Struggling to be debt free

I wrote a post a few months ago about retirement savings.  The gist of the post was how much to save for retirement and whether I was on track.  Since then I have read a bunch about retirement savings on various personal finance blogs and various articles, etc about retirement savings. I noted that many of the articles that I read focused on saving a particular percentage of your income for retirement.  Some indicate 10-15% should be saved for retirement.  Dave Ramsey indicates that %15 should be saved for retirement. I saved $9,500 for retirement this year.  That was 11.7% of my gross income income (before my raise) and 15.6% of my net income (again before the raise). When I started saving for retirement I decided to start with approximately 15% of my net and try to work up to 15% of my gross income.  However, at 35, I only have approximately $20,900 saved for retirement. Over the holiday break I was working on my goals for 2018 and I wondered if I shoul...

Just a quick pop in to say that I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (US readers)! I had a great time with family and I am looking forward to Christmas!

I guess because its getting close to the end of the year, I have been thinking a lot lately about the future. There are several things I want to do over the next 5 years.  So this is almost a bucket list of things to do before I hit 40: 1. Have retirement savings of over $100,000 by the time I turn 40 (or at least sometime that year). 2. Have the outside of the house pressure washed and painted. 3. Have the inside of the house painted 4. Remodel the kitchen 5. Remodel the master bathroom. 6. Buy a new laptop. 7. Purchase bedroom furniture, including a nice new mattress to replace my 14 year old mattress. 8. Buy a new car. 9. Pay down the mortgage significantly to at least a balance of $150,000.  I was going over my yearly budget for next year and I wonder where I will find the money to accomplish all of these goals over the next five years.   Do you have any major financial goals that you would like to accomplish over the next 5 years?  What are they...

Friday morning I went into the garage to go to work and my car wouldn't start.  My sister had not yet left for work and was able to jump my car.  I drove my car to the shop and told the guy I brought my car in exactly a week ago for an oil change (literally exactly one week).  I also told him that when I got my car back from that oil change I had to reset all of the clocks in my car because for some reason the mechanic had disconnected by battery.  I also made sure that he knew that I had paid for a brand new alternator and battery this summer.  (Gotta love 11 going on 12 year old cars!)  Anyways after a couple of hours my car was ready.  It was allegedly a bad battery.  (I'm not so sure that I believe that, especially since just last week they allegedly checked my battery and said it was just fine).  I didn't have to pay anything as every thing was covered under the warranty, but it was inconvenient.  My new neighbors' dogs continue t...

Another short post for this morning. So I submitted all of my travel reimbursement forms from my recent trip up north.  The total reimbursements owed to me were about $1,500.  I specifically asked that the amount be promptly reimbursed because I didn't want to carry airfare and hotel expenses on my credit card.  The bookkeeper agreed to pay those with my next paycheck. While I still have travel reimbursements outstanding since August and October totaling about $800 at least I will be getting the big portion of the money owed to me before the end of the month. I going to count this one as a win! I don't have to switch money around to cover the $1,500 in work expenses.  I will work next month on my other travel reimbursements.

Just a short post this morning.  I called about a week and a half ago (11/3) to have someone come out and provide an estimate for trimming the trees in my backyard.  He came out that same day and quoted $950 (for about 8 trees).  Just a few days later (11/8) he was out here with his crew trimming the trees.  They did a great job! They removed all of the branches that needed to be removed and cleaned up all of the debris from the backyard.  Not one single branch was left.  I wasn't home at the time (but my sister was) and she gave them cold water and snacks.  I didn't know which day they were coming so I didn't leave her with my checkbook or cash (For tips).  Anyways, I spoke to the guy the next day and got the final amount ($950) and wrote him a check for $1,050 (the $950,plus a $100 tip).  I was never so happy to pay someone for a service! He even called yesterday, advised me that he received the check and thanked me for the prompt payment a...

I purchased my home in 2013 for $247,000 on a 30 year mortgage.  The mortgage was for $234,650, meaning I put down just 5% in order to purchase the home.  I am trying desperately to get rid of the PMI on my mortgage which is $115  per month.  I have been paying an extra $290 per month on the principal since approximately August or September of this year when I got my $5,000 raise.  Prior to that I was only paying an extra $150 per month on the mortgage.  A sort of secret goal that I had for this year was to pay more in principal than I did in interest on the mortgage.  As of this month (maybe last month, I didn't do the math) I have accomplished that goal.  That is mostly thanks to the raise that I received (half of the net amount of the raise has been going to the mortgage).   Year-to-Date Totals Principal $6,283.81 Interest $6,018.77 The current balance of the mortgage is $210,382.  I should easily make my goal of getting the...

I have had a lot of travel expenses for work these last few months.  I have already submitted over $700 in travel expenses for August, September and October.  Yesterday evening I came back from a trip up North and I have already documented over $1,200 in travel expenses (airfare, hotel, etc.).  I think there are few more expenses I am missing (i.e. checked bag costs and meals). I am worn out from all the travel and cannot wait until Friday (Veteran's Day Observed), a day off.  However, I will be taking my car in for an oil change on that day. That's more $$$ that I will be spending.  (I wonder how people can travel so much and not be tired).  I am also hoping to get some trees trimmed in the back yard to the tune of $950. A mini "The Struggle this Week" 1. I need my travel expenses reimbursed prior to the Holidays. I don't think that will happen. It usually takes about 3 months.  That will be next year. 2. I have at least 2 more work trips befo...

Third Quarter Update - Goals 2017 1. Increase emergency fund from $15,000 to $17,500.-IN PROGRESS I have $16,005 in my EF currently.  less than 3 months to get this where it should be. 2. Add $9,500 to my retirement with an overall goal of having $20,000 in retirement savings by the end of the year.--COMPLETE I have contributed $9,500 to retirement this year.  I believe between my roth and taxable I have approximately $20,500 for retirement.   3. Pay an extra $100 a month on the mortgage, with an end goal of having the balance under $210,000 by the end of the year.- IN PROGRESS.  I have paid at least $100 extra on each mortgage payment so far this year. The last few months I have put $290 extra on my mortgage.  4. Save an additional $2,500 into car replacement fund with the end goal of having $5,000 in the car replacement fund by the end of the year. IN PROGRESS I have over $4,547 saved towards a new car. 5. Pay off furniture I bought before exp...