2014 Goals reveal

Still working on the nifty little chart with my goals, but while that's getting done... here are my 2014 goals:

1. Eliminate $1,700 deficit (move-out budget)
To achieve my plan of moving, I set out the minimum amount of savings I needed. Right now, there is a $1,700 gap that I need to close between now and May 2015.

2. Get $1,200 for vacation savings (currently at $400)
This will be my recon-type 'vacation'. When I do go, I will be renting a car and staying at a hotel to really survey the area I will be moving to... this goal depends on goals #7 and #8.

3. Increase EF to $2,000 (currently at $1,000)
Just because. I will be debt free next year, and though I can't get 6mo worth of savings, I can at least increase it.

4. Save $800 for Christmas
It was nice and simple to get this taken care of early in the year. No scrambling during the holidays. What a concept!

5. Pay dentist fees in cash-equivalent (for wisdom teeth removals)
Nobody will give me a price, but I am bracing myself for $500+. I want to save and pay for it in full.

6. Buy a car
My current car is my dad's car. I've been wanting one of my own for ages now, and I will try to get it done next year. This will be a very big goal with lots of planning involved. (Pay in cash or payments? New or used? Good or just good enough?)

7. Re-evaluate moving to IL
More on that later. Yes, I know I keep saying that. But the reasons that were driving me to IL have... changed. So I need to really look into this.

8. Select moving destination
#7 is so important I am putting it up twice, in different ways. The "goal" in "working for a goal" was to move to IL. That may not be the case anymore, so I really need to work on this. If I end up going against IL, then I need to evaluate all other potential options and preferences.

9. Complete Japanese Rosetta-Stone learning course
Handy dandy "gift" I got last year. I actually started it before my whole SPHR-mad-study session began, but had to drop it to focus on studying. I've always liked Japanese. Note that I am not holding myself responsible for being fluent in Japanese by the end of the year... just finishing the course.

10. Get at least 30 SPHR credits
The fun thing about being SPHR certified is that you have to re-certify every 3 years. Yes, that was sarcasm. It takes 60 credits to re-certify, and I would like to knock most of them now. No way I will leave this certification slip away because I didn't plan ahead.

And that is it for now.

Time for the Jar of Disappointments!

I wasn't really expecting much out of my little rainy-day "jar"...

(AKA Reused powdered-drink container)

 But I was a bit disappointed to only find about $55 worth.

I suppose I will take it to Acme and turn it in for store credits and buy some food. That's really all I have to report today. I'm getting reckless in my old age and staying up past bed time on a Friday night.

Though speaking of staying up late... here's that photo I sort of (but not really) promised. I even have an "I'm not a minor and I can drink alcohol" bracelet! Woo! Go me.

My next post will be about my 2014 goals and aspirations. That one, I can fully promise. My goals ended up being a lot simpler than I thought, and a lot easier to come up with. 2014 will hopefully be a drama-free year. 

2013 in numbers

Ta-da! This is me refusing to sleep because I am dead tired from my full time job and CANNOT WAIT for Open Enrollment to be over with. Only to start the whole process (in smaller portions, of course) sometime Jan 3-5.

But this is my pretty little chart of DOOM. Just kidding. This is 2013 in numbers, as Quicken sees it. We don't always see eye to eye, but I digress.

My biggest two expenses? Paying off my student loan (go me! go me! you did it! you got this!) and of course, housing, which is about 98.5% rent, 1.5% furnishings, etc. Next, we have auto (including insurance, gas and maintenance).

Not too bad at all. Then it just goes down the line. I think it's easier to see it per month: $561/mo on student loans, $525 on housing, $195 on auto expenses, $144 on food, $133 on parents' stuff, $120 on food misc. personal items. Considering those categories make up 90% of my income, I think I didn't do too shabby.

2014 will look a lot different, though. And maybe even a little empty, as most of the year will be spent aggressively saving. But that's a post for another story. I really could use some sleep.

PS: Christmas was ok. Just ok. Glad it's over though. Hope everyone else had a much nicer one!

A Christmas "want"

Is it strange if all I want for Christmas is this?:

Taser C-2 in Metalic Pink

(And yes, they're legal in Maryland.)

Have a SAFE holiday, everybody!

Unexpected work bonus!

Last paycheck of the year is posted. And to add into it, we also got an unexpected bonus! We were not expecting anything at all, since it has been a really rough year for the company. They normally give the bonus in two parts (one now, one around March), and they decided to give the smaller portion now. No guarantees on the second one, and quite honestly, I was surprised we even got the first part! My share is about $680 net. I quickly moved that to a lesser used savings account until I can decide what to do with it.

I do believe I want to both increase my emergency fund to some degree, and close, or at least minimize the $1,700 goal deficit for 2015 (how much savings I will need before moving--my spreadsheet indicates I will be short by that much if nothing else changes).

But oh well. Goals are for another day. TGIF! And I don't have to work this weekend! Woot!

And life goes on...

When you have to try to remember what was it like before some event happened or started, you know you've been in the deep of things.

I'll be honest and say I have no intention of thinking about goals for next year. Really, I probably wont finalize them until mid January. I do have intentions to review this year and the goals I set to do last year. So here's a brief rundown:

1. Drop debt by $6,500. Stretch goal, down by $7000 (or $500 extra in snowflakes)
I somehow ended up paying $8,059.93. I have no idea how I went over by that much, but I am not one to complain! I am pretty sure we can count this as done.
2. Save $1000 for vacations in April and/or June
Done and with $400 leftover.
3. Increase car savings account by another $2000, stretch of $2600... Not counting any possible bonus!
Just on the nick of time! I left this for the very last, but I just transferred the remaining $1300 on Monday, to complete the $2k goal. Total car savings: $4,000! 
4. Save $700 for Christmas 2013 before Nov 1, 2013
Done!
5. Use cash-only budgeting for at least 4 months. (Jan, Feb, Jun?)
Done! Not a fan. 
6. Save $475 $525 for Certification test AND pass test in December 2013
Heck yeah, done AND done! 
7. Keep track of expenses
This is a mix up. I cant find a way to report these things, but I've been keeping track on paper and on Quicken. So win?
8. Blog at least 13 times per month
Fail! My life is boring. Sue me. 
9. Lose another 13lbs, starting from 2012 minimum weight (150)
Bahaha, no. Wasn't eating near enough to stimulate my metabolism!
10. Read 13 non-study books
Over done. I lost count after 21. Maybe now that the test is over I can finish Sherlock Holmes! 
11. Cook and photograph 13 cookbook recipes
Not at all. In fact, I probably cooked the least this year compared to any other year. Ouch. 
12. Charity: Help 13 different causes
Done. I kept track of them via emails, but was much slower updating my sidebars. 

That's 8 greens, 1 yellow, 3 reds. In grades...
70% pass (8.5/12), 30% fail (3.5/12). After taking a horrible test, 70% is as good a pass as any. So... success!

Now to think about what I want for next year... I know I have 3 big saving goals: 1) pay for citizenship so I can go back to my home country to visit (can't renew my passport without exorbitant fees otherwise), 2) save for my wisdom teeth removal... yikes. 3) buy a car.

Sorry, fell asleep and hit submit without checking. But that's all for now!

And so we get to judgment day

This weekend came and went. And judgement day came and went. I am surprised I was able to sleep at all last night. But I woke up this morning, did more testing, gathered my materials and left. Got to the testing site at 10am, and my exam wasnt until 1pm. I just didn't want to risk being late or something stupid. I've worked too hard to get to this point.

So I go in, just about have an anxiety fit, go through airport-security type clearance, get through and the test starts. 3hrs for 175 questions. About 1.02 per question. Complicated, long winded, tricky question with four multiple choice answers that make sense but not really, and are very similar to one another, but not really. Questions where you miss 1 word (like I almost did a few times), and it changes the WHOLE question. Few wrong or right answers, most are just better or worse than the rest. What a cruel bunch!

By the time I got down to 10 seconds, I was finishing some reviews. I submitted it at 5 seconds. I was ending this thing on my terms and not theirs, and that's my story! Then the screen went blank. It came back, and it was loading something. Loading, loading... "want to take a survey?" Uhh, NO! Then more loading, and then I get to this:

I PASSED! I wasn't sure if I wanted to pass out or just cry right there and there. But trying to keep my professionalism, I walked to the lobby, where the girl told me she was glad and surprised I passed, as so many do not (well, yeah, about 51% of those that take this test do fail!). I just walked outside very slowly and sat in my car for about 5min. I get to claim my life back! I get to actually THINK about stuff again, and not just using my flashcards and listening to the audio tapes! Woo hoo!

So, against my better judgement and with a completely cloudy mind, I went straight back home. I was supposed to do some "shopping", but in that state? No thanks! 

The best part is, when I get home, I am faced with this:

A package from Sluggy! Sweet! I love presents! And after that ordeal, I think the timing was planned!

It was full of all sorts of goodies, including a baking kit. Will I dare to get close to the oven to bake me some snickerdoodle cookies? Not in the next few days. I dont think I will be able to hold down solid food for the next 2-3 days! But I definitely shall. Maybe next weekend, when I have more of my head put together. For now, I am way overdue a 14hr nap, so I'll get started.

Thanks Sluggy, for a prize package! And thanks to everyone else who encouraged me through this tedious process. I am so glad it's over, but I have a lot to do in the next coming days (like goals, ahem), so I will be posting once I get my strengths back up. Night night! 

Last fun of the weekend that hasn't even started!

For someone who will be spending the next 36 hours cramming a tiny little brain with harassment, discrimination and pay acts and laws, I sure seem to have a lot of other things in my agenda.

For example...

White Elephant gift for the office:

The paper couldn't have been more perfect if I had designed it myself. The main box is a shoe box, the 3 gifts are a box of Miss Swiss hot chocolate with marshmallows ($1), a coffee mug ($12) and a coffee mug warmer ($10). The wrapping paper and ribbons were courtesy of Dollar Tree, and the index cards are leftovers from my studying. I can't wait for them to open this! Or better yet, see who will be the first to brave the elements and pick this! I wish I had a bag so I could conceal the awesomeness of this wrapping paper, but I don't feel like working on this anymore.

Next up is fixing dress for dinner event Hollywood style at PT job:

Don't worry. I promise (in a non-committal way) to share a photo of the whole dress and maybe of myself. Maybe. The party is next Thursday, and all I need to complete this is a shawl, because the dress is *gasp* strapless. I'm getting bold in my old age. Maybe I'll show the whole dress if I pass my SPHR... more reasons to work my butt off. 

Off I go. Wish me luck. Trust me, I'll need every bit of it for Monday! 

And this is why you check...

This may justify my obsessive checking. I've been so busy the past 2 weeks that I've only given half an eye's worth of attention to checking my cards and expenses going through them. This is what I just found on my Chase card. A ToysRUs/BabiesRUs charge for $787.81.

Needless to say, I did NOT do such a huge purchase. I called and they cancelled the transaction plus cancelled the card and issued me a new one.

Guess when it comes to that, one can't ever let their guard down... wonder what from ToysRUs could possibly be worth that much.

Update on surprise vacation pay

Alright, the answers were given to me in small blocks at a time, as I think we both were confusing. But here are the facts as HR presents them:

1) I do have vacation hours, and 30 were applied to my previous check.
2) I have been accruing vacation over time, but at "rates that vary per number of hours worked". Whatever that meant. But it is influenced by how much I work, which isn't a lot.
3) I have not lost any due vacation because the system carries over all vacation from year to year to year,  according to HR. I believe that is not the case, but I don't have the handbook with me to check. I'll do that next time I swing by.
4) I started accruing vacation in 2009, which is as far as the online system goes.
5) For the past 4 years, I've only accrued 80 hours of vacation, in bits and pieces at a time. That's about 20hrs each year.

I guess the good news is: I get to keep the vacation pay I received and the additional unused 50hrs. I was half expecting HR to retract on the whole issue and say I did not have vacation and my manager was wrong. I also have not lost any vacation, apparently, which is good. I will (eventually) try to figure out what the accrual rates are, an whether or not I have actually not lost any vacation. But that's a battle for another day.

Back to studying. 5 days to go.

Direct Deposit error, or maybe not?

*taking a quick break from cramming a bunch of union terms. Days before exam: 6!!*

Last week at my part time job, many people were reporting that they were incorrectly applying their vacation for this coming week. I didn't think much of it, since I am part time and don't get vacation hours from this job. I checked anyway, and sure enough, there were 3 days of vacation applied on the online scheduling, bumping me from 8 hours worked to 38 hours. This system is correlated to the payroll system, so I ended up with 30hrs of extra pay.

Being the prudent HR person I am (and I'd hate to be behind any pay error), I talked to my manager on Saturday, since HR was long gone on Friday by the time I got to work. Apparently, I've had vacation available to me. Reason for this is that I am grandfathered into "the plan". Or so my manager explained it to me, but he was just relieved he didnt mess up payroll.

Now, that's great! I have 30 hours of legitimate vacation pay to throw into my car-fund goal, PLUS 50 hours of accrued and unused vacation. Bad news? How the heck long has this been going on?!! At this PT job, you can only carry over 1 year's worth of vacation. So in theory, I've been losing vacation pay for over 6 years. Can you tell why I'm not a happy camper? Of course, I know that it is not illegal as vacation pay isn't mandatory compensation (exam item!), to some degree. I do remember asking about vacation pay about 4 years ago, but I was told I did not qualify, which came to no surprise. I asked because the payroll system kept accruing it anyway.

I have a call in to HR tomorrow to further discuss what the heck just happened. It was supposed to be today, but I am so behind processing open enrollment that I didn't even eat my lunch or take a break. Lots of coffee, though. PT job's HR dept is painfully unorganized, so I can only imagine how the conversation will go... I guess my priority tomorrow is to 1) re-verify I am eligible for vacation pay (since this would affect about 3-4 other part time employees who like me have been there forever, and my manager could've been wrong in assuming I have vacation pay) and 2) what they plan on doing about this mis-communication and all these lost years of vacation. I guess this is a To Be Continued post!

Bank closing credit card account for good behavior

When I first became credit card debt free (other than the closed card with no interest), I've been watching to make sure they get used at least once a month. Reason for that is that I had a marketing teacher who was a bit of a sensationalist, but full of interesting and extremely unusual stories. One of them was how she had this credit card for the better part of 20 years, and one day, they just cancelled it. She had always kept a low balance and would go for a few months at a time without using it; and even when she did use it, she'd pay it right away to avoid interest. You know, the disciplined way.

But when they cut her and she argued a bit with them, they simply told her she was not a profitable customer, and she just took her business elsewhere. But 20 years of credit history just went down the drain. She didn't care, as she was married and already established, with no real need to nurse her credit... but ouch. I have this underlining fear that my Bank of America card, which is my oldest line of credit, will one day get closed off one day because I am no longer profitable to them.

To appease that fear, I have it set up to automatically pay my phone bill, then pay it right off before it accrues any interest. This card is very nice and it doesn't seem to be advertised a lot by BOA (Better Balance Rewards). I get $30/quarter bonus deposited to my checking account for making any amount of purchases each month of the quarter, and then paying off more than the minimum. Works great for me! So far, that's $60 free they've given me, and haven't had to pay a cent of interest. I am definitely not being a profitable card owner, though. So I throw in a few extra expenses to make my balance change from month to month, sometimes high, sometimes low, never accruing interest.

Have you ever had or heard of companies closing customer's credit card accounts for such a similar reason?

Scheduling appointments & dental insurance

I often try to get all of the unpleasant medical visits completed at the beginning of the year, so that I am free to disengage from responsible-adult mode in that respect for the rest of the year. And thus, I will be calling this week to schedule my physical.

Open enrollment this year brings me a new challenge... besides being me who handles OE for all of my company's employees (hello, 470 employee forms due on Thursday!), it reminds me the debate about my dental insurance. I was told on my last dental appointment (and first in 8 years) that I needed to get my 2 bottom wisdom teeth pulled. I don't have the top ones, oddly enough. Not only is this cost prohibitively, but it also means I have to either go unpaid while I recover, or take vacation time, or a combination, since my full time employer does not provide sick leave or paid time off besides vacation.

This means an additional $13 taken out of every check (ok, that doesn't sound TOO bad, but it sucks regardless because it will come out of my food budget), plus saving for the actual operation and the aftermath. All the documents I've read seem to indicate I'm looking at $150-$500 per tooth, with insurance. The dentist who would do the work can't tell me without an evaluation visit.

I've opted to get this taken care of this year and signed up for dental. Despite going to visit a certain someone earlier this year, right after her son had undergone the same surgery and looked no better for the wear. I am envious of everybody else who had their wisdom teeth pulled when they were much younger.

Customer Service and more work

Very surprising, my part time work is still going steady. Somewhat to my dismay, because I've been ready for a break from it since April. Good thing is  I still get paid! Yay. Bad thing is, I have forgotten what non-working weekends were like. But I am thankful for the extra work and it keeping me busy.

Speaking of my part time work, my other shoes broke. I ordered new ones online about 1.5wks ago and used them on Saturday.

They. Were. Horrible. For being "At Work" shoes, they were worse than walking barefoot. No support AT ALL, no cushion and minimal mobility. On top of that, after my 11hr shift, I get home and remove the shoes... to find that they somehow got scratched and started peeling off. On both shoes, mirror images. After 1 day. I was NOT a happy camper!

So in the heat of the moment (ahem, 12:45am), I wrote a very passionate, courteous, but ticked off email to the company that sold the shoes and not the makers. Again, I was tired and upset. I didn't think anything would come out of it. I got an email today that they were refunding the purchase price, plus told me I could keep the shoes, since I had already worn them. That was a decent deal and entirely unexpected. I am not sure I will use those shoes again... maybe for light wear, but I will use the money to buy some real work shoes. After walking around on flats for 10-12hrs a day at my part time job, having the right shoes is a MUST, and once you try the soft, cushiony soles of good heavy duty work shoes, you can never go back.

(The company I bought from was 6PM thanks to some good sales, but the shoes were a definite no go.)