May 6, 2019
On Money
Income
Our primary income comes from our full time jobs. We earn money on the side, including tiny cash flow we don’t touch from an investment property and investing in dividend stocks.
Our side income comes from Swagbucks, rare sales on Poshmark, cash back sites (Ebates, Mr.Rebates), and tracking physical activity through Achievement (my introduction to it). Some posts have affiliate links that pay a tiny commission to keep the blog running.
The long term goal is to replace our day job income in case my health prevents me from working.
***
Dividend income. We received $184 in dividends this month. Our year to date net dividends are $1,113.44. I reinvest all our dividends.
Merch sales! Maggie was so kind as to give me some pointers on how to get started with Merch last year. She’s had serious success with it. I’m neither a fast learner or a great designer but I tried my hand at it and worked up several designs, and then waited. They sat there all year long with no movement so I’d forgotten about them in all the end of year work. It turns I had a couple of sales at the end of last year! The revenue showed up earlier but I wanted to wait until the 90 day return window closed before counting it. Exciting! No idea how to replicate that, and it was a drop in the bucket ($10), but it was neat.
(more…)
April 1, 2019
On Money
Income
Our primary income comes from our full time jobs. We earn money on the side, including tiny cash flow we don’t touch from an investment property and investing in dividend stocks.
Our side income comes from Swagbucks, rare sales on Poshmark, cash back sites (Ebates, Mr.Rebates), and tracking physical activity through Achievement (my introduction to it). Some posts have affiliate links that pay a tiny commission to keep the blog running.
The long term goal is to replace our day job income in case my health prevents me from working.
***
Dividend income. We received $268 in dividends this month. Our year to date net dividends are $929.44. I currently reinvest all our dividends.
Book sales. Nothing like last month’s $45 but this month we had $15.83 come in from TextbookRush and another $7.60. They were pretty slow to actually process payment but they came through in the end. Anyone who says that you can just sell stuff in case you lose your source of income has a lot more sellable stuff than we do.
Going paperless. FINALLY Chase offered me $5 to go paperless with our checking account. Honestly I’d thought we were paperless already but I prefer to get paid for these things. 🙂 Sent that $5 directly to savings.
(more…)
March 27, 2019
This winter (December through March) was a lot less reading and lot more doing things but that wasn’t correlated – I don’t have time to read during the day!
It was just a coincidence that I ran short on reading material, needed more sleep, and had resolved to try to do one social thing per month all around the same time.
What I read
Tanja Hester, Work Optional – a fantastic book on the ideas and math behind early retirement, not just how fun it is.
Ilona Andrews, Magic Shifts (Kate Daniels Series, Book 8)
Magic Binds (Kate Daniels Series, Book 9)
Iron and Magic (The Iron Covenant, Book 1)
Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels Series, Book 10)
Mercedes Lackey, From a High Tower (Elemental Masters Series, Book 11)
Anne McCaffrey, Catalyst, Barque Cats Series, Book 1
Catacombs, Barque Cats Series, Book 2
Seanan McGuire, Chaos Choreography
A lot of free short stories from the Incryptid world. I love the Incryptid series.
John Scalzi, Head On: A Novel of the Near Future. I’ve really enjoyed the Lock In series.
Samantha Shannon, The Bone Season
J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts One and Two
I’m unwilling to spend any more money on Rowling’s franchise, she’s become deeply problematic over the years and probably always has been, but a friend lent me their copy of the book and I was curious. NOW I understand why another friend likes Scorpius.
Patricia Briggs. I’m well into this series mostly because of momentum and availability. Our library has a lot of the ebooks and hasn’t gotten a lot of the books I do want. But the social structure in her world is squicky.
(more…)
March 4, 2019
On Money
Income
Our primary income comes from our full time jobs. We earn money on the side, including tiny cash flow we don’t touch from an investment property and investing in dividend stocks.
Our side income comes from Swagbucks, rare sales on Poshmark, cash back sites (Ebates, Mr.Rebates), and tracking physical activity through Achievement (my introduction to it). Some posts have affiliate links that pay a tiny commission to keep the blog running.
The long term goal is to replace our day job income in case my health prevents me from working.
***
Dividend income. We received $504.44 in dividends this month – an unusually high month. Our year to date net dividends are $661.44. I reinvest all our dividends.
Book sales. I’m usually on the wrong end of that phrase! But I was thrilled to get the biggest quote I’ve ever gotten on an old textbook I’d used several years ago from topdollar4books. After giving myself my first ever blister erasing my notes (thankfully in pencil!) and sending it off firmly wrapped, this netted $45. They paid immediately (Paypal) upon receiving the book which was shockingly fast.
(more…)
February 4, 2019
On Money
Income
Our primary income comes from our full time jobs. We earn money on the side, including tiny cash flow we don’t touch from an investment property and investing in dividend stocks.
Our side income comes from Swagbucks, occasional sales on Poshmark, cash back sites like Ebates, Mr.Rebates, and tracking physical activity through Achievement (my introduction to it). Some posts have affiliate links that pay a tiny commission to keep the blog lights on.
The long term goal is to replace our day job income before my health declines enough to prevent me from working.
***
Dividend income. We received $157 in dividends this month and year to date net dividends are not surprisingly, $157. I currently reinvest all our dividends.
BeFrugal cashback. After a week long tussle with them, they finally paid me my cashback and $10 join up bonus ($31). I’m so annoyed with their irritating nonsensical “verifications” that after I withdraw the last of my money with them, I’m closing my account. Their extra .25% cashback is not worth it. Strong do not recommend.
(more…)
January 14, 2019
Hello 2019!
I started breaking out the new calendar year goals into a new post last year and I like that format.
{Money Goals}
I don’t know what PiC’s raise will be this year. I assumed he would get something nominal, though that could be wrong and I’m making myself paranoid about assuming right now. They had a few rounds of layoffs and normally that would come with a hiring or salary freeze year but there was confirmation that some raises were happening. I already negotiated mine for the new year, so that’s set and budgeted: we’re splitting it between our regular savings and saving for big expenses. Whatever PiC’s raise is in the spring, that’ll go into savings and cover increased expenses. Daycare will go up again, I’d love to put a little bit more toward mortgage principal, we’ll also need to add (and pay for) some activities for JB this year. If he doesn’t get one, I’ll shuffle our savings rate around a little to take care of those expenses.
- Investment vehicles: Max out PiC’s 401(k), both IRAs, reduce contributions for JB’s 529 to the annual $5000 Dependent Care FSA. I’ve got enough left from our cash savings in 2018 that was intended for investing to cover our IRAs right off the top this year. I set aside the cash for JB’s 529 at the end of last year and was able to do that for PiC’S IRA, this year we saved diligently enough that I can take my IRA out of the monthly equation. That will increase our cash flow by $459, which goes straight back into investing. I’m reducing the 529 contributions so I can focus on our retirement contributions this year.
- Save 35% of our income in cash for investing. This continues to be a stretch.
- Invest at least $30,000.
- Reduce mortgage principal by $15,000.
- Maintain charitable donations at same level as 2018 or 10% more.
- Maintain side income at $3500. This is going to be tough because none of this income is passive and we’re pretty crunched for time with the adjustments to our jobs of late. Edited to note: This is per year but I wouldn’t say no to per month!
- Create a FIRE outline. I’m still putting this one off. Our assets are low in comparison to even our lowest milestone goal for being comfortably retired.
{Health & Fitness}
I’m not in the mood for a lot of detail this year. Keeping it simple.
- No sugar, low carb.
- Walk every day, maybe hike the dogs twice a month.
- Put on sunblock always.
- Put JB in swim and self defense classes. ($200 a month, I think)
{Life}
- Continue to deal with the consequences of adopting a second dog – training, socializing, training, and training!
- Take a pretty cool vacation.
- Be grateful that I have an incredible partner and that I love my chosen family. Use that privilege and gratitude to help others.
:: What are you working on in 2019? How are you working on becoming the person you want to be ten years from now? Who would that person be?
January 7, 2019
How did we do with 2018 goals?
{Money Goals}
- Max out PiC’s 401(k), my IRA, his IRA, and one parent worth of contributions for JB’s 529. Done on all fronts but we had a cash boost from the home sale.
- Save 35% of our income in addition to the above contributions. No but this was always a stretch.
- Invest at least $50,000. We had most of this from our home sale, I did cash flow the rest of it and achieved the hardest part – committing the money to investments. I didn’t love buying high earlier in the year but the important thing was getting myself in the mindset to invest whatever cash we’re holding above our emergency fund cash, and that worked out well.
- Reduce mortgage principal by another $10,000. Win! Paid down $12,000 to principal.
- Increase charitable donations by 50%. Win! We did it.
- Increase side income from $2000 to $5,000. I didn’t hit $5000 if you don’t count investment income, I don’t.
- Create a FIRE outline. Nope.
(more…)