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About Me:

Monkey Mama

Just a 47-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.

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
...($156 @ 6/30/24)
...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
MM YEAR 5

DL YEAR 1 ✔
DL YEAR 2
DL YEAR 3

[ ]$10,000 to savings
...($7,121 @ 8/31/24)
...$1,000/month, plus interest
...Topping off with snowballs

[ ]$7,500 to investments
...($3,691 @ 8/31/24)
...~~$350~~ $400/month, plus snowflakes
(Snowflakes: credit card rewards and dividends)
...Topping off with snowballs
...Note: Bumped up to $400 9/1, re: reduced food expenses

[ ]$2,025 to mortgage
...($0 @ 8/31/24)
...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% @ 8/31/24)
...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 @ 8/31/24)
...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.

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

**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>
2023: +$ 90,000
TOTAL: +$570,000

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

Rewards Update (2011) $4164

January 21st, 2012 at 03:00 pm

I got my nook!

I got those gift cards fast. Phew! Will probably give old nook to FIL for his birthday coming up.

{Though I have received some of these rewards in January, all of these rewards were earned in the year 2011. I suppose tehcnically these are all the rewards I expected to receive in 2011, though I am just getting the last of the rewards right now. AmEx was 4 weeks slower to let me redeem my point - compared to ANY of the others. I had really expected to have these gift cards in hand by Dec. 31}.

UPDATED TALLY:

$1030 cash Chase Sapphire (moi)
$200 cash Chase Freedom (dh)
$625 gift cards - Chase SW (dh)
$515 gift cards - Chase SW (moi)
$260 gift cards - AmEx (moi)
$500 gift cards Citi (dh)
+$100 gift cards - Citi for trying to close card
$310 gift cards - Citi (moi)
-$99 annual fee (SW card)
+$99 annual fee refunded when closed card
-$69 Fee (SW card)
+$69 annual fee refunded when closed card
-$41 lost value for exchanging some Citi gift cards for cash and amazon gift cards
-----------
$3499 TOTAL *ONE-TIME REWARDS*

+$ 500 deposit to ROTH (Fidelity Am Ex - 2% cash back)
+$ 25 cash back Fidelity Am Ex
+$ 76 Target rewards (5% discount Target purchases; mostly groceries)
+$ 64 Visa Rewards (1% cash back - for places that don't take AmEx)
----------------------------
=$4164 Total CC REWARDS 2011
----------------------------

For 2012, I already redeemed $50 to my ROTH. So, am getting a good head start! But, that said, I don't expect to pull anywhere near $4000 this year. Once our refi is done, will probably have dh apply for Chase Sapphire. He hadn't done that one, so will see. That's a $500 reward. That will put us closer to our usual $1000 average in rewards. We might hit closer to $1500 this year if dh can get $500 from Chase.

Posted in Credit Card & Bank Rewards | 13 Comments »

13 Responses to “Rewards Update (2011) $4164”

Maismom Says:
January 21st, 2012 at 05:13 pm 1327166005
1327166005

Amazing! Great job!
Amber Says:
January 21st, 2012 at 06:25 pm 1327170344
1327170344

Wow what a way to start the new year off
Looking Forward Says:
January 21st, 2012 at 06:26 pm 1327170403
1327170403

Yippee!
I am pretty sure I burned the Chase Sapphire offer (never opened it) way back when.
MonkeyMama Says:
January 21st, 2012 at 06:28 pm 1327170538
1327170538

@LF - check out mymoneyblog.com - I just saw it was still being offered. Which is why I was thinking I should try to sign my hubby up. $500 of course, not the $1000 that a few of us got.
patientsaver Says:
January 21st, 2012 at 09:07 pm 1327180072
1327180072

Unbelievable. You are the Queen of Quedit Qards.
frugaltexan75 Says:
January 22nd, 2012 at 05:39 am 1327210751
1327210751

How much do you have to spend for the Chase Saphire offer?
MonkeyMama Says:
January 22nd, 2012 at 03:31 pm 1327246294
1327246294

$3000 in 3 months, I think. (That's the thing, our health insurance alone pretty much covers it! But I know it's not so easy for everyone to spend that much in 23 months...).
MonkeyMama Says:
January 22nd, 2012 at 03:32 pm 1327246334
1327246334

I thought Southwest Chase offer was still good too - $500 in rewards if you make *one purchase.* Worth looking into. Is also at mymoneyblog.com The reward may be only $250 at this time?
MonkeyMama Says:
January 22nd, 2012 at 03:59 pm 1327247979
1327247979

Er, 3 months, not 23 months - on prior comment!
Frugaltexan75 Says:
January 22nd, 2012 at 06:54 pm 1327258467
1327258467

3 thousand in 3 months probably wouldn't work for me, but I'll take a look at the one time purchase offer.
MonkeyMama Says:
January 23rd, 2012 at 01:32 am 1327282336
1327282336

There is an annual fee on the SW Chase, but they just refunded it both times I closed the card. I probably wouldn't have made that outflow thought but I had already received $2000. Actually, I didn't know they would refund it, the first time. The second time I had to ask. Just FYI for the *catch* on that one.
MonkeyMama Says:
January 23rd, 2012 at 01:33 am 1327282386
1327282386

I meant to say that I had already received $2000 in OTHER cc rewards, and so why I didn't mind the annual fee on that one.
ceejay74 Says:
January 23rd, 2012 at 06:14 am 1327299282
1327299282

That's a good way to organize it; what was *earned* during the year even if it wasn't received yet. I should try to keep my 2012 separate so I can start a new tally. I think you're right that there's no way we can match last year. $1000 each on the two Sapphire cards; I can't believe that one still!

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Monkey Mama*s Monkey Money Blog

Over Prepare, Then Go With The Flow

Rewards Update (2011) $4164

13 Responses to “Rewards Update (2011) $4164”

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