photo: 401(K) 2012

A few months ago, I tried to find something for the Mac, since it is my primary computer, but I wasn’t really impressed with anything.  The thought of entering all my past transactions was really almost too much to bear.  Everything I tried just seemed to cumbersome, and I aborted the mission.

Last week, I did another Google search and stumbled upon a program called You Need a Budget.  I am still using the trial version, but it seems to be the answer to what I have been looking for!  I’m really excited – I have a copy on my PC, my Mac, and the free app on my iPod Touch (no smartphones in this house), and everything stays synced through Dropbox.  It did take me one of the free seminars to understand the concept completely, but I am really looking forward to having more control over the financial aspect of our lives.

Each month, we charge almost everything to our Discover card to earn cash back, and we pay it off in full each month.  We have done this successfully for over 3 years now, so I feel that we use the card responsibly.  When I look at the statements, I can tell you, for example, what was purchased from Amazon or Target (when we make these purchases), and we consistently spend less than $50 per month on things that aren’t needed (ie. iTunes apps, a trip for ice cream, etc.).  The bulk of the charges are for groceries and gas.  Our problem lies in the fact that many months we are cutting it close to cover the bill because:

1.  We have to spend extra money for minor emergencies (or major ones).  July was a really bad month, for example.  We spent $1500 on major car repairs, had some unexpected medical bills and I spent some money to get parts for our leaking toilet and faucet (I had the time to fix them, which is not normally the case!).

2.  My income is highly variable.  There are months when I bring home more than my husband, but there are other months that are especially lean (ie. I didn’t get a contract to teach the first semester of the summer, and my second job tutoring does not pay in the summer).

My first goals with YNAB are to:

1. Bring ourselves to the point that we can cover an entire month of expenses on the Discover card ahead of time.  I really like how we can look to see how much we are spending in each category.  I hope to be more mindful about grocery shopping this month, for example, by not buying as much to stockpile.  This should help to compensate for our increased gas costs because the kid starts school this month (an hour commute each way, four times a week; I stay in the area while he is in school to save $).

2.  Create a positive net worth.  We still contribute to our retirement and the kid’s 529 plan despite having debt.  With YNAB, I am not factoring in the market value of our home, but I am including our mortgage debt.

I did enter transactions from August into YNAB to give me an idea of where our money was going and to have an idea of where I can make adjustments for September.  I also carried our credit card bill from July into YNAB, since I needed to show where our money went in August.  According to YNAB, we overspent $4584.82 in July.  In August, we overspent $2640.42.  Our net worth is currently $-10265.00.  I do have a few more accounts to add that will increase our net worth such as a few ING savings account, my business checking account, and our envelopes with emergency money.

I am really excited to begin making positive changes, and I think YNAB is a great match for us because we need flexibility.  I like Dave Ramsey’s general approach, but I don’t agree with certain tenets of his plan.  Quite honestly, I think it sets people up to be disappointed when the unavoidable emergency happens.  I started following Dave Ramsey’s plan, and then my husband’s father died unexpectedly.  When things like that happen, it’s impossible to focus with “gazelle-like intensity” on finances; there are obviously more important things in life.  I want to be mindful, but not obsessive.  I think that YNAB is the tool I need to help me do that.

Anyhow, the fence was finished last weekend, and I finished the first round of planting yesterday – tomato plants, snap peas, pumpkins, squash, broccoli, and brussels sprouts have been planted so far. I also had the opportunity to transplant some of my herbs. A nice bonus is that many of our neighbors have been visiting and commenting, and I hope that this is planting an “idea” seed; it would be wonderful if others began planting gardens as well!

I can’t wait to add to it; gardening is definitely a process, and we have added to ours each year. Now with a fence I am starting to envision some more vining plants and flowers. The kid really wants an apple tree… we’ll see!

photo: sunshinecity

1. I will be mindful of the lettuce seeds for the next week, making sure that they come in at night and on cold days. When they are not outside, they need to be in the office in a sunny area but out of direct sunlight.

Progress – So far, so good! I am going to add a tomato seedling to my lettuce seedlings, and try to get it growing a little more than it has been.

2. Next, I found a pretty good deal on cedar square foot gardening beds at Ace Hardware; we plan on putting in two new plots this year, and these will be cheaper than buying the cedar ourselves. They are made in the USA as well. I am not sure what the catch is, but we’re going to go check them out tomorrow.

Done! They were not available at our local Ace Hardware, but we were able to find them at Home Depot. They are made in Cleveland, and they went together easily and look nice. We’re building a small fence around the garden area, and then we will be able to plant!

new 2. I don’t want to put anything into the ground before the fence is up, since the puppy and bunnies have appetites for destruction. So in the meantime, I intend to finish getting the old caning out of our canoe. I am down to the part that requires me patiently using small amounts of vinegar with a chisel to get out the rest of the caning and the glue before putting the new seats in. I estimate that this will take about 2 weeks or so.

3. I intend to pack up the clothes that the kid has outgrown so that a good friend can have them for her boy. We will be visiting in a few weeks, and being able to save on the shipping costs will make this well worth it.

Done! I just have a few things left:

new 3. I have to sew a new button in a pair of shorts so that I can put the elastic waistband back in. I also have to have the kid try on two pairs of lined jeans to see if they are ready to pass on.

4. I intend to go through some clothes given to me to see what will fit the kid for the upcoming summer. I will not purchase any clothes for the kid until this is done.

Done! This kid should be set for summer.

new 4. This kid is going to need a lot for this upcoming fall and winter. I intend to look for some deals online as well as make a trip to the local thrift store, perhaps even this week.

5. Finish assessment grading by the end of the weekend.

Not done! But the deadline is Wednesday, so I intend to work only on assessments while the kid is in school this week as well as when everyone is in bed.

6. I intend to get through a section of a course I am taking by the end of the week.

Not done! I intend to work on this as soon as my assessments are done, as well as work on it when I cannot work on assessments.

7. There are a lot of Phish cd’s in the mix, so I need to separate out what might be going to Cleveland in a week and pack the rest away until we can give away the Phish stuff in the lot of a show this summer.

Need to do!

8. I intend to get that last coat of paint on a few patches in the office. It will take longer to clean the brush than it will to paint!

Woohoo! This is finally done. Next, I have two projects to tackle – the fence and patio, and the kitchen. I also have to replace some of the fixtures in the office and basement.

new 8. Replace the fixtures in the office and basement. I have what I need; I just need to do it!

9. I intend to have a total of 15 lenses on Squidoo by the end of the week.

Not done! Once the assessments are done, I will be able to focus on this.

10. I intend to write up a plan of the next ten steps to develop one of the websites I have been working on.

Done!

new 10. Complete steps 1 and 2 of my 12-step plan.

Let’s hope I can keep it up!

photo: sunshinecity

1. I intend to replant those lettuce seeds within the next few days. First, I need to see if I have small planters.

Done – Sort of. As I was going to replant the lettuce seeds, the pot was accidentally knocked over. I tried to salvage some of them, but to no avail. So, I replanted lettuce seeds and I am trying to make sure they get outside on the days when the weather is nice.

new 1. I will be mindful of the lettuce seeds for the next week, making sure that they come in at night and on cold days. When they are not outside, they need to be in the office in a sunny area but out of direct sunlight.

2. I intend to order the bamboo and fencing needed to keep bunnies and dogs out of the garden.

Done!

new 2. Next, I found a pretty good deal on cedar square foot gardening beds at Ace Hardware; we plan on putting in two new plots this year, and these will be cheaper than buying the cedar ourselves. They are made in the USA as well. I am not sure what the catch is, but we’re going to go check them out tomorrow.

3. I intend to pack up the clothes that the kid has outgrown so that a good friend can have them for her boy. We will be visiting in a few weeks, and being able to save on the shipping costs will make this well worth it.

4. I intend to go through some clothes given to me to see what will fit the kid for the upcoming summer. I will not purchase any clothes for the kid until this is done.

5. I intend to finish my final grades by the end of the day tomorrow. This is completely doable, but breaking the grading into chunks is much more manageable and allows me to provide more meaningful feedback to students.

Done! I actually finished this morning, but I am satisfied with being a little later.

new 5. Finish assessment grading by the end of the weekend.

6. I intend to get through a section of a course I am taking by the end of the week.

7. I intend to take a look at the small box of cd’s in the basement to see if they are ready to be given away. I may need to copy the contents to the hard drive, but would like to be able to give these away when we travel in a few weeks.

new 7. There are a lot of Phish cd’s in the mix, so I need to separate out what might be going to Cleveland in a week and pack the rest away until we can give away the Phish stuff in the lot of a show this summer.

8. I intend to get that last coat of paint on a few patches in the office. It will take longer to clean the brush than it will to paint!

9. I intend to have a total of 15 lenses on Squidoo by the end of the week.

10. I intend to write up a plan of the next ten steps to develop one of the websites I have been working on.

Let’s hope I can keep it up!

photo: sunshinecity

1. I intend to replant those lettuce seeds within the next few days. First, I need to see if I have small planters.

2. I intend to order the bamboo and fencing needed to keep bunnies and dogs out of the garden.

3. I intend to pack up the clothes that the kid has outgrown so that a good friend can have them for her boy. We will be visiting in a few weeks, and being able to save on the shipping costs will make this well worth it.

4. I intend to go through some clothes given to me to see what will fit the kid for the upcoming summer. I will not purchase any clothes for the kid until this is done.

5. I intend to finish my final grades by the end of the day tomorrow. This is completely doable, but breaking the grading into chunks is much more manageable and allows me to provide more meaningful feedback to students.

6. I intend to get through a section of a course I am taking by the end of the week.

7. I intend to take a look at the small box of cd’s in the basement to see if they are ready to be given away. I may need to copy the contents to the hard drive, but would like to be able to give these away when we travel in a few weeks.

8. I intend to get that last coat of paint on a few patches in the office. It will take longer to clean the brush than it will to paint!

9. I intend to have a total of 15 lenses on Squidoo by the end of the week.

10. I intend to write up a plan of the next ten steps to develop one of the websites I have been working on.

Whew – that wasn’t so bad! Let’s see what I can accomplish

Has anyone else had leggy lettuce? What did you do?

photo: ASurroca

I have this sense of urgency; I think that this may be my chance to work on some ideas that have been incubating for awhile but have not had a chance to come to fruition. I am hoping that despite the setback of not teaching a class next term, we can continue to work on getting out of debt and building some community connections closer to home.

In a general sense, I feel this sense of change coming. I think that sometimes it gets so easy to get set in a comfort zone, but in some ways I find this unnerving because then there is nothing to punctuate life. We have some upcoming small travels coming up, and I am hoping that getting together with friends old and new will help to reveal some new thoughts and/or opportunities.

photo: Sean MacEntee

Yesterday, I think we made a big step in the right direction by repainting what used to be the baby room, and is now the office and turtle/fish tank room. The kid is now 6 years old and has a room upstairs, and the sky blue color was no longer pleasant. It’s now a nice guacamole green, and although I do see a few spots on the ceiling that need another coat, it looks very nice. Since the room is small, we only needed one gallon of paint, so our makeover cost was only $25. It feels like a very positive step in the right direction, as much was cleared out in the process. So much just needed to go to the recycling bin; it was quite amazing!

This week my mom is coming to visit, so we have some general housecleaning to do, but I am looking forward to next week because the kid is on Spring Break, and I hope that we can work together to get rid of some of his old stuff. I see him clinging to toys that he no longer plays with, and although I understand this is a natural part of being a child, I am hoping that I can teach him the good that occurs when we let go of things to others that may need it more. I think it’s important that he understands that it doesn’t need to be replaced with more stuff, but that we will have more room for free play and enjoying the company of each other and friends. We’ll see…

After looking for direction, I kept returning to the idea of a modified bucket list of sorts. The stuff to be done in a lifetime is not going to work for me, as I need something more short-term. Part of it is also defining priorities better, and breaking down some items into workable chunks.

I have my own set of rules – some of the items as I add them will be rather short-term, while others will take longer. There can’t be more than 40 items on the list at any one time. Some of the more long-term goals will be broken down. So here’s what I have so far:

Crafts:
1. Knit 50 squares for Knit-A-Square by 2013.
2. Create a heritage blanket.
3. Make wind chimes.
4. Learn how to use the sewing machine.
5. Knit a pair of socks.
6. Finish the monkey.
7. Finish making the bedroom rug.
8. Make bathtub rug.

Money:
1. Get out of debt.
2. Get life insurance money account closed.

Spiritual:
1. Listen to Zencasts.
2. Finish James Redfield books.
3. Look into Ayuvedic medicine.

Helping others:
1. Contribute to AOK – set realistic goal.
2. Donate to FreeRice – set realistic goal.

Travel:
1. Hike to bottom of the Grand Canyon.
2. Go to Canada again.
3. Hawaii.
4. Northern Lights.

Education:
1. Learn Spanish.
2. Finish MT Course.

Music:
1. Organize music collection.
2. Help Dave with list.

Total to date: 23

I know – it seems a little disjointed right now, but the ideas are in my DayOne journal and I needed to get them onto another medium. Next, I will start to explain them and provide links.