It's a crazy weekend.

Today we are doing the christmas thing with dh's family.

We have a very small pile of gifts. 4 small boxes for all the cousins. We are going to come home with LOADS of stuff. Mixed feelings on that. Every year MIL says she is going to calm down. Every year she doesn't. !!

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Yesterday I worked a good chunk of the day. It's busy, yes, but more because I took SO MUCH time off work last week. Between refi and school activities and such. I feel much better; caught up.

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Depends on my raise (if I even get one!) but I am taking a cue from Baselle and thinking for now I may do $333/month ROTH and $333/month cash savings.

Which would make a devil # combined, like Baselle's 401k contributions.

That would be my old ROTH contribution plus $200 savings from the new mortgage payment, and $33 thrown in for good measure.

That would also be another $133 to cash savings - assuming I can squeeze that out of my raise.

Our State disability insurance (essentially a tax) is going up a but this year and our health insurance went up $71/month, BUT I am assuming a $100/month after-tax raise - after all that stuff.

The extra $33 + $33 I am assuming we can squeeze with the lower gas prices. may be too aggressive, but it's a start. At least through April - I can fund $1300 or so and apply it to 2008 ROTH contributions. If gas prices rise, we can re-evaluate later.

The nice thing is I definitely have a "raise" with the new mortgage and will definitely have a "raise" next year once LM completes preschool. It's kind of sweet.

Anyway, probably a little aggressive, but I set it up anyway. I know I can swing the ROTH $333 with the new mortgage payment so just set it up and figured I'd give it a go. Cash savings? We'll see! I updated my goals and everything in my sidebar to reflect this and the refi.

The $333 essentially puts our percent of retirement contributions at 15%. & will probably be our course until we get our cash savings up to snuff. So next year our entire increase in cash flow will go to cash savings, until we get more caught up. Seems reasonable. Then we can inch up retirement savings after that, and eventually mortgage prepayments, once we max out our ROTHs. Kind of the plan!

I was kind of in awe of the numbers as I played with them. When dh and I both worked and we made closer to six figures, we just saved his entire check. Immediately before kids there were cutbacks at his work so we were depositing $2k-$2500/month. We had so much disposable income we had no need to track everything so closely. We always had cash for all the bills, for an occasional car purchase, or to max out an IRA.

So I am looking at our savings goals for 2009. $1k/month short-term savings. $333/month ROTH. $333/month Cash savings. $250/month Medical savings.

Have we done it? Just over $1900/month cash savings? On LESS income? & more mouths to feed? What the heck??????

It doesn't stretch near as far. The $1k/month is just for non-regular expenses and it goes much faster than it did before kids. Same with the medical. It will likely be spent on medical bills.

But it was interesting as I expect another $300/month next year when LM starts public school. That will be a solid $2200/month to savings. Maybe $2300 if I get a nominal raise. The whole thing is mind boggling to me.

Fact is though, before kids we had more income and less expenses. So we have a ways to go to reach that comfort level. & you can certainly factor inflation over the last 6 years. But I salivate the closer we get, every year.

I certainly wish we can just save $2k/month and be financially secure, but it doesn't seem to cut it these days!

P.S. The refi technically closes Tuesday. Fingers crossed!