Long time no post. Still dealing with the usual fatigue and family/medical issues, but managing as well as I can. I'm more of a browser with Saving Advice than a blogger, but I like to do updates, especially around the beginning of each year.
I updated my sidebar for 2016 to compare with the numbers below from 2015. Some progress, but a lot of major purchases (roof replaced, used car purchase, medical and dental bills). Always more to do. I've been on automatic pilot and have not been able to accomplish many of the goals I set for myself, but it's a new year and I'll begin again.
Copied from sidebar -- As of Dec 2015 --
Mortgage: paid off
HVAC loan: paid off
No credit card debt
Retirement: $39,797 IRA (trad'l)
Retirement: $222,100, 401K
Retirement: $8,723, Roth IRA
Wealth acct: $18,523
Freedom acct: $4,046
Christmas acct: $40
House repair/major medical acct: $1,105
Grandkids acct: $140
Savings bonds: $5,700
Plan to make monthly deposits into house repair acct to prepare for property taxes. I've managed to use the freedom account for part of it these past 2 years, but the bill (or the 'large-ness!' of the bill) seems to catch me off guard even though I know it's coming.
Anyhoo... Happy Saving everyone!
Hello 2017
January 17th, 2017 at 11:51 pm
January 18th, 2017 at 02:18 am 1484705908
For the 1st 5 years we were mortgage free, I divided the previous year's tax bill into 12, 'set aside ' segments to have most of the sum in place by due date. Gratefully this municipality has instigated a TIPPS program that gives a small discount to home owners, who permit an automatic, monthly withdraw, adjusted for change/discrepancy each December. [The catch is if ever there is insufficient funds, the entire annual tax balance is immediately due and owner is pitched out of the program permanently]