. Now that I'm back in a salaried f/t position, roughly 98% of my income comes from my job, and given how much time it takes out of my day, I don't have a lot of time left over for side jobs if i want to hustle for a little extra cash.
Which is something I wouldn't mind doing as it seems my expenses have been crazy lately, and I seriously question whether I'll be able to save $11,000 this year in after-tax savings (see my sidebar goals).
I'm already committed to the masonry work on my front entry, but it's quite a chunk of change, $9800. I'm also having a lawn care service take care of mowing my lawn here for the first time; that should come to close to $1,000 by early fall. (They came yesterday for the first time and I was amazed at how quickly 2 guys could mow my front and back...1.5 acres. It took them about 10 minutes, and then another 10 minutes for trimming. Seriously, it would take me 3 hours and sooo much effort to achieve the same thing.
Besides the lawn care and the masonry job, I had big vet bills for Waldo (about $500 so far) which aren't over yet. I've also begun changing their diet plan so it's only 50% cheap canned cat food (aka Friskies and Fancy Feast) and 50% "the good stuff." Currently their preferred brands are Nature's Variety Rabbit and Weruva Steak Frites, but these premium brands are 250% more expensive. A can of Friskies goes for .52 at WalMart but the better brands can go for $2.50 or more for a single can.
So aside from my f/t job, I have retained just a single freelance client who started out with me a few years ago having me edit his emails. (I think he's ADD.) These days I've also been editing copy for his new poker website. But this is very small change and infrequent work.
I also very occasionally get some income from class action lawsuits. There's a website/newsletter you can sign up to get and it consolidates all the current lawsuits. Just the other day I got a check in the mail for $15 for the Truvia lawsuit. If you qualify and have purchased the product, all you usually have to do is fill out a claim form.
I also still participate in 3 online forums, for credit cards and AARP, answering simple surveys or commenting on something or other, so I can get $30 a month in Amazon gift cards. Of course, this is not really income in that I have to spend these rewards on Amazon merchandise.
Realistically, I just can't free up any time to, say, sell more perennials on Craig's List or something. The best course of action is to continue to tone down my spending again, which I admit got a little too much with all the stuff I've bought with discretionary money. Dishes from Williams-Sonoma, a silly Choo dynasty dog from One Kings Lane, gemstone jewelry from HSN, clothes from Macy's and Kohl's, a large canvas image of a horse in snow, a stock pot. These are the many ways I have largely wasted my money. Not that most of these don't give me pleasure, but many were ridiculously priced. (In fairness, the choo dynasty ceramic dog ended up being free because it was part of a pair of dogs and one of them arrived broken when delivered, so they issued me a credit and let me keep the one. The dishes from Williams-Sonoma were purchased using some of my $250 in gift cards I earned as wellness incentives from Cigna for getting my physical and so on.)
Today being Mother's Day, I'm taking my mother out to lunch and then maybe we'll stop at Whole Foods. I redeemed some of my wellness incentives from Cigna for a $35 gift card for Red Lobster, so that's where we're going. Before and after the lunch, I hope to get some more yard work done.
I had a yard of black mulch delivered and dumped in my driveway, so I began yesterday spreading it around my many perennial beds. I should have gotten 2 yards, but oh well. Yes, I can order it again but there's a hefty delivery charge which should have encouraged me to get more in a single delivery. There is SO much work to do in my yard, even without the lawn mowing. I have less time for it now, and less energy. And maybe less interest, too.
Lately I'd been thinking that maybe I could "age in place" here without having to move to a condo. This house has everything I need except that it's got somewhat more space than I need (more heating costs, more cleaning, etc.) and definitely way too much land to maintain). But if I'm honest, I'll admit it's still a better strategy to sell and move. It's just the thought of everything that would have to be done to prepare for a sale is so draining to think about. I AM getting a few things done, like the front walkway, but it's very slow-going. I should get out my punch list again and try to get some more things targeted for doing.
So here it is May, and I have yet to do ANYTHING from my goals list #2. Well, I did go to one Alzheimer's meeting but that's it.
This week there is a historical club meeting AND a genealogy club meeting and I really want to GO.
Waldo seems to be doing pretty well on his twice a day pill routine. Thank God for pill pockets. If I remember days of yore when I had to coat a pill in slippery butter and then get it down my cat's throat, well, it wasn't easy for me OR the cat. Pill pockets make what could be a real hassle to a treat for kitty. There is the next vet visit for another blood draw next weekend. That will really tell whether the meds are working, working too much and/or whether there is any underlying kidney disease, which i guess is somewhat common from what I've read about an overactive thyroid "masking" underlying kidney disease. Well, one day at a time.
Feeling pinched
May 10th, 2015 at 12:27 pm
May 10th, 2015 at 12:46 pm 1431262011
Having said that, I wonder if an investment now in terms of time and effort and stress would be worth the payoff later when you have more free time and less work & stress.
It may be too much to take on right now with all the other things going on (mom, cat, etc.) but I'm glad to hear you are still option to the possibility.
May 10th, 2015 at 12:47 pm 1431262053
May 10th, 2015 at 02:12 pm 1431267155
May 10th, 2015 at 02:55 pm 1431269737
Glad to here Waldo is doing pretty well. Also, would you mind sharing the class action lawsuit site?
May 10th, 2015 at 03:23 pm 1431271405
May 10th, 2015 at 04:34 pm 1431275672
One thing that I have learned in six months of working for financial advisory firm serving high net worth clients is that the feeling of sufficiency has very little to do with the amount of money you have. If you are near the poverty line, then, yes, more money does make a big difference in more satisfaction. But your income is in the top 25% of household income in the U.S. (top 25% is about 67.3K, top 20% is about 91.7K)--and at that level, how you feel about your income has nothing to do with the amount of it, and everything to do with how you think about it.
Our top client has multiple millions in assets and still thinks of himself as virtually a pauper--every quarter we go through a process of explaining to him how well he is doing, but there's always a number he will grab on to that is below expectations, and feel that he is falling behind (when in fact, his portfolio is growing by over a million a year *despite* the fact that he is withdrawing over half a million a year to live on). Spend enough time talking to people like that--and also to the retired middle class couple with their million in investments who are happy as clams with their financial situation, and you soon see that "enough" is all in your head.
Rather than earning more or spending less, allow yourself a little flexibility. There are more expenses this year--but maybe there will be fewer a couple of years down the road. If the surveys are beginning to seem tedious, stop doing them and spend your time doing something else that you enjoy and will benefit from. Remember that the investments you make are not just financial, but that you need to invest in your health, in your relationships, and in learning new skills and abilities as well. Consider your entire well-being, not just your financial well-being. After all, what is money for?
May 10th, 2015 at 04:46 pm 1431276402
May 10th, 2015 at 06:05 pm 1431281129
I get feeling like the savings goals just aren't going to happen. Mine this year was to add $7k to my EF. Unless I find some other sources, that;s not going to happen. I'll be doing good to hit $5k I think. When I start to feel frustrated and discouraged about it, I remind myself that I can only do my best and that it's better than negative savings!
May 10th, 2015 at 08:03 pm 1431288228
May 10th, 2015 at 08:54 pm 1431291297
While I'm loving our condo lifestyle with someone else providing the organization and labour, it's not for everyone. Realistically, if you 'baby step your way to having your home 'sale ready,' you can cross bridges as needed and prepared for those events.
I've no idea of the issues. Masonry work is underway, I recall a closet being repaired, blinds installed in the porch... What needs to be done structurally, urgently, cosmetically etc?
If you have a lot of stuff acquired over the years that is not used and no longer needed, it's a good idea to review one room each week seeking items broken, wrecked, not functioning, woefully out-of-date, stained etc for recycle & trash. No point in keeping floppy discs and un-useable technology.
Target items that still retain value to be sold via Facebook sale page, CraigsList, or local Buy n Sell. Identify with a stationary dot or Post-it-note and put up one or two photos each week. Check with local charity shops for pickup dates in your district and start filling a 'Donate' box so that someone else can use and enjoy items that have morphed into clutter. As we move in
to summer, release the winter garb you didn't need or wear and summer clothes you know you'll not wear because of fit, unflattering, uncomfortable or you just don't like.
The point is to have what you use and need, where you need it. If you have excessive shrubs, perennials, bulbs etc, an ad to 'dig' for named perennials should reduce over abundance and net a bit of income.
I found myself moving quicker than I imagined, DSs away at school, DH working in SE Asia. Sold half the stuff and when I moved discovered I had too much to fit the space so I sold, consigned, donated and trashed half again. BTW, I've never had to buy something discarded and missed anything. Day to day living is so much easier with so much less to look after.
May 13th, 2015 at 02:53 pm 1431528821
I do feel I'd benefit by easing up on myself and my determination to hit certain numbers by certain date to reach my overall retirement goal. I am doing pretty well by anyone's standards, and I do need to enjoy other aspects of my life besides my financial achievements.