Saturday, February 28, 2015

Budget March 1-15

$1,480 Mortgage
$390 student loan (the minimum payment is $202.37)- I make payments twice a month
$70 savings
$60 pet plan
$90 groceries
$224 spending
$100 gas

I have saved $2,659.25 in my online savings account (I also have a $10,000 emergency fund that I keep in my checking account). I have $874.96 in my dental fund and $520.25 in my (work) travel fund.  Over the next 3 months I have 3 work trips planned and I just came back from a trip yesterday. My schedule is filing up fast and I will probably add a few more.  These trips can be a little pricey and, again, my usual complaint is it takes the firm approximately 3 months to reimburse travel expenses. Unfortunately, all of my extra case (any cash leftover in any budgeted category) will be going to my travel fund, rather than my student loans.  This is so frustrating!!!

My credit card is paid off and remains at $0.  Student loan A is currently at $19,687.94 (which includes interest through the end of March) and Student loan B is currently at $2,538.26 (which includes interest through the end of March).  I have an additional $870 payment budgeted for my March 16-31 budget.

Personally, I feel a bit depressed.  I really want to see major progress on these student loans and I still don't feel like I'm getting there.  I'm still really frustrated with my work situation and recently I have gotten a lot of additional work dumped on me.  I've been having to cover for an attorney out on maternity leave and the other attorney quit after Christmas (both in the central/south Florida office). I'm extremely busy and my boss feels the need to volunteer for miscellaneous projects which he then, of course, dumps on me.  I'm pretty much the only one in the north Florida office working at this time.  My boss' assistant sits at her desk and plays on the internet and reads a book all day.  I'm not even exaggerating- she tells me about once a week bored she is, but how she is getting so much reading done.  She's making over $60,000 a year to do this. I have to go get ready so I can go to work, for the second weekend in a row. 

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Student Loan Milestone

I forgot to celebrate! My smaller student loan- Student loan B fell below $3,000 with my last payment!!It now stands at approximately $2,773.  I think I will celebrate in $500 increments for now.  Once the dental work is done I will start celebrating in $1000 increments! 

Monday, February 16, 2015

A day off

Today the office was closed for President's day.  I had a really nice day.  I am not looking forward to going into work tomorrow, but I am going to push that aside.  My sister is interviewing for a job out of state, if she gets it that will mean major changes to my budget.  However, I hope she gets it because it will mean that she gets a $20,000 pay raise. Please keep your fingers crossed for her. 

Meanwhile, I'm still looking for a job.  I haven't heard of anything, but I hope to start networking with other attorneys soon.  Please keep your fingers crossed for me too. Apparently, the partner in the south Florida office is aware of the disruption going on in this north Florida office.  I don't think it will help, but I'm glad she knows. 

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Budget for February 16-28 and Student loan update

 Here it is:

$260 utilities
$100 groceries
$100 savings
$750 dental fund
$385 student loan
$34 alarm monitoring
$500 Mother's bday
$190 spending
$100 gas

For the month of February I was able to put $975 towards my student loans! Yay!  I made a $350 payment from my January 31 paycheck.  Later I made a $625 payment from my February 13 paycheck (this includes my budgeted $385 payment plus the leftover from the $500 budgeted for my mother's bday.  My sister and I split the cost of her gift).  So, as of 2/28/15 I will owe $19,792.40 on loan A and $2,771.48 on loan B (these amounts include interest charges through 2/28/15).  Thus, I will owe a grand total of $22,563.8!  I'm so happy I dropped into the $22,000s!  I feel like I am finally seeing progress. Loan B is now paid up through July 16, 2021!

Oh, I finished Gray Mountain by John Grisham- it was a nice easy read and I really enjoyed the book.  That's all I will say because by trade I am a defense attorney and would be the villain in any Grisham book! :)

I may have an update later regarding future budgets, but I will wait to see what happens before I even open that door. 

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Budget and Updates

February 1-15 Budget

$1,447 mortgage--this will be going up to $1,480 due to property tax increases in March
$350 Student Loan
$60 savings
$60 pet plan- I have to cancel this this year-seriously!
$80 groceries
$227 spending
$90- voluntary bar association membership fee
$100 gas

I know it's only February, but I am already disappointed in my student loan payoff amounts.  I'm ready to see the numbers start really dropping.  I only paid $625 on my student loans in January (A $275 payment from my 12/30/14 paycheck and $350 from my 1/30/15 paycheck).  My minimum payment is $202.37.  I think I am going to revise my upcoming budgets to put more money towards student loans-it might help motivate me.  I still owe approximately $23,200 on my student loans. 

As far as my 2015 goals- I did read 2 books in January.  I read Sharp Objects by Gilliam Flynn and Beautiful Chaos by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia.  For February, I have already completed Beautiful Redemption (also by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia).  I have just started Gray Mountain by John Grisham.  Till next time kids!