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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
...($1,750 @ 4/30/24)
...$350/month, plus snowflakes
(Snowflakes: credit card rewards and dividends)
...Topping off with snowballs

[ ]$2,025 to mortgage
...($0 @ 4/30/24)
...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 @ 4/30/24)
...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.

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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

Running out of Baby Stuff

March 9th, 2010 at 04:50 am

Dh and the boys also have varying illnesses (all mild), so I Was nominated to attend the kindergarten "lottery," tonight. Our kids are in, regardless. We are "founding parents" of the school. I just wanted to show up, make sure he was in the first lottery batch (little more than formality), and pick up the application.

I didn't make it inside, so I never saw how many hundreds were on the wait list. I just got lots of jealous looks when I walked in and out with my packet. Phew!

It's not over yet. Still have to get the application in. I hope to get all the medical sign offs and everything, this week. I won't rest easy until everything is taken care of. Though it's a little less stressful, this round, having gone through this before.

Hard to believe I am signing up my BABY for kindergarten, though.

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In other news, I Always say that most the big baby items we bought used, and sold for the same amount in the end, anyway. Which equates to lots of "free" baby stuff.

The kids' toddler bed was bought from an acquaintance for $50. It came with a "crappy mattress" that we sold with the crib. Bought around 2004 or 2005?

Both kids have used it. Dh put it up for sale today. (Because of LM's new bed and everything).

It just left - for $45 cash. We threw in the bedding because lord knows what we would do with it otherwise. But, $5 (net) for around 5 years of use, isn't half bad. It was a nice bed. I can't help but wonder how long it will last and how many toddlers will sleep on it. I don't know if it was bought new by my friend or what. Who knows.

It was funny because there was a very similar looking bed at Target for $20 last weekend. Dh said, "I doubt anyone will pay $50 for it." I had suggested starting at $50 since that is what we paid.

Anyway, in the end, he said it looked like the going rate on Craigslist. It took a couple of hours to sell.

Phew!

I admit dh was extra motivated with this whole TV thing. We had put the bed in the living room, and now it is empty again - ready for the old TV and entertainment center - until we figure all that out too.

I think it's official. Do we have any more "baby stuff"? I found some baby wipes and gave them to the preschool, last week. I think there isn't much left. What a symbolic day, on some level. My babies are growing up.

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Monkey Mama*s Monkey Money Blog

Over Prepare, Then Go With The Flow

Running out of Baby Stuff

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Monkey Mama*s Monkey Money Blog

Over Prepare, Then Go With The Flow

Running out of *Baby Stuff*

0 Responses to “Running out of *Baby Stuff*”

Leave a Reply

Running out of Baby Stuff

0 Responses to “Running out of Baby Stuff”