September 2009 Monthly Totals
Posted on October 7, 2009
Filed Under frugal living | 1 Comment
debts
Brighter Planet Personal Visa – $111.19
ShoreBank Business Visa – $3,912.76
assets
ING Direct personal checking + $127.67
local bank personal checking + $1,326.12
cash + $102.00
Smarty Pig emergency savings + $1,394.14
ING Direct emergency savings + $72.73
transportation savings + $0
work pension fund + $3,984.03
business checking + $197.81
business PayPal + $1.90
business savings + $173.28
total assets $7,379.68 – debt $4,023.95 = $3,355.73 TOTAL
August 2009 Monthly Totals
Posted on September 6, 2009
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debts
Brighter Planet Personal Visa – $54.91
ShoreBank Business Visa – $3,517.40
assets
ING Direct personal checking + $79.55
local bank personal checking + $1,989.57
cash + $174.00
Smarty Pig emergency savings + $1,217.00
ING Direct emergency savings + $214.51
transportation savings + $0
work pension fund + $3,792.03
business checking + $110.46
business PayPal + $0
business savings + $223.13
total assets $7,800.25 – debt $3,572.31 = $4,227.94 TOTAL
July 2009 Monthly Totals
Posted on August 2, 2009
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debts
Brighter Planet Personal Visa – $0
ShoreBank Business Visa – $3,122.62
assets
ING Direct personal checking + $309.56
local bank personal checking + $1,334.57
cash + $85.00
Smarty Pig emergency savings + $1,045.00
ING Direct emergency savings + $1,010.81
transportation savings + $35.24
work pension fund + $3,600.03
business checking + $169.72
business PayPal + $131.73
business savings + $137.92
total assets $7,859.58 – debt $3,122.62 = $4,736.96 TOTAL
I opened up a Smarty Pig savings account in July for my primary emergency fund, since the interest rate is considerably higher than ING Direct’s current rate. (2.75% at Smarty Pig versus 1.40% at ING) I’m still keeping an emergency fund at ING as well, which will be for more short-term emergencies since that money can be moved instantly back to my checking account if necessary. I made the Smarty Pig emergency fund goal $10,000. The idea is to grow that fund as more of a cash cushion for when I get to the point of going full-time with my own business.
I also started a transportation savings fund, as I’ve been having car issues lately and I’ve still been toying with the idea of getting a scooter, which would be much more convenient for getting to work than what I currently do. (Drive across town, past where I actually work to my parking spot and then walk about 10 blocks back to work.) I’m going to try to keep the car for as long as possible, but I think having a scooter for my daily commute would help minimize wear and tear on the car.
Work has been kind of a drag lately. I finally got my promotion/permanent position status but it doesn’t mean extra money because of all the budget cutbacks. Some of my co-workers recently pointed out that everyone’s salary is available for view on the local newspaper’s website, since we’re state employees and it’s public record. That was absolutely depressing, as one of my co-workers who is a complete idiot and whose mistakes I’m constantly having to correct apparently makes about $6,000 a year more than me. It’s total bullshit… even though I’m only now a “permanent employee”, I’ve been at my workplace for over five years now as either an intern, part-time or full-time employee. Other than our department head, I’ve been there longer than anyone in our department since we’ve had such high turnover the last few years. People are constantly asking me questions. Many people who are paid more than me. And because of all of this budget crap it’s not like I can really ask for a raise because I know it’s impossible. It just makes me more determined than ever to get my own business totally off the ground. I want to be in charge of my own destiny and not have to babysit people who are paid more than me. (And who have even had more education than me! A master’s degree apparently doesn’t count for much judging by some of my co-workers.)
June Monthly Totals
Posted on July 1, 2009
Filed Under monthly totals | 1 Comment
debts
Brighter Planet Personal Visa – $2,163.11
ShoreBank Business Visa – $3,050.27
assets
ING Direct personal checking + $43.41
local bank personal checking + $5,708.20
emergency savings + $105.10
“Life Happens” savings + $.04
house down-payment savings + $.02
work pension fund + $3,312.03
business checking + $284.72
business PayPal + $148.56
business savings + $37.18
total assets $9,639.26 – debt $5,213.38 = $4,425.88 TOTAL
June turned out to be a pretty good month, possibly a turning point even. My sister got married and my dad, figuring that my boyfriend and I have been living together so long that we’re practically married, was very generous and gave me $5,000 in lieu of a “wedding present”. Right now it’s sitting in my local checking account, since I was only able to deposit it a few days ago, but I’m about to pay off my personal credit card and then move most of the rest of it into my emergency fund. I’m going to use a little of it to book a flight to FINALLY see my best friend in Indiana though. That should only be a little over $200. And I need to take care of some dentist and eye doctor appointments I’d been putting off as well.
My car has been acting up again, but I brought it back to the same mechanic I used last time (a highly recommended mechanic from Angie’s List). He looked at it for three days and couldn’t replicate the problem or determine what’s causing it, so he didn’t charge me anything this time. It’s got me worried, as it appears to be an electrical issue, and I know those are the worst and hardest to fix. I really need a reliable car to pursue growing my business this fall, at local art markets.
On that note, I did a trial run at a market a few weeks ago and did very well. I got set up to take credit cards in advance, through ProPay, and that helped a lot. Over half of my sales were via credit or debit cards! I did almost $400 in sales for a four hour event, so not bad. And I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback, so I’m going to try to keep building my business this fall.
May Monthly Totals
Posted on June 4, 2009
Filed Under monthly totals | 1 Comment
debts
Brighter Planet Personal Visaa – $2,408.53
ShoreBank Business Visa – $3,350.27
assets
ING Direct personal checking + $121.27
local bank personal checking + $768.20
emergency savings + $25.01
“Life Happens” savings + $.04
house down-payment savings + $.02
work pension fund + $3,120.03
business checking + $102.96
business PayPal + $17.30
business savings + $12.16
total assets $4,166.99 – debt $5,758.8 = $-1,591.81 TOTAL
Looking at the numbers it’s discouraging, but I actually feel very hopeful…
Car repairs set me back $400+ this month. (And that was at a very reputable mechanic who had extremely high praise on Angie’s List and elsewhere for being extremely honest and fair when it comes to prices.) Still though, cheaper to do one major fix a year (at the rate I’m going) and keep a car that’s paid off than to switch to something new and have a monthly car payment. (Though I’d love a hybrid, I’m just not there yet financially…)
I also joined a mixed martial arts gym this past month. It’s $100 a month, but I’m not usually much on excercise and I’m really getting into this. I’m also trying to ride my bike more to work, so I’m starting to feel more healthy and the extra activity is definitely helping with my stress levels. And I’ve been a little more stressed than normal because I’m getting really anxious about my business goals, so after some conversations with my mentor and former employer recently, I’ve decided to jump in headfirst and start bootstrapping my way to where I want to be. I’ve been relying on my blog income for awhile, but I realized I need to do more. The long term goal is to have a retail store (both in person and online) selling ec0-friendly goods. There’s really nothing like it around where I live, and I know I could make it work. But since I have no capital at the moment, I’m going to start very small: pick up a few wholesale lines at a time and do some events around town to try to build both capital and a customer base at the same time. Hopefully the fall season will be good to me in this regard… We’ll see where I am by Christmas.
13 Ways to Go Green and Save Money
Posted on May 21, 2009
Filed Under frugal living | 3 Comments
Check out Green America’s list of 13 Ways to Go Green and Save Money, cross-posted below. Which of these have you already tried or do you want to try? We’ve recently started a vegetable garden ourselves, we’re working on getting a compost system going, and I’m trying to bike to work at least once a week (probably more often once it cools down again in the fall…)
1. Grow Your Own
“The biggest thing I’m doing this year is growing my own vegetable garden. It will be organic, and it doesn’t get any more local than my own back yard. Plus, it’s one heck of a money saver. It will even help me build community, because I will surely have extra fruits and vegetables to share with my neighbors.”
— Jessica S., Littleton, CO
Real Green: Food That Nourishes People and the Planet »
2. One Less Car
“I don’t own a car. Even in the cold Minnesota winters you’ll find me biking. Riding a bicycle obviously saves money and resources, but I believe it also builds community. When I am on a bicycle, I feel more connected to my surroundings, and I’m more approachable. I’m always saying hello to people as I ride past, whereas in a car, that interaction would be lost.”
— Sarah P., Minneapolis, MN
Real Green: The Case for Electric Bikes »
3. One Less Car, Part Two
“Although I get 48 miles per gallon with my hybrid car, I still make every effort to plan my trips to avoid needless driving, to carpool, and to take public transportation and telecommute, as often as possible. I write and call my political leaders in support of laws and funding for mass transit, and for greener cars.”
— Jeanne T., Springfield, VA
Real Green: Carpool for the Climate and Community (online tools make carpooling easier than ever) »
Green American: Fuels for the Future »
4. Reuse, Reuse, Reuse
“One way I have discovered to keep items out of landfills and save a bunch of money in the process is FreeCycle – an online group where members post things they are looking for, and what they have to get rid of. I have received a dining room set (complete with six chairs, buffet, and hutch), bunk beds for my kids, a set of night stands, and a really good juicer for no cost. And I’ve used FreeCycle to give away all the clothes that my kids have outgrown.”
— Lea P-W., Painesville, OH
Real Green: Finding Used Items Online »
Green American: 25 Ways to Green the World (get what you need without money) »
5. Stop the Leaks
“I’m unplugging the toaster, lamps, cell phone chargers, laptops, and other electronic devices when I’m not using them. These things leak energy needlessly when they are plugged in all the time. It’s the quickest way to save energy and it saves me money on the electric bill too.”
— Rachelle N., Nashville, TN
Green American: Efficiency First! »
23 Steps Toward Energy Efficiency »
6. Harness the Sun
“We installed solar panels on our townhome in March along with another family in our homeowners’ association. Several others had expressed interest before the economic meltdown and then backed off, but we hope that with our example others will see that in the long-run it’s a money-saver, and they will understand the benefit for both the planet and their bottom lines.”
— Ellen S., Boulder, CO
New Tax Credits for Going Solar in 2009 »
Real Green: Making Solar Affordable Now »
Faces of the Green Pages: Evergreen Energy »
7. Waste Not, Want Not
“I compost. I keep my garbage creation to a minimum. I refuse packaging and bags whenever possible (bringing my own cloth bag). I explain to the checkout person why I am refusing the bag or giving back the packaging. Also, steel is 100-percent recyclable. The recycled steel isn’t downgraded or ‘downcycled.’ I recycle every unusable nail, every screw, every wire, etc., at my local transfer station. Even my steel roof will be recycled when it is done being my roof.”
— Ruth O., White Salmon, WA
Green American: Getting to Zero Waste »
21 Things You Didn’t Know You Can Recycle »
8. Dispense With Disposables
“This may seem like a minor thing, but it really helps on my limited budget. I have ceased purchasing paper towels and instead use old rags for cleaning and wiping up spills. I wash the dirty rags and reuse them until they wear out. I didn’t realize how many paper towels I used to go through before I started this new system.”
— Sarah F., Tullahoma, TN
10 Things Never to Buy Again »
9. Reallocate Your Resources
“Our path toward sustainability began when we realized the value of doing things for ourselves. I began by making our own laundry detergent. It is all-natural and costs less than a penny per ounce to make! We used the money we were saving to take bigger steps: buying our meat in bulk from local farmers who raise their animals on pasture and sustainably, and buying Energy-Star appliances for our house.”
— Carrie C., Salem, VA
Real Green: Ten Simple Ways to Clean Green »
Green American: Heal Your Home Guide »
Real Green: Buying the Best Appliances »
10. Examine Your Diet
“By becoming vegan I cut my carbon footprint to at least 60 percent and the amount of money that each meal costs me by an average of 78 percent. Beans and legumes are so inexpensive compared to meat! I cut costs even more by growing herbs and vegetables for myself, and I earn fruits by offering to do the picking for friends with fruit trees, in exchange for keeping the surplus. I preserve them in glass jars and make pickled fruits and vegetables to extend them even further .”
— Sarah F., Tullahoma, TN
Real Green: Eat Less Meat, Cool the Planet »
Real Green: Think Globally, Can Locally »
11. Green celebrations!
“On June 20, I am getting married green style. Oh, green wedding, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: 1) Used wedding dress from eBay, $10!,
2) Organic, Fair Trade apparel for the wedding party that they can use afterwards,
3) Asking guests to carpool to save gas, money, and the environment,
4) Sending plantable wedding invitations [That's right, you bury the invitations and wildflowers spring forth, just like love blooms…],
5) Using leftover supplies from my cousin’s wedding,
6) Buying organic flowers from the farmer’s market … and more.
My fiancé Mark and I will be celebrating our day free from wedding-induced debt and the weight of a heavy carbon footprint!”
— Michelle B., Oshkosh, WI
Faces of the Green Pages: The Green Bride Guide »
Real Green: Green Weddings and More »
12. Invest Wisely
(and Needs vs. Wants)
“We’re always asking ourselves whether this next purchase is a ‘need’ or a ‘want.’ When we actually stop to think about it, there are precious few needs. People say things like ‘I need cable TV,’ but that’s probably not true. Calling such things ‘needs’ cheapens the meaning of the word. We’ve also begun investing some savings with a community bank. Interestingly, in our experience, the smaller community bank with the social mission has been reliably beating the pants off of the mega-banks in terms of rate of return. We know that we’re saving more by getting the higher rate of return, but we are also proud that our money is doing good in the community as well!”
— Steve O., Mamaroneck, NY
Green American: From Greed to Green
(shift society’s underlying values) »
13. What Really Matters?
“I’m trying to stay focused on people and relationships rather than stuff. This helps me consider who is affected by what I do buy and from whom I buy it. I save by buying only thrift store clothes, but splurge on Fair Trade chocolate. I support locally owned businesses. I volunteer my time. And with some of the money I save, I use it to support organizations that help people help themselves. I do without stuff; that isn’t what matters anyway!”
— Kelly G., Charlotte, NC
Green America’s Fair Trade Guide »
Real Green: 7 Fixes from the Green Economy »
