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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. We've always saved 100% of MH's income, but we are starting to dial that down a bit in 2023-2024.

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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2025 Goals

[ ]Small monthly Charitable Contribution
...($0 @ 1/1/25)
...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
...($0 @ 1/1/25)
...$1,000/month, plus interest
...Topping off with snowballs

[ ]$5,000 to investments
**STRETCH GOAL $7,500**
...($0 @ 1/1/25)
...$300/month, plus snowflakes
(Snowflakes: credit card rewards and dividends)
...Topping off with snowballs

[ ]$1,700 to mortgage
...($0 @ 1/31/25)
...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% @ 1/31/25)
...This is the minimum for the match; I'd otherwise rather fund IRAs.

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

[ ]$6,000 to IRAs 2024
**STRETCH GOAL $14,000 (MAX)**
...($0 @ 1/1/25)
...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 2025 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: $75,000 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.

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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
2024: +$95,000
TOTAL: +$665,000

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

Investing & Health Care

October 24th, 2012 at 03:02 pm

I suppose I put it out of my mind, but it's *that* time of year. Got our health insurance renewal yesterday. It went up 10%, which is about what I expected. Anyway, I think it is pretty official that in 2014 we will be paying more for health insurance than our mortgage. More than out CALIFORNIA mortgage. Just grateful we can continue to afford in the nearer future. I keep figuring it has to slow down at some point. "When" is the question. It can't go on like this forever. ???

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I figured this year I was going to read up on investing and all that (it's just one area I don't have a ton of experience or confidence). Ha! I signed up for this class early in the year - "Investing in Turbulent Times." As the year progressed I decided I already knew everything I needed to know, and that in the same way I approach just about everything, "Simpler is better." So I pretty much abandoned this plan. Or, more to the point, realized I already know everything I need to know and everything that is useful to me.

As my "Investing in Turbulent Times" class approached I decided it would probably annoy me. I was thinking, "Why is investing in turbulent times any different than other times? Aren't times always turbulent, on some level, anyway?" Ha! I nailed it on the head. The whole class was a broad investing class and that was the whole point of the class: There is nothing unique or different about now. Asset diversification/rebalancing, and "keeping costs low" are proven investing strategies.

Posted in Just Thinking | 3 Comments »

3 Responses to “Investing & Health Care”

Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
October 24th, 2012 at 03:54 pm 1351090440
1351090440

The health insurance thing is crazy. We can still handle ours, but only because we don't have other calls for large amounts of money. A high deductible plan is not appropriate for us, unfortunately. Many at my age are still paying large(ish) amounts for mortgages & HELOCs, 2-3 cars, kids' college, past or current remodeling, and sometimes care of older parents.
MonkeyMama Says:
October 24th, 2012 at 04:56 pm 1351094180
1351094180

"We can still handle ours, but only because we don't have other calls for large amounts of money."

BINGO. I totally relate.
Blessed Says:
October 24th, 2012 at 05:47 pm 1351097249
1351097249

Sorry to hear your ins went up 10%. Health insurance is crazy priced but we have to have it. It makes me really sad that people are priced out of having health care.

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Monkey Mama*s Monkey Money Blog

Over Prepare, Then Go With The Flow

Investing & Health Care

3 Responses to “Investing & Health Care”

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