HouseHappy's Personal Finance Blog

My little one arrived August 18th. It was a rough labor, but we both are home healthy & happy.



Both my husband & I have 12 weeks of parental leave. I can't believe its almost a 1/3 over. It feels like we've only been home a minute!

Medical expenses are high - adding the baby to our medical increased our family deductible. Her birth alone met that deductible, but we haven't met the out-of-pocket maximum yet. No bills have arrived for these charges, but I can see them on the insurance website. We have planned for this.

I used some free Shutterfly codes to make some baby announcements. $7.99 out of pocket for shipping - we have a large extended family.

Going into this birth, we knew we would pay the overpriced Newborn Photography offered at the hospital. Well worth it to me as the pictures are taken on the baby's 2nd day and she was perfectly malleable to poses. We have ownership of the prints, the rights, etc. and can reproduce into more prints for Christmas presents for a much smaller cost through an online site. This was already budgeted for as well.

Our household costs have increased some - diapers, wipes, formula. I am attempting to cook again after months of being too sick for it.

I am so looking forward to this next adventure in life!

Friday was payday & I sent the last payment to my final credit card carrying a balance (0%) $540.59!

New Balance: $0.00

WOOT!!!!

Crazy week. That is the only way I can describe it. With the high risk pregnancy, I had 2 doctors appointments on Monday. My husband & I took off and did the appointments, then lunch out.

The painters came to paint the living room, downstairs hall, stairs and upstairs hall. It was a 3 day job. They repaired some loose drywall and did ceilings & trim including the high ceilings around the stairway. This was worth every penny of the cost & was cashflowed!

Tuesday, I left the house at 6;45 for work only to discover that my car was not parked where it had previously been. I looked around & found it DOWN THE STREET IN A DRIVEWAY AND SMASHED INTO ANOTHER CAR.

Apparently someone had attempted to steal the car (although no broken windows, etc), got it started and then the security features kicked in & the car turned off. So it coasted straight into the neighbor's car.

My car had a few minor scratches on the bumper. The neighbor's drive side door & side panel were dented in. It took 3 hours for the police to come, do reports & fingerprint.

The insurance got someone out the next day to look at my car. I had to sign paperwork & get it notorized over the theft attempt. That I handled (free notary) at the bank yesterday.

So *hopefully* the car situation is pretty much complete. I don't think any repairs to my car would even meet the $500 deductable. So getting it repaired doesn't make much sense, but we'll see.

Yesterday, I heard from my OB's office. Because of my high risk pregnancy, we are likely going to have to incduce a day or 2 before my due date. So I have an induction set for the evening of Tuesday 18th, with hopefully a delivery date of 8/19. Finger's crossed!

So currently, the house is a mess from all the stuff being moved around for the painters, I still have a few more things to deal with with the insurance, the baby is coming in less than 2 weeks and I am feeling a little unsettled. I need to get the house in order this weekend!

Tomorrow is Payday. My check went online yesterday, so I was able to pre-budget with OT.

After I pay normal bills out of this paycheck: Cell, mortgage, cable, water, etc.

I will be putting aside:

$40 for Gas
$60 to Gifts savings
$5 to Clothing savings
$209 for entertainment
$20 to Auto savings
$100 to House Slush Fund
$50 to House Upkeep Fund
$20 for pets
$231 for groceries
$88 to maternity/post maternity clothes
$775 to my last cc debt
$735 OT toward 2016 gifts fund (goal now met)



An update on my last credit card:

Bal starting 7/1/15: $2225.56
7/10 Snowball $802.27
7/12 Entertainment overage $20
7/22 OT leftover $50
7/23 Entertainment overage $19.70
7/24 Snowbal $775

TOTAL July Payments: $1,666.97

New Balance: $558.59

We had a plumbing issue a week or so ago. Yesterday, we had someone come in to do some drywall repairs. This is the 3rd patch in the same spot of the livign room ceiling and it went from ceiling and into the wall. It was getting challenging to fix, so we paid someone $250 to do the work right. To me - worth every penny. To my husband, worth MUCH more - he was so frustrated with that area.

Next thing up will be painting the ceiling and living room. We are splurging for help on this so we can get it done before the baby and get the wall up the stairs and in a very high ceiling area. We are picking a neutral color so we can utilize this paint job for the potential sale of the house next year.

Gonna be somewhat pricey (versus DIY), but we have OT funds to go towards it!

I will say it again, I am so lucky to have overtime available to me, even in my new promotion. I am also incredibly lucky to be able to set the OT hours as I want and to be able to work from home while doing it!

That being said, last week, I went a bit overboard doing OT - I worked 64.5 hours between Monday through Sunday.

The whole overtime amount of that will go right into my 2016 gifts fund, which will be mostly covered at that point.

The next OT goals that I have are 3 hours of OT for the maternity purchases I made and 30 hours of OT towards upcoming home repairs/upgrades (mostly -painting).

After that, I will likely be done with OT as its getting close to baby time!

I have been bitten by the bug - I joined PersonalCapital. Its something I have seen a lot of recently on the personal finance sites. I am utilizing it mainly for retirement tracking & am so far loving it.

I FINALLY got the new info for my husband's 401k, so I can track his as well as mine again

IRA Rollover: $16,107.64
IRA Rollover 2: $44,739.96
IRA Rollover 3: $2190.45
My 401k $20,225.07
Husband's 401k $40,978.14

TOTAL Retirement Accounts: $124,241.26


I am looking to increase my HSA next year & hope to invest through that account as well!

Paychecks went online and I was able to see the full amount I will be netting with my Overtime.

After paying normal bills - Car insurance, netflix, electric, trash, etc., I have:

$35 Gas for 2 weeks
$25 personal items
$15 Medical Savings (ING)
$5 Clothing Savings (ING)
$13 Memberships Slush Fund (ING)
$22.40 Old Navy purchase payoff (more tank tops/lounge pants for maternity and after the baby comes)
$270 Daycare deposit
$200 Entertainment expenses
$165 Overtime to 2016 Gifts Fund [Goal before Mat Leave is $900]
$800.60 to Last Credit Card Debt



Current Priority Financial Goals:
1. No New Debt
2. Payoff Last Credit Card
New balance after $800.60 payment = $1424.96
3. 2016 Gifts Fund - Goal of $900
New Balance after $165 transfer [$165/$900]
4. Repay Clothing Purchases
DONE for the moment, another purchase will occur
this week due to needing nursing friendly clothes
5. Savings for Home Repairs - Drywall/Painting. No
estimated goal yet - waiting on estimate

Although I had a few days off, nothing really was accomplished off my ever-growing To-Do List. I am focusing on what I DID get done today.

1. Movies & lunch with friends
2. Do 2 loads of laundry
3. Clean kitchen
4. Clean off coffee table
5. Change sheets
6. Prep for work tomorrow
7. Enter mycokerewards
8. Do Bing

I recently came across someone who was talking about their lifetime earning calculated by the SSA.

I signed up with them - it shows estimated SS income, etc. I just zoomed in on the Lifetime Earnings - I started working in 1996. During the last 19 years (from part time high school to today), I have earned (per their calculation of Taxed Social Security Earnings), $582,582.

Very interesting to think what I have earned over all this time and where I am financially today!

The 2nd half of this year is bringing many financial changes for my husband and I.

I will have the credit card debt paid off by the beginning of August.

Baby Hopeful will be arriving towards the end of August.

My husband & I both get 3 months parental leave.

We will be adding insurance for the baby.

Out next big financial goal is savings towards a new home.

November begins Daycare expenses.

January 2016, we will be increasing HSA contributions and creating an FSA account. I will be contributing $3333 pre-tax and my company matches $1667 for a total of $5000 for the year.

However, because of how the FSA reimburses, we will have to cash flow the daycare costs and will utilize the reimbursements to replenish cashflow.

So I have multiple paycheck budgets set to accomidate all the changes.

First, my current budget will transfer the $1550/month that was going to debt repayment toward the New Home Fund

The next budget adds in daycare costs, which decreases the snowball to the New Home Fund.

Then I have my 2016 estimated budget which includes the increased HSA and the FSA.

Its fun to plan! But I HATE seeing expenses going up and money in my snowball decreasing. I can hope that 2016 allows for some OT, even with the new baby

2015 Goals:
1. Contribute $8k to 401k [AT $4091.47 AS OF 6/27/15]

2. Company 401k Match Goal - $2770 [AT $2004 AS OF 6/27/15]

3. Pay off CC TY $1087.11[Paid off Feb 6th]

4. Pay off CC FR $5762.60 [Paid off Mar 6th]

5. Pay off CC BA $9257.35 [BAL DOWN TO $2225 AS OF 6/27/15]

6. Pay off Car Loan $1595.93 [Paid off April]

7. Cash Only Gifts - Birthday AND Christmas [ON TRACK]
8. Spouse Paying off the last of the credit cards he
came into the marriage with. [ON TRACK]

Starting Balance June 1, 2015: $3,969.96

6/12 Payment $775
6/15 Payment $59.40
6/26 Payment $40
6/26 Payment $813
6/27 Payment $57

Total Payments: $1,744.40

New Balance : $2,225.56

GOAL: Paying off before 8/21 due date - right on schedule!

Friday is payday & my check image went online last night. It includes a LOT of overtime (28.25 hours to be exact).

After paying normal bills - cell, mortgage, cable, water, etc., I am budgeting the following:

Gas $40
Auto Savings - Gifts Fund $60
Clothing $8
Entertainment $226
Auto Savings - Car $20
Snowall to last credit card $775
Camera payoff (no interest) $590.95
TD CC Payoff for normal expenses $70.60
Savings Fund from OT $150
Slush Fund for home $100
Home Repairs Fund $50
Pets $20
Groceries $231

After all that, I will have just the 1 credit card balance, which will be down to $2360.56!

In addition to my promotion/pay increase in April, I increased my 401k Contributions to 14% last month. Since then, I have been playing with my 401k #s!

I love getting OT – it not only increases my net income, but it increases my 401k contributions and company match.


$3506.67 contributed YTD in 2015
$1753.36 Company Match YTD in 2015

$5260.03 TOTAL Contributions/Match YTD in 2015

Then I tracked how much just base pay would have me end the year with:

$8192.25 total added between today and EOY 2015 (my contribution and Company Match)

Bringing me to:
$13,452.28 Total Jan-Dec 2015 Contribution without any further OT


I decided to set an OT stretch goal to get my 401k contributions to increase my personal 401k contribution by another $800 in 2015. It’s not much as I will have no opportunity for OT during my maternity leave (estimated late Aug to late Nov) and will not likely have much/any in Nov/Dec.

With the goal of contributing another $800 in OT 401k contributions, that will translate into another $357 in Company Matching for OT contributions.

This will bring my stretch goal via OT to an additional $1190.44 for 2015!

Baby is coming in about 2 months! My family is having a shower for me (incredibly nice!) and I have received LOTS of freebies from both my sister and my college friend.

My mom, in Grandma-mode, is also buying some outfits and fun stuff that I will be getting later on. This includes a super-cute coming home outfit and a first pictures outfit (hospital provides them for free).

My husband and I made 3 big purchases - the crib (bought at 20% discount and will get 10% back from registry rewards), travel system (car seat & stroller purchased at a deep discount & 2nd hand from a friend) and the glider/ottoman (bought at 20% discount and will get 10% back from registry rewards). I also purchased a closet organization system for $6.29 (after $20 registry gift card I won).

The crib is convertible and will move into a toddler bed and then into a full-size bed (will need to purchase a conversion kit & full size mattress later on). The Glider/Ottoman looks more like a living room upholstered chair and will easily be able to be used in a family room when we outgrow our need for it.
With these big items, I have been looking at longevity in the purchases and alternate uses. Nothing will go to waste!

We still have items that we will NEED for the little one and some that we want for ease/comfort. These are on our registry and we will purchase before the due date anything else that we need but are not gifted. (Side note- we don’t ask for or expect gifts, but family tradition means we know what to anticipate from our families).

Items on the 'Need/Really Want' List:
-Organizing bins (can be used in an infant, kid or adult room)
-Crib and Toddler bed mattress
-blankets
-changing pad
-changing pad covers
-waterproof changing pad cover
-mattress pad cover (waterproof)
-crib sheets
-convertible car seat
-diaper bag
-breastmilk storage
-high chair
-bottles
-boppy
-bath toys
-healthcare & grooming kit
-towels
-bath tub
-pack n play sheets
-swing
-pack n play
-mobile
-monitor system

I have a catalog of the items we currently have been gifted and it still needs to be updated some. So far, we have listed:
Newborn-3 months
onesies 15
newborn bibs 5
sleepers 8
jumper outfits 3
dress 1
jean jumper outfit 1
skirt 1
sweater 2
fleece jacket 1
hoodie jacket 2
pink/white striped top/hart pants outfit 1
jeans 1

3 months
2 piece summer outfit 1

6 Months
onesies 9
My First Christmas onesie 1
leggings 5
Spring outfit - onesie, sweater & headband 1
Summer sleeveless jumper outfit 1
footie pjs 1
shirts 4
jeans 6
sweatshirts 2
sweaters 2
fleece hoodie 1
shorts 9

9 Months
animal themed jumpers 2
leggings 5
onesies 7
sports track suit 1
nice spring outfit 1
light jacket 1
skirt 1
shirt 1
hoodie 1
sweater 1

12 Months 2
onesies 11
sleeveless tops 9
tops 5
shorts 2
jeans 7
sweat pants 1
leggings 3
hoodie sweater 1
spring formal dress 1
jean shorts 2
watermelon nice outfit 3
winter vest 1
Halloween Shirt 1
bathing suit 1
jumper 1
sweater 2
dress 2
footie pjs 1
eagles t shirt 1

18 Months
onesie 9
flannel pj 3
Eagles onesie 1
Halloween Shirt 1
Bathing Suit 1
Santa Shirt 1
hoodie jacket 1
long shirt/dresses 6
winter shirts 3
longsleeve tees 2
Sweater 1
Velvet Dress 1
pairs of holiday pjs 3
Dresses 4
Hoodie vest 2
hoodies 2
jeans 2
longsleeve tshirt & jeans outfit 1
sweater 1
leggings 2
coats 2
2 piece puma 1

24 months
leggings 1

MISC Items
Bibs 9
Washcloths 8
Changing pads 2
Bath Towels 6
Receiving Blankets 7
Shoes 10
Hair Bows 4
Sun Hat 2
boots 1
pairs of socks 8

Toys/Dolls
Stuffed Owl 1
Laugh & Learn Dog toy 1
baby toys 4
book 2
toy purse 1
stroller hanger toys 2
mini monkey plush 1
woobie 1
mittens 1
Baby mirror 1
fridge-a-go carrier 1
travel play mat 1
playschool school bus 1
jungle crib blanket 1
small bouncer 1
wearable carrier 1
water toy 1
walker 1

I have been working as much overtime as my pregnant body will allow. I am incredibly lucky that I can work OT at home, in my pjs and during any hours that I feel able to.
I determined that I need 31.5 hours of OT to net the amount needed to repay myself for the DSLR camera I just purchased. I am currently at 28.5 and only need 3 more hours, which will be completed by tomorrow.

After that, I have a few frivolous overtime goals:
11 hours of Cushion during Maternity Leave
5 hours for Mani/Pedis - I USUALLY do these myself all summer long, but my ever-expanding stomach gets in the way these days!
7 hours of OT for my Nephew's Savings Fund. He starts high school in the fall & I want to get a HUGE jump on it
Additionally, I am on schedule to pay off my last Credit Card before the baby comes. It sits at 0% and is accruing no interest. If I need to, I can use OT to pay this off instead.

Friday's Paycheck added $410.64 to my 401k, plus $205.32 Company Match, for a total of $615.96.

There were some slight losses in my Retirement accounts from the last pay period, so my overall Retirement Investments actually slightly decreased.

Previously, balances totaled $84,304.42.
New Balances Total: $84,257.33

Friday night, I stayed in and watched tv. No big spending.

Saturday, we went & saw Jurassic World, which was super fun. We had lunch with friends and then went to a bbq with another set of friends. Busy day!

Last night & today, I have been battling Morning (all day) sickness. I made it out to breakfast for my dad's 70th birthday. My mom picked up the whole tab despite our asking her not to.

I found some energy later in the day to splurge on a mani/pedi. I had a discount card and paid cash out of my entertainment fund. It was a nice way to relax in this heat while pregnant! lol

Tonight, we are watching Netflix and then Game of Thrones. I got 3 hours of OT today too.

My goal of OT for the upcoming week is 15 hours. We'll have to see how it goes!

I ended up spluring on a Nikon DSLR camera. I found an awesome deal, with an upgraded lens and accessories. I utilized a rewards credit card and will be able to cash flow the purchase before it even bills.

I am paying it off with Overtime Hours.

I calculated how much I net per each hour of overtime. To pay myself for this camera, I need to work 31.5 hours of overtime.

In today's paycheck, I had 11.5 OT hours that went to the camera balance.

Monday, I worked 4 hours of OT
Tuesday, I worked 3 hours of OT
Thursday, I worked 1 hour of OT

Total OT I have completed towards this goal: 19.5

This weekend, I will put in at least 5-7 hours of OT between Friday & Sunday.

Total OT to the goal at the end of this week: 24.5 to 26.5

Next week, I will need to have to do at least 5-7 hours of OT.

Today is Payday and I already have bills set up to be paid and then cash budget lines for certain catagories.

Car insurance: $161.25
(includes prorated amount as I
changed policies/companies. I will get a
rebate from my old policy of about $40 in a
few weeks)
Netflix: $7.99
Medical Slush Fund: $15
Last Credit Card with Balance: $775
Credit card with entertainment purchases: $65.40
Memberships Slush Fund $13
Camera purchase (no interest) $345
Gas: $33.39
Auto Slush Fund: $20
Home Repair Payment (0%): $150

Still have in budget:
Gas Overage $1.61
Personal Items $15
Entertainment $200.75
Trash: $40 (pay $58.50 quarterly)
Mortgage (half) $489
Electric $140
Pets $92
Vacation Fund $20
Misc $10
Groceries $288.88 (had overage from last month)

The painters came to paint the baby's room. I had bought an $89 Living Social. No extra out of pocket. I worked from home while the guy did the work. We bought/provided the paint and the color came out a little different than hoped, but it looks great!

While working, I ran several loads of laundry. The dog bedding increased my normal laundry & I finally washed the linens off the spare room bed since the painter was here. The cats have been practically molting on that bed!

So, in addition to the dog bedding, the spare room bedding and our bedding, I actually got to the main reason for the laundry - my clothes! I ran the dryer a few times, but hung a good portion of the clothes to air dry.

Other To-Dos Today:
-fold all laundry from dryer
-change bedroom sheets
-add purchased organizer to baby spending spreadsheet
-clean kitchen
-unload dishwasher
-wash aluminum water bottles
-refill water bottles
-repackage boxes for saving in basement
-mail wedding invitation response
-clean off kitchen table
-put new sheets on bed
-quick pick up upstairs bathroom
-clear personal email
-bing searches

In May, I put $1709.94 to the card, leaving a balance of $3,969.96.

Staying on plan!

This is the first year I budgeted for all year gifts instead of just a Christmas fund where my goal was to get 1/2 of the money budgeted from 'free' sources.

I have been doing very well, but am curious to see how much people budget for such things.

Lots of family/friends. Some have bigger budgets than others. I splurge a LOT on kids, but give small gifts of books to friends kids.

My 2015 All inclusive Gifts/Holiday Budget is about $1500. That seems SO high, but its really reasonable, since other than nephews/niece and my parents and hubby, the budgets are usually $5-$25 per person.

What kind of gift budgets to you guys have?

In my 2015 budget, I included:

Birthdays:
Husband
Mom
Dad
Sister (33)
Nephew (14)
Niece (2)
Nephew 2 (12)
SIL 1
SIL 2
SIL 3
MIL
BFF
Friend's Baby


I included Holiday/Event budgets:
Mother's Day
Father's Day
Valentine's Day
Anniversary
Thanksgiving - Food/Decor
Christmas - Food
Halloween - costumes
Family Member's Wedding Shower
Family Member's Wedding
Easter
Sister's Graduation from Nursing School

Then I have Christmas:

Husband
Mom
Dad
Sister (33)
Nephew (14)
Niece (2)
Nephew 2 (12)
Pollyanna between Sister in Laws
MIL
BFF 1
BFF 2
Friend 3
Friend 4
Friend 1 Baby
Cards/Stamps
Dollar store trip (friend tradition for frugal decorations/wrapping)
Baby Gift
Misc
Sister's Boyfriend (if still around)
Friend 2 Baby

Today was Payday.

I paid:

-The Rest of the Glider/Ottoman (orig $493.98)
-$780 to the Last Credit Card Balance
-$75.48 to cell
-Mortgage payment
-Cable bill
-Water bill

Auto Savings Scheduled to be pulled:

-Gifts $60
-Auto Expenses $20
-Slush fund $100
-Home Upkeep $50


Cashflow to be spend this pay period:

-Personal $18.18
-Entertainment $220
-Pets $23.01
-Groceries $223.52
-Amazon Subscribe & Save Groceries: $53.06

Today was both productive and fun. I accomplished a lot and got to spend some time with my nephew.

-I made a full breakfast for us (no eating out)
-Ran dishwasher
-Cleared out photos from phone/Cloud
-Replied to Craigslist responses
-Made grocery list
-Activated new credit cards (renewal cards)
-Paid all but $30.xx of glider/ottoman off credit card (will pay the rest long before the statement even closes
-Ordered toilet paper & paper towels off Amazon (found good deals, time to stock up).
-Paid nephew to do some heavy lifting. He's looking for odd jobs to get some extra money. So I paid him $25 to bring Christmas/Wrapping/Gift Closet items to basement from soon to be baby's room (requiring lots of trips), to bring trash/recycling from basement to cans outside and to bring up items for FB/Craislist meets and to put them in the car. Well worth the money, because he EARNED it.
-I broke down boxes from basement for recycling
-I bought us lunch at Burger King ($9)
-My husband and I rented a movie with the nephew to spend some time hanging out with him ($2.99 - entertainment money)
-I went to the ATM and deposited cash to go towards the baby items
-I met a FB person to sell mini frames
-After the day, I dropped my nephew off at my parents. We brought the dog to say hi
-Got gas on the way
-I unloaded the dishwasher and reloaded any dishes from the sink
-I had another person buy a not great quality side table for $5. I did also show off the hutch in the basement to the guy. He was interested in any other pieces we had.
-I listed another piece on Craigslist today.
-Played with the dog
-making dinner at home


Its been a great day!

Today, I sold:

1) Mini Frames bought to use in the wedding last year. $7.00

2) a not well made side table $5.00


I also has someone interested in an item, then back out (but did tell e he was no longer interested).

I also had someone interested in a different item that said they wanted to meet this afternoon, but did not respond to set up the meet.

I can only hope that person comes through tomorrow!

I have been putting up furniture and other items in an attempt at decluttering the basement. The furniture is something I inherited and has been sitting in the basement for almost 8 years. It has to go!

I tried selling before with no luck. So I priced to SELL and required the buyer to do all lifting/moving of the heavy stuff. To me, that is a win as well!

To date, I have sold 2 of the biggest pieces of furniture. The Solid wood buffet and the dining room table. It has chairs, but they are in terrible condition and did not sell. They work, but should be refinished, so I am going to give to goodwill.

All money from the sales 4/3 to 5/4 went to my last credit card. All the sales after 5/4 will be going to baby purchases (crib/glider).

4/3/15 $10 blanket sale
4/5/15 $10 camping chair sale
5/4/15 $10 marble cutting board sale
TOTAL TO Last Credit card $30

5/17/15 $70 Buffet sale
5/18/15 $15 portable cooler sale
5/20/15 $30 dehumidifier sale
5/23/15 $35 dining room table sale

TOTAL TO DATE toward Baby Purchases: $150.00

Total Debt Paid in 2014 13,372.03
Total Wddng/Honeymoon Cashflowed 2014 11,000.00
House Repairs Plumbing 2014 5,375.90
House Repairs Basement 2014 6,350.00
Car Loan Paid in 2014 4,125.93

TOTAL Money Change in 2014 40,223.86



Debt paid to Date in 2015 (5/20/15) 10,259.99
Car Loan Paid off 2015 1,595.93
Crib Purchase - cashflowed 2015 319.99
Glider/Ottoman - cashflowed 2015 493.98
Gutter/Soffitts Home Repair 2015 1,933.00
Car Repair - cashflowed 2015 499.67

TOTAL Money Change 2015 to Date 5/22/15 15,102.62

5/19/15 Total: $84,246.46

Nice!