true all by themselves. They are nourished by the bounty of hard work” -Unknown Disney Imagineer 2024 Word Svastha: Standing in One’s Own Power Current Challenge: Sepherina Focuses Prior Challenges Spoiler Sepherina: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 , #6 , #7 , #8 , #9, #10, #11, #12, ,#13, #14, #15, #16, #17 Avery The Patient: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 Link to comment
Sovalis Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 Hi Friends! Mistr just showed me Supercook, a website that will help generate recipes if you input what food you have on hand. I'm going to play with this, especially while Dave is in Latvia, to see what it comes up with for what I have in the house. 5 Quote Past Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16 Current Challenge: #17 “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment
Rhovaniel Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 12 hours ago, Heidi said: Glad it helps, and I 100% understand the low-balance panic. In fact, having three balances helped me avoid spending for a good long while, until I had a decent balance built in each account. It's a psychological game, for certain. If you want me to walk through how I set up the deposits, I did: Determine Household spending first. I created a paper analysis of what I needed to cover each month, basically what I would use emergency funds for if it came to that (rent, utilities, regular medical (like prescriptions and office visits), car insurance). Whatever that total is and determine what percentage of your income it is, and round up a bit to make sure you're depositing enough. Let's say it's 45% of your regular paycheck; make your deposit no less than 50%, and have it first in the queue to be processed. Determine Discretionary spending next. Add the variable expenses (regular grocery and gas trips) as well as any online subscriptions like Netflix or AppleTV. I often get pushback about lumping groceries in with discretionary spending, but the variability can be pretty chaotic. Take the total, and add whatever "allowance" fits your lifestyle and budget. Let's say the food and streaming comes to $200, and you feel comfortable with another $100 as an allowance for entertainment, cafes, or books. Determine what would be left over from your regular income after these two "buckets" were filled. Is that enough for debt like car payments, credit card payments, or whatever? Is it an amount that would make a difference if you put it in savings? It's up to you how you determine the amounts and the order in which they are processed. I like to limit the heck out of my discretionary spending when my credit card balances are wrecking my sleep, and I usually do this by making an additional payment from my "allowance." Also, by not having a card in my wallet for the Household or Debt accounts, I don't accidentally wreck the balance by swiping for a latte at the cafe. I set up the debt payment as a finite amount that I wanted to be my regular savings depisit, and then cringed every time I saw it eaten alive by debt. This helped motivate me to pay the debt off faster. If you wanted to separate debts and savings, you could have a portion deposited to savings as well, since you said you already have an interest-earning savings account. I hear you about the buffer! ❤️ 11 hours ago, Jarric said: Double post because my phone is stupid, but I find the multiple accounts thing works too. I have a joint billing account for all of the regular household bills (including groceries), a joint savings account for planned spends (holidays, Christmas and birthday presents, and bills that come out quarterly/annually), and then I have my current account for discretionary spending and bills that only relate to me. I transfer all of the money I need to to the joint accounts on pay day, and then I don't have to worry about bills bouncing. I have just realised where I was getting caught up. I thought multiple accounts meant having a separate account for EVERYTHING. Like, a groceries/food shop account, bills account, car expenses, etc. Just having it separated into 3: Bills and Fixed costs, savings and then a discretionary spending.... game changer! Thank you guys! 4 Quote “All You Have To Decide Is What To Do With The Time That Is Given To You.” - Gandalf Journey to the Mountain of Knowledge - Chapter One: A Pocketful of hope (current challenge) Spoiler Previous Challenges: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13 14| 15|16|17|18|19|20|21|22|23|24|25|26|27| 28 29|30 A Bold New Year Rhovaniel forges herself anew The Chronicles of Rhovaniel, Dúnedain Ranger: Vol I, Vol II, Vol III, Interim| Vol IV|Vol V Link to comment
Rhovaniel Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 12 hours ago, Jarric said: Yeah, it's terrifying. I've just checked, and in the last 3 years I've spent £410 on Greggs ? I have a terrible feeling my costa expenses may total more than that! 2 Quote “All You Have To Decide Is What To Do With The Time That Is Given To You.” - Gandalf Journey to the Mountain of Knowledge - Chapter One: A Pocketful of hope (current challenge) Spoiler Previous Challenges: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13 14| 15|16|17|18|19|20|21|22|23|24|25|26|27| 28 29|30 A Bold New Year Rhovaniel forges herself anew The Chronicles of Rhovaniel, Dúnedain Ranger: Vol I, Vol II, Vol III, Interim| Vol IV|Vol V Link to comment
Sepherina Posted January 3 Author Report Share Posted January 3 9 hours ago, Sovalis said: Hi Friends! Mistr just showed me Supercook, a website that will help generate recipes if you input what food you have on hand. I'm going to play with this, especially while Dave is in Latvia, to see what it comes up with for what I have in the house. Thanks for sharing! I added it to the post with the rest of the links on the front page. 2 Quote “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy” -Nightbirde “Dreams do not come true all by themselves. They are nourished by the bounty of hard work” -Unknown Disney Imagineer 2024 Word Svastha: Standing in One’s Own Power Current Challenge: Sepherina Focuses Prior Challenges Spoiler Sepherina: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 , #6 , #7 , #8 , #9, #10, #11, #12, ,#13, #14, #15, #16, #17 Avery The Patient: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 Link to comment
Heidi Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 11 hours ago, Sovalis said: Hi Friends! Mistr just showed me Supercook, a website that will help generate recipes if you input what food you have on hand. I'm going to play with this, especially while Dave is in Latvia, to see what it comes up with for what I have in the house. Hey, this looks great! It will absilutely come in handy for the times when I've got stuff in my farm bag and a couple leftover vegetables and No Clue Whatsoever! Thank you, and thanks to @Mistr❤️ 4 hours ago, Rhovaniel said: I have just realised where I was getting caught up. I thought multiple accounts meant having a separate account for EVERYTHING. Like, a groceries/food shop account, bills account, car expenses, etc. Just having it separated into 3: Bills and Fixed costs, savings and then a discretionary spending.... game changer! Thank you guys! Hooray! this is a big win, and I'm very glad you asked. 1 Quote ♥ & ☮, Heidi West-Marches Campaign Herb-Gatherer Spoiler Gypsy Druid Level 12 Philosopher and level 11 Librarian (built on the Monk class, with a training path in The Way of the Cobalt Soul) Ranger: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 :: Druid: 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |:: 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |:: 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |:: 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |:: 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |:: 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53| 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |:: 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | :: 70 | Paladin: 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | :: 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | Shaman: 82 | 83 | 84 Philosopher-Librarian 85 |:: 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | Heidi Chronicles NF Character Sheet | @theheidifeed| MySlashdotKarmaIsExcellent Walk to Mordor - (spreadsheet) Let's catch up: https://calendly.com/loveandpeace Link to comment
Darciana Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 Hi Friends! I'm here to pay down some debt and feel more financially comfortable. Originally, that was the only goal. Then our septic started failing and it's likely we'll need a whole new tank and such. Even if we don't, we need a whole new drain field which that, alone, costs upwards of $10,000. We managed to limp our AC unit through last summer. I'm not 100% confident that it will last through the good ol' Texas summer one more year. That's also looking to be close to $10,000 due to it being so old. Chances are, the ducting will need to be replaced as well as the unit itself. Fortunately its only one side of this house, but it's still a huge financial burden if that is the case. So I'm focusing on offsetting as much of these crazy expenses as possible. I started off my year paying off 3 credit cards (totaling just over $500) and stopping all other unnecessary spending until we know more. I'm hoping the three credit cards will hit my credit report in time if I do need to figure out a loan. I've got my monthly (big picture) budget as well as my bi-weekly (narrow focus) budget set up from now until August (because I'm too lazy to expand the spreadsheet further since I didn't originally make it). We already are eating at home 95% of the time so now I will switch focus on how to lessen our grocery bill. I might get a small raise at work this year and the Man will get a small bonus and possibly a small raise. I'm hoping to start studying for my PE Exam so I can pass it, get licensed, get the bonus for getting licensed, get the promotion, and finally be eligible for yearly bonuses. It won't help in the here and now, but it'll help in the future pay down any debt that may occur due to all the house madness. 7 Quote You don't have to be perfect, you just have to be better than you were before. Do that every day and you will succeed. Link to comment
TrashcanCarla Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 Hey there, Frugal Adventurers! I am ready to embark on a quest toward frugality and toward savings! My story is that my husband and I bought our first home with a 4.75% mortgage back in September 2022. Or August. Whatever. Our mortgage is an increase of more than $1,000 for housing each month then our last rent, but with rents increasing as they are in our area, we still feel good about the purchase. Nonetheless, our previous existence without adherence to a budget must transform into existence with a budget if we are going to keep our stress levels manageable. Fortunately for us, my husband got a solid bonus at the end of 2023 which we mostly are keeping intact to cushion our savings. The next things we want to do in 2024... Adhere to our budget. Save at least $4,000 more this year. Pay down debt (I've got $7k on a card ?). Get a used car with at least a $2k down payment. Ideally $4-5k. Increase income through promotions or raises at work. I'm feeling optimistic that even if we can't pay down my entire credit card debt that at least we can half it and do the rest. It'll be great sharing progress and resources with y'all! 4 Quote “Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.”― Carrie Fisher Link to comment
Heidi Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 5 hours ago, Darciana said: Hi Friends! I'm here to pay down some debt and feel more financially comfortable. Originally, that was the only goal. Then our septic started failing and it's likely we'll need a whole new tank and such. Even if we don't, we need a whole new drain field which that, alone, costs upwards of $10,000. We managed to limp our AC unit through last summer. I'm not 100% confident that it will last through the good ol' Texas summer one more year. That's also looking to be close to $10,000 due to it being so old. Chances are, the ducting will need to be replaced as well as the unit itself. Fortunately its only one side of this house, but it's still a huge financial burden if that is the case. So I'm focusing on offsetting as much of these crazy expenses as possible. I started off my year paying off 3 credit cards (totaling just over $500) and stopping all other unnecessary spending until we know more. I'm hoping the three credit cards will hit my credit report in time if I do need to figure out a loan. I've got my monthly (big picture) budget as well as my bi-weekly (narrow focus) budget set up from now until August (because I'm too lazy to expand the spreadsheet further since I didn't originally make it). We already are eating at home 95% of the time so now I will switch focus on how to lessen our grocery bill. I might get a small raise at work this year and the Man will get a small bonus and possibly a small raise. I'm hoping to start studying for my PE Exam so I can pass it, get licensed, get the bonus for getting licensed, get the promotion, and finally be eligible for yearly bonuses. It won't help in the here and now, but it'll help in the future pay down any debt that may occur due to all the house madness. Welcome! Those sound like some daunting bills coming up -- solidarity! 16 minutes ago, TrashcanCarla said: Hey there, Frugal Adventurers! I am ready to embark on a quest toward frugality and toward savings! My story is that my husband and I bought our first home with a 4.75% mortgage back in September 2022. Or August. Whatever. Our mortgage is an increase of more than $1,000 for housing each month then our last rent, but with rents increasing as they are in our area, we still feel good about the purchase. Nonetheless, our previous existence without adherence to a budget must transform into existence with a budget if we are going to keep our stress levels manageable. Fortunately for us, my husband got a solid bonus at the end of 2023 which we mostly are keeping intact to cushion our savings. The next things we want to do in 2024... Adhere to our budget. Save at least $4,000 more this year. Pay down debt (I've got $7k on a card ?). Get a used car with at least a $2k down payment. Ideally $4-5k. Increase income through promotions or raises at work. I'm feeling optimistic that even if we can't pay down my entire credit card debt that at least we can half it and do the rest. It'll be great sharing progress and resources with y'all! I hear you on the housing upgrade, and congrats on purchasing your home! I also hear you on the credit card moment. I'm going to have to get super creative with some financing to slay both increased housing costs and defeat the Credit Card demon, and whew. I'm glad we can do this together. ❤️ 3 Quote ♥ & ☮, Heidi West-Marches Campaign Herb-Gatherer Spoiler Gypsy Druid Level 12 Philosopher and level 11 Librarian (built on the Monk class, with a training path in The Way of the Cobalt Soul) Ranger: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 :: Druid: 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |:: 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |:: 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |:: 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |:: 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |:: 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53| 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |:: 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | :: 70 | Paladin: 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | :: 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | Shaman: 82 | 83 | 84 Philosopher-Librarian 85 |:: 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | Heidi Chronicles NF Character Sheet | @theheidifeed| MySlashdotKarmaIsExcellent Walk to Mordor - (spreadsheet) Let's catch up: https://calendly.com/loveandpeace Link to comment
Sepherina Posted January 3 Author Report Share Posted January 3 7 hours ago, Darciana said: Hi Friends! I'm here to pay down some debt and feel more financially comfortable. Originally, that was the only goal. Then our septic started failing and it's likely we'll need a whole new tank and such. Even if we don't, we need a whole new drain field which that, alone, costs upwards of $10,000. Welcome! 1 hour ago, TrashcanCarla said: Hey there, Frugal Adventurers! I am ready to embark on a quest toward frugality and toward savings! Hurray! Welcome too! 3 Quote “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy” -Nightbirde “Dreams do not come true all by themselves. They are nourished by the bounty of hard work” -Unknown Disney Imagineer 2024 Word Svastha: Standing in One’s Own Power Current Challenge: Sepherina Focuses Prior Challenges Spoiler Sepherina: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 , #6 , #7 , #8 , #9, #10, #11, #12, ,#13, #14, #15, #16, #17 Avery The Patient: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 Link to comment
Darciana Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 16 hours ago, TrashcanCarla said: Pay down debt (I've got $7k on a card ?) I, too, have a $7k credit card I'd like to pay down, if possible, before a loan is needed. Solidarity! We can do it! 2 Quote You don't have to be perfect, you just have to be better than you were before. Do that every day and you will succeed. Link to comment
Jarric Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 On 1/3/2024 at 1:47 AM, Sepherina said: So the frugal friends are doing a no spend challenge this month. Their Facebook group is also open to everyone if you are looking for additional support! Thanks for that. I don't do Facebook, but will definitely give the podcast a listen. On 1/3/2024 at 2:27 AM, Sepherina said: I have read some of his stuff too but found for us that the FIRE movement didn’t really jive with our current life stage or our values. (Although I would love to retire early). He is a good resource though. I added your link to the post with the rest of links on the first page. Yeah, I gave up on 'retire early' in favour of 'retire gradually'. I'll never retire at 30 (not least because that was almost 5 years ago), but last year through a mixture of frugality and a bit of luck I managed to drop to working 4 days per week. Dropping from 4 days to 3 would be a much harder step, but who knows, maybe in my 50s? 5 Quote Level 21 Wood Elf Ranger STR: 18 - CON: 22 - CHA: 11 - SAN: 19 - INT: 17 IAgreeWithTank™ "Shit is going down, but I am not." - iatetheyeti Don't say "I don't have enough time", say instead "that's not a priority right now" and see how that makes you feel. Current Challenge: Jarric: The 'C' Team External: Epic Quest - Instagram - Strava Spoiler Previous Challenges: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 Old Stuff: Battle Log - My Introduction - 2017 Road Map - 2018 Road Map - 2019 Road Map - 2021 Road Map - 2022 road map/wrap-up Link to comment
Heidi Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 35 minutes ago, Darciana said: I, too, have a $7k credit card I'd like to pay down, if possible, before a loan is needed. Solidarity! We can do it! Yes we can! High Five to the Credit Card Club of 2024. 14 minutes ago, Jarric said: Thanks for that. I don't do Facebook, but will definitely give the podcast a listen. Yeah, I gave up on 'retire early' in favour of 'retire gradually'. I'll never retire at 30 (not least because that was almost 5 years ago), but last year through a mixture of frugality and a bit of luck I managed to drop to working 4 days per week. Dropping from 4 days to 3 would be a much harder step, but who knows, maybe in my 50s? That you have the flexibility to choose how many days a week you work is mindblowing. I'm in the all-or-nothing boat, meaning that I can either work the five day week or quit and work nothing. I'm hoping that my quasi-employer (I'm a contractor, which is basically like a perma-temp) hires me and also starts implementing the very popular four-day work week that is starting to gain traction in the States again. (It went through a popularity period in the late 90s and looked to be almost institutionalized, and then dissolved after 9/11 changed everything). Speaking of credit cards, I looked into a couple debt consolidation personal loans, and might go that route. We'll see. I'm keeping my options open. 5 Quote ♥ & ☮, Heidi West-Marches Campaign Herb-Gatherer Spoiler Gypsy Druid Level 12 Philosopher and level 11 Librarian (built on the Monk class, with a training path in The Way of the Cobalt Soul) Ranger: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 :: Druid: 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |:: 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |:: 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |:: 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |:: 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |:: 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53| 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |:: 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | :: 70 | Paladin: 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | :: 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | Shaman: 82 | 83 | 84 Philosopher-Librarian 85 |:: 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | Heidi Chronicles NF Character Sheet | @theheidifeed| MySlashdotKarmaIsExcellent Walk to Mordor - (spreadsheet) Let's catch up: https://calendly.com/loveandpeace Link to comment
Darciana Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 9 minutes ago, Heidi said: Speaking of credit cards, I looked into a couple debt consolidation personal loans, and might go that route. We'll see. I'm keeping my options open. I did this years ago and it was a huge help. The payment was much lower than all the cards minimums combined so I was able to pay off the principal faster. It also was a much lower interest than the cards so it really helped a lot in that regards. 1 Quote You don't have to be perfect, you just have to be better than you were before. Do that every day and you will succeed. Link to comment
Sepherina Posted January 4 Author Report Share Posted January 4 1 hour ago, Darciana said: I, too, have a $7k credit card I'd like to pay down, if possible, before a loan is needed. Solidarity! We can do it! Mine is also 7k. Maybe we all get lucky with all these 7s! 3 Quote “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy” -Nightbirde “Dreams do not come true all by themselves. They are nourished by the bounty of hard work” -Unknown Disney Imagineer 2024 Word Svastha: Standing in One’s Own Power Current Challenge: Sepherina Focuses Prior Challenges Spoiler Sepherina: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 , #6 , #7 , #8 , #9, #10, #11, #12, ,#13, #14, #15, #16, #17 Avery The Patient: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 Link to comment
Darciana Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 1 hour ago, Sepherina said: Mine is also 7k. Maybe we all get lucky with all these 7s! Let us hope that this synchronicity is truly meaningful in the best of ways for us all! 2 Quote You don't have to be perfect, you just have to be better than you were before. Do that every day and you will succeed. Link to comment
Jarric Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 7 hours ago, Heidi said: That you have the flexibility to choose how many days a week you work is mindblowing. I'm in the all-or-nothing boat, meaning that I can either work the five day week or quit and work nothing. I'm hoping that my quasi-employer (I'm a contractor, which is basically like a perma-temp) hires me and also starts implementing the very popular four-day work week that is starting to gain traction in the States again. (It went through a popularity period in the late 90s and looked to be almost institutionalized, and then dissolved after 9/11 changed everything). In the UK employees have a legal right to request flexible working arrangements. Not that the company have to grant it, but they have to go through a proper process and give a reason if they decline. It's also good for the company (assuming they want to keep me) - it's easy enough for me to ask to change my days after working there for 6 years, it'd be much harder for me to find somewhere that would take me on starting at 4 days. That's interesting about the four-day week - I didn't realise it was gaining traction in the US so long ago. It's just really started to have some positive rumblings over here in the last couple of years. It does seem like such a simple thing though - people are happier, they work harder, and they deal with a lot of those little appointments that get in the way of work on their days off. 7 Quote Level 21 Wood Elf Ranger STR: 18 - CON: 22 - CHA: 11 - SAN: 19 - INT: 17 IAgreeWithTank™ "Shit is going down, but I am not." - iatetheyeti Don't say "I don't have enough time", say instead "that's not a priority right now" and see how that makes you feel. Current Challenge: Jarric: The 'C' Team External: Epic Quest - Instagram - Strava Spoiler Previous Challenges: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 Old Stuff: Battle Log - My Introduction - 2017 Road Map - 2018 Road Map - 2019 Road Map - 2021 Road Map - 2022 road map/wrap-up Link to comment
Heidi Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 17 hours ago, Jarric said: I didn't realise it was gaining traction in the US so long ago Primarily in the tech / programming industry, where we are expected to work "as long as it takes" on projects and aren't ever paid overtime (despite not actually being managers). The tech industry had to make some concessions back in the late 90s to keep employees who were burned out of 60 hour weeks in the office, with a rotation of being on call after hours. It was a mess, and had a lot of toxic messiah stuff that got mythologized in the BigBux Start-ups of the dot.com days / daze. 2 Quote ♥ & ☮, Heidi West-Marches Campaign Herb-Gatherer Spoiler Gypsy Druid Level 12 Philosopher and level 11 Librarian (built on the Monk class, with a training path in The Way of the Cobalt Soul) Ranger: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 :: Druid: 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |:: 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |:: 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |:: 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |:: 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |:: 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53| 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |:: 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | :: 70 | Paladin: 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | :: 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | Shaman: 82 | 83 | 84 Philosopher-Librarian 85 |:: 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | Heidi Chronicles NF Character Sheet | @theheidifeed| MySlashdotKarmaIsExcellent Walk to Mordor - (spreadsheet) Let's catch up: https://calendly.com/loveandpeace Link to comment
TrashcanCarla Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 Just wanted to declare that I took a step in the right direction. I just applied to a job within my department which would be a promotion for me. I hope that the interview process goes well! Nevermind. I slay interviews. What I meant to say was that I hope they think I'm the best fit for the role, after the interviews are done. This job would be a $5k - $10k improvement to my salary. Fingers crossed. In other news, I'm celebrating five challenge days of not spending money on new exercise clothing even though I desperately want to. I'm just getting started exercising again, so it's tough - a real struggle of willpower - to NOT purchase new yoga pants and so forth. I think about doing so at least twice a day. Tell me it'll get easier to be frugal. 5 1 Quote “Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.”― Carrie Fisher Link to comment
Heidi Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 16 hours ago, TrashcanCarla said: Tell me it'll get easier to be frugal. It’ll get easier to be frugal, mostly when you feel like you are enough. Very proud of the willpower win! Also, you are enough. I looked into debt consolidation loans and found one that works for me, with distributions going to the credit cards. I’m pleased that I took the time to explore some options instead of just demanding a white-knuckled extremist approach. This is the Way. 5 Quote ♥ & ☮, Heidi West-Marches Campaign Herb-Gatherer Spoiler Gypsy Druid Level 12 Philosopher and level 11 Librarian (built on the Monk class, with a training path in The Way of the Cobalt Soul) Ranger: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 :: Druid: 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |:: 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |:: 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |:: 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |:: 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |:: 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53| 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |:: 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | :: 70 | Paladin: 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | :: 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | Shaman: 82 | 83 | 84 Philosopher-Librarian 85 |:: 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | Heidi Chronicles NF Character Sheet | @theheidifeed| MySlashdotKarmaIsExcellent Walk to Mordor - (spreadsheet) Let's catch up: https://calendly.com/loveandpeace Link to comment
Sepherina Posted January 6 Author Report Share Posted January 6 5 minutes ago, Heidi said: This is the Way 2 Quote “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy” -Nightbirde “Dreams do not come true all by themselves. They are nourished by the bounty of hard work” -Unknown Disney Imagineer 2024 Word Svastha: Standing in One’s Own Power Current Challenge: Sepherina Focuses Prior Challenges Spoiler Sepherina: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 , #6 , #7 , #8 , #9, #10, #11, #12, ,#13, #14, #15, #16, #17 Avery The Patient: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 Link to comment
Sepherina Posted January 6 Author Report Share Posted January 6 Ug…money is extra tight this week. Minion #2 needed new pants before heading back to school. They are a scrawny 5’9” so shopping at the Target/Old navy/ thrift store is pretty much a no go. So a lot of this coming week’s meals will be whatever we have the house. I think I have enough meat in the deep freezer to cover us this week and some of the next. Trying to keep the bill for groceries will be under $125 for everything. I have been mulling the “Save a dollar a week and then double it” but instead of saving it, I will sock it to the credit card. Doing this would pay off $1378 on the card. Because I would not enjoy putting nearly $400 on it around Christmas, I am leaning towards putting $26.50 a week on it instead(1378/52 weeks). $30ish dollars doesn’t sound like too much of a hit to our tight budget. This will be in addition to the payment we are already making. 6 Quote “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy” -Nightbirde “Dreams do not come true all by themselves. They are nourished by the bounty of hard work” -Unknown Disney Imagineer 2024 Word Svastha: Standing in One’s Own Power Current Challenge: Sepherina Focuses Prior Challenges Spoiler Sepherina: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 , #6 , #7 , #8 , #9, #10, #11, #12, ,#13, #14, #15, #16, #17 Avery The Patient: #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 Link to comment
Heidi Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 6 hours ago, Sepherina said: . $30ish dollars doesn’t sound like too much of a hit to our tight budget. This will be in addition to the payment we are already making An extra $30 goes a long way. Good for you! 4 Quote ♥ & ☮, Heidi West-Marches Campaign Herb-Gatherer Spoiler Gypsy Druid Level 12 Philosopher and level 11 Librarian (built on the Monk class, with a training path in The Way of the Cobalt Soul) Ranger: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 :: Druid: 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |:: 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |:: 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |:: 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |:: 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |:: 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53| 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |:: 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | :: 70 | Paladin: 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | :: 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | Shaman: 82 | 83 | 84 Philosopher-Librarian 85 |:: 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | Heidi Chronicles NF Character Sheet | @theheidifeed| MySlashdotKarmaIsExcellent Walk to Mordor - (spreadsheet) Let's catch up: https://calendly.com/loveandpeace Link to comment
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