Well, in my last post, I shared how I keep track of all of my savings buckets, in excel. But I ran out of time to post visuals.

So, here is my running total for my Short-Term savings account. Kind of sad, but it generally has a decent balance most of the year and we drain it in April and December. It's not just property tax time, but when all our bills seem to come due.

& I didn't expect the IRS bill at all, which really puts me in the red for April.

& to clarify, I am adding $450 every paycheck, for now. But upping that to $500 come summer.



Likewise, I add up all the funds as such. I just came up with this spreadsheet though, to reconcile to my actual cash balances. Wouldn't you know it, I was only $2 off. So not bad (better than I expected). I will probably try this method going forward.

I figured it is probably not terribly prudent to share all the balances I have at each of my financial institutions (down to the penny). So I blacked out all the names. I have 2 online savings accounts, a local savings account, and a CD with that same bank (the famed 5.7% CD I have through the end of the year).

Likewise, I have 2 balance transfers I am still earning interest off of.



Of course, since most of that is in a CD, and I don't have a lot of liquid cash, the 7% CD offer from Patelco CU is rather tempting, but hard to justify for now. I probably have more that I would like tied up in my CD as is. I guess 5.7% isn't half bad though.

On the flip side, my overtime bonus is due soon. I think $5k is about my comfort level. The bare minimum I prefer to have in liquid cash at all times. But I expect to be there within the end of the month, with my bonus.

OF course, how lucky is it that the one year I have a 4-figure IRS bill is the one year the IRS wants to send me $1800. I call that lucky. I would have much preferred to plump up my other savings, etc. But yeah, it saves my bacon.

Finally, I keep my emergency fund spread out in a few different places. So keeping track of that as well:



My goal is to let the interest in my ROTH cash account (ROTH EFUND) accrue to $7k cash. Then it will be easy to keep $5k cash for the rest of my efund.

Likewise, once my ROTH cash hits $7k, I will divert the interest on it to my retirement "bucket." Will invest it.

I have $1350 of my efund in my checking account to pay bills earlier (less running to the bank on payday). But down the road I will probably use my mid-term fund for that. It's not a great place for an efund, though I am not particularly concerned about it either. I have no desire to drain my efund, no matter where it is.