P2P Living's Personal Finance Blog

I'm doing well with meeting small goals.

I'm regularly(weekly) transferring $37.50 to the Vanguard money market. Rome wasn't built in a day, nor will my EF. But slow and steady wins the race.

The vacation fund stands at $1,350 cash from DH's side gigs and a dog sitting stint last month. We are actually on our way to vacation paid for in cash.

I am keeping spending down, and actively seeking the best deals when I do need to spend. Tracking spending, however, has fallen by the wayside.

Youngest son has transitioned to park district soccer after he considered it a downgrade from club soccer. Wisest money decision I've made in a long time, and at 13 he's certainly old enough to understand economic choice. Afterall, soccer *is* soccer. And my stepdad (whose an photographic hobbyist) will take some pics of him in his uniform. I'm attempting to replicate the club experience as close as possible.

Also, HUGE STEP HERE and cancelled the landline, saving $45/month overall. We never used it anyhow.

Younger daughter will be returning next week from a summer away as a YMCA camp counselor, $2,000 richer.

Older daughter has decided to take classes online at an in-state 4 year university (last minute) and is paying for them herself. She's making a lot as a nanny and just got a quarter's worth of money from modeling. She's dating a self-supporting young man whose also going to school (last self-supporting boyfriend happened to be a famous youtuber, now I'm just happy she's with NORMAL).

I'm considering subsitute teaching and need to get on that game ($50 for state licensing and $50 for fingerprinting). I'm a bit late on the game of that one, and am also considering part-time work and a class at a time for the MSMOB. I just couldn't feel I was going to make the right choice for right reason on the 13-month accelerated program. I can always enter into that game, but I feel that NO decision is better than the WRONG decision.

DH is STILL waiting on word as the Senior Financial Analyst at his old boss's new company (not his personal one, but where he is employed). He interviewed in late June, but was then advised that the decision was postponed pending the hiring of the new CFO. I think that might work to his advantage as hopefully his competition have all found new jobs! DH is STILL working at the current job, putting out fires and dealing with inter-personal issues with his three remaining coworkers in the northern office. His time is long past up, but a paycheck is a paycheck.

Hope all are well, and I'm off to catch up on the blogs.

One of the goals I set for myself in order to build up the savings account/EF was a weekly transfer of $37.50 to the Vanguard Account.

I've successfully managed to do that for five consecutive weeks. I'm hoping to up it to $50 once we are a bit more stable.

The good news is we are close to getting the property tax monkey off the back and are building up the vacation fund for a cruise in late October/early November. I had a discussion with a friend whose a religious DR Follower and she had some words about what Baby Step I should be on before taking a vacation (suggesting financial irresponsibility). My thoughts which I shared on that are a cancer diagnosis changes one's thinking. And DH came through his bout easily (no chemo or radiation/though he had to deal with a subsequent blood clot that complicated things for months). And if I waited until I paid off untold medical bills we'd probably never go on a vacation, and family time away making memories is at the top of the list for us.

So, onward to savings and vacation is what I say.

Cruised into second half of July very satisfied with spending, or precisely how little spending was actually being done.

That changed in one week. In one week I spent $48 on a soccer uniform (still far less that what I spent for Club Soccer), $28 on uniform shorts for high schooler (the only clothing item I needed to buy for BTS! thanks to old uniform still fitting 8th grader, and uniform exchange for high schooler), $10 at used book store for summer reading books, $44 for Panda Express (younger daughter was home for this week from summer camp job).

Younger son was invited on an last-minute road trip from the Midwest to CA (he is flying home with me on 7/30). He cost me $60 for new flip flops, sun glasses, ear buds, water bottle, some snacks and $20 spending money. He and my stepdad left this morning and have already hit the Arch in St. Louis.

I also stocked up on snacks for younger daughter returning to camp for three weeks ($15).

The only good news is that most of the spending is done for BTS and trips, etc. Grocery spending will be minimal since everyone is away again, so back in the saddle starting tomorrow.

Hope UFMC is going well for other participants!

I'm counting it half over. I'm participating but not stringently and am spending as I need to.

Here are the numbers: (For 7/1 through 7/15)

Groceries - $175

Gas - $75

Other - $126 ($90 was soccer camp for high schooler, remainder was a birthday gift, two clothing items from Goodwill, and miscellany such as batteries and gas for lawn mower).

We have also amassed $500 in the vacation fund. Our goal is a cruise in late October. That should be achievable.

How is everyone else doing?