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Archive for January, 2017

Meal Plan for the Week

January 24th, 2017 at 06:34 pm

Although its Tuesday, thought I'd put up my meal plan for the week.

Sunday: Chicken Patties with mozzerella, pasta & sauce
and peas

Monday: Baked Barbeque Chicken and corn

Tuesday: Meatball sandwiches with mozzerella

Wednesday: Baked Potato Bar

Thursday: Honey Balsamic Pork Chops and Rice

Friday: Steak and Blue Cheese Salad

Meal Planning & Recipes

January 19th, 2017 at 02:34 pm

This week, my meal planning was non-existant, but we were working with a lot of freezer stuff & leftovers, so it works out.

Monday - We had leftovers
Tuesday - I made do as it was my husband's late night at work
Wednesday - Hubby made pork chops & fries
Tonight (Thurs) - I am going to dinner with a friend, so probably hubby is getting take out for our daughter & him.
Friday - We both have a happy hour with friends and my daughter is being watched by my parents.

The point of me saying this - is I am trying new recipes. The last week of meal planning, I tried a fabulous recipe for honey balsamic pork chops. SUPER yummy.

However, we are looking for new ideas. Asking anyone in the community to feel free to share ideas and/or recipes! Thanks in advance Big Grin

Placeholder for old 2015 and 2016 goals from sidebar

January 13th, 2017 at 08:11 pm

2015 Goals:
Contribute $8k to 401k
Company 401k Match Goal - $2770
Pay off CC TY $1087.11(Paid off Feb 6th)
Pay off CC FR $5762.60 (Paid off Mar 6th)
Pay off CC BA $9257.35
Pay off Car Loan $1595.93 (Paid off April)
Cash Only Gifts - Birthday AND Christmas
Spouse Paying off the last of the credit cards he came into the marriage with.
******************************
2016 GOALS:
1. Keep contributing 14% to 401k (plus 6% match)[increasing to 16% as of 3/18]
2. $2500 to HSA (PLUS $1500 Company Match). Already set up
3. $3333.33 to Childcare FSA (PLUS $1666.67 Company Contribution)
4. Cash only Birthdays/Holidays/Christmas (add $1294 to 2016 Gifts Fund)
5. Increase New Home Fund by $8000
6. Increase EFUND by $946.81
7. Increase Vacation fund by $274.86
8. Increase Nephew Savings by $500.05
9. Increase Medical Savings by $483.69
10. Increase Car Savings by $442.68

TOTAL GOAL: $27,715.42
STRETC GOAL: $30,000 - EXTRA TO NEW HOME FUND

Month Goals for January

January 2nd, 2017 at 03:41 am

Mix of personal, work & financial

1. Pack breakfast and lunch for work 3 of the 4 days per week we are in office. There are 2 holidays in January, so the Monthly Goal would be to pack 17 times this month.

2. Drink 48 oz of water every day. Its more than my annual goal, but I want to have a great start.

3. Exercise 3-4 times a week for a minimum of 30 days. My schedule is hectic, so incorporating this time will be a challenge. Once I start working it in regularly, I hope it will be easier.

4. Eat Healthier (nonspecific goal either than high protein, low fat, added dairy)

5. Pay $463.08 towards 0% debt

6. Work 60 hours of OT

7. Attempt to sell 5-10 Baby/Household Items

8. Meal Plan each week

9. Calculate what is needed to meet Professional Re-Certification. Make step by step plan. Start request for employer to pay for recertification. Make plan for if they refuse to pay.

2017 Goals

January 2nd, 2017 at 03:21 am

Financial:
1. Get Renter Out
2. Sell Townhouse
3. Cash only gifts/holidays/Christmas. I include all birthdays, holidays, cards, Christmas, Thanksgiving groceries, my daughter's birthday party in this category, so it seems big. I need to add $1249 to this fund in 2017
4. Pay off small debt at 0% before it runs out in 2018 $3481.09. Part is medical expenses that I am hoping to just cashflow paying the card for instead of using funds from my HSA. But we will see.
5. Keep up OT to pay Rental Townhouse Mortgage so we don't have to utilize any further savings
6. Add to Emergency Fund by $5000. Stretch goal is $8000. This would be significantly dependent on goals 1 and 2.
7. No new debt
8. Continue FB sales of household and baby items.
9. Continue 16% of salary to 401k
10. Continue contributing to Childcare FSA for $1666.67 contribution from employer (Automatically set up already).


Health/Household
1. 30 Minutes of Activity 3-4 times a week. So for the year 156 days of a minimum of 30 minutes activity. The Stretch Goal would be 208 days of a minimum of 30 minutes of activity.

2. 5 days a week of hitting 48 oz of water per day. I am terrible with water. So I am setting the 5 of 7 days goal with a stretch goal of 7 of 7 days. (260 days of the year/stretch 365 days).

3. Eat healthier. I don't want to put a weight loss goal on it, but that essentially is my goal. To have more energy, stamina and to lose weight.

4. Mealplan each week.

Work:

1. To refocus myself in the position. I have been feeling burnt out and want to expand my experience in a few areas. I will not be sharing the specific steps
because its work specific.

2. Finish completing requirements for my career accreditation. Need to re-up at the end of the year.

Financial Changes in 2016

January 1st, 2017 at 04:30 pm

Financial Changes in 2016

This was a big year for us. We bought a house (yay), put a large down payment down, put our townhouse out to rent, working with a property management company, moved, had medical issues, and got a lot of overtime in.

I was able to cash-flow major expenses such as the purchase of a lot of furnishings, a car repair, the movers and Christmas. Some furnishings were bought new, some bought used, but all clean, long term use items.

We funded slush funds that are not calculated in the amount of money change in 2016 as they are not savings or cash-flowed large purchases.

Cash-flowed Purchases Include
All of Christmas Expenses:
A dining room table plus 6 chairs
2 8 x 10 area rugs
2 kitchen stools
1 bathroom area rug
1 couch and 2 arm chairs
1 couch & loveseat set
Movers
Car Repair

So Financially,

I cash-flowed large purchases in the amount of $6139.72

We paid Expenses on the Rental Property to the tune of $4576 after Rental income.

We saved $12,531.99 towards the New Home Fund, which was then used in additional to the amount already saved to make the deposit/closing costs on the new home purchase

We saved additional amounts of $1503.82 in the Home Fund, $892.95 in the EFund, $1001.59 in the 2017 Gifts Fund, $389.46 in my Nephew's Savings account, $193.72 in my daughter's savings account and $472.92 in her 529 account. TOTAL SAVINGs INCREASE: $4454.46

I contributed $17,474.02 to my 401k, the company matched $6785.30.

My company also provided $1666.67 in my CHildcare FSA.

In Addition, we created Cash Savings:
Emergency Cash at home: $218
FB Baby Sales $199.50
House FB Sales $51

So our financial turnaround this year was definitely significant.