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About Me:

Monkey Mama

Just a 46-year-old mom of 2 in Northern California. My kids are Monkey Monkey(MM) and Drama Llama (DL). I am married to Monkey Hubby (MH).

We were a one-income family for 13 years. In late 2015 my spouse returned to work (minimum wage/part-time/seasonal). Something recent on his resume just buys us more options for the long run. The main benefit of this job is that he just works while the kids are in school. As always, we are saving 100% of his income.

{2023 Update: I expect that MH will retire from this job when kids are done with college and/or home is paid off. I think he likes the idea of finding more interesting or full-time work, with kids both adults now. But practically, might just stick out the *good* and very flexible job as long as possible. The very part-time job is allowing him to pursue his film passions. We are only about 5-ish years away from financial independence. Would be very different if we "needed" the money or he thought he might have decades of working years ahead of him.}

We saved a lot while we were very young and also moved to a lower cost-of-living area, to make life much simpler. We still live in California though (in one of the most expensive regions of the U.S.). *Simple* and *inexpensive* is relative.

Likewise, we have never had debt aside from our mortgage.** My blog is a testament to how much simpler life is without debt; how we have that much more money to both save and enjoy!

**Caveat: I have no problem whatsoever with credit cards paid off monthly, or low-risk credit arbitrage (for example, 0%-interest debt while earning 5% on FDIC-insured cash). These are the kinds of debt we have had. Just not interested in high-interest debt, using debt to buy beyond means, and not interested in the hassle that comes with loans and payments. With age and means, the latter (hassle) is our biggest debt avoidance motivation.

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2024 Goals

[ ]Small monthly Charitable Contribution
...($35 @ 1/31/24)
...Trying to be more mindful about how the little amounts add up and are helpful.
...This is not an all inclusive list of charitable giving but it is a new habit I want to add in addition to other donations of time, goods and money

[ ]Pay cash for college
...This is so much a given, to me. But I realize not everyone can read my mind, and so will memorialize in my goal list.
...#1 We don't do Debt
...#2 The student loan system is a scammy and corrupt mess.
...Seriously, wouldn't touch these student loan servicers with a ten foot pole.
MM YEAR 1 ✔
MM YEAR 2 ✔
MM YEAR 3 ✔
MM YEAR 4

DL YEAR 1 ✔
DL YEAR 2

[ ]$10,000 to savings
...($4,529 @ 3/31/24)
...$1,000/month, plus interest
...Topping off with snowballs

[ ]$7,500 to investments
...($1,250 @ 3/31/24)
...$350/month, plus snowflakes
(Snowflakes: credit card rewards and dividends)
...Topping off with snowballs

[ ]$2,025 to mortgage
...($0 @ 3/31/24)
...Topping off with snowballs and/or excess cash
...Keeps us on track with $10K principal paydown per year

[/]9% of household income to work retirement plans
...(9% @ 3/31/24)
...This is the minimum for the match; I'd otherwise rather fund IRAs.
...Note: Total retirement savings rate is 20% (with IRAs)

Goal savings rate = 25% of gross salary, plus funding IRAs from other sources.

[ ]$14,000 to IRAs 2024 (MAX)
...($0 @ 3/31/24)
...Will fund with MH's income
...Will not fund until the year is over. This is for tax and planning reasons. I won't know what mix of Traditional/ROTH IRA we literally can contribute until we do our 2024 taxes. In addition to that, can make a more informed decision based on our financial and tax situation for the entire year.

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**Long-Term Goals**

[X]$500,000 in retirement accounts by age 45.

Current big picture goal:

[ ]$1 Mil in retirement accounts by age 52.

Stretch Goal: Achieve by age 50

Have decided to pretty much stay the course. Keep saving 20%+ to retirement. This means taking 401K match & maxing out IRAs.

NOTE: WE HAVE NEVER CONTRIBUTED LESS THAN 10% TO RETIREMENT. NO EXCEPTIONS.

If we can't achieve at least 10%, then something else has to give. I share because it's infinitely easier to save for retirement if you start early. Let the investments do the hard work for you.

-------------------------------

Debt: $85,000 mortgage
{Home Purchase Price $290,000}

Ongoing goal is to *never borrow money again.*

Took on a $230k mortgage in 2001 and have not added to that.

-------------------------

Net Worth: Increase net worth by $600,000 in the next 10 years. This is my "financial independence" goal.

2017: +$ 70,000 (partial year)
2018: +$ 51,000
2019: +$105,000
2020: +$104,000
2021: +$215,000
2022: <$ 65,000>
2022: +$ 85,000
TOTAL: +$565,000

This is in line with prior goal, saving 100% of our expenses every year.

{Our expenses are far more consistent than our income. Also, helps to prevent "living up to income."}

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My Pages

Credit Card Drama

November 13th, 2008 at 08:49 pm

I had a fraudulent charge on my State Farm Credit card this summer. They caught it and called me. They told me it was taken care of. Then it wasn't. Dh had to call them like 5 times to remove a $1.50 portion of the charge in the end. Geez Louise!

So here we go again. You know my Chase card was compromised recently.

They never reversed the charges and since I don't get a paper statement, and I used the card all the time, lord knows if I would have noticed. BUT when I reviewed October expenses I saw I had posted the fraudulent charges to "ID theft." I thought to myself - "they never reversed those - Did they!"

I am convinced now this is a general credit card policy. Tell customers you'll reverse it, don't, and see who notices it. Then leave $2 or so and see if anyone notices. !!! Ugh.

So dh called yesterday and they said they reversed it. I didn't have a statement and he didn't know otherwise.

Wow, the SAME runaround!

I told him to cancel the darn State Farm card (he didn't) but Chase I am sticking with. They pay me $500+ a year to use their card. I am not threatening to leave. I could see eating the $20 if I had to. So it's a different game.

But anyway, I printed out my statement and all the activity since said statement, e-mailed it over to dh - and sicked him on Chase again. (Um, NOTHING had been reversed according to my statements. HELLO!)

BAH!

At this rate, it may be resolved in January. If we're lucky.

BTW, like last time, one of the charges happens to be $1.95. So anyway, how much you wanna bet they reverse the $18 charge and leave that one? How much you wanna bet? It must be in the rule book.

I am not one to chase pennies, but when it comes to greedy credit card companies, and a spouse with free time, you BET I will chase it.

Posted in Just Thinking | 5 Comments »

5 Responses to “Credit Card Drama”

Koppur Says:
November 13th, 2008 at 08:51 pm 1226609462
1226609462

Keep at it...it may be a small amount, but it is the principle!!
Ima saver Says:
November 13th, 2008 at 09:06 pm 1226610360
1226610360

How annoying!!
CouponAddict Says:
November 14th, 2008 at 03:07 am 1226632063
1226632063

You have to really watch the small ones; We were told by our CC company sometimes people will do a small charge to see if you will catch it then if you dont they start charging more. That is what happened with DH card, did not catch the small one right away (within a week) and so they racked up a bunch of ten dollars here ten there dollars charges. Luckily the charges were not for internet things so the card company called him wondering why he charged a hotel room on one part of the country while eatting at Taco Bell and filling gas in another area. Good thing he did have real charges during that time to prove where he was.
ME2 Says:
November 14th, 2008 at 03:42 am 1226634156
1226634156

I had a problem with Discover card this past month. In August, they never received my payment (yes, I mailed it and the check never cleared my bank) so once I was notified of this, I immediately made the payment for August and they insisted @@ that I also make the September payment as well....whatever.

In October, I made/mailed my standard payment and it made it with no problem/check cleared the bank.

Imagine my *surprise* when I received notification from Discover that my auto-payment (which was 50% higher than my required/normal payment) had been processed. WTF!?!?!?!?

I called Discover and was given the grade A run around. One brainiac in their CS department insisted that I had to have agreed to the auto-payment since they had all my bank info. (I had just told this moron that I made a payment by phone the previous month @@)

I finally found someone who agreed to cease the auto-payments. (I have since paid the card off in full!)

However, because I no longer trust the *fine* folks at Discover, I will be telling my bank to refuse any/all request for payment from them, just in case. I wouldn't put it past them to try and put thru a payment on an account that is paid in full. @@

:::whew:::
monkeymama Says:
November 14th, 2008 at 02:40 pm 1226673631
1226673631

Well, the latest is they thought they took care of it so they didn't send me an affidavit. So now they are all snooty about it. Ugh! So now they are sending an affidavit, like they said they would a month ago. !!

Anyway, it's the only 2 charges I am aware of (that we discussed on the phone when THEY caught the fraud). Now they are trying to say there were other charges they never approved and never showed up on my bill, and like we never told them about THESE charges.

HELLO, THESE were the ones THEY called about and we said were fraudulent. They are so full of crap. They didn't ask ME about ANY other charges. I know they denied a few on MY charges at the time. Probably what they are talking about. While they let these through... Momma Mia.

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Monkey Mama*s Monkey Money Blog

Over Prepare, Then Go With The Flow

Credit Card Drama

5 Responses to “Credit Card Drama”

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