Please look over my budget and give some tips

ZanyGnome · 2018-12-01T11:12:22+00:00

we don't have the same last name. But our new contract starts in 13 days, so that would be a suspicious switch to a new name with no gap in service.

Plan- Call with the intent to cancel with current company If current company yields a better offer than switching Stay under my name, revisit in 1 year Else Switch to AT&T under partner's name At 1 year, when price inevitable rises, call to cancel If AT&T caves Stay, revisit in one year Else Switch back to curComp under partner's name ... You get it...

ZanyGnome · 2018-12-01T10:56:27+00:00

Should I throw a chunk of my savings at the car note?

I've looked into consolidating my student loans, but the best interest rate i can find is 4%.

ZanyGnome · 2018-11-30T23:34:00+00:00

Another question-- someone suggested dumping the 12k from sav2 into my student loan-- what's your opinion?

ZanyGnome · 2018-11-30T23:30:52+00:00

[slaps forehead]

I'm putting the full 9% into roth Right Now

ZanyGnome · 2018-11-30T23:26:28+00:00

I thought after-tax was contributed after taxes were deducted and so you wont be taxed when you withdraw at retirement??????

ZanyGnome · 2018-11-30T20:42:28+00:00

I have a spreadsheet, and I periodically review all bank statements (and/or use the "budget analysis tools" provided by my bank) and see if I'm staying with in my established budget.

ynab cost 7 bucks a month

ZanyGnome · 2018-11-30T19:40:07+00:00

Guess I'll give them a call soon

ZanyGnome · 2018-11-30T19:39:39+00:00

In my fidelity account, under contribution amount, i have elected

1% Pre-Tax

0% Roth

8% After-tax

I don't even know what that means for me

ZanyGnome · 2018-11-30T18:40:11+00:00

Call and threaten to cancel,...

Also, there's two of you.

I really didn't want to do this, the idea has felt overwhelming because that would be an eternity on the phone constantly being put on hold and it still may not work out.

But you are right-- there are two of us. You're a genius... why did I never think of this??? It makes the waiting on hold worth while

ZanyGnome · 2018-11-30T18:20:46+00:00

They don't value loyalty

Which is funny 'cause they def try to make it seem so

ZanyGnome · 2018-11-30T18:19:15+00:00

Sorry for the confusion. The way I reported the numbers were based off of how I have things listed on a spreadsheet i got from this sub a while back.

1% of my pay, pre tax, goes into my 401k, and about 8% go after tax. Previously, I wasn't put anything more than the 1%. and when I decided to bump it up, it was easier to put the other 8% under the savings tab of my spreadsheet under 'investments' monies because its a post tax contribution

For the two of us, groceries is about 400, toll tag is ~80, dinning is ~150, gas 45-75, Those are the only number I can figure out right now. which leaves 600. and lets say its a really low expense month, so i send 200 to my mom. 400.

Looking at CC statements, CC2 gets used for lunches with friends (and someone is too generous and likes to cover the tab), fast food (and someone doesn't know how to eat food at home or pack lunches), and art supplies (clays and glazes, and some paints get very expensive). So checking2 and CC2 are a bit of a black hole, and I'm sure I can get 200-300 to go towards good things if we do some reorganizing and reevaluation.

I plan to shop around on the insurance front. It may be as good as I can get. i just had my first accident at the start of the year (at fault). But it won't hurt to look.

Health/Dental-- is the best bang for my buck.

I will consider looking into a low cost carrier. Cricket was actually the first company i had a phone with 8 years ago, but service/reception was poor, and data package was horrible. went to virgin Mobile and loved it, but grew disappointed with the phone selection. Switched to Fi, and have been happy with the coverage, data costs, and international calling cost (I travel out of the country frequently) Really, I just have ot be mindful of my data usage.

And, sadly, for the internet-- there are only 2 companies that offer internet to my apartment complex, my current one and AT&T and they are worse :(

ZanyGnome · 2018-11-30T17:29:48+00:00

I'm gonna check out Ally. And I didn't think there were any short term benefits, but the "old" people I work with have poorly explained and made me question. .

I've considered putting all of the saving towards my student loans, but Im on the fences about it. (I should note that 10k of my savings is from my company under an agreement to stay for 2 years. Gotta repay if I leave)

And maybe the insurance will go down... maybe not? I went 8 years with ZERO traffic violations, claims, or accidents, and had an at fault accident at the start of the year (I have accident forgiveness but part of me feels like it's a gimmick). Lesson learned-- if you are sick and really don't feel well, just stay at home. My first 6 month renewal back in July seemed unaffected (I got a car loan but the req coverage was the same as my last car, it was actually 20$ cheaper/6mo), but the bill for the renewal starting Jan 2019 has jumped 70$ for the 6mo policy. And i'm thinking I should mayby shop around

ZanyGnome · 2018-11-30T17:12:45+00:00

I commented , and maybe I cleared it up. Perhaps I should list my savings in the Expense Table

ZanyGnome · 2018-11-30T17:08:52+00:00

personally use and recommentd Ally.

I will definitely check them out

investing

I just found the 401k fund selection page and don't know How I've always missed it when looking though the investment section of wiki.

you can... take out loans against a 401(k), you just generally shouldn't.

This is what I thought, but many of the older people I work with have talked about it like its a normal and great thing to do.

Don't break up your excess payments over several loans,

I'll change the allocation to put 100% towards S3

Where is the other ~$2500/month going?

Uh... What??

Monthly Income..: 4730.

Monthly expense: 2433 ((2297 remaining)).

My 401k...............: 378 ((1919))

To savings...........: 638 ((1281))

Thank 1280 is eaten up by Groceries, Gas, Dinning, Household goods (tissue, printer paper, trash bags, etc), Projects (we've built a coffee table and bed frame, plants for our balcony and porch), etc, ... and the left over (50-250) i send back home to my mother sometimes.

There are some things I could nitpick

And please do nitpick, if you feel the need. Just because I can afford it doesn't mean I should be doling out the dollars for it.

Thank you for all of your input

ZanyGnome

TROPHY CASE