401k Update (Self only)

Personally Contributed $11,710.92 YTD
Company Matched $4,391.84 YTD

TOTAL Contributions YTD: $16,102.76


RETIREMENT UPDATE
Current Personal Retirement Balance Total (without Spouse) $141,464.07 (UP from $119,755.27 on Jan 10th)



Health SAVINGS UPDATE
H.S.A Cash Amount: $43.24
H.S.A Investigated Account: $1743.20
Y.S.A (H.S.A) Account: $1916.36

Health Savings Accounts Total: $3702.80


Non-Mortgage DEBT UPDATE:
CC B (0%) $6,281.41
CC P (0%) $2,171.38
CC W (0%) Furniture Purchase $1754.35
CC B (PIF Monthly) $48.48
CC AZ (PIF Monthly) $66.31
CC T (PIF Monthly) $208.44

TOTAL: $10,530.37

SLUSH FUND SAVINGS UPDATE (to be used throughout the year as irregular expenses occur):

Facebook Kid Sales (sale & purchase of items for the 2 year old via yard and FB sales) $199.50
Facebook House Sales (sale & purchase of items for the house) $41.00
Clothing Fund: $60
2017 Gifts Fund $1271.00
2018 Gifts Fund $140.13 (all from free sources of income)
House Slush Fund $329.94
Home Upkeep $52.29
Medical Slush $93.26
Auto Slush $320.84
Membership Slush $52.48
2017 Gifts Fund $1271.00
Car Insurance Savings $195 (paid bi-yearly)


REGULAR SAVINGS:
Joint Savings: $500.19
EF1 Savings: $13,000
EF2 Savings $3855.03
2018 Gifts Fund $587.23 (all from free sources of income)
Nephew UGMA Acct: $947.74
Daughter UGMA Acct: $300.01
Daughter 529: $752.81
CC Repayment: $184

I met my gifts/Christmas budget goal for 2015 and have started on 2016.

For the 2015 budget, the funds were made up of automatic savings of $60 per month, small amounts of cashflow and some from alternative income.

2015's alterative income has included:

$10 from Gyft
$350.69 Credit card rewards
$36.23 Ebates
$76 Chang jar
$20 Bing Rewards
$10 MyCokeRewards
$28.35 Settlement check
$49 insurance reimbursement
$40 inbox dollars
$25 Mypoints

TOTAL $645.27

Can't beat that!

Any further extra money is going to my 2016 Gifts/Christmas fund.

So far, I have:

1365 My Points (Goal 3500-3700)
332 Bing Rewards (Goal 475 for next $5 AGC)
2420 Recyclebank points (no goal exactly)
$10.20 Inbox Dollars (GOAL $30)
1572 Mycokerewards (Goal 1400 for $20 gc)
$6.61 Shopathome
$6.31 Ebates

My Oct, Nov & Dec's auto budget ($60/mo) is going directly into the 2016 fund for a nice jump start. I already had set aside some overtime funds as well. More family to buy for with all the new kiddos (my new little one, my sister-in-law's new baby, etc)

We have been enjoying our joint maternity leave and are about halfway through. Our little one is so much fun!

She's sleeping today, so I did a little 'shopping'. I used the info from Laura (Keeping it Frugal)'s post about nearly free clothing. I ordered 2 outfits for the baby and a work shirt for myself and paid $0.52. Can't beat that!!

Today, I used a tip from a frugality site that I like to order 5x7 Wooden photo panels from Walgreens.

I used a picture of my nephew playing soccer & ordered 2 for my sister & mom for Christmas. I used a picture of my 2 year old niece playing that I had taken earlier this year and ordered 2 for my mom & sister for Christmas.

Then I made one 5x7 of my husband holding the baby in an outfit that my MIL crocheted and one of my husband's nephew holding the baby. My Mother-In-Law will go ape over them!

Then I took a picture I had taken at our Little One's 1 month birthday and ordered a copy for my sister, my mom & one for myself.

Then I a fun picture of my little one for myself and a picture of the dog in a funny pose for a gift for my husband.

Total of 11 5x7 Wooden photos (normally $14.99 each for a total of $164.89) for $3.75 each (for a grand total of $41.75. Got some great Birthday/Christmas gifts!!

My Mother-in-Law's birthday was a week and a half ago. We went out to dinner ($30)and gave her a gift card to ACMoore for $50. It was a splurge, but she is going through a rough financial time and she makes crafts that she sells to help her through it. The GC will help make that happen!

My Mother's birthday is Saturday, but we went out to dinner with my parents, sister and nephew. My Dad snuck the tab, but we paid the tip (sharing with sis). Better not to argue with my dad! LOL

So $15 on dinner and we gave her a photo book I made of my nephew ($8.49), a mini photo book of my niece )($0.60) and a bag with her initial stitched in it ($8). She loved them!

In November, we have my 2 sisters-in-laws birthdays, my niece's and my husbands, plus 2 good friends. December is my nephew's birthday plus my step-nephews. And then of course there is Christmas.

Thank goodness for my all year planning!

Last weekend, my father & I went to Longwood Gardens, in PA. Its a beautiful garden/conservatory that was once part of a DuPont Estate. The place is something that is close to my family's hearts for many reasons.

However, my Dad & I are the photography hobbyists and last year we went for the day on a Groupon. Groupon had the same deal again this year - Tickets at $9 each, so he & I headed up there on Sunday.

We went very early in the morning & skipped the sites we have seen the most and headed straight to their new section, the Meadow Garden. Absolutely gorgeous! We spent about 4 hours walking around, talking and taking pictures.

Sunday afternoon, I edited and uploaded many to share. My Dad said he loved the day and we promised to make it a tradition and plan to go next year too.

Anywhoo, in addition to the Groupon discounted tickets, I found a great way to commemorate the day after receiving a free Shutterfly Coffee mug code from Kelloggs. Thanks to their random email, I put one of the pictures from the day at Longwood on a mug.

Mugs are normally $14.99, but I only have to pay the $6.99 shipping for a gift for my coffee addicted father. Woohoo!

My 2014 Christmas/Birthdays goal has been to fund the year through a small budgeted amount and 'free money'. Any additional funds I have made, I have put into that fund.

To Date for the year, I have put $1060.66 in the Gift/Christmas Fund! Of that amount, $821.61 has been from the 'free money' sources.

I have made the following to date:

-$23 in Amazon Rewards from Bing (started late this year)
-$395.89 in Credit Card Rewards
-$175 in Checking account bonuses
-$6 in Price Matches
-$32.47 from Inbox Dollars
-$53.11 Ebates Rewards
-$65 in Superbowl winnings
-$61.44 old escrow reimbursement
-$10 Free Starbucks gift card

To date for the year, I have spent $311.50. Not too shabby as a bulk of my shopping is done!

$264.74

$10.96 Ebates
$65.00 Superbowl bet winnings
$10.00 Monthly Automatic Deposit
$0.07 Interest Deposit
$39.48 Amazon Rewards
$25.00 Citi TY Rewards
$32.47 Inbox Dollars
$10.00 Monthly Automatic Deposit
$0.05 Interest
$4.00 Christmas present price adjustment
$2.00 Christmas present price adjustment
$10.00 Monthly Automatic Deposit
$55.71 Amazon Rewards

Getting a great start on my 2014 Christmas Fund!

I currently have:
$55.71 from credit card rewards.
$6.00 in price change refunds from previously purchased gifts
$0.05 in interest from ING
$20 (2 $10 auto deductions from checking to ING account once a month)
TOTAL $81.76

I just requested
$32.47 from Inbox Dollars
$25.00 in credit card rewards
TOTAL $57.47 (New Total will be $139.23)

I am expecting
- to request $33 from a cc when the points post 1/20
-9 Ebates when they mail 2/15
TOTAL $42 (Next New Total will be $181.23)

Each month, $10 goes inot the account and obviously there is a bit of interest. I definitely call this a great start!
That's a pretty darn good start, don't you say!

All of this talk about starting to save for Christmas 2014 has me thinking! I am already off to a very good start!

-Waiting for a credit card rewards check of $55.71
-Will be able to cash $33 in cc rewards at the end of December (another card)
-Expecting $50 in Old Navy rewards due to a promotion for certain members. For every non-Old Navy use of the card, earn 250 points ($500 points = $5 Old Navy bucks) up to 20 times. I used the card for Christmas gifts & is paid off in full. This will go toward my clothing budget and funds from the clothing budget will go into my Christmas fund as they apply each month with the budget
-About ready to cash out $30.73 from Inbox Dollars. Just waiting for pending points to hit.
-Expecting a $9 Ebates payout in February
-Bing Rewards points are 203 of the 525 goal (for a $5 Amazon gift card)
-MyPoints 1271 out of 7600 Goal
-Swagbucks 144 of 450 Amazon Gift Card goal
-Recyclebank 900 points, not sure of goal

I definitely feel like that's a good start!