Lux Living Frugalis

Allrighty, here's another entry in the 'The Best Way To...' Contest. Did you know we could enter more than once?

I've been working PRIVATELY on my own personal goals today and I'm really wanting to use Joe's Goals again this year. I did use joesgoals.com SOME last year, but not enough. I need a BEST WAY to keep on top of this goal-keeping whatchadoodle.

I went in today and revamped some of my settings, one being the 'Preferences' selection. Last year I had it ding me by email if I failed to log on in 7 days time. Well for me it seems 7 days is too too long! I reset it to ding me if I haven't logged on and updated every 2 days. This should work MUCH better. You might want to try it.

I created some new daily line items there as well -

Checking Account Update
Investment Log
Weight

I already do those things on quite a regular schedule but there are some days when I'm playing catch up. Or on the weight, I do weigh each morning but wasn't logging it anywhere. I'd like to get these locked down as Real Deeply NEVER MISS A DAY Ingrained Habits.

Yes, I know, some will tell you not to look at your investments every day. Well, I'm not every body. I like looking at mine daily. Why? It keeps me cognizant of the fact that the balances DO run up and down fairly regularly.

So, for me, it keeps me out of emotional realm and on track to just keep logging the balance. It might not work that way for everybody, but it does for me. I think we had one sell off in our investments in 2007 and that was to rebalance, so I'm not day-trading or anything as a result of keeping an eye on it. It does however alert me as to when I've enough cash on hand to invest into another fund and further diversify. Of course, once I get to a certain point I will stop the diversification process as I'm not wanting to set up some giant maze of investments.

Also while I was there at joesgoals.com I was logging in some of the receipts here on the desk and had to stop and ask myself just who was that crazy lady that was at the fast food restaraunt about 5 times last week???? BARRFFFFF -- I surely don't want that to continue! So, those frownie faces do work.

It has hardened my resolve to see all those on there. BOO HISS!!!

The other thing you can fiddle with on Joe's Goals is to increase your points for certain activities. On those that I'd been slacking on I boosted the points. Doing this points boost, helps spike the charts as well. A nice upward spike on the chart does give me some incentive as well.

As competitive as I am I want gold stars people! No stars available, but smiley faces, points and checkmarks will do. He has a little gadget where you can import your goal chart to your blog.

Plus, for every day there is a frownie for eating out or pop there is also no smiley there for No Spend Days! WELLL, obviously that crazy lady Must Be Stopped!!! Before the fat lady must sing!

The other bad thing about fast food for me is that means I'm usually getting a pop at the same time and my bottom line (ba-dum-bum) doesn't require any extra padding in that department either. So again, the frownie faces may help come to the rescue as I gave SodaPop a frownie line of it's own! Saving on future dental bills as well.

Besides which it does me No Good to complain about my children's spending habits when I'm letting my own run wild!

Time to Get It T.O.GETHER!!

Therefore, the best way to track goals is to have a centralized place TO track them and CHECK IT OFTEN! Automating the reminders to check it often just might be the best way to stay on track.

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In Other Financial News:

Today's $20 Challenge money came from a change slot in the wallet cleanout.

$20 CHALLENGE
$009.49 balance
+000.38 clean out change slot
_______
$009.87 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $9.87
Cumulative Challenge Total $538.48

We have a new contest huh? Okay, I'm going to enter this into the 'The Best Way To...' Contest.

The best way to cut electricity costs is to keep a somewhat eternal vigil on usage, wouldn't you say? I know there are big things you can do like buying Energy Star products, etc., but in the meantime or afterwards, is there a way for the ECONOMIZER in us to keep the electrical costs under control?

I've been thinking about this for a few days and I've come up w/a small idea. Alrighty guys and girls, every now and again I am going to alert us to a challenge such as the Flylady HotSpot Alerts.

I'm going to call this thing The Whack A Mole Electrical Challenge. Do you remember those games? Pop one mole on the head and another pops up?

That's what my electricity usage is like.

I think I have things under control but one sweep thru the house reveals a number of items that I can turn off, unplug so there is no phantom usage, etc.

Here I go - it's early morning here with showers and breakfast over...

Okay, I'm back -- I turned off:

1)desk lamp off
2)calculator off
3)computer speaker off
4)printer/copy machine off
5)bedside fan off
6)nightstand lamp off
7)living room TV off
8)living room overhead light off
9)kitchen TV unplugged
10)coffee pot unplugged
11)hair dryer unplugged
12)kitchen night light off
13)utility room night light off
14)bathroom night light off
15)microwave unplugged

YIKES!!!

See why we need to keep whacking that electricity mole????

Okay, your turn. Come back and tell me what all you were able to turn off or unplug!

Then stay ready, because you never know when I'll pop a Whack A Mole Electrical Challenge on you! ummmm...you might want to let your family in on this game, because there might be minor disgust from the spousal unit when one finds the microwave unplugged REPEATEDLY. Don't ask me how I know!

What's in your electrical outlets?

Go, Go, GO!!!! Whack Those Moles!!

FrugalSon gave me 50 cents yesterday for the $20 Challenge.

"Hey bud, where'd this come from?"

'CashHappy gave it to me!'

I guess I'm grateful that he isn't one of those who just throws his change on the ground???? AUUGGH!!

Don't get me wrong, I like having money to put towards my challenge, but I'd rather they save it for themselves.


$20 CHALLENGE

$008.99 balance
+000.50 Transfer of Assets
_______
$009.49

2008 Challenge Total $9.49
Cumulative Total Challenge $538.10

Yesterday was a spender - $82.96 at the grocery and $2.50 for matinee viewing w/CashHappySon of 'National Treasure 2' or whatever the second one is called.

I enjoyed the movie but was agog at the grocery receipt as I had a short list, but somehow was not that effective in sticking with it. However, what I did get that may have sent me over the top was fresh produce that should be healthful to our overall nutrition.

Has anybody looked into these yet? Seen a prospectus?


http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1231/p14s01-wmgn.html?page=1

Okay here are some actual numbers from Booth 1 sales for December 2007.

Total Sales $130.00
less 10% -13.00 (store owner)
___________________
117.00
less rent -50.00 lg. upstairs booth
___________________
67.00
less adver. -5.00
___________________
Check $62.00
inv. cost -11.71
___________________
Profit* $50.29

*Does not include taxes that must be paid, gasoline or my time to run it over there - I grocery shop at the same time, nor my time to price, or tithe - but it is nice to know that w/just $11.71 I can net sales of $130!

Sold 33 separate items which would average out at about $3.94 an item. I do have some large items in my booth, and nothing big sold this month, the most expensive one item went for $14.50.

I do try to keep a lot of 'smalls' in my booth as sometimes that is the only thing that sells. I remember my early days of 'junking' and I was happy to shop all day, but did want to bring some little something home for all my 'efforts' - HA! Thusly, I do try to have items in all kinds of price ranges available for my shoppers. I think my sales would about triple if I could get a downstairs space.

So, $31 to the Roth IRA today after I hit the bank w/the check I picked up yesterday. Booth 2 results are too sad to mention for December.

CashHappySon handed me $1.16 in change to go to the challenge. He is so cavalier about money it is scary.

$20 CHALLENGE
$007.83 balance
+001.16 parted with all too easily
_______
$008.99 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $8.99
Cumulative Challenge Total $537.60

Yesterday was a spender as HouseBudget spent a boatload on gas to fill up my truck. I took a load of firewood to my Dad about an hour away and then drove on to my Mom's to restock my junque' booth #2 and pick up December sales at #1 & 2 booths. Phhppfftt...those #2 sales not worth driving for (did meet my rent, got rid of some junk with a little left over*), but it does make me MORE regular in getting down to see her - she lives approximately 2 hours away.

Since both boys were off I took them with me to unload the wood and to see the grandparents, so it was $9.90 at the Golden Arches for lunch for the three of us (just the way the schedule turned out that we were between their houses at lunchtime or we'd of normally eaten with one or the other of them) AND $1.75 in toll charges.

*My other booth did meet it's December expenses plus $62.00 in income. Good thing I'm not trying to LIVE off of this money as it is very irregular! Now to figure out the profit...

Half of the income will go directly to my Roth IRA and the rest plowed back into more inventory.

I spent $13.01 here this week on groceries. I seriously overstocked before Christmas and Hubster's vacation, plus he got a nice spiral ham from his company and CashHappySon got a turkey.

The ham is mostly spent, just a few remains in the freezer for future ham, beans & cornbread nights, but the turkey is tucked away in the freezer uncooked.

It's Grocery Banked!!

In other spending news...at Family Dollar this week I spent $45.50ish. That is for paper goods, paper towels, paper plates, toilet tissue, lots of cleaning and laundry supplies -- enough to last a couple of months, a new broom, 2 new dish towels, coffee creamer, $1 for 4 cooking utensils, shampoo, conditioner, batteries for my camera, a Valentine's Day card for Hubster and a bottle of 'fake-o champagne-bottled grape juice' for VD coming up.

While we were there I helped FrugalSon pick out a card for his girl 'not toooooo mushy', and some clearance lotion products for her VD gift. Nice - he only paid $3 on one of those sets with about 6 or 7 items in it. He also has a perfume here at home for her in the shape of a floral rose presentation thingawho that will be added to his gift.

We looked for hearts filled with chocolates but they weren't in the store yet. He also bought himself a new cap - it looks like one of those Greek fisherman caps for $3.99, so he got out for around $8.50 total on his big splurge.

PLUS, he was here to tote and carry all Mom's purchases to the truck and then into the house! Gotta love those boys with muscles AND a good attitude that look like Greek Gods. Sweet!

Hurry, hurry, hurry, the new year has begun!! Time flies, so have to get on top of the challenge once again.

Just one thin dime and one penny to add to the Challenge today. YET, every little bit COUNTS!!

$20 CHALLENGE

$007.72 balance
+000.11 thin+1
_______
$007.83 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $7.83
Cumulative Challenge Total $536.44

Yesterday I took myself to the TacoBell for a drive-thru lunch while everyone else was away, this was part of my planned budgeted Entertainment Fund dollars. Don't get too excited, this fund only gets maybe $6-15 a month. It varies. I usually take myself out to the movies at least once a month at the matinee $2.50 and buy myself a few cheap tacos and drink tea from home. Wooooo!!

Today was a No-Spend day.

We keep getting all these emails and newsletters from Countrywide wanting us to borrow more money, etc. but funny thing is they are all addressed to the Hubster**.

Now my name is on the note and I'm the one who monitors the account, sends in the payments, opens, reads and filters the mail he actually sees, am the chief cook and bottle washer and basically the financial manager of the home, etc., and I am feeling a bit left out.

"Dear Hubster,

Your time is reserved for a phone consultation to borrow on a HELOC, blah blah blah..."

NO, we aren't planning to call or refinance or any of that stuff, but...

I don't know about you but if I was marketing my company's products to current and prospective customers in this day and age I would hope I'd be smart enough to include the lady of the house or all those included on the account.

Harummpppffhhh! Makes a girl just want to shut her reticule!!

Had I not been the saver in the home we'd not of had the money for closing the loan in the first place!

I'm aware this is a subjective, piddly thing, but it gripes me, ya know? So, I'm thinking I may have to put pen to paper or hands to keyboard and write their CEO AND their marketing department.

What thinkest thou?

**side rant - nowadays they do not even address you by Mr. &/or Mrs. It's by your first name. How annoying. I'd prefer old school style "Dear Mr. & Mrs. Frugalis"!! You people don't even know us, so please get out your manners!!

"The Use of Money is all the Advantage there is in having Money.

For 6 £. a Year, you may have the Use of 100 £. if you are a Man of known Prudence and Honesty.

He that spends a Groat a day idly, spends idly above 6 £. a year, which is the Price of using 100 £.

He that wastes idly a Groat’s worth of his Time per Day, one Day with another, wastes the Privilege of using 100 £. each Day.

He that idly loses 5 s. worth of time, loses 5 s. & might as prudently throw 5 s. in the River.

He that loses 5 s. not only loses that Sum, but all the Advantage that might be made by turning it in Dealing, which by the time that a young Man becomes old, amounts to a comfortable Bag of Mony.

Again, He that sells upon Credit, asks a Price for what he sells, equivalent to the Principal and Interest of his Money for the Time he is like to be kept out of it: therefore

He that buys upon Credit, pays Interest for what he buys.

And he that pays ready Money, might let that Money out to Use: so that

He that possesses any Thing he has bought, pays Interest for the Use of it.

Consider then, when you are tempted to buy any unnecessary Housholdstuff, or any superfluous thing, whether you will be willing to pay Interest, and Interest upon Interest for it as long as you live; and more if it grows worse by using.

Yet, in buying Goods, ’tis best to pay ready Money, because,

He that sells upon Credit, expects to lose 5 per Cent. by bad Debts; therefore he charges, on all he sells upon Credit, an Advance that shall make up that Deficiency.

Those who pay for what they buy upon Credit, pay their Share of this Advance.

He that pays ready Money, escapes or may escape that Charge.

A Penny sav’d is Twopence clear, A Pin a day is a Groat a Year. Save & have. Every little makes a mickle." ~~Poor Richard, a/k/a Benjamin Franklin, 1737

The following little factoid came across my screen this morning from the Money Fun Fact Feed at SavingAdvice.com, and I just wanted to make sure the folks here noted it.

---

"The richest person ever was John D. Rockefeller whose wealth was estimated at $900 million in 1913, the equivalent of $189.6 Billion today. His first job in 1850 paid him $3.57 a week." Source: guinnessworldrecords.com

---

The interesting thing is that if you read Titan a biography of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., you will note that Mr. Rockefeller from a very young age 1)TRACKED every penny and dime AND was 2) EXTREME in his cost cutting efforts AND was 3)QUICK to develop new business ideas and opportunities.

All three ideas which we here at Saving Advice can use to fatten our bottom lines as well. If it was good enough for John D., well, it ought to be good for us as well.

And, JUST because I like you, (said in my best car salesman voice) I'm going to throw you a little bonus thing you can do so your bottom line can begin to fatten like John D.'s - 4)he tithed. Many people are unaware of all the churches and schools he was charitable towards.


http://www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr/dp/1400...

To recap, he did the following:
1)Tracked Income & Expenses
2)Extreme Cost Cutting
3)Quickly Develop Business Ideas
4)Tithe


If you get a chance, read Titan with your pen & notebook in hand (I'd say highlighter, but I'm a librarian I can't go around telling you to mark up books!!)

While he was no angel, he is not the total devil some might make him out to be. An interesting, informative read.

~~LuxLivingFrugalis

P.S. You'll find out which bank is still around today that was started w/Rockefeller dollars.

Perfect!!! FrugalSon just gave me $6.25 left from his December Entertainment budget - "to help you with that pizza from the other night Mom", you know the one we invited his girlfriend over for? What a trooper!

Wooooot!!!

Now normally the Frugalis family makes pizza at home which I can make a couple of nice pizzas for about $5 or less, so even w/the coupon the other night it pained ol' Mom's Frugalicious Gene (TM) to pay for pizza (no, I didn't say a word as it was my idea to do it this way), so this is a nice surprise.

Unexpected, so, I'm taking it to the challenge!

Plus, the dryer fairy left me a penny. Thank you muchly!!


$20 CHALLENGE
$001.46 balance
+006.26 pizza rebate & dryer fairy
_______
$007.72 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $7.72
Cumulative Challenge Total $536.33

Okay this one's for Shiela who asked about how my fold up bed works. The key is in the piano hinges that allow the doors to be folded back out of the way.



This was the only bed I had for about 3 or 4 years when I was a young single upwardly mobile chickista. Proving that you can sleep with a metal rod across your back and live to tell the tale!

Wow, I opened this up today for the first time in a couple of years and all dustbunnies aside found the sheet (I paid $8 to replace)I've been looking for!

Ta-da!!

Here it is!



And to think I've been accusing the young manchildren who live hereabouts of having it scrunched up in some deep dark (Mom, you REALLY don't want to look in there) place!!


See the blue taped thingawhichy over there against the closet? Hang tight, that's my next How I Turned $5 into $125 project. Details to follow as soon as Hubster gets it put back together for me.

Updating the mortgage balance...

If we continue on the track we're going down we'll shave an additional 1 year and 10 months off the loan, saving interest payments of 807.27.

New balance after payment on 1/1/08 is $19,705.71. Finally, under that $20,000 bar!

Contractual term left 6 years 4 months
Actual term remaining 5 years 7 months

Projected early payoff in July 2012!




And a nearby picture of the recent ice-storm! Hubster did go buy himself a new Stihl chainsaw the other day and while he was off on his Christmas vacation worked about 8 days all day EVERY DAY on cutting up trees in our yard alone and STILL the entire backyard and behind the creek is full of gigantic downed limb piles remaining to be cut up! That was an unexpected expense of apprx. $325 that came out of the Emergency Fund.

Adding to the $20 Challenge $1.01 from CashHappySon.

$000.45 balance
+001.01 donation
_______
$001.46 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $1.46
Cumulative Total $530.07

I can see an additional expense coming up as my calculator is now ghost operated. I was sitting here last night at the desk and the calculator started calculating without me!! Just clicking away like a wild thing!! The number 2 on the keypad has been sticking for awhile, so it's about time to take it in for a tuneup if it's going to take off on it's own doing who knows what?!!?!!

Will have to run her in to the metro area to find out if she's worth putting dollars into or if it's time for the old scrap heap!

Warning, Warning, Warning, Photo Intensive, so those with slower computers might wish to back away now!

I always enjoy seeing pictures of Fern's house so, since the house is halfway clean this morning as we had company last night, I thought it was the appropriate time to snap a few pictures. Welcome to a partial tour of the Frugalis Homestead.





Do not adjust your screen folks. Remember, my house was originally built in 1942 and everything is slightly off kilter from one view to the next! I promise I did not hit the nog last night!! House has been added on to and added on to, so it is a bit of a maze!



Yeah, when you come to visit, I'll let you sleep in the foyer! Ha! That's probably my favorite piece of the furniture in the house. That table w/the stained glass has a full size fold-out bed in it. I got it as a gift a million years ago from my Mom & Stepdad when I bought my first home - a little efficiency condo. It's moved with me a bunch of times. That sucker is heavy!!! No, really, we'll just throw the egg-crate foam on there and you won't feel that foldy-up-the-bed-bar in your back hardly at all!




The little gossip bench was another early gift from my Mom & StepDad! Thank God for my parents thru the years or we would have no furniture!!! That little seat has moved w/me many, many times!! Okay, who forgot to put the phone book back?

Need to repaint the floor trim & next on the HoneyToDoList is to put up crown molding all thru the house. I think I'll have to spend a small fortune on caulk though, because as you can see there isn't a straight line at the ceiling anywhere in the house! All those variations at ceiling line? Not painter's errors, but wavy ceilings!

Okay, let's back track and go to...


Next, a small hint of the Sun Room, well, it's got a cool old wavy glass door and the floor is the pits right now w/stacks of books, so ummmm...yeah, we won't go any farther in here today.

But, yes, that the big club chair I bought from Mom last year w/some money I had saved for that purpose. And the curtain is sooooo cool. I bought it to resell, but haven't been able to turn loose of it yet. It's rather on the coolish side. I paid a dollar for it last year on vacation at a thrift store in AZ, & will probably resell in about the 18 dollar range! How's THAT for a return on my investment?




The 500 lb. monster TV we want to replace! The LAUGH sign was a Christmas gift from my ex-SIL, that's not it's permanent home, will have to find it another spot, but, you'd laugh too if you had all that crappy filing to do!! EGADS it's about to topple!! The old green desk is a cool architect's drafting table that I begged for until I got it from my Step-Dad. Came out of his shop! I LOVE IT!!

It's old & chippy and the top of the table tilts up and has a coolio little brass doo-hickey-ma-bob that holds it the designated angle. Really cool. Would like to put an aluminum top on it someday. With my extra cash, doncha' know???? One of my pipedreams I suppose. Have yet to price it out though, it might be much more reasonable than I'm imagining.



And here we come to...



Here's where I'm a'sitting and typing to you my dear friends & faithful readers.

Yeah, I get the big chair. It belongs to Hubster as it was a Father's Day gift about five years ago, but I abscounded with it awhile back. I log more hours at the desk. Hubster gets the little chair in the evening times to play Halo2 or whatever it is he is cuzzing & discussing at over there.

This is a neat, neat old desk we share that I got at a barn sale. It is over 150 years old and I love it!! Chippy, crackly, creaky, unevenness and all. The white spot on the end there is from some kind of laminated paper that is clearly from the 40's or 50's.

I'd eventually like to cover it with some patterned leather, but yeah, it is cool just like it is. Operations central. New curtains from Mom, need to iron!!! It's always something!! That's the door to the sunroom...

My nice wooden end tables are missing as they are over at FIL's house 'dressing' it for sale.








Ooops, I forgot a couple of ornaments in the put-away the other day! Love my oak plate rack! I paid way, way too much for it, but yeah, it's a keeper. Aren't the cute little feety egg cups I got from my niece adorable?! Love Them!!!






I paid 50 cents for the oak beveled mirror over the stove! A certified STEAL...women, do not let your men price or man the garage sale alone, okay? I'm just saying. They could've easily gotten $50-65 for it. That's the utility room you can just glimpse in the mirror. Remember last year me getting Hubster to finally put trim sticks around the kitchen cabinets. They were HORRID w/o them!!





Okay, this is the possum belly table that holds way too much stuff!! I paid a God-awful amount of money for this puppy, but I really love it. Ya think it's going to sink my houseboat someday??? But, I only paid $8.00 for the beautiful brass lamp at the thrift store!! The matching one sits in the living room. Hey, who crammed those styro cups up there??



Okay, the rest of the dining room and stuff is kinda piled up, so maybe later, huh? Honestly, now just where did you think the rest of the crap from off my desk was hiding???

The Hubster and the rest of the crew are still sacked out in the other rooms and I'll have to go click some pics of the newly repainted bathroom, utility room, bedrooms, etc. later! So, folks, that concludes this portion of the tour.

Thanks for stopping by! Ya'll come back now, ya hear!!!! Any time!!!

Keep scrolling down...









Of financial note: Speaking of OLD & NEW...maybe it's just me but is everything blurry & quiet in here?? The Hubster and I signed up for his HSA this year. Hope he gets his official paperwork soon as I see an eye exam and a hearing test in my future.

At church last Sunday I couldn't see one of my favorite little girls' face while she was in the baptistry waters! Granted, I sit in the balcony, way at the back but still....

Ughhhh!! I think it is a bigger issue than just being at a distance...like maybe I'm turning into an old fossil??

AND,

I couldn't hear the people at the other end of the table in my Sunday School class. Granted, it's a big class, but, still, I like to participate. Need to be able to hear to do that!! Maybe I'm just full of funky earwax?? Hear's hoping that's all that is!

Hopefully the little bit we put towards the HSA will cover both those expenses. We are newbies at this HSA thingy, so we didn't plop a lot of money towards it. 2008 is our test launch year and I think he either put $400 or $500 on it, either of which should be easily hit.

-----
Cleaned the desk off yesterday while preparing for FrugalSon's date. My desk is in the living room, so um, yeah, it had to have a clean sweep! Found a dime and someone had left 35 cents on the lazy susan in the dining room. The waitress (dear Ol' Mom) claimed it.

FrugalSon's 'The Girl' came over bearing a chocolate cake last night and we had Domino's pizza (yes, w/a coupon) and watched Godzilla -the relatively?? new one.

Wooohoooo Party!!

Huuuu!! I fell asleep during the first part but was enough of a party animal to be awake from about 11 on til about 1 a.m. Big time fun. Well, for us anyway.


2008 $20 CHALLENGE

$000.00 balance
+000.45 desk cleanup & waitress tip
_______
$000.45 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $000.45
Cumulative Challenge Total $402.95

Anyway, I pray that everyone of us here at SavingAdvice.com will prosper during the coming new year!! Let the clock start ticking!! I'm off to make my mortgage payment.

OhJoyyyyyyyAndHappiness!

At least I think I caught them all. There are a few I need to check on because I think I went through a few more as a very young child. So far as I can verify I've visited 58% of the U.S. of A. Will have to get with the folks to check some others that are iffy in my mind.

Hmmmmm...
I'd surely like to clear up that pesky southern sweep from being complete and then I could move on the the next tier north!

Just trying to figure out a location for travel in 2008 and in which state to make my timeshare exchange.

Thanks to Kashi for inspiring me.

Create your own personalized map of the USA
http://www.world66.com/myworld66

Behind the veil...

Okay, Broken Arrow, listen up my friend, surely there is a face amongst these winsome beauties for a frugalite such as yourself to love??

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/popup?id=4062863

...and I've got to say Miss Ivanka is such a striking beauty!!

Some vows might be worth taking!!



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FINAL UPDATE 2007 $20 CHALLENGE

and the total for 2007 is $402.50. I had wanted to make it to $500.00 this year, but uh, not quite. I'm shooting for much more in 2008. Shhhhh...the amount is my little secret!

Adding in the .27 I had told ya'll earlier that CashHappySon slipped into Piggy one day. I saw him putting it in there but he didn't know how much he'd slipped in...


$20 CHALLENGE

$23.31 balance
+00.27 slipped in
______
$23.58 Dec MTD

2006 Challenge $126.11
+2007 Challenge 402.50
__________________________________
Cumulative Challenge Total $528.61

Taking Dec's piggy totals to the bank today, and will be rounding it off and sending $24 off to the IRA this afternoon.

Is that my Sciatic Nerve Acting Up? NO!! It's a genuine pain in the posterior!

Okay, the Hubster's 40 Year Service Award is going to be paid out in the form of being added to supposedly his next paycheck, which means it will be frigging taxed & won't be issued until after the first of the year, so it will be an entire year before any of that tax bite can be recaptured.

Can you tell I'm slightly ticked off????

Arrrghhhhhh!!!


In an attempt to soften and at least slightly counteract the blow I went in and upped the 401-K deductions only to be told that it won't go into affect until AFTER that check is cut!!

Pain in the right and left buttocks**!!

Like I said before it would certainly be nice if the employees had a little notice that the company was going to do these bonuses and awards in the fashion that they do, so we can counter-attack the tax burden.

Guess why? They don't do matching or take any 401-K contributions out of bonuses or awards. Isn't that just fine?


NO, not in my book.

Does anyone have a solution, methodology or a way around this?? Maybe I'm thinking about this all wrong, but it chaps my hide and yes, I do think it a royal pain in the posterior.


I hope I'm wrong and it comes in a complete untaxed form.

Yes, we could go ahead and take some of our own money and go buy the television NOW that he's wanting but it's doubtful that we will. I didn't particularly want a new TV, but he does, and it gripes me that they COULD HAVE done better by him than they have.

Okay, so I'll let you know how much actually shows up later, should be in his hot little hands when he returns to work from vacation time off on Wednesday.

----

Of other financial interest, I managed to scrape up an additional $999 to go into my Roth from various savings. I'm going to add my own little $1 from the current budget to get it to that magical $1000 mark. That still leaves me slightly short some on the 2007 done by midnight on the 31st, however, perhaps I will be able to make the deadline by April. GEEEEEE, WHINE, WHINE, WHINE, I so wanted to be done by the end of the literal year.

POUT!!

---
Yesterday was a NO SPEND DAY!!! YEAH!!

---
Today was a spender. Everyone here but the Hubster has the croup and the boys have been hitting the cough syrup supply quite heavily. So, after church we stopped for cold supplies. Tried to buy day time cold meds, night time cold meds, tissues and regular cough syrup.

Because some people in my state like to cook up funkydunkydrugs from the stuff I had to give the cashier my date of birth and was only allowed to buy two of the cold meds on one ticket. The third one I had to buy on a separate ticket.

How, may I ask you Dear Reader, did that keep in bounds with the law? Yeah, it did with the letter of the law?? but still. It's a law with good intentions, but silly if the cashier is just going to let you buy the stuff on two tickets. WEIRD.

Not sure how I'd of liked it handled, because with three croupy people I needed the goods, but come on!!! Either stick with the law or don't bother.

Geeee, it is a strange world anymore where you almost need an act of Congress to buy cough medication!


**For more classy information on buttocks check out Wikipedia for Venus of the Beautiful Buttocks!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_Kallipygos

Oh the things we can learn these days. I had seen the statue, but never heard the story about the farmer with two daughters possibly originating with Venus????

I live, I learn, I educate my faithful readers.

We all are now further classically educated, yes?? Additional small talk fodder for the New Year's Eve parties to come!

"If you haven't got all the things you want, be grateful for the things you don't have, that you don't want." ~~unknown



I received a $50 gift card for J.C. Penney's for Christmas again this year. Thank You, Momma!!!!

I was wanting to use it to buy new towels for my redecorated bathroom (it's all Chinese Plum Blossom Red w/Black accents now (very exotic looking and I love it - see I was busy while I was off the blog). We are not going to talk about how much I spent for the black leather shower curtain!!! However, I had just recently within the past year and a half bought new yellow towels. They look 'okay' in the bathroom, but black towels would be mucho mucho better.

So, Penney's was running a sale on their towels yesterday and I went but alas the only black ones they had in stock were of inferior quality and so I passed. Will find dollars later to buy the kind I want. Does Cannon still make towels? I dunno, but theirs are the only ones I know of that last, and last, and LAST!!

Hubster asked that I buy myself new nighties for Christmas. I believe I know the one he BADLY wanted replaced - it's from one of our trips to Florida about 10 years ago, I paid $7 for it at a roadside stand, and is on it's very last leg, but OOOOOOHHHHHHH so comfy. I'm saving it for a pattern.

I've been shopping around all Christmas time to find myself new nighties but alas all the stores seemed to have are flannel and fleece and I'm a hot sleeper and I need SEXY, sleeveless and thin, not GRANNY GRUNT nighties!! I have not been married 25 years by accident you know!!

Anyway, I was cruising around Penney's and there was nothing that I wanted!!!

Isn't that FANTASTIC??????????????

I think so.

Oh how your tastes change as you age. I don't really NEED anything! It's a good place to be mentally friends.

So, I did finally remember about the nightie request & found Penney's had a few that fit my (Hubster's) NEEDS for me to have new nighties. Got three of them, black, red, blue. They were all 60% off and came in just under $50 by 11 cents. So, Penney's it is doubtful I'll be back until next year & then only if Mom gets me another gift card, so I've just increased your bottom line by 11 cents.

And now Hubster is EVEN HAPPIER coming to bed!! (as if that's even possible???)

Goodbye old nightie, OH how I loved you!!! We made some FAN-TASTIC-MOR-GASMIC memories together - but I love Hubster & gift cards more.

----
$20 CHALLENGE

$23.28 balance
+00.03 from FrugalSon
______
$23.31 Dec MTD

2007 Challenge $402.23
Cumulative Challenge Total $528.34

----
Yesterday was another NO SPEND DAY!!! ...if you don't count the $50 gift card, which I don't as it didn't come out of my pocket.

Why Sharebuilder??

They reached out and wrapped their loving arms around me with a $50 bonus!!

Kinda gives you that grabby warm fuzzy feeling, doesn't it?

So, I reached out and grabbed them back!

I was waiting to say why I chose to open a Sharebuilder account now. There is a $50 promotion right now for opening an account there and making a trade.

I'm not sure how long the promotion lasts but here's the letter I just got via email from Sharebuilder. You might want to open one yourself. This offer is not affiliated with me, but another blogger from another website.


"Thank you for opening your ShareBuilder account. To receive your $50 Web Channel Offer, all you need to do is purchase a stock or ETF in either your Automatic Investment Plan or through a real-time trade by 02/05/2011. If you have not set up your investment plan or real-time trade yet, schedule your first trade today.

For your reference, the Promotion Code is FILIFE50.

Thank you for selecting ShareBuilder.

Sincerely,

etc., etc."

Great! I wrote them a note because it did not immediately show up in the account, so I started wondering. This letter just came after about 2 hours from the starting time. Doubtful it is in response to my note, but just on a normal time delay.

I did set my account to be automatically drafted after the first of the year, so I am assuming that the bonus will be credited at that time.

One way of looking at it is "I can use that free $50 to execute 12.5 trades at $4 fee a pop." OR "I can use $46 of it to buy into my new Goldman Sachs position w/the house paying the $4.00 fee." Either way works for me.

Started a new Sharebuilder Account today with plans to use it to keep my DRIPs & DCA (dollar cost averaging) buys inside. Will see later about transferring some of the ones I've had for awhile over to there...not sure how all that works, but know it is doable, not sure on the ease.

For a new dollar cost averaging holding I am going with $50 automated buys monthly of Goldman Sachs (GS)...


http://www2.goldmansachs.com/our_firm/investor_relations/a...

...to start this off in the new year with my first buy to take place 1/8/08.

I wanted to do the OIH & CGW etfs, but alas they are not listed under their available Tuesday purchases. Not sure exactly how all Sharebuilder works YET/BUT, think it may be possible to do a real-time trade into OIH & CGW. We shall see later. Just trying to up my diversification outside of my OFFICIAL retirement accounts.

This money has a dual goal set for it. It is my buy a houseboat and an RV for my retirement living/travel needs. I MAY go without a permanent station in retirement other than a docking & parking fee at a local lake.

I am invisioning a small auto (used paid for in cash) pulled up to the darling houseboat (used paid for in cash) which is docked alongside a smallish van/truck over camper RV type (used paid for in cash) with a tow hitch.

Any one of these three could take me away for a bit of travel/living economy style. I could hop in the small RV and head for the kids and grandchildren's homes and visit a week or two without being a major inconvenience and yet get my wanderlust satisfied at the same time.

We shall see.

That's the somewhat distant & vagueish goal at this time. Who knows, it may be only a slightly bigger RV and I rent a houseboat each summer on different lakes. OR a small condo with time each summer in a rental RV &/or rental houseboat.

Time & health will tell.



And I have saved enough in my CD Savings Fund that I'm popping it off today to buy another short-term CD.

And, there's enough in the Savings Bond Fund to buy another I-Bond. I am buying these and putting my children & grandchildren on as POD (payable on death). This way I can use these IF I need them (future income) in old age, but if not, the ones w/the kiddos on them can be their small inheritance from the old Gran.

What can I say, I like my eggs in different baskets. It's scriptural I believe. Simpler to have it all at one place, but not sure of the soundness!

SEE: "Ecclesiastes Chapter 11 - Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good."

I'm trying to be a good caster of my bread!

And this Sharebuilder automated account builder is one of those set it and forget it doowhickies. Yes, I'm willing for now to pay the $4 for trades. We shall see how it all pans out.

Yes Virginia, I am BUYING assets. Assets that pay me in future income. Remember my Granny L's saying, "Trinket or Treasure?" The difference I heard someone speak of between poor people and people who have money are that the poor people buy STUFF and folks w/money buy ASSETS.

No, I currently (me myself personally, not counting Hubsters income) don't have enough income after normal living expenses to just buy a CD or even a savings bond sometimes.

I just budget a bit each month for these things into various little funds kept earning interest under an umbrella slush fund at EmigrantDirect and when they accumulate up to a certain size then I pop off and buy them. Anyone can.

At this point in time I already have way too much STUFF. Need more income producing ASSETS.

Of financial quickie note - yesterday was a No Spend day. I've gotten away from blogging about them, but they do count and add up!

Okay, just went back thru the check register and I deposited $16.92 from Piggy in September. And in October I added a contribution of $101.00 to my Roth IRA most of which was left over from my Texas trip that went unspent. This was over and above my regular contribution.


Making the addition to the log over on the left.

$20 Challenge

September 2007 $16.92
October 2007 $101.00


So, I didn't make my goal in September but I seem to have more than made up for it in October.

CashHappySon was spotted the other day plunking a few coins into Pigger before I could stop him, so I'll wait to the 31st to give a final 2007 $20 Challenge update.

So far 2007 found $402.20 for the $20 Challenge. Add that to the 126.11 for 2006 when I began and you get a Cumulative Total of $528.31.

Not Mr. Rockefeller yet, but hey, for money that I would've piddled off elsewhere it looks to add up, yes?

Of other financial note: Paid 1/2 of the house taxes earlier this week, these were due by the 31st. I have the other half set aside, but that half isn't due until mid March, so I say, "Let the interest pileth up!" and then I'll mail them the rest of what is owed later. House taxes up by about $30 this year, not too bad if they just HAVE to go up, this at least is a reasonable figure!

Also paid this week and taking another bite out of the ol'bankbook was my taxes and association dues for our Florida timeshare. I know lots of people hate timeshares but I've always been well pleased with mine. I love to travel and the exchanges have always worked relatively easily and well. My sister and I co-own this property, so my share for it is only half.

Oh yes, on the challenge, I did find a jar w/money in it in my gift drawer the other day when I was fishing around for a last minute gift. I've yet to count it. Will be taking that to the 2007 Challenge as well. I don't think there is more than $3 or $4 dollars in there though.

So, inquiring minds want to know, how did you make out on the $20 Challenge this year?

Adding results of another purse cleanout to the $20 Challenge:

$08.27 balance
+15.01 tidy-up
______
$23.28 Dec MTD

2007 Challenge Total $284.98
Cumulative Challenge Total $411.09

Wooooooo, well it looks like I at least more than doubled my 2006 challenge total which was granted only a partial year, but I think I can do even better next year.

Here's to a more prosperous 2008 for everyone! God Bless Us All, Tiny Tim!

P.S. I still hope to get back in the check register and see what I plugged into the IRA for this challenge back in September and October, so these totals may still go up.

Of financial note for my kiddos, this is the first year that FrugalSon was able to make all of his Roth IRA contributions before the end of the year even. Wooo-hoooo!

I'm not certain he can up it to $5000 for 2008 UNLESS he gets an additional part-time job OR he gets a better paying job where he's at or elsewhere. We just took $1793 from his extra well-padded emergency fund and finished making his 2007 contributions. At any rate I am VERY PROUD of him, he's only 21, and it seems he was BORN FRUGAL. He can go without most of the rewards everyone else seem to think so necessary.

I wanted us all to be finished w/our Roth contributions by the end of the year. He may be the only one of us who actually makes it!

I'm updating my various personal savings accounts balances today and I may haul out some from somewhere and plunk it to the ol' Roth. I'd really like to do whatever I'm going to do for 2007 before 12/31. Yes, I know I have til April. No, I don't like mixing my years on this stuff. It confuses ye'ol pea brain.

It's not like I'll go without anything as we still have our joint savings and emergency funds and all those empty CCs, so if all went to pot (God Forbid), we'd still be okay I think. I'm mulling it over.

It's not like I can't get to it if I wanted to badly enough but I've never withdrawn from my IRA. To me it is sacred for retirement only funds and I wouldn't want to ruin my streak.

How about you - do you take money out of your IRA's for other than retirement??

Do Not Mess with the Library Ladies!

Here's a link to an interesting development:


http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2007/12/26/late-library-b...

Adding to the $20 Challenge

$03.73 balance
+04.54 change on desk
______
$08.27 Dec MTD

Yesterday my niece called and wanted to borrow my truck to go buy some wood and haul it to my sister's house as she burns wood for heating her house. Sister is a single gal. My niece and nephew-in-law take good care of her. Anyway Sister has lots of wood already, it's just all dry wood and she needs green wood in order to keep the fire burning all thru the nighttimes.

Anyway, I told niece sure, come and borrow the truck, but don't buy green wood as there is a potful here. Probably five or six pickup truck loads full when all of the trees are cut up that fell during the last ice storm.

So, nephew-I-L came out w/his chainsaw, cut up a bunch of wood along w/Frugalson and CashHappyson filling up the truck. CashHappyson had also recently bought himself a used chainsaw during his recent spending spree, so we had two saws going. It was icy and wet w/blowing snow. Niece who is getting over a long streak of bronchitis and I stayed inside and made a pot of potato soup and kept trucking out the hot java.

We had a nice lunch after they were finished of potato soup and sandwiches and it was nice to get some of these downed limbs gone w/o the expense of having someone come in to do it and know that Sister got herself some wood. Love it when it all works out nice and neatly. I will be picking up my truck this evening and driving it home after the family Christmas celebration that we're attending at my other nephew's house.

A good deal all around. Except for the fact that I loved my trees and many were badly torn up during the storms. Gaa!

We probably have 200 to 250 trees on our little 2 1/2 acres. We probably lost 25-35 of them completely and many, many more were very badly damaged. Some of my trees are of the 200-300 year old bracket. It is horribly sad to see them so badly hurt by the storms. I'm not quite sure how we are going to be able to afford to trim them properly, and may just have to leave them w/some dangling limbs for awhile.

The sliding glass door was completely blocked by branches after the storm.

I only lost one small pane of glass that was cracked in the sunroom by a falling branch. It'll cost less than $10 to replace it, so I don't believe we'll be making any insurance claims. I'm going to get out my policy and read it though about the tree clean up, there may be some coverage there.

We do not own a chainsaw. Yeah, I know, goofy after you consider how many trees I have. After the storms we've talked about buying one but haven't done so yet. There aren't many in the stores around here anyway as they were cleared out immediately after the recent ice-storms. Wouldn't have done us any good yet anyway as Hubster has been on 12 hour days, and even working Sundays. Something he's never had to do since we've been married. This little bit of woodcutting has already been a big help in getting to at least the front & one side-yard.

Update: Hubster has still gotten No Comfirmation of what they'll be doing for his 40 year service award.

WELL, SPIT SPIT SPIT!! Looks like it may be time to start polishing up the ol'boohoodie kicking booties.

Okay I keep forgetting to post about this, as it happened before I got back to posting regularly. The Hubster got a rather smallish bonus this year, and about 1/3 of it got eaten up in taxes which I think is a real rip! Slightly bigger than last years but still rather small for the work he does. Twould've been nice if the company would have allowed us notice and we could of upped our 401-K contribution w/it on that check and kept most all of it! PHHHPPPFFFT!

Anyway, it's sitting nice and snugly over in the Money Market account until I can convince him to let me put it in his IRA. I'm working on him! These seem to be no-brainers for me, but he has to ponder on these things for awhile.

Also in a similar vein in addition because he has been at his company 40 years (it will REALLY be 41 come Jan 2) he is supposed to be given his 40 year award today at work. Someone on the awards committee let it slip about two weeks ago that his award was to amount to a $1500 budget that he can spend on a few certain things.

Only problem is he doesn't want any of those things as they are rather on the chintzy side. There is a kayak, some golf clubs, some SMALL tvs, a watch, etc. Nothing that he wants. He doesn't golf or kayak, they gave us a 36 inch TV for his 35th year, he has an old timex that he's had longer than me (we just earlier this month celebrated our 25th anniversary). Oh yeah, he could get a lingerie chest. Un-huh, like that's gonna happen! NOT!! Lordeee, they gave him a thousand dollar diamond ring for his 25th award, you think a kayak is gonna do the trick for 40??? Nahhhh.

What he wants is a 47 inch flat panel TV and with the budget amount he could go out and buy what he wants and we could pay the taxes. Catch the right sale and we wouldn't have to add anything to it.

We shall see. He is 'negotiating' with them to either give him a Walmart gift card for that amount or let him use their work Dell account to get one. Either way works, but we could use our own money and buy one wherever he wants to buy it were we to be given the Walmart card then we could use it for groceries thru the year.

They are balking. Gee, just how many 40 year employees do you have? Oh, that's right only 2. The other guy got his airfare paid for on his vacation and now they don't want to accomodate Hubster?

Sucks eggs, folks.

Forty years, that's longer than some folks live!!

I don't want to seem ungrateful, but you've got the budget already laid out, let the guy do with it what he wants for pity sake!

More to follow as we find out what happens. He was miffed with them when he left for work this morning. Had his company shirt on, but the old colors jacket on from back in the early days. If they didn't say anything about his award before the ceremony he was going ol'school, if they came thru, he'd go w/the new logo and stuff.

Funny thing I dreamed his old boss was still there a few nights ago and that he gave him a formula type race car to drive people back and forth between the two plants (driving - he doesn't do that for his living - weird dream). I told him upon awakening, if ***** was still there he'd of given you a car to drive! Ha! That may've set him off!! Poor guy.

I just talked to him on the phone a second ago and so far nothing. He wore the old school jacket (a mild mannered man makes his small protest) throughout the big presentation. This is a super nice man I'm married to, and he's very grateful that they want to give him something, but let us not forget people he is a Virgo.

Very, very picky.

He flat out doesn't want any 'corporate awards nicey-nice gift' that supposedly retails at $xxxx but we could pick up here for a third of what they are saying it's worth. He doesn't want something that will do him no earthly good.

The man wants to choose.

They said you can pick anything you want from the catalog. Okay, where's the FREEEEKIN' catalog?? Oh, that's what you call the two pages you handed him?

Baaahhhhhhh!

He said he'd rather get nothing than to have to pick something from their two measley pages. And I quote, "They can keep their trash." No, I'm not talking a nice guy folks, I mean think of the VERY NICEST MAN you know and triple it. He is calm, cool, collected and very very mild mannered and SUPER-SWEET. (let us not forget tall, good-looking and sexy as all get out as well! )


What we have here is a...

SUPER-DUPER NICE man.



He was insulted.

Sorry, corporate, but it looks like an old Fingerhut ad. Anybody besides me remember these folks? The vacumn you can buy local for $79.00 is $379.99 and they'll finance it for you for ten years. Yeah, that's what their catalog looks like.

When I called, he said they were giving out gifts right now and that people who'd been there six months were getting some very nice prizes and he popped off to his boss, "They're giving HER that??? I guess I'll turn in my early retirement papers on Wednesday."

"She" being the receptionist that literally LAYS ON THE DESK got a DVD/VCR combo player/recorder doohicky. I know this laying on the desk thing to be true as I've witnessed it myself! When she's not laying on the desk she's texting on her phone. Receiving customers and visitors, although that is her job description, she does not do!

EGADS People!!! Fire her sorry bum!!

He said his boss just went buggy-eyed on him when he mentioned an Early Out and went into conference w/the CEO. There is no one there qualified or even capable of doing his job - it's a custom shop and he's got 40 years of experience of WHY they do things like they do. He's been telling them they need to get someone in there under him because it's going to take a good three to five years for all the odd custom practices to come up.

Like I've said in other posts, he catches his own yearly salary and sometimes triple and quadruple that almost EVERY SINGLE DAY in mistakes others make. In other words, he saves them boo-koooooo buckos every single day, millions (yes plural MILLIONS) in the course of a year. No wonder his plant boss freaked!

So, freak on people...

And give the 40 year man his own version of an Award.

He deserves it.

I've lived thru 25 years of their hell, on the outside, so I can assure you he deserves heavy-fire combat pay.

Hurumppffhhh!

I feel like one of those God billboards,

"Don't Make Me Come Down There!"

Because, if I did, I would be kicking some boohoodie and an early retirement it would surely be!! (Anybody seen that King of Queens show where Doug H.'s mom goes to the plant?) I wouldn't be near as nice.

$20 Challenge

$02.99 balance
+00.74 CashHappy's Green Apple
______
$03.73 Dec MTD

CashHappy Son handed me 74 cents for Piggy last night right after his Dad and I talked to him about his reckless spending habits AGAIN! Can you believe this kid?? Geesh. I asked him "After what we just talked about you want to give me money?"

"Yes, why?"

"uhhhhh, because you've spent yourself down to the bottom of your checkbook and payday isn't until 5 days from now?"

"Naaaah, I'm okay."

AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!! The kid is just not getting it!

It's still all "Easy Come, Easy Go!"

Anyway, Piggy now has more change to cling to, and CashHappy has decided that he can't really handle his money well enough to feed himself and get his own laundry done, so he's going to adopt the plan his older brother works on here with us.

That is, instead of paying $100 a month to rent the basement and then go out and buy his own groceries & do his own laundry, he's going to stay in the basement and pay $200 in a more loosely structured Eat At Mom's Laundry Center room and board situation.

The new agreement also calls for him in addition to his $200 room and board fee to bring The First National Bank of Mom Frugalis a $200 deposit on the first of the month to save for his "Moving Out Fund". He's always had one, just the past six months or so he's gone crazy with his 'trinket' purchases and has no treasure fund built up.

His attitude is getting him mighty close to thin ice lately, telling lies and not doing as the parental units instruct, so he's got to get some money built up for future living arrangements as this is not his permanent abode!

IOW, his Dad offered to come home from work the other day and toss him to the curb for lipping off to Mom, so he's got to get turned around in attitude and finances.

God Bless him, he's a good kid w/a 'tude. Hubster and I have both been there, but there is only so much lip we're willing to tolerate while chillens' are also acting irresponsibly. Here's hoping this new setup helps or at least gives him some time to turn his self in a better direction.

How about it, guys and gals, I'm open to learning any tips & tricks for teaching late teen boys to be fiscally responsible??? Hit me with your best shot!

Warning: Yawns & frowns, ahead!

Yes, folks, it is getting to be that time of year. Time to think about getting receipts & forms together, contributions to retirement plans (yes, I know, you have until April, but think about it now) and any extra donations to charities made.

Here's a list of places for help:

To help grease the wheels, here's a Beatles clip of Taxman:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Beatles_taxman.ogg


Web sites for Tax Planning

Internal Revenue Service
www.irs.gov

Tax forms & tips
www.1040.com
www.taxweb.com

File your taxes online
www.taxsoft.com

AARP Tax-Aide
Free help for low-income and older people
http://www.aarp.org/money/taxaide/

Ernst & Young
www.ey.com/us/tax

H&R Block
www.hrblock.com

Turbo Tax
www.intuit.com/turbotax

State income tax information
www.taxadmin.org

-----------------------------------
of collateral interest:

new new new

FUTURE RETIREMENT Contribution Limits
403(b) and 401(k) Retirement Plans

Basic Limit, Section 415 limit*
2008 — $46,000
2009 and beyond — IRS may adjust annually for inflation. Any adjustments will be in $500 increments.

403(b) General Limit on salary reduction contributions** 402(g) limit
2008 — $15,500
2009 and beyond — IRS may adjust annually for inflation. Any adjustments will be in $500 increments.

457(b) plan limit*
2008 — $15,500
2009 and beyond — IRS may adjust annually for inflation. Any adjustments will be in $500 increments.

Additional permitted salary reduction contributions** for those 50 or over
2008 — $5,000
2009 and beyond — IRS may adjust annually for inflation. Any adjustments will be in $500 increments.

* The maximum contribution is the lesser of 100% of compensation or this adjusted limit.
** Includes employee salary reduction contributions and Roth elective deferral contributions.

---------------------------------------
Future IRA contribution limits
The annual contribution limit for both Traditional (pre-tax) IRAs and Roth IRAs will increase from $4,000 for 2007 to $5,000 for 2008 and will be indexed for inflation thereafter in $500 increments. Individuals age 50 or over may make additional “Age 50 catch-up” contributions of $1,000 for 2006 and thereafter.

Traditional and Roth IRA contribution limits
2008 — $5,000
Thereafter, the IRS may adjust annually for inflation. Any adjustments will be in $500 increments.

Traditional and Roth IRA catch-up for those 50 or over
2007 and beyond — $1,000


Sorry, friends, taxes are a nasty subject...just try to think of all the half-way decent services we are provided with here in the U.S. of A. that these dollars provide. Hope this post will be of some small service. I'm ducking now!

Inquiring minds want to know - Will this post help you? Aggravate you? Inspire you? Hack you off at the blogger? Incite rioting at the polling booth next time you vote? Spark a revolution?