Author Topic: Celebrations Thread  (Read 1648180 times)

arebelspy

  • Administrator
  • Senior Mustachian
  • *****
  • Posts: 28444
  • Age: -997
  • Location: Seattle, WA
Celebrations Thread
« on: January 25, 2013, 12:06:16 PM »
Use this thread to post your mini-accomplishments so we can celebrate with you!

If you have a bigger accomplishment, feel free to start your own thread in the Share Your Badassity section of the forums, but for small milestones, things you just want to share with someone, but don't really have anyone to share it with (besides maybe your partner), toss em out there so we can celebrate with you!
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

jdoolin

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 155
  • Location: Eastern Ohio
    • Just My Blog
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2013, 12:49:25 PM »
Perfect timing, as I was just trying to find somewhere to post this.

I got approved for a rewards credit card.  It was the Amazon Rewards card that gives you 3 points for amazon purchases, 2 for gas stations (cool), restaurants (won't get much from me there) and office supplies (again, probably not much) and then 1 point for anything else.  My limit is also much higher than I anticipated.

Not a really big deal in and of itself, but it was a minor triumph for me.

See, back in 2003 I got married to someone I shouldn't have (we were never a good match to begin with).  Combine a fairly low salary with someone who flaked out and stopped going to work, a typical overspending consumption attitude (both of us), with high interest credit cards and loans (for an Apple laptop and an engagement ring I had no business purchasing) and a person who felt very little control in her life, and used shopping and spending as a way to feel it.  It's a recipe for not only divorce, but financial DISASTER. **

By the time the divorce was final, my credit was awful and I we both had quite a bit of debt.  I entered a Consumer Credit Counseling and debt consolidation program and in just under 5 years had paid everything off.

I avoided applying for credit cards or loans even after I was finished (I would obviously have not been approved while in counseling).  My credit score was something I just didn't even bother thinking about.

Enter MMM in July of last year.  By August, my wife and I had made big changes and big plans.  I was no longer afraid of my credit score or finances in general.  I checked out my score and it was in the Medium range.  But with our plans to finally purchase a home, we knew I would need to increase my score to get the best interest rate.  So I planned to get a credit card.

I just happened to be on Amazon purchasing a polypropylene shirt for winter outdoor badassity when I saw the offer for the card and thought, "What the hell?"  I applied and got it (and that $50 amazon credit).

I will now use this card Mustachian style, increase my credit and even accumulate some rewards.

** Despite the relationship and financial disaster, we divorced on peaceable terms and I hold no ill feelings toward her.  I hope she finds the happiness that I still feel she deserves

tmac

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 470
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2013, 01:10:40 PM »
Congratulations, jdoolin! Especially for your planned Mustachian use of said card. :)

I have three minor victories to share today:

1) I had to deposit some checks at the bank and rather than use the snow and ice as an excuse to drive the three blocks, I walked.

2) In related transportation news: We currently have 3 vehicles, 2 of which have big dumb stupid loans. This morning, I put the most sellable one out on the front lawn with for-sale signs, and posted free ads at Cars.com and Craigslist. After it sells, we'll use the proceeds (should be several thousand) to pay down the second loan, which we'll then be able to finish paying off within a year.

3) I've finished getting our personal budget set up on YNAB and first the first time feel like I have a grasp of where our variable income is going. Next step: Get the business budget set up, to help that income become less variable.


marty998

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7372
  • Location: Sydney, Oz
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2013, 02:30:09 PM »
Gas hot water heating bill: July Qtr: $100.75, October Qtr: $82.49, January Qtr: $64.64

Expected the fall in October bill because the July bill is always high - in winter the water flowing through the pipes is much colder and needs more gas to be heated.

Did not expect the fall in the January bill but thinking about it we did have a heatwave which meant many days the cold water was coming out of the taps warm. So many heat records fell it became a bit of a joke when the weather girls on TV were saying "it's only going to be 39c today".

ketchup

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4323
  • Age: 33
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2013, 02:55:48 PM »
My recent small victories:

Switched to Platinumtel from T-mobile prepaid.  Was spending $30/month, spent $5 ($10 worth of credit, bought on a special) in first month on Platinumtel.

Did some DIY maintenance on my car. Proved the "free brake check" guys of questionable moral standing wrong. No, I didn't need $800 of brake work done.  I will do free brake work myself, at my leisure.  June, perhaps.

Helped find super cheap (relatively speaking) flights for my girlfriend and her sister when they had urgent family business halfway across the country. (We were able to find flights for $730 round trip for the two of them, Chicago to Phoenix and back, with all of 3 hours notice before the plane took off.)

Started contributing to my 401(k) at the start of the year, maxing out the employer match.  Plan on opening a Roth later this year.

Xtal

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 96
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2013, 08:31:12 PM »
I got a 6.5% raise at my job!

jdoolin

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 155
  • Location: Eastern Ohio
    • Just My Blog
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #6 on: January 27, 2013, 02:59:34 PM »
I got a 6.5% raise at my job!

Nice raise, congrats!

Hey, I just remembered something else that may be appropriate for this thread.

Shortly after I started reading MMM's blog in early July, I started pursuing a new job/career opportunity that practically fell in my lap.  At the time I was happy where I was as a software developer and the new job (a college instructor) didn't pay more, but the schedule was unbeatable.  So I opted to go for it.

Feeling VERY confident and optimistic about my future, primarily due to the influence of MMM's articles, I went into my interview more confident than I ever have.  It was with a panel of 6 interviewers.  I answered questions confidently, always had a smile, spoke with authority and even made some jokes.  As luck would have it, my year and a half as a LINE COOK even impressed and surprised one of the interviewers, who happened to be the head of the culinary department.  They asked me to prepare a 15 minute teaching demo about a feature of Windows 7.  They were impressed that I wasn't going to use Powerpoint.  The laptop they provided was Windows XP.  I mentioned this to them and they began to see if they could find a replacement, until I said, "That's OK, I can work with it.  No biggie." 

But my favorite part was the typical interview question:

"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

Without even thinking and as confidently as could be, I answered, "About 5 years from retirement."

The looks I got were priceless.  Raised eyebrows, laughs, big smiles, heads nodding and even a few "Wow, sounds good to me"s.

I got the offer the next day.  I accepted, and the job ROCKS.  :-)

[EDIT]: I'm now teaching my second semester of an Excel course.  I'm using it as a front to teach a little Personal Finance (teaching "across the curriculum", as my wife puts it).
« Last Edit: January 27, 2013, 03:03:26 PM by jdoolin »

Self-employed-swami

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1090
  • Location: Canada
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2013, 04:52:06 PM »
I just paid off the last thousand dollars on my HELOC that isn't borrowed for investments.

:D

tmac

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 470
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2013, 05:26:27 PM »
I just paid off the last thousand dollars on my HELOC that isn't borrowed for investments.

:D

Nice! I love that feeling.

My victories this week are so minor that if I told non-mustachians about it, they'd think I was nuts to be so pleased with myself.

1) I checked my power bill online today. It will be $24 lower than usual when it arrives and the only change was that I only used the clothes dryer once this month. The rest of the time (at a load per day), I hung the laundry to dry on a makeshift clothesline in the back room.

2) I just finished lining all of the downstairs windows in our ancient house with plastic film. I got a 10' x 100' of inexpensive film at Lowe's and have enough to do all the windows in my house and still have a lot left over for other uses (tarps, drop cloths, etc.). The rooms are significantly less drafty than they had been. I'll do the upstairs rooms this week.

3) Food costs are way down this month -- from ~$1600 (!) to $740.

a) It looks like I'm going to close out the month with a grocery spend of $450 -- down from the previous average of $800 for our family of five. I did one big grocery shop on the first of January (Costco and Aldi, mainly) and since then have only bought a few supplemental things.

b) We had been spending in the area of $800 a month on restaurants as well, before getting serious about our finances a couple of months back. January will be our lowest spend in many years -- $290.

Next on the list: Switch around our cell phone plans for the family (3) and our employees (2 more) to save at least $100/month. The bill at the moment is $450 a month and it kills me to pay it. It's almost as much as our office rent.
« Last Edit: January 27, 2013, 06:55:16 PM by tamara »

jdoolin

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 155
  • Location: Eastern Ohio
    • Just My Blog
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #9 on: January 27, 2013, 05:33:34 PM »
tamara, I don't know that I'd call those victories minor.  Those all add up to ENORMOUS savings over long term.  Though I guess you're right, in that it takes a Mustachian to see the full extent of what you've accomplished.

Keep up the good work!

Self-employed-swami

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1090
  • Location: Canada
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2013, 05:41:11 PM »
I also should have mentioned, that I renegotiated an increase in my charge-out rate :D

Emerald

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 97
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #11 on: January 28, 2013, 11:11:10 AM »
1) I got a small raise (2.6%), but I'll take it.

2) I increased my TSP contributions another 2%.

3)  I've freed up extra money to put towards my mortgage (only debt).  I'm currently on track to pay it off in around 10 years.
« Last Edit: January 28, 2013, 12:50:59 PM by Emerald »

Orvell

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2863
  • Location: Wisconsin
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #12 on: January 28, 2013, 11:25:46 AM »
Great thread idea!
Bring on the little victories, for it is them that win the war. :)

1. Finally eligible for my company's 401K and am putting in 10%
2. So far keeping my expenses under 1K/mo and thus hitting and sometimes exceeding 50% savings. (Up from last quarter, when I started keeping track, which averaged around 48%)
3. I also lined my old, single pane apt. windows with cling film (or as I like to call them, window condoms)
4. Even with feeding my girlfriend a few dinners and a breakfast or two, I'm projecting $100 this month for food. That might rise a few bucks, time will tell.

It's fun to see everyone's small victories. Keep 'em coming! :D

James

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1678
  • Age: 51
  • Location: Rice Lake, WI
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #13 on: January 28, 2013, 12:30:57 PM »
figured out how to connect my pellet stove to a wall thermostat so I can turn it down at night and while we are away.  Required quite a bit of internet research and splicing into the wires, but it works!

Phoebe

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 222
  • Location: Wisconsin
    • Phoebe's Journey
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #14 on: January 28, 2013, 01:21:36 PM »
We hit $300K in networth this month!! 

SunshineGirl

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 768
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #15 on: January 28, 2013, 01:24:58 PM »
Decided over the weekend to do drip irrigation and landscaping ourselves, which will be a savings of several thousand dollars.

Our shovel-happy 12-year-old son has already dug one of three tree holes. He'll also dig the line for irrigation.

It feels really good to have a DIY project after many years of hiring things out. It's because of this site that I steered us toward this route.

frpeebles

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 97
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #16 on: January 28, 2013, 09:44:13 PM »
93 MPG up from 23MPG for my work commute.



I've also cut $200/mo out of the bills between gas, electric and car insurance.

Also: Hi. First post.
« Last Edit: January 28, 2013, 10:11:46 PM by frpeebles »

kolorado

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 368
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #17 on: January 29, 2013, 08:46:51 AM »
What a happy thread! I love it!
Victories this month:
-Menu planned every single day and spent only $290 on food for my family of 5
-reduced the heat settings to 64* during the day and 60* at night so we are now back at pre-kid levels(I have to remind the kids to put on their socks and sweatshirts constantly though or they turn into human icicles)
-sold over $100 worth of books, dvd's and games online
-spent only $14 in my Home/Health/Grooming budget category which is super hard for me as the category includes kitchen gadgets/tools/decor and that stuff is tempting and pricy
-Am currently taking three online classes on Finance, Personal Finance and Nutrition for Health and Disease Prevention. All have fairly obvious financial implications and benefits. :)
-Am regrowing a new head of celery from a stump. It may be small savings but it's so neat that it works!

jpo

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 518
  • Age: 37
  • Location: North Carolina
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #18 on: January 29, 2013, 08:52:52 AM »
Turned in a form at work to put 100% of my bonus into my 401k. Person who turned in the form before me put 0%.

The Taminator

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 132
  • Location: Toronto, Canada
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #19 on: January 29, 2013, 09:08:29 AM »
My step-brother installed my new kitchen cabinets for free. Well, I had to feed him and make sure there was a steady supply of beer. The signage at Ikea said their installation charges "start at $99 a cabinet." I have 13 cabinets so this is significant savings. And the cabinets were on sale, a savings of $20 per linear foot.

Self-employed-swami

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1090
  • Location: Canada
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #20 on: January 29, 2013, 09:52:17 AM »
93 MPG up from 23MPG for my work commute.



I've also cut $200/mo out of the bills between gas, electric and car insurance.

Also: Hi. First post.

How did you do this?!

atlantalee

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 19
  • Age: 39
  • Location: Atlanta
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #21 on: January 29, 2013, 10:39:45 AM »
Congrats to everyone on their accomplishments. Very impressive!

Just found MMM in December and have made several steps in the right direction:
  • Haven't had a drink in January.
  • Made it almost two weeks without going out to eat.
  • Bought a really nice $1000 bike on Craigslist for $640.  Should last a lifetime. Started biking on the weekends and didn't refill my tank for over two weeks. I might make it out of January with spending only $45 on gas.
  • Cut cable.
  • Increased 401k contribution from 6% to 10%.
  • Transferred funds from high-yield savings to a Vanguard account and increased biweekly contributions to Betterment account.
Hoping my next accomplishment will be biking to work one day per week.

tkaraszewski

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 83
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Corralitos, CA, USA
    • Project $30,000
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #22 on: January 29, 2013, 10:49:42 AM »
93 MPG up from 23MPG for my work commute.



I've also cut $200/mo out of the bills between gas, electric and car insurance.

Also: Hi. First post.

Hah, beat you!



But really this isn't as frugal as it looks when you consider the cost of the car.

tkaraszewski

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 83
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Corralitos, CA, USA
    • Project $30,000
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #23 on: January 29, 2013, 12:44:30 PM »
It's a chevy volt.

Edit: frpeebles car is a 1st gen Honda insight, mine is a chevy volt.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2013, 12:52:17 PM by tkaraszewski »

frpeebles

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 97
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #24 on: January 29, 2013, 12:50:13 PM »
How did you do this?!
Moderate careful driving/efficient car.

Hah, beat you!
[image]
But really this isn't as frugal as it looks when you consider the cost of the car.

Mine was pretty inexpensive. Right in line with MMM's $5k suggestion. The goal is 100mpg but there are three different speed zones on the highway section of the commute and I don't hold up traffic and I don't draft.

Is this a Tesla? If so, I hate you. But there's an oil light! I'm so confused!

First gen Insight. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Insight

jpluncford21

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 83
  • Age: 39
  • Location: Tennessee
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #25 on: January 29, 2013, 12:54:49 PM »
Fixed my dryer this week. All it took was a $20 part!

Vahla

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 16
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #26 on: January 29, 2013, 03:44:29 PM »
[EDIT]: I'm now teaching my second semester of an Excel course.  I'm using it as a front to teach a little Personal Finance (teaching "across the curriculum", as my wife puts it).
Everything thing your post was awesome but this is the best part!

tmac

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 470
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #27 on: January 29, 2013, 03:51:21 PM »
I just switched from my iPhone to a pay-as-you-go phone (with my contract SIM inserted), for a monthly savings of $30. I still have the iPhone which I will either sell or just use as an iTouch.

Iron Mike Sharpe

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 396
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #28 on: January 30, 2013, 11:52:28 AM »
Bought a townhouse last week.  Had been saving up money for a big down payment, closing cost and furnishing budget for a while.  I'm 40 and had been living with a friend for a while for dirt cheap.  But, I want to get back in the dating scene again and living in a slum apartment where your bedroom is the size of a prison cell AND has the furnace in it was not going to cut it.

I had also come to the realization last year that I was nowhere near preparing myself to retire or even retire early.  I had been playing around with spreadsheets to see how I could get to retirement sooner.  I came up with a minimum figure to save each year to allow me to retire in 15 years when my mortgage is paid off.  My mortgage, insurance, taxes and utilities for this townhouse should fall into this new budget I have.

One cool thing about this place is that the previous owner had been very anal retentive regarding the upkeep.  While the place is only 8 years old, they had put in awesome new hardwood floors (both my agent and the inspection guy said they would love to have those floors in their houses), upgraded the 1/2 bath with custom tile and a pedestal sink, and installed better cabinets.  They had added a lot of insulation in the attic too.  The current owner was around during the inspection and said they added one round of insulation and it reduced energy costs by 25% and then added a second round that decreased them by an additional 9%.  My inspector showed my photos of the attic and there appeared to be ski slope sized mounds of insulation.  He said the current owner had gone way overboard up there, but if I went up there with a rake and evened things out a little better I could probably decrease energy costs slightly more.  He said normally he can find at least one small thing wrong in every house he looks at like a leaky faucet or a stuck window, but he found nothing wrong in this house.  Score!

While I am not within biking range of work still (12 miles each way, but it is via a highway and crosses a major river with no bike path), at least I am cutting 4 miles each way from my commute.  And it is a less congested route so less stop and go driving.   

Also am moving from a city with a 1% city income tax to one without.  And it is a lower crime city so auto insurance will drop big time too.

And it appears that I overbudgeted for furnishing my house by a few thousand which I can then add the money I don't spend into my home maintenance/repair budget and my savings budget for a replacement car.

Currently driving an inefficient Grand Prix (at 23/MPH or so).  Want to buy a used Prius.  I think my plan of attack should be to keep driving the Grand Prix while it runs fine.  Once I start having to put expensive repairs into it, then make the switch. 

kendallf

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1068
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Jacksonville, FL
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #29 on: January 30, 2013, 01:23:52 PM »
I just fixed my 94 Lexus SC300; it had a bad alternator.  Net cost: $0.

I work on all of our cars; I haven't paid anyone for repairs in the last 20 years other than a couple of specialized things like alignments and a trans rebuild or two.  My family just takes it for granted; cars break, Daddy fixes it, we keep driving.  :-)

About 2 years ago, I replaced all of the accessories on it (alt, A/C compressor, PS pump) with used parts from a lower mile car due to what turned out to be a bad crank pulley; I kept all of the old parts in the attic.  Went up there today, pulled down the old greasy alternator, checked it at the parts store just to be sure it was working, and R&R'ed it. 

My daughter came home just as I was finishing, looked at it kind of matter of factly, then got in it and drove off to gym.  Heh.

Bill76

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 93
  • Location: Tennessee
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #30 on: February 01, 2013, 08:32:38 AM »
Found a new parking garage at work, for a savings of $30/month!  Plus, now I get a nice walk each morning and afternoon, since I'm not parked right across the street anymore.  I'm not quite badass enough to bike 21 miles each way on 4-lane highways, and mass transit isn't an option where we live.  Moving isn't really an option either (we'd have to give up our chickens and acreage to move into town), so I'll take this small victory for now.

frugalman

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 176
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #31 on: February 01, 2013, 08:55:54 AM »
I love this thread, thanks so much, Arebelspy!
If you can contact MMM directly, we so NEED the ability to reply to a reply, so a particular reply can be a thread in and of itself.  On the forums as well as on MMM's main posts.
A nice to have, along these lines, would be a +1 like for replies..
Thanks for all you do, Arebelspy!

P.S. I paid off my mortgage in December.  I own my main home free and clear, and owe $90k on my second home (a vacation home that may become our primary residence in a year or two) so that is my recent celebration.

arebelspy

  • Administrator
  • Senior Mustachian
  • *****
  • Posts: 28444
  • Age: -997
  • Location: Seattle, WA
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #32 on: February 01, 2013, 09:15:41 AM »
No need to thank me, I don't do much, I just enjoy being a member of this community.  :)

If you can contact MMM directly, we so NEED the ability to reply to a reply, so a particular reply can be a thread in and of itself.  On the forums as well as on MMM's main posts.
A nice to have, along these lines, would be a +1 like for replies..

All that sort of stuff is limited by the capabilities of the forum software.  The best way to do the former is to just start a new thread and quote the post you were replying to (and link back to it) when starting your new discussion.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

kisserofsinners

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 381
  • Age: 45
  • Location: San Francisco
    • Monkey wants a house
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #33 on: February 01, 2013, 02:13:14 PM »
My net worth as of January is more than my $50k income. Before MMM my lifetime most saved was $1000.

sheepstache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2417
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #34 on: February 04, 2013, 06:31:01 PM »
Got a nice little brochure from Vanguard letting me know I'm a Voyager member now.

sheepstache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2417
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #35 on: February 04, 2013, 07:17:11 PM »
Oh also, this is a cause for celebration and fellow finance-heads might get it more than others.  I asked my mother, as delicately as I could, if she needed any money because she's been out of work for like two years after a merger.  And she had sold her house and moved out to the middle of nowhere for the job when she still had it so opportunities were few and far between.  And she didn't have much of a work history and I knew when she and my dad got divorced that they each had substantial credit card debt and I'd never been totally clear how that got handled.

I got back a whole answer about how she took advantage of the market being up to cash out enough of her 401k to pay off her mortgage and the rest of her expenses until she's old enough for SS and pension will be covered by the remaining 401k and her side hustle.  Oh and she got long-term-care insurance in case she gets Alzheimer's like her mother.

Considering I'm an only child and my spouse is an only child, this was incredibly good news to find out that she's taken care of.  So its not badassity because I had nothing to do with it, but it is cause for celebration.

chatsc

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 116
GOING BACK TO WORK PART TIME
« Reply #36 on: February 06, 2013, 06:26:42 AM »
I asked for another year off to stay home with my kids, but they said no.  I negociated for 3 days a week.  Not the victory I wanted, but a hell of a lot better than 5 days a week....

ladycygnus

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 24
  • Location: Virginia
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #37 on: February 06, 2013, 04:45:19 PM »
Just finished paying off one of the smaller high interest student loans. This makes over 30K paid off with only 7k left in one more low interest loan. That and given some large inflow I'll get soon I'll be completely done by May of this year!

chatsc

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 116
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #38 on: February 07, 2013, 06:00:15 AM »
received a lump sum from work (sev pay) and put it on my mortgage.  watched my mortgage amortization go down 3 years in the blink of an eye....very rewarding.

mustachecat

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 398
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #39 on: February 07, 2013, 06:31:42 AM »
So much awesome in this thread! Congrats, all. Super inspiring.

martynthewolf

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 171
  • Age: 36
  • Location: Hull - UK
    • The Frugal Wolf
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #40 on: February 07, 2013, 06:32:39 AM »
I've not spent a penny in or out of work so far this week and I plan not to until valentines day. The only thing I have paid for is petrol which was £43.01. It's really nice to see my bank balance staying stationary. Especially with only a couple of weeks to pay day when I will reduce my debt burden by just over £300.

tmac

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 470
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #41 on: February 07, 2013, 10:31:02 AM »
I start a new job next week. It's half-time, and I only have to go into the office one morning a week. The money will go first into increasing our food and clothing budgets slightly ($50/each), and the remainder will build buffers in our personal and business accounts.

kendallf

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1068
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Jacksonville, FL
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #42 on: February 07, 2013, 08:05:37 PM »
Fun to read these.  :-)

Mint.com just saved me money again; I learned about it from MMM and so far it's saved me somewhere over $250/month!

I have been keeping our landline phone, mostly so I have a number to give for bills/purchases, and I have had it on Vonage for several years.  Mint flagged this and had an affiliated offer for another VoIP product.  That got me comparing online; I ended up going with another product (NetTalk), so Mint didn't get the affiliate sale, but I'm still grateful for the prod to check out other options.

My Vonage account, with taxes and fees, was $37/mo; the NetTalk will be ~$30/year ($53 initial hardware purchase that included a year's service).  It all adds up!

HelloHuey

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 3
  • Age: 33
  • Location: Denton, TX
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #43 on: February 14, 2013, 07:07:53 AM »
I recently found a killer deal on some mountain bike wheels through a holiday sale, and I grabbed the opportunity by the horns.  I was able to purchase six sets of these wheels via my promotional 0% interest, 1% cash back credit card, and I proceeded to sell them on ebay over the course of about two months.  I was able to make just over $100 per set, while still offering the cheapest price on ebay at the time!  I immediately paid the balance on my credit card and invested my 33% return on investment elsewhere.

So happy to be able to find constructive ways of making money and giving other people reasonable deals at the same time!

jdoolin

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 155
  • Location: Eastern Ohio
    • Just My Blog
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #44 on: February 15, 2013, 01:14:37 PM »
Biked in the rain and snow for the first time today.  It wasn't planned, but I didn't care.  It was about 32-34F, so hovering right above freezing, and a little breezy.

I stopped at a store and still had the helmet on, and some guy says, "Did you ride a bike today?  That's your bike out there?"

Me: "Yes sir."
Guy: "Are you crazy?"
Me: "No, I'm just a badass."

It actually got a few laughs from a few passers by.  :-)

Emerald

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 97
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #45 on: February 15, 2013, 06:45:57 PM »
I got a major work schedule win this week.  Starting in May, I'll be working a 4 -10 work week.  I'll have to work every weekend, but that also means I'll get extra pay for holidays, Sundays and Nights.  Plus I'll save almost a tank of gas a month only commuting 4 days/week.   WIN!

icefr

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 325
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #46 on: February 15, 2013, 08:05:37 PM »
In the last two months, I've knocked $600 out of my budget. We'll see how the actual spending breakdown ends up, but I'm pretty happy about this. My required monthly cash flow was sitting around $3,800 for a SINGLE person. (That includes travel and everything, including renewing my passport and driver's license and my mortgage.) I've now got it down to $3,000-3,200/month. Still a bit high for a single person, but much better. And if the mortgage was gone, that means I'd only be spending $2,000/month. Progress!

norvilion

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 94
  • Age: 37
  • Location: Nashville
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #47 on: February 18, 2013, 11:54:33 AM »
Replaced my own brakes and rotors for the first time- most of that time was spent on one stubborn bolt that wouldn't loosen for anything. Finally got it moving after spending 20 minutes working at it with a breaker bar.

It almost looks like the person who had the car before me had never changed them in the car's life o_o;
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/norvilion/OldBrakes_zpsc98951f6.jpg

frpeebles

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 97
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #48 on: February 19, 2013, 01:06:01 AM »
Those look like they wore well. Shouldn't complain!

Nancy

  • Guest
Re: Celebrations Thread
« Reply #49 on: February 19, 2013, 06:33:57 PM »
Increased my 401K contribution by 17 percentage points! I decided to delay my student loan payoff date (by a few months) in order to build up more in my 401K.