Jen and Ashwin
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 28, 2015
I suggested this to my budget this morning and YNAB was kind of like "really?" but I think we can make it work.
Thank you for making me smile. It is nice to keep some humor in this process.
I suggested this to my budget this morning and YNAB was kind of like "really?" but I think we can make it work.
Day 2, and the goal is to do something that I haven't been doing a very good job of - Meal Planning. In my head I know all of the reasons why meal planning is good but for some reason it's a chore that I just struggle with.
Going to the grocery store every day of my life (being only slightly over dramatic here) has got to end.
Well, it looks like I'm starting the year with the flu that's been going around so it's chicken noodle soup and crackers for dinner. At least that's cheap... lol.
Then we have to decide if we keep paying extra on loans, or switch to a car - we save a bit more staying with loans because they have higher interest rates (it works out to around $1500 total over seven years), but the total payments would be around $200 a month and the cars currently take up $800 a month, so knocking out a car would free up more cash. I know that is what DF leaning towards, and it'll be easier to funnel extra money towards one account once everything is combined.
I just signed up for the free month trial of YNAB. Now, I am a smart person, (2 Bachelor's degrees, some masters work, and 3 years of software support experience in my long ago life!) but I am just not getting it. I know a lot of you use the program, but a lot of you don't, so I don't want to bog down the board with my questions. Is there a forum somewhere else for YNAB users that might be helpful for me? I'm just not understanding the concept. Credit Card debt, for example. It says to add it as an account, but when I do that, the column makes my budget way negative, and on the monthly budget the monthly payment is green, but I can't figure out how to indicate what has been paid and what hasn't, how to enter the due date, or indicate I paid more. The software says to add transactions, but it just seems like duplicating the work I've already done. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Sorry you're not feeling well. Definitely something going around, we've all had colds and I have a doctor appt tomorrow bc I'm feeling like mine might have turned into a sinus infection. What a way to start the year.Well, it looks like I'm starting the year with the flu that's been going around so it's chicken noodle soup and crackers for dinner. At least that's cheap... lol.
Chugging along here. Payday is Friday but I won't know what my 2017 pay looks like with my 2017 raise until January 21st because we are paid one week behind so pay will include two weeks ending 12/30/16. Any excess will go to paying debt. We have $4700 left on the window loan.
I got an email from my old company stating I have $1,000 left in an old retirement account. Instead of rolling it over into my current 403b, I plan to pay the 20 percent tax(withhold it now) and 10 percent ($80) penalty next year and use it to put on the window loan. When all is said and done, I should have a check for around $800 soon which is all going to debt.
Great advice as usual, JenIf you are currently contributing to a retirement fund, you might just want to consider rolling over the $1,000 and just reducing your contributions for over the next few months by $1,000 instead. Then you won't take the tax and penalty hit at all. And then if you pay off the loan ahead or have money extra left over towards the end of 2017, you still add $1000 later to your retirement.
ETA: But might change the picture if you would end up foregoing an employer match. Just would need to figure out what makes the most sense.
We were considering getting a newer car this year but we've decided not to. We have two cars - a mini van and a Santa Fe. The mini van is a 1999 and it was my husband's grandmother's. She isn't able to drive anymore so she gave it to us. My husband uses that car to go back and forth to work (which is a mile from our house).
Our Santa Fe is still in good shape and my husband knows enough about cars to be able to do most repairs. He's probably saved us thousands of dollars in repair costs over the years.
Both cars are paid off and not having a car payment is so nice! While I'd love a newer car, we just can't justify a car payment. Maybe next year after we've paid down some of our other debt!
If you are currently contributing to a retirement fund, you might just want to consider rolling over the $1,000 and just reducing your contributions for over the next few months by $1,000 instead. Then you won't take the tax and penalty hit at all. And then if you pay off the loan ahead or have money extra left over towards the end of 2017, you still add $1000 later to your retirement.
ETA: But might change the picture if you would end up foregoing an employer match. Just would need to figure out what makes the most sense.
Sorry you're not feeling well. Definitely something going around, we've all had colds and I have a doctor appt tomorrow bc I'm feeling like mine might have turned into a sinus infection. What a way to start the year.