Well it's been a good few weeks around here financially--
First, hubs got a raise(rah!)so the biweekly paychecks are a bit heftier so that gives us a little more to tuck away into savings each month.
Secondly, hubs had his annual review and his bonus arrived in the last paycheck for February. It's less than last year's bonus but still a goodly sum. Now to figure out where to allocate it and soon, so that if anything will go into long term savings I would like to get that earning some interest asap.
Thirdly, the Feds accepted our tax return(rah!)and the refund was deposited into our account earlier this week. I am still in a state of shock that I didn't screw up the Education Credit forms for the first time ever! this year.
While the tax refund was smaller this year(even with giving away TWO CARS to charity!!)we are thrilled to get anything back. We did realize this year that hubs still had 4 deductions on the withholding from when our daughter was still a dependent so we dropped that down to 3. Since hubs income was more last year with his bonus than it will be this year this will all be a wash in terms of refunds going up or down next tax season.
Fourthly, we have stayed out of stores(other than grocery types)the last 2 months so the credit card bill(which "cuts" on Monday or Tuesday next week)is under $300 so far, with no spending planned before then. Now if only this fricking ARCTIC COLD would leave and stop playing havoc with our electric/heating bill, we could have a STELLAR month for lower expenses!
Fifthly(is that even a word?lol), we have satisfied our healthcare deductible as of a few days ago, due to all those tests I've had recently.
While this means we have $1,633.60 hemorrhaging out of our FSA(which is NOT a good financial thing in itself), it now means all my prescriptions and DME restocks will be at our 10% copay. Yes, paying $35.00 for something is much better than paying $350.00 for it. ;-) I just hope the pre copay bills arrive in a staggered fashion so we don't empty out the FSA in one fell swoop, since I need some cash in it to pay for copays on Rxs later this month.
Having satisfied the $4K deductible also means that my cataract surgery in 2 weeks won't be paid fully OOP(or should that be OOFSA?).
Sixthly(yes it IS a word!), the quarterly dividends for our paltry stock portfolio should be arriving by month's end. I'll throw these into wherever I end up putting a chunk of the bonus money. It won't make much of a difference but it beats a poke in the eye with a stick. 8-)
How are your finances doing lately?
Sluggy
we are still suffering from the unexpected trip back to Britain in January. Hopefully things will settle down financially by the end of March!!
ReplyDeleteIt is 60 here today, and I am as cold as I was three days ago. However, the heat is off, and I have on my coat. I just refuse to use heat/electricity on a day like today. It is almost hot outdoors. This old house stayed warm for a few days after it turned cold. And, it will stay cold after it warms now. I dread to see my electric bill this month. They read the meter on the tenth, so maybe the next month's reading will be low on April reading.
ReplyDeleteI had one med that was $490. Thankfully, it was a one-time thing nd I did not have to pay the full price..
Congrats to hubby on the raise! :) Things are getting better here now that we've moved & settled in, thankfully! Income tax is coming back soon & it's a nice chunk!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the raise and the bonus! It was 80 here in Florida a few days ago, now back into the 60s during the day and 30s at night. My utility bill has been crazy lately because of the manic weather.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the good financial month.
ReplyDeleteI found out today I have to have cataract surgery soon. Pooh! The doc can no longer correct my vision with glasses. The cataracts are now big enough to affect my vision. Ugh!
Congratulations on your husband's raise. Sounds like you are doing very well in your finances. :)
ReplyDeleteThursday, we got notice that we can't be exempt from getting health insurance through the ACA for 2015. I haven't read it through yet, but it seems like they didn't give a reason. We followed the instructions and made phone calls. I think someone gave us some wrong information. Now, it's too late to rectify NOT getting insurance through the exchange. The deadline has passed. We will be looking into getting individual health insurance, but I think we should start laughing now. If it isn't affordable through the ACA, it certainly won't be through BC/BS. We'll probably end up taking the penalty. I found out they don't CALL it a penalty, but it really is. Friday, we got our taxes done. We expected the worse. We got married in October, and someone told us that it was a bad move as far as taxes go. It turns out we're getting back about $40 less than last year. We will sock it away in savings. We are in the process of moving our mutual funds from an account that uses an advisor to an online account that doesn't. It will be a savings of $85 a year. We aren't adding to the account, or taking any more out, so we will just be letting it ride. We will talk to the advisor one more time to ask questions about the literature we are reading and ask him if our current investments are fine where they are, then we will probably change the account over. We got our last big propane refill of the season, and we are buying only what we need at the grocery - no stocking up, and we are using what is in the freezer and pantry, so we feel good about these things. The water went up again, and we don't know why, so if our next bill isn't what it was 4 months ago, we need to investigate. Still no full-time job offers for my wife. There are a few things that she is waiting to hear about. We're keeping our fingers crossed. For the most part, life is good.
ReplyDeleteMore in then out, so far this year.
ReplyDeleteDarned if I know - we still don't have no stinkin budget! This week is a come to the Lord meeting of taxes and such.
ReplyDeleteMe thinks Dr. Spo will have to take the budget by the ears and wrestle it himself into submission. 8-)
DeleteHow nice that your husband got a raise, now put it to good use!
ReplyDeleteConrats to hubs on his raise and bonus. I didn't think either of those things existed anymore. ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou are doing AMAZINGLY!!!! Filthy is a word but I'm not sure about fifthly. But since I didn't get a red squiggly line under it from spell check, I say you are golden.
ReplyDelete