It's Official

 Yep, it's official.  I submitted my "retired status" to the ultrasound licensing board, ARDMS, and I have
officially closed that chapter of my life.  To be honest, the door was pretty much shut for the last couple of years.  I have not scanned a patient or stepped on a college campus as an adjunct.  It feels pretty good.  I have always entertained the idea of going back to actively scanning but that is as far as it got.  It was always a thought, not an actual action. 

Now what?  Pretty much the same as before.  I will continue to work on my online reselling business and I may, just maybe pick up a part-time job after the holidays to supplement our income.  There is money in ultrasound, but I am not able to handle the stress of the job.  Who knows?? I may not be able to handle the stress of any job anymore.

 This morning I am working on the pile of mail that accumulates on the counter.  It was definitely getting out of control. Most of the pile is going into the trash as junk mail and filler material from actual bills.  I still like getting paper billing notices even though I monitor all of my accounts online.  Maybe that is the old school in me.  I did see where our auto insurance is going up $30 a month.  That is motivation to see what else is out there.  I think I can bundle my auto with my homeowners and save a few bucks.  I will need to follow up with our agent. 

The rest of the day is filled with wrapping up a few gifts, prepping more graham cracker houses so the kiddos can decorate them this weekend.  I am meeting a Sunday School friend for lunch downtown.  I am so lucky to be in this class, they are a mature group of ladies with so much wisdom to share about life.  I love them all so much.  

They have filled the gap of losing my mother 9 years ago.  Mom was more about her than me, and with the help of my SS ladies, I have learned to let go of some of that resentment towards my mom.  The rest of the resentment and healing will have to come from therapy.  Which I will be starting again soon. So there is that. 

Time to pack up eBay packages and get them to the Post Office.  

Have a great day and be good to yourself. 

Transfer Tuesday December 7, 2021

 

 

Hello Tuesday!  This is the day that we make an extra effort to pay down our debt and slide into retirement debt-free.  Most every Tuesday we apply extra cash (whether it be BIG or small) to our outstanding debt.  This helps keep us aware of and accountable for our debt. And it all makes a difference.

Our only debt is a HELOC with an interest rate of 2.24% The minimum monthly payment goes towards the PRINCIPAL and the INTEREST.   I am chipping away at the balance until we sell my deceased mom's house that is currently being used as a rental. At that point, we will pay off the rest of the balance.  Until then, I will be sending in payment to this debt and/or to my taxable investment account every Tuesday. 

MONEY MOVES THIS WEEK

Previous balance on last Transfer Tuesday Post    $63,806.00

 Finance Charge: $117.24

New Balance: $63,996.18

Minimum Amount Due: $247.49

Minimum Payment: $247.49

eBay gross earnings  10%     $32.00     

New HELOC Balance:   $63,526.51

When we started paying down the debt in Sept 2019 we were at $95,853.00

Short Term Savings: Our short-term savings account is a "Keep the Change" account.  BOA will round up debit purchases and send the round up amount to the savings account.  The account previously was a little over $1300.00.  When we bought out our phone contract, we needed to spend $300 to cancel the account and move it over to Spectrum for a much lower monthly bill. 

Invest:  M1finance account which I have named our future vehicle replacement fund.  The balance is currently $3798.32

We are sending $200 from recent sales that have taken place on different platforms to include Etsy, Mercari, and eBay to this account which will bring the balance up to $3998.32.  As this is a taxable brokerage account the balance will fluctuate.  

How was your Transfer Tuesday? 

My inspiration for Transfer Tuesday is Pennies Not Perfection

Sunday Stuff and the Season

Every ornament I own is on this 3 ft tree.  lol. 

 The holidays tend to scratch that itch that is depression.  Why is that?  Memories of past Christmases when loved ones were still here and the kids were little?  Maybe.  Or is it the drudgery of getting through another Christmas making sure that it is enjoyable for everyone? Maybe that too. 

The decorations are up, I think all the presents are bought, and Christmas Eve lunch is planned. Now what? Certainly, there are underlying issues that need to be brought to light.  It could be the holiday blues so it is best to wait on that until the New Year.  

Yesterday I dropped off eBay packages at the Post Office, hit up a local Thrift Store, and then went to Target.  Target was busy, they actually had more than 2 cashiers working, at least 10  were ringing up customers which was nice. 

I made chicken and dumplings last night, and magic cookie bars.  Talk about a carb coma evening.  The hubs loves chicken and dumplings, he ate two bowls and took a bowl to work today.  It's not on our regular rotation as far as regular meals, but when he asks for it, I will make it. 

Have you watched "Dopesick" on Hulu? It stars Michael Keaton as a small-town doctor in the Appalachian mountains and the introduction of Oxycontin to the nation as a "non-addictive "pain reliever. It is a fascinating look into the all-encompassing addiction process associated with Oxycontin.  I definitely recommend it.  

Today will be catching up with all the clean clothes that need to be put away, listing a few things on eBay, packing up a few things that sold and hitting up Goodwill and see what we can find for color of the day deals. 

Enjoy your Sunday and find your joy!

Thursday Happenings

 The last few weeks have been busy, busy, busy.  I have been adding listings to my eBay store 5 days a
week.  If you sell on eBay, you know putting listings together can take a little bit of time especially if the item requires research on what it is, what it is worth, etc. 

eBay slowed down considerably since October following one of their updates. I was so convinced that I would meet my goal of grossing $32,000 this year based on earlier monthly sales.  There is still one month left this year, so we will see how it goes. 

Transfer Tuesday is still happening, even though I am consistently inconsistent with weekly posts about the transactions that take place.  Don't think I will meet my goal of paying it down to $49,000 this year either.  That's fine, it will eventually be paid off with the sale of my deceased parent's home.  That date has not been set.  It's complicated because I kinda let it get to that point.   

I am still walking 3-4 times a week, but I had to stop the Pilates classes.  There were expensive, and eBay was too slow to support the cost of the classes.  Maybe next year I can go back.  Meanwhile, I do go to the gym with the hubs 3 times a week. 

Christmas shopping is 95% complete. Is it under budget?  No, not so much.  Sigh....  The tree is up and the house is decorated inside and out. We are planning to have a Christmas Eve get together with family.  My daughter provides Olive Garden so there is no cooking and minimal clean-up.  Having Italian for Christmas or Christmas Eve is a tradition that started with my mom and one that we all enjoy. 

Thanksgiving was spent at our son in laws parents' house.  They have a tradition of inviting us over every year and it's great to be so fortunate to get along with all members of our families. We will reciprocate with  Christmas Eve dinner if they are available.   With blended families consisting of 2nd and 3rd marriages, it can be a chess game to get everyone together at one time.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.  All we can do is try. 

With eBay being so slow, I have tinkered with the idea of going back to work PART TIME.  I have no idea what that means right now, but it is something I am considering.  Hopefully, eBay will redeem itself in December and turn things around. You can't control what you can't control.

We have had some additional spending in November.  I had to get a new battery for my car, we choose to replace them when the warranty is done as opposed to continuing to use the same battery and one day be stranded out in the middle of no where.  That was $120.  Other than that, there has not been any big spending. Well, unless you count Christmas. 

Today I am going to Target to return a couple of purchases.  Balancing the grandkids gifts is a work in progress, and I need to whittle down one kiddo's gifts so there is not disparity in the amount spent or number of gifts under the tree.

After that, the usual stuff.  Daily spot cleaning, listing, and wrap a few gifts.