December 2012 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $10,065.40
Checking: $212.74

Travel: $0.01
Medical/Dental: $425.12

School: $670.25

Roth IRA: $10,211.53

401k: $7,663.24
Sharebuilder: $51.39
____________
Total Positive: $29,299.68

Rent: PAID
Groceries/Utilities: PAID
Phone: PAID

Subway: PAID

Credit cards: $309.56
Student Loan: $2,613.21 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $2,922.77


Net Worth: $26,376.91

I spent November packing up returns and counting my pennies (literally -- thanks, Google Drive!).  I'm still waiting on one refund from Land's End ::shakes fist::, but I'm feeling pretty good about my progress.  I'll continue to keep a spending spreadsheet through December to keep my spending down.  I didn't even take the bait on any Thanksgiving weekend sales, which is proof enough, I think, that it helps tremendously.

November 2012 Net Worth

Let's just dive right in and pretend like I didn't skip a month.  Onward!

Emergency Fund: $10,058.95
Checking: $286.84

Travel: $50.34
Medical/Dental: $200.30

School: $602.67

Roth IRA: $10,273.64

401k: $7,612.06
Sharebuilder: $219.05
____________
Total Positive: $29,303.85

Rent: PAID
Groceries/Utilities: PAID
Phone: PAID

Subway: PAID

Credit cards: $1,362.50
Student Loan: $2,850.00 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $4,212.50


Net Worth: $25,091.35

My goals for this month will be as follows:

i) Stop spending (I've been able to get a handle on the online shopping, but I've been to Marshall's twice in the past 2 days, and managed to buy 1 handbag, 3 scarves, and some Turkish delight (Why do they stockpile the Turkish D?  Who even eats that shiz (besides me)?).  It is not lost on me how tantalizingly close I am to $30k.  Can I make it by... February?;

ii) Contemplate hiring a life coach and a stylist so I can finally get shit done/have a 12-piece wardrobe and never have to think about clothes-shopping again;

iii) Learn new things.  Sewing, for instance.  I should do that.  Start making jewelry.  I should do that too;

iv) Take better care of myself (i.e, no more Turkish delight, cigarettes, or weeks without shaving my legs).  My weight, while not decreasing significantly, is fine, however.

September 2012 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $10,045.90
Checking: $0

Travel: $100.26
Medical/Dental: $200.00

School: $2.38

Roth IRA: $10,473.25

401k: $7,705.97
Sharebuilder: $220.40
____________
Total Positive: $28,748.16

Rent: PAID
Groceries/Utilities: PAID
Phone: PAID

Subway: PAID

Credit cards: $900.60
Student Loan: $3,289.74 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $5,189.74


Net Worth: $23,558.42

Rough couple weeks, but I'm making an effort to put myself back together and redouble my efforts.  The heat made me delirious, and now it's breaking.

Speaking of spending...

I don't know how many of you, if any, care about girly pursuits. If you're not into it, now's the time to look away, but if you are, please stay!

My favorite blog on the topic is Into the Gloss, and if you're a bit of a product junkie/voyeur like me, you'll love it, too. Emily Weiss and co. pry into the cosmetic cases of fashion industry women (and men!) and interview them about their favorites.  Who doesn't want to know a little something about Iris Apfel's or Olivier Theyskens' beauty regimen? One of my favorite posts is this interview with Inès de la Fressange that was posted back in January. I love how frank she is. Here's an excerpt:

I think that sometimes women do too much—they put earrings, and color, and necklace, and the lipstick, and fake eyelashes, and fake hair—it’s a nightmare. And I think it’s better to keep a bit of wrinkle here and there; I see these bizarre faces, and after people tell me they have had Botox or fillers, I don’t realize—I just find they have a funny face. [Laughs] Blogs and magazines should explain that it’s fine not to do this. You know, people are not looking at exactly how many wrinkles you have—they don’t care so much. I mean you are old, I am old, it will show…you are not fooling anyone. You have to take care of yourself not to be too disgusting, and to follow a bit of fashion, of course fashion for makeup and clothes as well.

Full interview available here.

August 2012 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $10,039.12
Checking: $0

Travel: $200.16
Medical/Dental: $316.96

School: $802.13

Roth IRA: $9,785.68

401k: $7,122.33
Sharebuilder: $216.43
____________
Total Positive: $28,482.81

Rent: PAID
Groceries/Utilities: $200.00
Phone: $65.00

Subway: PAID

Credit cards: $1,283.14
Student Loan: $3,620.27 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $5,168.41


Net Worth: $23,314.40


Another bad month for health and wealth.  I do have a lot of returns I've been too busy to pack up, so the credit card number will go down.  I've been going out too much after work, and that generally leaves me ripe for a messy evening, food-wise (and at least $20 poorer).  As for the rest of it, I either need to start seriously thrifting, or just ban new clothing purchases all together.

Also, Sarah, it's time to stop trying new skincare and cosmetic products.  That weird mask you tried with Taiwanese instructions on the box gave you pimples.  You don't wear primer or foundation or eye shadow or lipstick, and you never will.  So stop.  New things I don't regret buying, though: bronzer, highlighter, a vitamin-c serum, and more of an eyeliner I know I already like (but that's a topic for a whole nother post).  So there.  ...But seriously, stop.

July 2012 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $10,030.80
Checking: $0

Travel: $170.93
Medical/Dental: $47.02

School: $802.06

Roth IRA: $9,470.73

401k: $6,992.83
Sharebuilder: $201.87
____________
Total Positive: $27,716.24

Rent: PAID
Groceries/Utilities: $200.00
Phone: $65.00

Subway: $59.00

Credit cards: $260.00
Student Loan: $3,891.12 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $4,475.12


Net Worth: $23,241.12


Tough month -- not gonna lie.  Whenever the seasons change, either my feeding or my spending patterns have the potential get out of whack.  This time, it's a little of both.

June 2012 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $10,024.54
Checking: $871.02

Travel: $201.03
Medical/Dental: $46.43

School: $802.06

Roth IRA: $9,319.91

401k: $7,102.83
Sharebuilder: $199.84
____________
Total Positive: $28,567.66

Rent: PAID
Groceries/Utilities: $200.00
Phone: $65.00

Subway: PAID

Credit cards: $890.62
Student Loan: $3,891.12 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $5,046.74


Net Worth: $23,520.792

Another lackluster month for me in both categories: health and wealth.  

I've been yo-yo'ing through the same 3 pounds over the last few weeks (due to some epic binges and their subsequent aftershocks), and I've still got the spending bug.  Things on the social front are quieting down for the summer, so I should be able to have a better June, as long as I can PUT DOWN THE INTERNET (I can overshop anything).

Did I mention I re-picked-up social smoking in the fall/winter?  So after a solid few months, that's over.  My one May win.

May 2012 Net Worth

This is a little post I like to call, "Let's pretend April never happened."  Not only did I spend more money than I even care to calculate, I also diverged heavily from my eating plan, which up until then had been working like gangbusters.  Goals for May: stop buying coffee and junk during the workday, recommit to the plan, and spend less on going out.


Oh yeah, and I turned 28.  So help me, God.


Emergency Fund: $10,019.04
Checking: $247.14

Travel: $200.79
Medical/Dental: $1,059.43

School: $800.53

Roth IRA: $9,798.99

401k: $7,102.83
Sharebuilder: $218.01
____________
Total Positive: $29,446.76

Rent: PAID
Groceries/Utilities: PAID
Phone: PAID

Subway: PAID

Credit cards: $1,638.74
Student Loan: $4,003.24 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $5,641.98


Net Worth: $23,804.78

Look away. A sick menu for a sick girl.

Want: 

BBQ Chicken Pizza

BBQ Chicken Nachos

Thai Green Curry with White Rice 

Pho, Rare Beef 

Scallion Pancakes
Garlic Bread

Glazed Anise Cookies

Stroopwafel

Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies

Brach's Cinnamon Hard Candy

I just had to say it.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Weight update

Remember when I last posted about my weight?  Yeah, me neither.  It's been a while, but I'm ready to share.

I've been working to eat a mostly paleo-style diet since early last year or so.  I spent 2010 eating a lot of Lean Cuisines, canned ravioli, and sandwiches, so even though I was able to lose weight eating that, probably any change would've been for the better.  I'd done the low-carb thing many times, and paleo seemed like a healthier alternative.  My appetite was still a huge issue though, making weight loss feel impossible.

In August of 2011, a couple things happened: First, I got a new job.  Then I stopped taking the pill.   When I stopped the pill, I stopped getting nauseated when I waited too long to eat breakfast.  Within a few weeks, I was skipping breakfast.  Not everyday, but most days I wasn't hungry.

One day I didn't have time to go get lunch, so I just ate an apple I had brought for a snack.  And since I hadn't had breakfast, I thought I would still be ravenous, but I wasn't.

That's how I began intermittent fasting.  During the work week I "fast" 16 to 19 hours a day, then I have a small meal (usually an apple), then a regular-sized, paleo-style dinner.  Most weekends I just do what I feel.  It's a bit awkward to eat lunch with other people, but when we go out after work, I eat/imbibe normally with no weird rules or restrictions.  I've gained quite a few things from eating this way -- I have more energy, a reduced appetite, fewer cravings, and more free time.

I'm not saying it's right for everybody, but it's working well for me.   I've lost 23 pounds in the past 6 months, and I'm finally beginning to feel like I'm not a slave to my stomach.

March 2012 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $10,005.74
Checking: $469.46

Travel: $200.52
Medical/Dental: $658.22

School: $478.29

Roth IRA: $9,932.07

401k: $7,380.44
Sharebuilder: $234.02
____________
Total Positive: $29,358.76

Rent: PAID
Groceries/Utilities: PAID
Phone: $PAID

Subway: PAID

Credit cards: $659.76
Student Loan: $4,418.83 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $5,078.59


Net Worth: $24,280.17

As I mentioned, I put $2k from our tax refund into my E-fund, which brings me up to goal.  I also made a couple hundred from ebay.  Meanwhile, I've spent a lot on going out, but it could be worse.  This month I'll keep a closer eye on entertainment spending. 

Taxes

We filed our taxes this past weekend, and we're expecting a huge refund.  A five-digit refund.  Yeah, a certain someone needed to adjust his withholding last year.

I'll be shaving off about $2k (my usual refund amount) to bring my E-fund up to $10k, a number it hasn't seen in about 4 years.  He'll take a portion for his savings/loans, and the rest will go into our joint account for moving expenses, and a little vacation.

I'm glad I'll finally be hitting my E-fund goal so that I can concentrate on other areas now.  I'm still working on my goals for this year, but I'm thinking I'm at a pivotal point right now in my work-life, and I need to shit or get off the pot, as it were, with regard to further education.  Depending on the direction I go, I'll need anywhere from about $10k to $34k.  Oy.

Speaking of oy, I was a bit confused about reporting my ebay sales.  While I took in about $1k this year on ebay, I took a loss on nearly everything I sold, except for a few things I purchased cheaply off ebay and resold.  Remember with me for a moment all the clothes and jewelry I purchased over the past few years, and how that affected my bottom-line, and you'll see why $1k should not be considered income.  Even though it's clear to me that I didn't make a profit,  I'd be hard-pressed to produce receipts for everything on both ends.

I know I'm not the first one in the PF community to use ebay to recoup some losses.  Can anyone share their tax-reporting strategy?

February 2012 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $7,659.74
Checking: $87.30

Travel: $239.00
Medical/Dental: $485.85

School: $337.03

Roth IRA: $9,528.40

401k: $7,102.85
Sharebuilder: $239.68
____________
Total Positive: $25,679.85

Rent: PAID
Groceries/Utilities: PAID
Phone: $60.00

Subway: PAID

Credit cards: $695.25
Student Loan: $4,555.91 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $5,311.16


Net Worth: $20,368.69

Tickle Me Pink

I try to make an effort, about quarterly, to find new-to-me music so that I’m not stuck in 2006 perpetually. This time around it’s been all Laura Marling, Lisa Hannigan, and Johnny Flynn. I know I’m about 4 years late to the Nu-Folk train, but in case you are too, here's a sampling of what I've been listening to this fall/winter season:

Theory of Everything

In our downsizing kick, I sold most of my books last year, and did another round several months ago.  I had made far too many well-intentioned purchases that would eventually just end up lingering on the shelf, unread. 

But I’ve been reading a lot lately, more now than ever.  I’m lucky to work within walking-distance of the Boston Public Library. I started with safe genres, like jewelry and simplifying.  And then, a happy accident a few months ago: the internet was broken at work, so I did the work I could do without a computer and was dismissed after only an hour.  I spent the next few hours wandering the stacks.  And now my new pet topic is string theory. For laymen, of course, so a lot of Michio Kaku.

What are your favorite call numbers? J

January 2012 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $7,104.73
Checking: $83.82
Travel: $218.27
Medical/Dental: $485.52
School: $352.79

Roth IRA: $9,053.75

401k: $6,722.25
Sharebuilder: $207.17
____________
Total Positive: $24,228.30

Rent: PAID
Groceries/Utilities: $200.00
Phone: $60.00

Subway: PAID

Credit cards: $437.84
Student Loan: $4,675.27 (from over $19k)
____________
Total Negative: $5,373.11


Net Worth: $18,855.19


Ew, a little bit down this month.  I bought a computer and a plane ticket, so all things considered, it could be worse.  I did get a few hundo for a bonus, so that was nice, but quickly gone.  Any holiday spending tends to trigger shopping binges for me, a la this:



So my goal right now is damage control.  Total abstinence.

And more ebay listings.  Do I need 3 J.Crew velvet jackets?  YES!!!  No.  No?  No, I do not.