November 27, 2010
In another twist of the unusual, I spent a few hours cruising through the Black Friday crowds on a few missions with D yesterday. I typically don’t Black Friday but as he’s guesting with us, I would have gone with him even if I didn’t have to buy anything and that would have been a lot less stressful. Instead, I was spending an obscene amount of money on a highly consumeristic day and not even getting any bargains out of it.
PiC had tried to purchase a netbook for me as a birthday gift a while back but I balked because I wanted something so lightweight that the price points were far too high. Rejecting the reality that I’d need a netbook for travel and especially for business travel when he’d not be around to help with my bags, I insisted that I could wait. After hauling my beloved mainstay Vaio to and from work for one day, getting left by five buses in the dark, cold and wet, and nearly having to walk 2.5 miles lugging the 7 pounds of computer in addition to the usual work stuff, though, I realized: I’m not that tough.
Pretend as I might that I can soldier on through anything, I had a highly unusual meltdown that night and boy oh boy, that was a wake up call. Meeting challenges is fine, but why on earth create more for yourself?
Unfortunately, I woke up very late in the game which left me scrambling. With a lot of browsing and some help from online friends (thanks @brokeinthecity!!) and having spent a mint on the computer itself, I still needed software.
I’m looking at the poor and poorer choices of buying Microsoft Office for Home and Business for at least $200, or going without on a business trip and hoping that I can get by using the free trial (opening it 25 times total in two weeks) will do.
I ended up forking over $250 for a family pack of 3 Home and Business key cards because that was the only package available at Costco – I was expecting to pay $170 for a single use license.
Today’s D-Day: do I open it up and install, hoping PiC can Craigslist the other two license keys? Or do I leave it pristine and hope I can get through the trip without actually needing it?
And do I spend time today searching for a lightweight waterproof tote because the one I ordered two weeks ago never showed up? Because I would really love to stop shopping, but letting my new computer possibly get drenched in the sudden downpours I’ve been warned about is beyond stupid.
August 1, 2010
Katamari Accounting: I think it’s time to roll as many accounts into one as possible.
- 1. The Retirement Funds are now spawning a 4th account due to the rollover I initiated a couple days ago. Let’s make that one Roth and one “massive” IRA.
- 2. The e-fund is spread across CDs, and savings accounts in two different banks. I’d like to have two big honkin’ CDs: One is already a $15K 5-year term CD, the other might well encompass the rest of the cash as well as the soon-to-mature Prosperish Loan.
- 3. Pin Money, Moving and School just can’t make up their minds what they really want to be so they should just become Parental Medical Funds.
Financial Planning: Once I reorganize my finances, I need to help a friend structure some investments from an inheritance. We’re talking multiples of what I have personally, but not so much more I couldn’t create a cohesive plan.
Progress: It’s been a niggling thing in the back of my head that I haven’t been paying my fair share OR saving. This month’s increase, even after I paid a great deal of credit card bills off, is both surprising and puzzling. I’ve now redirected a small chunk of the direct deposit, previously all toward the expense account, to actual savings starting this month. Which brings me to ….
Urges and Splurges: In the spirit of absolute honesty, seeing my number go up when I don’t have a specific account that looks like it’s going begging makes me want want want. But ……..
Spending: As usual, binging and purging. By which I mean, I don’t get nice new clothes, underthings, hair ties, new phone, new anything that’s not strictly necessary so that I can spend several thousand dollars on my parents. They have both woefully neglected their dental care and I had no idea how bad it was until recently. I knew my dad needed dentures soon but just found out that many of his teeth are bad and so are Mom’s. I estimate that the costs will start around $10,000 for basic care.
Freelancing: If I want any extras in my life, I’m gonna have to work for it! Time to go hunting for more work.
Reality Check: Beyond that, in less than five years, I’m sure that Mom will need more assistance than Dad can provide. Heck, in two years, she could require a full scale assisted living situation and I don’t have anything near enough saved for that. Looking above, a whole $107K looks like a really tidy start until you realize that I may soon have to spend $60K/year on assisted living for my parent(s). Then I’m nowhere near ready for the future.
May 21, 2010
Speaking of weddings ….
The furthest distance I’ve ever traveled for a wedding was Miami. [2348 miles]
The furthest distance I’ve been invited to go is Greece (no go, sadly). [6900 miles]
Before age 25, the furthest I’d ever gone was Atlanta, and that was also the furthest I’d been invited to travel. [2190 miles]
The lowest cost (to me) destination wedding attended: Nashville [$350]
The highest cost (to me) destination wedding attended: Miami [$500]
The lowest cost (for them) wedding attended: Los Angeles [under $100]
The highest cost (for them) wedding attended: tie between Miami and Napa [both were six-figure weddings]
May 15, 2010
It’s been long enough since any graduations of my own that graduation ceremonies are now utterly unmotivating. Or so I say now. May is a bit early for my taste, but maybe around June I’ll feel the energy from Pomp and Circumstance!
In the meantime, there’s something about a) coming back to my old room and b) traveling on a Saturday that makes me just want to hole up like a hermit and so that’s what I’ve done today.
I’ve emerged to spend $30 in pursuit of grooming and feeding. Both were good.
The latter was a catch-me-up session with a dear friend whose family news left me stunned and wandering the mall with unseeing eyes for half an hour until my brain cleared. While there were no deaths, there was a close call, and several other life events as defined by say, your health care provider for qualification to change your plan have or will occur. None of the good ones, though. The best I could do with give great big hugs and wish things would improve, rapidly. Y’know the weird thing? I felt guilty. It all happened after I moved, and I thought, “well crap, my world didn’t completely fall apart aside from that one really tough week, but your family took the hit.”
It felt like the odd void of disaster in my family was moved to someone else I love. Crazy, I know.
In any case, I’ll be writing the usual cousin check for a graduation and another four years completed. As always, I’m inmensely proud and scrambling for an appropriate card to tuck it into because darned if I didn’t take the box of cards up north with me when I moved!
And can I say? I’ve missed this crazy SoCal sun!! I’ll have to remember how not to get sunburned tomorrow.
April 27, 2010
My friend asked me if I was going to buy a token something for myself when I got my first paycheck. Suggestions abounded. They sounded awfully nice but nothing really blazed up my desire. Well, a netbook, but that’s no kind of a “little” treat running between $400-500.
It’s just stuff. I just spent two weeks organizing, cleaning, and weeding out stuff with still more of it to do.
Besides that? I have a job. I’m facing down huge challenges and I’m getting paid to do what I wanted to learn how to do. I have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of at least a few people.
What object is necessary to “symbolize” my intrinsic satisfaction? By its very nature, my “accomplishment” suffices. What need do I have of obtaining an object as a reward for doing a job? [That’s what payday is for!]
I’m not above enjoying goodies like the new clothes that were necessary, and I sure don’t mind having the pocket money to have a meal out once in a while. But a reward simply for having a job? The truth is, I don’t need any rewards for doing my job. A job is a contract wherein I ply my trade and the employee pays me a fair wage for that. I’m ok with that.
April 21, 2010
New job, new salary, new savings goals
Ever since landing the job I’ve been on fire to write up a new budget and set my savings goals for the year. With a new set of demands on my income, I had no idea how much I’d be able to save but I’m bound and determined to work it out.
Let’s look at my major obligations
In a nutshell, the graph shows these items:
$2700/mo – allocated for all household expenses (my parents + mine) [SPEND]
$668.75/mo ($2675 total) – Debt to self to be repaid by July [SAVE]
$200/mo ($2000 total) – total amount needed to pay next 6-month auto policy and the monthly savings amount to pay annual insurances. This estimate might be a little on the high side but I need to replenish my insurance fund. [SAVE to SPEND]
$150/mo ($600 total) – travel fund minimum by July [SAVE to SPEND]
Those monthly totals are more than my salary alone can provide, so it’s good to know how much more I need to earn through freelancing. It’s stressful seeing a shortfall, but better to know than not! To be honest, none of that’s actual debt either, what I’m really planning are my short-term savings goals above.
[This budget was developed before
Sunday and
Monday‘s situations, so of course it’ll have to change to accommodate the new developments. But I worked hard on it, so this series is going up anyway!]
{————-CARNIVALS————-}
March 16, 2010
Now that I’ll be moving out, several things have to happen.
Moving Budget:
I successfully negotiated for a relocation allowance. They will either pay the service provider directly or reimburse me for all reasonable relocation related costs that include direct moving expenses (moving of household goods, storage, travel expenses during the actual relocation, and temporary housing). It’s a shame I can’t apply those funds towards anything else! It’s generous enough that I can afford to use movers instead of packing up a car and driving up the coast, though.
Movers:
They relieve the hours-of-driving headache, replaced by the Why-won’t-you-answer-my-calls? headache. It took a solid week for one of three companies to respond to me. Lame lame lame. An appraisal appointment has been scheduled to determine a quote for my stuff.
Packing:
I’ve begun splitting some boxes into “stays” and “goes.” After all, I’ve got to maintain the illusion I just travel a lot for work and still live at home and wield authority. Thanks to the Staples Rewards rebate offer from earlier this year, I’m set for bankers’ boxes in case I opt out of full-service movers. The concern there is that they likely won’t take responsibility for anything broken or damaged during the move unless they pack it. On the other hand, it’s probably just easier for me to organize and pack everything. Decisions, decisions.
Transportation:
My car’s likely to stay here with my parents. They need, and I need to know they’ve got, a reliable car with all the driving to adult day care and to medical appointments. But in two weeks, I’ve got to be outta here, getting ready to start my new gig. More than ever, I need to conclude my search for the new used car. Mostly because I hate the whole process, though.
In the meantime, 511.org may become my new best friend as I learn to navigate public transportation up north. Sorry Sigalert, we’ll still see each other when Friend calls for the daily traffic update.
Life:
I know it sounded melodramatic when I said I’d be leaving my hometown and friends, but the budget’s tight enough that I don’t think I can afford to travel back all that often. Not so often that I’m going to be able to have sushi nights with Robin, random comic shop stops, go hang out at Surrogate Family’s house. My family’s basic needs are more important than my hanging about with old friends, so if it comes down to a bill or charging a flight, you know what I’m going to choose.
Records:
My medical life has been rather extensive, especially over the past five years, so while I’m still covered by COBRA, I have to sign some records release forms to transfer all of those records to my new doctor whoever that may be. I’m hating that idea because my specialist doctor and my dentist is extremely responsive and helpful and I know how difficult it is to find a good health care practitioner with whom you can form a rapport.
Shopping:
Ugh, more unsubsidized spending. Behind me, the entirety of my professional “wardrobe” hulks in an assorted mass. There’s no beauty in that functional group, and desperately needs a fashionable mind to shape something of it. Honestly, a few minor additions would likely be sufficient to last the next six or more months, but what those will be remain to be seen. I wouldn’t be so anxious about it if the advice recently tendered to always dress better than my staff weren’t so true. Certainly competence and professionalism go a long way, but we all know how crucial first impressions and visual impressions are to forming an opinion. I’m going to need better clothes and even better make up to offset my superficial youthfulness and properly command the attention of an established team.
On the make-up front, I finally bow to my mom’s years of scoldings, “Wear some make-up! At least try!” [insert teenaged groan] To be fair, there were days I wouldn’t have been happy to be seen with me, had I seen me before leaving the house. But I digress. A good friend has been generously sharing her expertise and we created a list of the most basic cosmetics to form my First Time Ever make up kit. [insert more whining] More about that later.
Destination:
Now that I’ve moved past the notion that I could possibly afford my own place, I’ve come to accept that shared housing is in my future. Since living in more suburban neighborhoods doesn’t cut me off entirely from public transit, I’m much more open to that option. Besides, I don’t need to live in the more urban areas for access, I’m too old to party and will be too poor to go out! 😉
Experienced Movers (by which I mean anyone but me):
Have I forgotten anything? Does anyone have moving company recommendations?
