I have finished 3 weeks at the new job and am liking it very much. I lucked out a lot with this and am very grateful!

During the time, I have been training & exhausted in the evenings after physical therapy for my hand. So I am just now getting around to updates (in no particular order)

- My severance from my previous employer hit my bank account today and went straight to the emergency fund! Just a little over $9.2k

- My new employer pays up to date, so I got paid one week on my first Friday with them and paid 2 weeks per normal pay schedule yesterday

-We have a lot of savings goals - one being a new to us car for my husband. We plan on putting $7k down and then 0% financing the rest. We prefer to keep savings up for the moment given so many issues this year (job loss/change, major medical bills, etc).

-Medical Fund needs to be replenished. We finally hit the out of pocket max and have about $900 left to pay in medical bills. I payment planned it out just to cashflow it instead of stealing from any other savings. Our HSA accounts have been depleted.

- Our 6 month car insurance bill is coming up. We pay it in full by cashflowing. We already have the funds ready to go and are starting to save monthly for the next one.

- CC debt is at 0% still so we are saving cash and paying down. My husbands card will be paid off by the end of the year. My card might be a month or two behind that.

- I set up a daycare FSA from my new employer. I am sad to say that they do not supplement the funding, but its still tax-free, so we are utilizing it!

- Been back on Weight Watchers and packing lunches and its been good for my waist and my wallet!

- I am part of a professional organization where I received an accreditation. To keep my certification, I need to be a member of good standing. My previous employer paid for the certification, recertification and the yearly fee. My new employer is still getting 'authorization. The organization gives a little leeway, but in case my new employer doesn't come through, I have the funds saved from overtime at my previous job.

-Spent a bit more on new clothes - needed more tops than I realized. My closet was very bare of work appropriate clothing! All cashflowed though!

-Now that I have a full paycheck, I am able to rework the budget. That will be the goal for this weekend!

Current Balances:

Debt:
Spouse Card: 8k
My Card $6.8k

Savings and Sinking Funds:
EF (after severance) $16,797.16
EF2 (different place) $21,000.00
Slush Fund (yearly expenses) $252.13
Home Upkeep Sinking $219.62
New AC Fund (we know this will be happening in the next 1-2 years) $167.47
Medical Sinking $280.62
Professional Fee Sinking $295
Memberships Sinking $13.31
Clothes Sinking $10.26
2018 Gifts Sinking $1285.89
Vacation $800
New Car Fund $6100.20
Daughter Fund (for long term savings outside of 529) $502.86

Down to the last bit of my current position. I took a break from job searching, but was back at it. I ended up interviewing on Wednesday at a local company 5 minutes from my current employer last week. I had to ask them to make accommodations for me as they wanted to do the interviews (with 2 different managers) on Thursday the 26th, but I already had a medical procedure scheduled for that day.

I really feel the interviews went well, but they had more on Thursday. I hope to hear back in a week or two.

I applied for 2 other jobs, but the business locations are further away. One of the girls on my team had an in with the one company and already interviewed for a different position there and got it. Its a newer company where they don't do remote, strict schedule, etc. I have had it so easy at my current job, its going to be a stretch if I have no flexibility for appointments, etc.

Since I had my procedure on Thursday and took my first vacation day of 2018, I took the Friday off too. It was my birthday.

The procedure went really well and I was able to see a movie (Super Troopers 2) and have lunch on the Chesapeake Bay with my husband on my Birthday.

Its been wonderful to de-stress. And to not work OT this week has been a blessing as unrelated, I have a sinus infection & ended up on antibiotics yesterday.

Good things:
Saving all OT, job interviews, back up plan if not finding a job right away, the little cc debt we have is 0% and when I find I job, will be paid off asap with savings. All of these things are good!

I am just trying to look at the positive as much as I can!

Working in the right direction.

In the last week or so since I posted last, I have attended another professional networking event and informal job fair. I have talked to recruiting companies, beefed up the resume more, etc.

Our industry has gotten weird where right now, most of them do contract to hire jobs. They take on a group of temps for a project, then keep the best of them to go full time. So you’re faced with no benefits for up to 6 months during a contract.

I am in the lucky position of being under my husband’s insurance, but others in my office are single parents, etc. It’s a devastating idea they face.

As for me – I am working OT, but trying to still take care of myself. This paycheck (3/16), I received 37 hours of OT, plus my bonus and this is what I budget as my extra paycheck of the month since March has 3 pay dates for me.

Because of this – taxes were high, but my net was nice as well. I was able to pay some normal bills and put away a lot of savings.

· We put $230.32 to the vacation fund – meeting our family goal of $800.
· We put $1064.68 towards the $2k goal of ‘new to us car fund’
· We put $2600 (the bonus after taxes) to the EFund
· We put $600 (extra paycheck money) to the EFund
· I paid the new windshield bill of $188.33 and $30 Local Professional Group Membership
· We also paid the $581 vet bill for the dog (annual visit plus sedation for a procedure)


New Savings Balances:
Total Emergency Fund: $30,126.79 (Cap One 360 Efund: $6415.79 +MTB Efund $19,703.xx+4008 Cash in Safe)
Vacation Fund $800
Slush Fund (Vet, EZ Pass, Sewer, etc) $116.21
Home Repairs $213.12
Medical $136.57
Auto $39.33
Membership $143.88
Clothing $105.68
2018 Gifts Fund $1067.87 (most of it comes from alternative income – surveys, rewards, etc)
Nephew Car Fund $981.91
Daughter Savings $471.67
Savings attached to checking $500.79

EF1 $1903.84
EF2 $18,117.66
Slush Fund (Vet, HOA, EZ Pass, Annual Bills) $562.47
Home Upkeep $112.91
Medical $106.40
Auto $71.19
Longwood $117.70
Clothing $85.54
2018 Gifts $754.10
2017 Gifts $30.83 (holding for niece’s savings)
Nephew Savings $980.33
Daughter Savings $450.94

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

January Savings Amount:
Cash EF: $170 added
Joint House Savings: $974.96 added
-$25 cashflow from DH
-$250 from Childcare FSA reimbursement
-$191.64 from Childcare FSA reimbursement
-$300 from DH Pay

RETIREMENT UPDATES:

Personal Retirement Accounts Total: $109,610.23
Spouse’s 401k $50,694.93


Little One’s Savings: (at age 1 year)

529: $318.90
Kids Savings: $153.31


Savings:

Home Fund: $500
EF: $88.51
Slush Fund: $626.50
Home Upkeep: $123.11
Medical: $310.54
Auto Savings (just had a car repair): $60.60
Vacation Fund: $0.29
Memberships: $39.14
Clothing: $29.47
2016 Gifts Fund: $1583.40
Rental Property EFund: $223.96
Nephew Car Fund (partially funded by him) $782.08


H.S.A Medical Savings:

$944.36

Pending ALT INCOME

Ebates: $19.13
Amazon Gift Cards: $15.00
CC Rewards $14.96
CC Rewards 2 $49.48
BING 1 455/475 for $5 Amazon Gift Card Goal
BING 2 354/525 for $5 Amazon Gift Card Goal
My Coke Rewards1 372/670 for $10 Gift Card
My Coke Rewards2 422/670 for $10 Gift Card

It's been a while since I've posted - been super busy these last few months. We moved in July, finally got a renter into our townhouse last week, I am working OT, but not as much as before, been sick off & on and generally been living a lot.

We have had a LOT of social obligations. Never dull for me!

-My daughter turned One this month. We had a little party that my mom paid to be in a restaurant (she HAD to do my nieces and didn't want to be seen as favoring my sister's kids - that was her choice).
-Last weekend, I was at a bachelorette party.
-This weekend, my husband is going to the bachelor party.
-In September, we are attending a housewarming for friends (child friendly event)
-In September, we are attending a friend's house party (kid friendly)
-In October, we have 3 weddings - 2 out of state

We also are waiting for the rental income to come in. We have a renter, but are also using a property management company. Because of the renter starting mid-month and the PM fees, we won't see a full month's rental income coming to us until the middle of October, which will go to the 11/1 mortgage payment.

I have lots of cashflowing/savings goals -
-cashflowing budget deficit
-cashflowing wedding events/gifts/travel
-save 1 month Rental Mortage buffer
-save 1 month New Mortgage buffer
-Save 5k Rental Efund
-Cashflow tickets to an event in Oct
-cashflow new furniture

Fun stuff, people! I will say, that we are not revolving any credit card debt as we have been spending a lot. I am so thankful for overtime!

I also want to note that usually I buy Christmas gifts all year long - but not this year as I didn't want to move all the stockpile of gifts! So I need to get busy on that

Most savings went to the new house fund, but I saved $4393.56 in the month of May!

YTD Savings Total: $17,038.85

Tomorrow is payday & I have already set up all the savings transfers. I have been tracking those savings - per this paycheck, MTD and YTD 2016. We (my husband & I) have made HUGE progress this year!

Category This Paycheck - MTD - YTD Savings

New Home
$1,212.10 This Paycheck
$2,034.44 MTD
$10,321.75 YTD

Efund
$13.51 This Paycheck
$13.51 MTD
$117.92 YTD

Slush
$0.00 This Paycheck
$0.00 MTD
$450.00 YTD

Home Upkeep
$0.00 This Paycheck
$50.00 MTD
$250.00 YTD

Medical
$115.00 This Paycheck
$115.00 MTD
$678.00 YTD

Auto Repairs
$0.00 This Paycheck
$13.00 MTD
$343.00 YTD

Vacation
$20.00 This Paycheck
$20.00 MTD
$50.00 YTD
Memberships
$13.00 This Paycheck
$13.00 MTD
$39.00 YTD

Personal Items
$5.00 This Paycheck
$25.00 MTD
$55.00 YTD

Gifts Fund
$0.00 This Paycheck
$60.00 MTD
$431.95 YTD

Nephew Svgs
$62.00 This Paycheck
$62.00 MTD
$239.02 YTD

Daughter Svgs
$10.00 This Paycheck
$10.00 MTD
$93.00 YTD

CASH SAVINGS:
$175.00 This Paycheck
$385.00 MTD
$815.00 YTD

TOTAL
$1,625.61 4/15 PAYCHECK
$2,800.90 MTD
$13,883.64 YTD

I have been blessed with plenty of gifts and hand-me-down baby items. However, we are starting to get to the piont of having to fund our own clothing purchases for the little one. She'll be 8 months old in a week. Crazy, right?

My area has a very big FB Sales site geared towards family & kids.

I have had some successes selling and buying. Some things that haven't sold... it just depends.

I have even sold some things for my sister (after we used them for our little one) and given her back the money (she needs it more). Below, I do not count sales for my sister.

Overall, we really have lucked out. For example, I sold a large lot of newborn clothes to a lady who was donating them to a coworker in need. Both of us won on that deal!

Another example - I bought the infant car seat and 2 bases from a good friend whose daughter only used it for 3 months. We knew for sure it was not in any accidents, etc. We paid $100 for 3 month old supplies

My daughter used it for 6 months and then moved into a convertable car seat. I turned around and sold it on the FB sales site this week for $50. Can't beat that!

2016 Tally:

-Sold: lot of newborn clothes $50
-Sold: 3 1/2 shirts for newborns $6
-Sold: newborn shirts $10
-Sold: extra boppy cover $5
-Sold: 6 3 month onesies $8
-Sold: 9 3-6 mo onesies $10
-Sold: minnie mouse outfit $8
-Sold: car seat & 2 bases $50
-Purchased: 5 12 month summer outfits $12
-Purchased: 5 12 month dressy outfits $12

Net Profit: $123