Income & Spending....the November Edition

Now that we are living on an annuity, 401K$ withdrawals, personal savings and social security payments, I am still going to keep track of our monthly spending and income, and hopefully we'll still be able to live BELOW our means and I'll have some leftover monies each month to tuck aside.

We went into retirement in June of 2017 with no debt, no mortgage nor a car payment.

I am trying to be as transparent as I can with how much is coming in and how much is going out. 8-)

On to the November report--

I have 2 goals for November.....

The 1st is to actually finish the month in the black and not the red.

The 2nd is to try to have a little cash leftover at the end of the previous month to tuck back into a slush fund.  This slush fund may be applied toward unforeseen bills that are coming due in subsequent months, to spend on "extras/wants" during the year or to just sit there and grow until the end of 2024.

*  I do not include/report on our retirement accounts here, just the non-retirement ones.

I'm happy to report that we finished up November in the black.

The amount extra we ended the month of November with?....$2,650.86

Income or Funds We Can Access

The "income" in November---

*  Monthly annuity payment of $2,530.11

*  SS income of $3,828.70

*  Interest earned on non-retirement accounts of $970.48

Total "Income" for November....$7,329.29

Expenses in November---

*  Irregular bills in November were $3,683.05

*  Variable expenses in November came to $287.95

*  Medical Premiums in November were $707.43

Total Expenses....$4,678.43

$7,329.29-$4,678.43=$2,650.86.

Slush Fund coming into November of $83,268.64 and the addition of $2,650.86 in November, our end of November 2024 Slush Fund comes to $85,919.50.

The Slush Fund, on it's own page(tab at the top of the blog), shows an addition of $2,650.86.

Outgo

As for the variable expenses this November, here are the good and bad side of things.....

Here are the GOOD THINGS

*  The water bill is the same as the previous month.
*  The WAM was the same as in October.
*  The electric bill was $42.08 lower than the previous month
*  The Hubs Amazon card was $191.81 less than in October.

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  The cellphone bill was $10.08 higher than in October.
*  The My Amazon card was $35.59 higher than last month.
*  Hubs Aviator card was $531.99 higher than in October.
*  My Aviator card was $491.92 higher than last month.:
And we had some one off bills in November--
*  We had additional Car Insurance due to the tune of $223.97 because the new car is newer than the old car we traded in.
*  We had an AARP bill of $16.00.  Because of my UnitedHealthcare medigap plan I am forced to have an AARP membership. 8-(
*  We paid a Doctor copay out of the regular account for $20.00.
*  We had a bill of $27.98 for the coat I bought.

The Food Budget costs for November are in another post HERE.  Food costs are included in my credit card payments(mainly because I buy the food but sometimes these costs come out of our WAM cash too).

FINAL THOUGHTS for November 2024---We had a few extra bills in November, but nothing we couldn't handle.  The extra monies was smaller than it could have been but we still had a surplus once the month was out.

GOING FORWARD INTO December 2024--I don't think I'll spend as much in December but the bill for the car is arriving in December. ouch
We will have the Long Term Care premiums due plus expenses for the Holidays too.

Here's hoping 2024 treats us all even better financially! 8-))

So how was your November financially?

Did you spend less than the income you had in November?

Did you stay within your budget or not?

What did you do with any money leftover at the end of the month?

Did you pay down/off any debts or put extra toward your mortgage principle or into savings, in an emergency fund or retirement account?

Or did you blow all your excess monies after bills were paid on a "want"?

If you post your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can  go check out your progress too and celebrate or commiserate with you!

Sluggy

Income & Spending.....the September Edition

Now that we are living on an annuity, 401K$ withdrawals, personal savings and social security payments, I am still going to keep track of our monthly spending and income, and hopefully we'll still be able to live BELOW our means and I'll have some leftover monies each month to tuck aside.

We went into retirement in June of 2017 with no debt, no mortgage nor a car payment.

I am trying to be as transparent as I can with how much is coming in and how much is going out. 8-)

On to the September report--

I have 2 goals for September.....

The 1st is to actually finish the month in the black and not the red.

The 2nd is to try to have a little cash leftover at the end of the previous month to tuck back into a slush fund.  This slush fund may be applied toward unforeseen bills that are coming due in subsequent months, to spend on "extras/wants" during the year or to just sit there and grow until the end of 2024.

*  I do not include/report on our retirement accounts here, just the non-retirement ones.

I'm happy to report that we finished up September in the black.

The amount extra we ended the month of September with?....$3,811.54

Income or Funds We Can Access

The "income" in September---

*  Monthly annuity payment of $2,530.11

*  SS income of $3,828.70

*  Interest earned on non-retirement accounts of $1,413.06

Total "Income" for September....$7,771.87

Expenses in September---

*  Irregular bills in September were $0.00

*  Variable expenses in September came to $3,252.90

*  Medical Premiums in September were $707.43

Total Expenses....$3,960.33

$7,771.87-$3,960.33=$3,811.54.

Slush Fund coming into September of $67,630.38 and the addition of $3,811.54 in September, our end of September 2024 Slush Fund comes to $71,441.92.

The Slush Fund, on it's own page(tab at the top of the blog), shows an addition of $3,811.54.

Outgo

As for the variable expenses this September, here are the good and bad side of things.....

Here are the GOOD THINGS

*  The cellphone bill was .06¢ higher than in August.
*  The WAM was the same as the previous month.
*  My Amazon card was $229.32 less than in August.
*  The Joint Mastercard was $32.64 less than last month.
*  Hubs Amazon card was $326.91 less than in August.
*  Hubs Aviator card was $2,484.14 less than last month.
*  My Aviator card was $289.68 less than in August.

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  The Water bill was $2.10 more than August's bill.
*  The electric bill was $46.65 more than the previous month.
*  The joint Mastercard was $8.08 higher than in August.(not a big thing)

The Food Budget costs for September are in another post HERE.  Food costs are included in the credit card payments(mainly but sometimes our WAM cash too).

FINAL THOUGHTS for September 2024---Financially it was a good month.

GOING FORWARD INTO October 2024--We've got three irregular bills--house insurance(ouch!) and the dogs go to the vet and the groomers.  So the 0outgo will be about $1,600 higher in October for those alone.  We are also still trying to recoup what we paid out for the Alaska cruise we couldn't go on in August due to a medical issue.  The cruise line only refunded 25% of what we paid and is making us go through the travel insurance we purchased to get the rest of what we are out.

Here's hoping 2024 treats us all even better financially! 8-))

So how was your September financially?

Did you spend less than the income you had in September?

Did you stay within your budget or not?

What did you do with any money leftover at the end of the month?

Did you pay down/off any debts or put extra toward your mortgage principle or into savings, in an emergency fund or retirement account?

Or did you blow all your excess monies after bills were paid on a "want"?

If you post your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can  go check out your progress too and celebrate or commiserate with you!

Sluggy

2018 Income & Spending Report......September Update

Now that we are living on an annuity(like a pension) and 401K$ withdrawals(retirement savings), I am still going to keep track of our monthly spending and income, and hopefully we'll still be able to live BELOW our means and I'll have some leftover monies each month to tuck aside.

But this money leftover at the end of each month, at least for now(as we find our new financial "normal")won't be saved toward a yearly Savings Challenge.  This leftover cash will go into a "Slush Fund" for now to be used if we have any emergencies come up during the year.  If we still have Slush Funds at the end of the year we'll decide then what to do with those funds.

I have set up a page to track the Slush Fund.  Click on the tab marked "Slush Fund 2018" at the top of the blog.

  I am trying to be as transparent as I can with how much is coming in and how much is going out.  8-)

On to the September 2018 report--

I had 2 goals for September......
The 1st is to actually finish the month in the black and not the red.
The 2nd is to try to have a little cash leftover at the end of the previous month to tuck back into a slush fund.  This slush fun may be to apply toward unforeseen bills that are coming due in subsequent months, to spend on "extras/wants" during the year or to just sit there and grow until the end of 2018.

I have to report that we finished up September in the black.
The extra amount we ended the month of September with?.......$1,748.61

Income or Funds We Can Access

The "income" in September---

* Monthly annuity payment of $3218.16(after tax withholding)
* RMSA(Healthcare account)reimbursement of $1813.48
* One third of 401K withdrawal balance(after funding Sinking Fund)for September of $615.69 #
* Interest earned on non-retirement accounts of $380.82
* A $34.99 refund on a Woman Within order
* Two stock dividends totaling $99.12

Total "Income" for September......$6,162.26

# We made a 3rd quarter 401K withdrawal in July of $6K.  After withholding for taxes due we got $5147.07 net.  $3300.00 of that gets put into the Sinking Fund to cover irregular bills coming due this quarter(house insurance in Aug., LTC insurance and school taxes in Sept). $1847.07 is the balance of the 3rd quarter 401K withdrawal.  This got divided by 3 and gives us $615.69 extra in July to add to the income for the month(Aug. and Sept. also got $615.69)for general expenses.

Expenses in September---

* Healthcare Premium for September was $1813.48.(paid with RMSA reimbursement)
* Variable Expenses in September came to $2600.17

Sinking Fund--The balance in the Sinking Fund coming into September was $3209.48.  The school taxes were due and paid-$2220.84-as well as the Long Term Care policy premiums were due and paid-$520.27, so outgo of $2741.11. The Sinking Fund goes into October at $468.37.


We went into September with $22,251.76 in the Slush Fund.
Add in September's overage of $1748.61 to the Slush Fund and it stands at $24,000.37 going into October.

Outgo

As for the variable expenses this September, here are the good and the bad side of things....

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

*  Phone charges and internet were approximately the same as in August.(Within $1 or so).
*  The electric bill was $13.72 lower than last month.
*  The cash WAM withdrawals were the same as last month.
*  The health insurance premium was the same as in August.

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  The water bill was $4.55 higher than last month.
*  The c/c bill was up $937.82 higher than in August.
*  The gas card bill was $33.39 higher than last month.
*  There was a $13.12 charge card bill on Hubs' Discover.

The Food Budget costs for September are in another post, which is located HERE.  Food costs are covered in the credit card payment(sometimes our WAM cash too).

So we end September in the black with $1748.61 in new general overage to add to the Slush Fund.
The Sinking Fund goes into October standing at $468.37.

FINAL THOUGHTS on September---
It was a fair month in terms of low spending/bills.  We spent some money on eating out and I paid some charges for our Fall trip on this CC bill cycle.

THOUGHTS going forward into October 2018----This month there are no irregular bills due.
The WAM withdrawal will be the same in October, $200.  The c/c will be pretty high due to the trip.  There are no irregular bills due this month.
We only have car insurance semi-annual payment in November and the quarterly Long Term Care premiums in December which combined comes to approx. $1600.  Instead of making a 4th quarter 401K withdrawal in October we'll probably just cash flow these two bills when they come up, taking some money out of the Slush Fund balance to cover them.

So how was your September financially?
  

Did you spend less than the income you had in September?
Did you stay within your budget or not?
What did you do with any money leftover at the end of the month?
Did you pay off any debts or put extra toward your mortgage principle or into savings, in an emergency fund or a retirement account?
Or did you blow it on a want?

If you posted your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can go check out your progress too and celebrate or commiserate with you!

Make this year was the one were you clean up your finances and pay off your debts.
Plan to set something aside if you didn't already or increase what you have banked now for your future self.
Or pay extra on the principle of your mortgage if your house isn't already paid off.

Live below your means and keep some change for a rainy day....because no matter how sunny it is in your life now, dark clouds come along and you'll be glad you have that umbrella to keep you dry.

Sluggy

$20K Savings Challenge.....NOVEMBER Update

Ok, here is my NOVEMBER Savings Challenge Update post for 2012.

This post is NOT about bragging or showing off.  It's just what we are able to save given our income and being able to hang tough against "unconscious" spending.

Just to update, My Savings Goal for the Year in 2012 is $20,000.  It's well below what I've saved in previous years I know.  But we also have a goal of paying for 4 home improvement projects at Chez Sluggy this year.  We plan on cash-flowing these projects with the additional money we save and/or our income tax refund.
Our background info--We are a family of 5(kids are 21-16)with one living away from home.  We have 2 dogs. We own 4 cars at present and live in/own free & clear a 4 bedroom house in a small town.

On to the November report.....

I have posted my NOVEMBER End of Month $20K $AVING$ CHALLENGE Totals.
Check out the side bar to your right for the specific numbers.

I have 2 goals each month.....
The 1st is to actually finish each month in the black and not the red.
The 2nd is to hit the targeted savings amount of $1,666.67.

I have to report that we finished up November in the black!
The extra cash amount we ended the month of November with?.......$6,762.91

Income
We had $6,752.37 left over from our income after our monthly expenses were deducted. 

Add in a teeny bit of interest at $.54 from the interest bearing checking account and a rebate check worth $10.00 and it brought our gain to $6,762.91 for November.

Outgo

As for the expenses this November......

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

* The water bill was the same as last month.

* The credit card bill decreased by $270.
* The cash withdrawals were $50 lower.

*  Music lessons went down.

And the big one....

* There were NO car maintenance/repair bills in November.

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  The medical/dr. bills were $125 higher than last month.

*  The electric bill went up by $72, mostly due to the heat being on fulltime now.

The Food Budget costs for NOVEMBER are in another post, which is located HERE. 

We managed to stay within our $400 food budget in November.

YEAR-TO-DATE GRAND TOTAL.....
With 11 months behind us, our Savings Grand Total for 2012 is at  $26,351.38!

We have hit our target for the year and then some.  That 3 paycheck month in November put us well over the top.

And there is one more month to go!   Even though we have passed the Challenge Goal, I'm going to keep with it to the end of the year.  Maybe I can add another thousand or two to my Grand Total for 2012.
 ***************
I'm so happy we hit the Goal before we end the year.  We were lagging behind on the targets for each month so many times earlier in the year.
And don't think I didn't have one BIG URGE to just take that extra 3rd paycheck in November and not count it and put it toward this savings challenge!
With Christmas so close, I could have seen myself take that big wad of paycheck cash and blow it on one massive Mother Of All Christmas Spending Sprees!  Like a blast from the shopping/Xmas spending past it would have been!
So sweet.....especially with where financially things are heading for us little guys after we jump off the fiscal cliff in 2013 and beyond.  It would have been a last hurrah of blatant consumerism, right? ;-)

But I kept it together and didn't go back to those old ways and kept my grimy little fingers off that check and sent it to savings to keep us that much more solvent in the coming years.
It's not as flashy and fun but it helps me sleep well at night, which is worth all the new trinkets and gadgets in the world. 8-)

*******************

As for a look ahead at DECEMBER.......

*  No irregular bills are due this month.

*  Normal monthly bills only are expected.
*  We may have a car repair bill this month.

Be sure and check back with me after 2012 ends on our final tally for this Savings Challenge.  Let's see if I can run through the tape at the finish line! 8-)

So how was your November financially?
Did you spend less than you made?
Did you stay within your budget or not?
How much of your income did you save in November?  And did you use it to pay down debt or build your Emergency Fund?

Even if what you are able to save each month doesn't look like a lot of money, figure out what percentage of your income you saved.  You might feel that it's a more substantial amount in those terms!

We saved approx. 74% of our take home income in November.  My goal is to shoot for 50% each month but that extra paycheck made my percentages shoot quite high.  It's too bad I can't get it that high in a normal month.  We do have 2 kids in college and another one headed there in another 18 months.....so we NEED to be saving like crazy.

But most months aren't this insanely good.

Leave a comment and share with us what you did with your money, both the good and not-so good.
Did you have debt you were able to pay on?
Did you pay off a car, a house or a credit card?
Did something financial blow up on you last month?
What are you doing financially to change your life?

If you posted your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can go check you out too and cheer you on!

Sluggy

$30K Savings Challenge JUNE 2010 Totals.....Treading Water this Month!

I have posted my JUNE End of Month $30K $AVING$ CHALLENGE Totals.
Check out the side bar to your right for the specific numbers.

I have to report that we finished up June in the black....just BARELY!

The extra cash amount we ended the month of June with was.......$547.73.

Income
We had $260.53 left over of DH's salary after expenses were deducted. Add in some rolled coins amounting to $10.50, $44.00 in Rebates &, along with a $276.70 business expense voucher for Hubs and you have a deposit of $547.73 toward the Savings Challenge!

Seeing as our monthly target is $2,500.00 to reach our Year End Goal, we are waaaaay short again this month.

Outgo
As for the expenses in June.....it was our most expensive month so far this year!

The water bill almost doubled(extra showers/laundry/dishes for extra people here + the pool) and the electric bill went up about $12(extra hot June=a/c on a few days).

 The credit card bill(paid off each month)was over $1700. 
$750 of that was a car repair & car related expenses(besides gas). 
$200 of the $1700 was pool chemicals & $120 for assorted teens' clothing needs. 
$70 went for Hubs internet chess club dues.  
The rest was gas and some eating out charges and was within our normal range of expenses.

Out-of-the-ordinary expenses in June besides the CC Bill ones.....
There were people Dr. visits and follow-up dog Dr. visits for assorted people and dogs here, respectively.
There was another car repair to the tune of $775+. 
And then there was the camp payment for #2 son....2 weeks of fun doesn't come cheap at $945.
So basically we had $2600+/- in out-of-the-ordinary expenses this month.


The Food Budget costs for June are in another post, which is located HERE.  Food/Toiletries spending in June was $77.26 under the budgeted $250.00 amount and our Savings percentage was 89.30% which is awesome.

Looking Ahead to July....
I'll only be feeding 3 people for most of this month & the garden should start producing, so I am hoping for lower food spending.
The Credit Card bill is at $400 for the next statement period with 9 days left until it closes.  I'm hoping we can keep it around $500 and only put some gas purchases on it.
We'll try to lower the electric usage.  I don't have high hopes for containing the water costs since the pool is in operation.

I am determined to get through July frugally(barely some financial emergency)with only 1 child at home and to meet our monthly goal of $2,500 saved this month.

YTD Standings....
We have a Year To Date Total of $16,621.47 in Savings.  To save $30K for the year, we need to put away $2,500 per month average.  With our expensive June, we are now just barely ahead of schedule at this point in the year.

So how was your June financially?  Leave a comment and share with us what you did with your money, both the good and not-so good.   Do you have any tricks or tips that help you to end your month before the money runs out?    Let us know!
If you posted your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can go check you out too!


Sluggy