You'd Better Sit Down For This One...

Okay, hold onto your hats...I'm about to shock you.

1. I got a credit card and am using it ALL THE TIME.

2. I'm not tracking my spending anymore.

3. It's all going really, really well.

So, I decided to get a rewards credit card a few months back. After doing a lot of research, I went with the Capital One Venture Card (the one's with Alec Baldwin on the commercials). I figured I might as well earn points and save money on some of my travels, and this one seemed the most flexible.

My plan was to use the credit card for everything, but keep tracking all my spending as I had been for the last few years.

But then I didn't. I just used the card for my usual expenses, including my cell phone bill, groceries, etc. Basically anywhere that lets me pay with credit card, I use this card to rack up points. I keep an eye on the balance throughout the month, making sure nothing crazy is happening. At the end of the month, I looked at my checking account (which has only a few bills auto-paying out of it), paid the credit card bill in full, and had about $150 extra bucks to put in my emergency fund.

Hmm. That all worked out okay. So I went ahead and did the same thing in December. Lo and behold, the same thing happened. I had about the same amount left over in my checking (even after Christmas spending!), so I transferred it to my emergency fund.

I am still doing several automatic transfers to savings right after payday:
*Summer Saver: this district doesn't pay in August, so I am saving for that)
*Travel Fund: I throw $100 into this every month.
*Roth IRA: I have this set up to max out my $5,000 contribution over the course of the year
*House Fund: Right now I have $500 per month going into this account

Since my E-fund is funded for over three months right now, I am not putting too much in it, just whatever is left over at the end of the month. I wouldn't have thought I could be comfortable not tracking my spending obsessively, but things are working really, really well.

Are you shocked? Want to shame me? Want to punch me for pulling this off? Let me know your thoughts (and that I still have a reader or two out there).

Next post: How I plan to be more disciplined in spending, without tracking every penny.

I'm Back, Baby!

Why, Hello.

Happy New Year! I haven't posted in many, many moons. And my "new blog" didn't really happen either. I make no promises that I will keep up blogging daily again, but I do miss writing, so I have decided to pop my head in and write some posts over here.

The biggest news in the last month is that Freddie and I got engaged! Whoo-hoo! He asked me on December 4th, a random Tuesday while we were sitting in the car. The element of surprise was definitely there, as were many nice things, a lot of happy tears (from me of course), and a gorgeous ring. I said yes!

We are planning a simple, backyard wedding in July. My goal is to keep it under $5,000. My grandma has said she will give me $1,000, which is super generous of her. I have enough in my savings to cover the whole event, but my goal is to keep my E-fund at at least the three month level AND keep adding to my house fund. I think this is do-able, but it is making my hard-core PF side perk up.

So, over the next days/weeks/months I want to start updating what's been going on in the PF world of Jessica. I'll also talk wedding on a budget (which will bore some of you, but may be useful for others). I also made goals for 2013, so I'll share those as well.

In other words, I'm back, baby! Anyone still reading?

My New Blog!

 I started a new blog, and I'm pretty excited about it! It's called Not Pinterest. Here's my description:

"Oh, hello. I didn’t see you there. Please, pull up a cozy chair (that you re-upolstered yourself), brew a cup of tea (that you keep in a mason jar with twine tied in a bow around), and sit in your perfectly cleaned living room (with pictures of your perfectly clean, blonde, children).

Oh wait. This ain’t Pinterest. And I’m me.

In that case, flop down on the couch, grab that last popsicle that’s been in your freezer for a questionably long time, and try not to look at the clutter on your coffee table. This blog’s for you, my friend.

I used to blog about personal finance, but after I got out of debt, that got a little dull. I miss writing, and want to write about life as a teacher and life at home. I like to share recipes, ridiculous stories about teaching seventh grade, cleaning and organization tips, and whatever else pops into my head. I’m actually pretty good at those things.

But, I’m going to be honest and real and tell you that I am not “Pinterest-good” at them. If I took a picture of my dinner, it would not look amazing and artistic. In fact, sometimes pictures of my food don’t even look appetizing. But the meals themselves-great.

My cleaning tips are more “real lazy” than “Real Simple.” My organization strategies are effective, but not in matching drawer liners with trendy contact paper.

So, I decided to own it. Join me for the ride as I live my life, share some ideas, and hopefully make you laugh. It’ll be like Pinterest, but it won’t make you feel bad about yourself."

I hope you'll check it out, link me, and maybe even read it, despite the fact that it's not personal finance focused. I'm going for a mix of practical and funny. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Update

Well, I became what I was always annoyed with: the blogger who gets out of debt and promptly stops posting. Yup. I'm just not that interested in blogging about PF anymore, to be honest. But, I am working on a new blog, which I will get up and running in the next month or so. I'll definitely post the link here, and I'd love it if you'd read it. l

Basically, I'm alive, all is well, and I still read your blogs. I like them. Don't be like me, keep posting.

Smooches.

Getting Money Back-Moving

When BF and I moved out of the old apartment, we did the things you usually do in hopes of getting back my full $500 deposit. We cleaned like fiends, basically. Patched holes in the walls, scrubbed, soaked, and deep-cleaned the place. I think we did a pretty good job, so I am hoping for almost the full deposit back.

The other way I hoped to get some funds back is in my July rent. We had to pay for the whole month, but we were actually completely out of the apartment by July 7th. So, I emailed my landlord and asked if she could pro-rate the rent for us. She said that if she found someone to move in before the end of July, she would be willing to refund our rent for those days. SCORE!

I helped her along by posting the Craigslist ad on my Facebook, showing the apartment while I was still living there, and of course cleaning the place so that it would show well. And on Tuesday I found out that our efforts paid off: the apartment was rented and the new move-in date is the 20th! So, we will be refunded most of the deposit (I always expect a little to be taken off) plus ten days of rent! YES!

That money is going straight back into my Emergency Fund, since that's what I used to pay the deposit on this apartment. That will put me only $500 away from a completely stocked E-fund!

So, I encourage you to be assertive with your landlord when moving. She wouldn't have offered, but when I asked, she was willing to work with me, and it paid off!

Market Research...Cha-ching!

A few weeks ago I was walking out of the Whittier Public Library when a woman and I made eye-contact. She asked, "Do you live in this area?" I had a moment of panic, because I grew up here and just moved back. I thought she might ask for directions, and that's not my strong-suit to begin with. :/ I said yes, hesitantly. She then asked if I would be interested in doing some paid market research on July 17th. She also said, "It pays $300."

WHAT?! Hell yes I am interested! So, she asked me several questions to see if I qualified, and then gave me a letter with the info. I had to go to LA, arriving by 8:00. The session went until 6:30. I would be paid in cash as I left and provided with lunch.

I looked up the organization to make sure it was legit, and according to Yelp reviews, it was. So, on Tuesday I headed out at 6:45 and attended. I signed a confidentiality agreement, so all I can say is that it was on local issues. We watched presentations and filled out questionares. At the end of the day, they put us in groups to discuss the issues while the watched and videotaped us. It was a long day, but the topic was fairly interesting. It's not how I'd want to spend every day, but when they handed me an envelope with $300 cash in it, it definitely felt worth it!

So, what am I going to do with the money?
$50=Desk for second bedroom from Walmart. I already bought this and put it together.
$50=Mac eyeshadow kit. My friend Rene works for Mac and got me to pre-order this item.
$100=New work clothes. I got rid of a few ancient pairs of pants and need some new shirts, so I'm going to start rebuilding with $100 at the outlets (I love you, Banana Republic Outlet).
$100=Vacation! We leave on our massive road trip next week, so I stashed $100 away to take on the trip.

I thought about putting some of it into savings, but I actually feel good about how I split up the money. I think it's a good mix, and since this month was VERY expensive, with moving and all, this couldn't have come at a better time.

I emailed the woman who recruited me, told her how much I enjoyed participating, and that I would love to be a part of more studies if she needs people. Fingers crossed she calls me again!

Have you ever done market research for money? Was it worth it?

So, About Being Debt Free

A few posts back I casually mentioned that I paid off my student loans and am 100% debt free. I did it in the midst of some other posts, and after a long-ish absence, so I thought I'd go back and write a bit about it, and reflect on how far I've come.

I was able to pay off the last chunk of my student loan because as a National Board Certified Teacher in LAUSD, I am able to earn money for additional hours of professional development (both as a leader and a learner) each year. This is money on top of my regular check and is part of the incentive to get the certification. (Alas, my new district does not participate, but hopefully they won't lay me off every year either). When I got that extra chunk of money, I decided to go ahead and just pay off my entire student loan amount and be done with it all at once.

Honestly, there wasn't the fanfare I felt when I paid off my credit cards or my car loan. I think  in part because I don't have any regrets about my student loans, and they never bothered me as much as my other debt. Also, I didn't entirely plan to pay them off that day, so it didn't have the build-up that the other debt payoffs had. To top it all off, I was/am going through HUGE transitions right now-laid off, new job, moving, etc.

Don't get me wrong; it feels pretty great to be debt free. But I guess I thought there would be more glee or jumping up and down than there actually was. I do occasionally think, "I am debt free." And it always brings a little smile to my face.

I did some number crunching, and from what I have figured, I have been on this journey to be financially responsible for 31 months (two and a half years). In that time, I have paid off approximately $28,000 of debt to become debt-free. I've also saved almost a three month E-fund, 25% of a house down payment, put money in a Roth IRA for seven months in a row, and increased my funding to my 403(b).

I got super serious about budgeting, tracking every cent I spend. I was really intense in the beginning, and have relaxed as I've gotten out of my high-interest consumer debt. I still took vacations during this time, and prioritized for the things that are important to me.

I remember taking Financial Peace University and hearing that it takes most people two to three years to pay off all their debt if they get gazelle-intense. That seemed like FOREVER. But, I have to say that being on the other side, it doesn't seem so long.

So, am I excited about being debt free? A little. But I think the better word to describe it is proud. I am proud that I did what it took to get here. That I worked hard for it, changed my patterns and habits, and became a financially responsible person. And that's even better than giddy, short-term excitement.