New Momma's Personal Finance Blog

I recently wrote a post about what our savings goals are for this year. That is, we hope to be able to transfer $1,000.00/month into our savings account each month. As I said in my previous post, we had an unexpected $800.00 medical bill from my husband's surgery that we had to pay, so we were really hoping to transfer $200.00 this month.

Well, after getting paid on Monday, we're going to be able to transfer a whopping $1,060.00 this month! We are turning around and paying $540.00 of that for our phone plans sinking fund. We also just paid $28.00 for school pictures because our daughter has her pictures today.

So, the total amount we need to save for our sinking funds this year (it's changed a little bit) is $6,914.00
The amount we have already saved and spent is $1,233.19
The amount we have in savings as of 3/4/15 is $3,441.84
Our amount left to save is $2,238.97!!!

At the rate we have been going, we just might be able to knock that out after April's savings transfer and our tax refund of $800.00 that we will hopefully receive this month and about half of May's transfer!! As long as the hubs is able to get his 8 hours/week of overtime we should be set. The only scary thing is that his work keeps saying that they are cutting overtime for the week and then they for some reason end up allowing him to work overtime. So fingers crossed that he'll be able to get his overtime for a while.

Right now our mortgage is solely in my husband's name as he bought it before we got married, which is fine. The interest rate is 5.25%, which stinks! He took his loan out a little over 5 years ago now as a 30 year term. We want to refinance our mortgage and this is the information we have gotten so far.

Hubby did something online and got a quote (I guess) of 3.75% and approximate closing costs of $3,300.00. He wants another 30 year term.

I called a few companies in our state and got quotes of 4% to 4.125% and approximate closing costs of $1,500.00-$2,000.00

I'm actually okay with doing a 30 year term and paying it off as a 15 year term. This way we could extra toward the principal when we can and if anything ever came up then we could stop and plan for it. I really looked at refinancing as a way to save a lot on interest and get the house paid off. Then, when our oldest child graduates high school then we would be completely debt free and able to save for whatever, with an additional $1,000.00 on top of our monthly surplus now.

Husband is looking at it as a way to invest. He wants to invest the money that we will be saving. This is unsettling to me, but I would rather do that then not refinance and not have that extra money each month to do with what we choose. Although, it just extends the loan an additional 5 years and we'd basically be paying the same in interest.

I feel stuck in this situation. Ugh!

When we wanted to pay off our $4,000.00 debt with 0% interest I had a hard time convincing him that we should just pay it. He did finally give in to that, though. I was thinking that maybe talking to a financial advisor would be beneficial for both of us, more settling to the person the advisor doesn't agree with and an actual plan laid out.

I guess I'll just keep praying about it.

I have seen a lot of people doing the No Spend {Month} and always think to myself, Pff… I don’t need to do that! Well, this month I have had a change of heart. I don’t plan to have a complete month of no spending, but I want to limit the days that I do spend. No spend to me does not include our groceries, fuel, and bills. What is in our budget and will count is our entertainment, if we eat out as a family, and my spend money.

I’m doing this because I suddenly realized that I don’t think I have had a day yet this year that I haven’t spent money – unless I don’t leave the house! That is RIDICULOUS!!!! So, it’s definitely time for a change. I eat out for lunch – a LOT, like way too much! Taking food to work with me, whether it be a quick sandwich or leftovers, will help me watch what I’m eating. I’m also hoping that it will keep me from becoming desperate for money in the last ten days of the month.

Sunday was a no spend day for me. Hubby went to the store and bought all of our groceries and then my getting out for the day was taking a walk as a family (including our two dogs). Yesterday (Monday) I had to work and that’s usually when I cave and go get something for lunch. I made it through the day yesterday without even buying anything to drink! Drank water all day!

If figure I’m off to a good start, so I might as well continue with it! My goal is to have 15 no spend days… and I’ve already had two! I usually like to go buy a soda and drink about half of it. That will probably be something I fight myself on this month, but we’ll see!

Hope you all have a fabulous March!

At the beginning of January we were able to transfer $3,200.00 into our savings account. After that we paid some of our debt from this account ($3k to be exact), leaving us with only about $200.00. At the beginning of February we transferred $2,800.00 into savings. After I get paid on March 2nd, I’m hoping to at least transfer $200.00 to savings. Our goal is to put $1,000.00 into savings each month, but my husband had surgery last May and we ended up having to pay $800.00 this month for something that insurance would not pay.

My husband came to me and said, “The bill they sent said we can just pay $200.00 each month until it’s paid…” I cut him off and said, “NO! Pay it now!” I think he was going to go on to say “but, we should pay it all now, don’t you think?” (Or something like that). I was annoyed by the fact that we had to make this payment and just wanted it out of our lives instead of more debt two weeks after we had officially gotten out.

Basically, the $1,000.00 that we were hoping to transfer this month has been cut with hopes of just $200.00 because of that $800.00 bill we had to pay. Hopefully, we won’t have any other surprises and can continue to transfer $1,000.00/month to savings after March.

We might slow down toward the end of the year when we have the sinking funds funded and have saved up enough money to refinance because right now my husband works 2 nights a week overtime (minimum) so that we have that $1,000.00/month surplus. His normal shift is from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. When he stays over he is there from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m., which gives him 8 hours of overtime a week. He also wakes up with our son every morning while I’m at work. He is such a trooper for all he does!

Our goals for 2015 are pretty basic, but important. This will be our first official year of putting our finance together as a married couple. So, we hope to be able to achieve these goals well before the end of the year – based on how we are doing so far.

#1 Become debt free except the house - $4,044.24
#2 Fund our sinking funds - $6,814.00
#3 Save enough money to refinance our house - $2,000.00

We completed goal #1 on January 26, 2015. We had an attorney from my husband’s custody case for visitation with his daughter from a previous relationship. After that case taking two and a half years (insane!!!!) he paid his attorney over $9,000.00 in total. We had $3,800.00 left at the beginning of 2015. His attorney told us that she would accept $3,000.00 as a payoff amount! He owed $214.24 to the courthouse for that same case, which he thought he had already paid but hadn’t. We owed a gal that did a class for us before we got married (it was required) $30.00. We took that class in August of 2014 and as our finances weren’t combined at the time, we both thought the other had paid it. Once I realized she hadn’t been paid I delivered the $30.00 to her home in person. So, all of that was paid in January of this year. Debt free!!!

Here is a list of our sinking funds for this year:
1. Personal Portfolio $2,000.00
2. Christmas $500.00
3. Vacation $1,000.00
4. Phone Plans $1,000.00
5. Car Insurance $520.00
6. Car Registrations $200.00
7. Kids birthdays $500.00
8. Clothing $500.00
9. Summer lessons $80.00
10.Vehicle Maintenance $300.00
11. Sports/Dance/School Pictures $180.00
12. Software for taxes $34.00
TOTAL $6,814.00

We have already paid out $645.19 out of our sinking funds account, which leaves us with $6,168.81 unpaid. Sitting in our “sinking funds” savings account right now is $2,920.18, which then leaves us with only $3,248.63 to save. We are hoping we can have everything saved for our sinking funds before June and then we can save the $2,000.00 for the refinance over the summer.

There are a few items that we forgot to include in our “sinking funds” account. Those funds are family pictures, pets (shots and grooming), gifts for people outside of our home (birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, etc.), and holidays (Halloween costumes, fireworks for the 4th of July, etc.). I figure that after we add all of that in our “sinking funds” amount would have been around $8,000.00 for this year. We will add them in for next year, and don’t worry, our kids will get to dress up and go trick-or-treating, the dogs will get their shots and groomed, and other couples will get their wedding gifts. We simply forgot them this year. We will probably handle them just as we do the other sinking funds, but we may not finish funding the account that extra $1,200.00 until after we do the refinance.

Is the total amount of our sinking funds insane or what?! Do you have sinking funds?

It's been over a year since I have posted here. Life got busy with wedding planning, baby, work, and life in general.

I like to think that we have come a long way since then. So, I'll tell you all where we are today. When I started this page, we owed my husbands attorney (for visitation with his daughter) approximately $5,500.00. We then found out that there were some fees at our county's courthouse that my husband was suppose to pay and didn't realize it. Those fees added up to $214.24. We then had to take a class through our church before we got married. That class only cost us $30.00, the problem was that my husband thought I had paid it and I thought he had - lack of communication.

In January of this year, we owed his attorney $3,800.00. She accepted $3,000.00 as a payoff. I paid the courthouse and the gal for our pre-marriage class in the second half of January and we sent a check to the attorney on January 21st and it cleared the bank on the 26th.

Therefore, as of January 26, 2015, we are debt free except our house! WOOT WOOT!!!! No better feeling!

Now, my husband bought his house in 2009 before we got married for $88k. That loan will be $80k by Summer. The interest rate on that is 5.25%... YUCK! After we have funded our "sinking funds" this year we will be saving $2,000.00 to refinance our house. We hope to pay the house off in 15 years - before our son graduates high school.

We have $70,000.00 to our name. This includes husbands 401(k), both of our Roth IRA's, and other investment accounts we have. It definitely feels good when you hit a savings milestone. Helps us see that we're really getting somewhere.

My husband is a little discouraged as our budget will always be tight until there is no more child support or house payments. That day will be amazing, but I try not to think about it too much as we need to enjoy our lives now and the time we have with our young kiddos.

I hope everyone here had a wonderful and productive 2014 and that 2015 holds great things for all of you!

Haven't been posting very well lately. Most of you may have seen that my current boss was going to cut his hours, which obviously cuts my hours. One of my co-workers let me know about a part time job. It is at our local District Court. I got the job! And I start on Monday, February 3rd! I'm so excited! It is very part time, but that's okay. They offered me $1.00 more than what I am making at the law firm. Then when I talked to my boss at the firm, he matched it. Woo hoo!

In March, I will also start working at our YMCA's daycare. My son can also come with me after 5:00. So, I'll be getting paid and have my son there! It doesn't start until 3:00 in the afternoon and I will be off work at my other two jobs every day by 2:00, except for the first Monday and Tuesday, and fourth Monday every month.

In the end, I will be making more then what I make now!!!! It seems like everytime our family has a set back, God gives us an even bigger blessing!

Can't wait to start the new job on Monday!!

Since my hours will be cut back drastically in less than a month I decided to see what online surveys were all about. Earned $10.72! :-)

I work for an attorney. He is county attorney of two counties and he also works at a private office with two other attorneys. I work at his private office. He told me today that he is going to be doing estates only and will be working out of one of his county offices so that he doesn't have any overhead expenses. He wants me to handle his estates, but that doesn't leave me with much of an income. I am wanting to stay working for him so that I can have that small income and basically work my own hours. I would also like to find another part time job that cover the rest of my income and be off by 2:30 every afternoon so that we can cut out daycare costs. I'm not sure that this is really realistic, but I guess this is my chance to try and find something that works more with the hours I want.

I'm a little excited to be able to be home with my son, but worried about income. UGH!!

Fiance and I looked at some expenses we will have this year that are not monthly, just one time/once a year expenses. This is what we have

Surgery: $4,500.00
Recovery time from work: $5,500.00
College Books - Spring term: $100.00
Dress Shopping: $300.00
Cousins baby shower gift: $20.00
Sisters baby shower: $400.00
Sisters baby shower gift: $200.00
Retreat for marriage prep: $360.00
Roof: $1,500.00
Trip out of town for cousins bachelorette party: $200.00
Daughters birthday: $200.00
Fiance's vehicle registration: $200.00
Wedding gift to friends: $50.00
Lincoln trip for cousins wedding: $300.00
Wedding gift to cousin: $50.00
Sons birthday party: $250.00
Vacation: $500.00
My vehicle registration: $200.00
Christmas: $500.00
My Roth IRA: $5,500.00
Fiance's Roth IRA: $5,500.00

WOW! That's $26,330.00!! So much stuff going on this year! And I guess we decided to wait on gutters until we do siding, which will hopefully be next year!

I said I wanted to purchase my college books for this semester last weekend, but I will do it today. Hopefully it comes in under that $100.00!

Take down Christmas decorations []
Clean kitchen []
Organize/fold kids clothes []
Fold my clothes []
Take FOCUS "test" (for marriage prep) []
Second marriage prep meeting with our priest []
Going to get the hair done []
Make pottery pot with daughter []
Order college books []

Not a huge to-do list this weekend!

Late presents I got. The Advocare 24 day challenge for Christmas! I am going to look through the guide tonight. I hope to lose 10 pounds before I have to be in my cousins wedding on June 28th and lose 20 pounds before my wedding on September 13th. My Grandma is giving us her treadmill because she never uses it. That will make it so easy to do a couple miles a day!

And I have some Jillian Michael's videos I can do. My aunt also has a video that she really likes.

I don't stick to workouts very well though, we'll see how this goes!

My fiance and I lost a son August, 2010 due to Anencephaly. This is where he did not get enough folic acid from me in the very early stages of pregnancy. Anyway, my mom gave me a bracelet that has that has charms inside a glass circle. The charms are a heart that says "In Memory of" and then a "J" for his name with diamonds, a little kid with his months birth stone, and a cross. It was sooo lovely.

Had the best Christmas yet!

2014 Goals

Monthly savings = $500.00/month: $6,000.00
Cash flow fiance’s shoulder surgery: $4,500.00
Cash flow fiance’s time off for surgery: $5,500.00
New roof: $2,000.00
Gutters: $1,500.00
Sons college savings: $715.00
Daughters college savings: $1,815.00
Sons personal savings: $315.66
Encourage daughter to do 2 chores every day she is with us
Have my three youngest siblings over for 1 chore/week
Get married!
Read a book to my son every other day
Read book to daughter every day we have her
Max out retirements
Graduate with my Associate's Degree!

2013 Review

Fully funded the emergency fund: $12,000.00
Got engaged on 3/30/13
Paid cash for fiancé to buy a pick up: $3,000.00
Started spend/save/give with daughter
Had our healthy baby boy!
Cash flowed my maternity leave: $1,500.00
Fully funded my Roth IRA: $5,500.00
Savings balance: $1,776.91 ($100.00 minimum balance)
Paid my car off!
Daughter’s savings: $40.00 (this is just a guess)
Son’s savings: $115.00
College for daughter: $1,515.00
College for son: $415.00
Got through two more college classes

Our son started sitting this last Saturday, he got his first tooth on the 17th, and has been saying “Dadda” since the 21st. They grow so fast and are so fun!

We got our daughter for Christmas on Friday, so we opened gifts with them on Saturday. Had Christmas with fiance’s family on Sunday. We also had our first marriage prep class last night. We are Catholic and have to take classes before we can get married in the Catholic Church.

This morning, my sister had her ultrasound to find out if it was a boy or girl. It’s a BOY!!!! Eeeek! I’m soooo excited to be an aunt and for my son to have a little cousin. 

What our family received for Christmas:
Me – $100.00 from soon to be mother-in-law, $200.00 from soon to be father-in-law, gift certificate to tan and a gift certificate to dye my hair from my parents, a cute new pair of black boots, and some bath and body works stuff.

Fiance - $100.00 from his mom, $200.00 from his dad, minutes for his phone from my parents (he uses Straighttalk), and meat injector for cooking his meat.

Daughter – $50.00 and 2 silver coins from her grandparents, and lots of toys from everybody else.

Son – $50.00 and 4 silver coins from his grandparents, a bunch of toys from everybody else, and $100.00 from his great aunt (my aunt) to his college fund through his GradSave account for his first Christmas.

This is the amount my son has received for his first 6 months:
His savings account = $115.66
His GradSave account = $265.00
Plus the 4 silver dollars
I think he’s had a good year!

I won’t know my status on my goals until tomorrow after payday.

We hope that everyone had a wonderful and blessed Christmas! This was our sons first Christmas and he got spoiled! One more Christmas on Sunday.

Have a great rest of the year everybody!

My sons great aunt contributed $100 to his college savings through GradSave! So thankful for such wonderful family! Went to the store tonight and bought a variety pack of thank you cards. We'll start sending those out to let people know that we appreciate it!

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! I have to work half a day. And then it's hurry and wrap presents! At 5 we will go to church, 6 go to my step grandmother's, 6:30 go to my parents for dinner and presents.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Me: Saw in our local paper yesterday that I graduated from Central Community College on December 5th. I was definitely not not aware of this! I called and I graduated with my diploma, but not with my actual degree. I guess that's something!


The kids: I looked at GradSave accounts today and my mom and step-dad contributed $100 to each child today!

Total contributed to daughter through GradSave: $115
Total contributed to son through GradSave: $165

This is going to be a quick post, but.....CAR IS PAID OFF!!!!! We have no loans on our vehicles and I received my title in the mail the other day! Woohoo!

It's a good feeling that if something were to happen to it, I wouldn't owe anything on it! :-)

And... I got my grades today for the two classes I took this semester and I passed!! Only three classes left! YEAH!

My brothers are 5 and 7. We are going to get together tonight and make spend/save/give jars and a chore chart. I figured this would be okay since our son is little yet and we only have daughter every other weekend.

They are expected to clean a room and help at home without pay. So to introduce them to money, they will be able to come to my house a couple days a week and do chores.

We will see how it goes! :-)

I usually spend cash for as many things as I can. I save all of the change to pay daughter for her chores and then anything above that I put into my 6 month-old sons piggy bank(s). Well, his bank(s) were full so I deposited into my savings account that I don't really use and it earns a little bit of interest. The balance on that account is $65.66!

And then I splurged a little bit. I knew that Dave Ramsey was coming out with a new book that he and his daughter wrote, it comes out April, 2014. I saw on their facebook page that they were letting people pre-purchase it and then you get the Financial Peace Junior now and the book "Smart Money Smart Kids" in April. That was $35.00. So I'm waiting for Financial Peace Junior that we will use with our daughter. I probably didn't get much of a deal, but I was going back and forth on whether or not to purchase Financial Peace Junior because I really want it. So, I got it!

I have had a bit of a spending problem lately. Ugh! I think it's because it's end of the year/Christmas and I'm stressing out over getting my college classes done.

I am such a list girl and very goal oriented, it even drives me insane!
There has to be a list of things I need to get done around the house – or they won’t get done.
I have to write out a list of homework to get done – or it will just sit there and pile up, which I was very bad about this semester.
I have to write goals for work – or I’ll get distracted too easily.
And money – I have to have a goal for money – or I’ll find something to spend it on.
Neither of my parents were like this, so I’m not sure where I get it. I’m not usually one to be on top of things, but I really can be with a goal/to-do list. Today, I wrote myself a to-do list at work and it’s already halfway done – prepared a bunch of documents. Mainly need to do a little filing and lots of billing now. I think I’ll go ahead a write myself a to-do list for tonight.

I can’t wait until classes are over so that I can get back on top of house work!

Update on college: My advisor e-mailed me and said that they are going to offer two of the three classes that I still need. I have signed up – just need to find out what books I need! I absolutely cannot wait to be done!! I don’t know if it’s the fact that I’ll be done with school – although, I’m a procrastinator, I think I like taking classes and learning; or if it’s the fact that I’ll finally graduate, and have a degree and have something to show for my long 3 ½ years of working on an associate’s degree. Going to get it done before wedding after all!

2014 Financial:

My Income: $1,300.00/per MONTH (after taxes) – Yuck!
Other income: $1,500.00 – tax return
$1,000.00 – other

Monthly Expenses (does not include savings, retirement or college):
Bills: $400.00 (Cell phone, internet, tv, gas, electricity, water, car insurance)
Fuel: $120.00 (My fuel)
Groceries: $100.00 (I only pay a small percentage of groceries)
Babysitter: $50.00 - $65.00 (Depends on how many days and how long. I pay 35% toward babysitter. We will have to switch babysitters in June, 2013, so we’ll see if it becomes more expensive.
Misc.: $80.00
TOTAL: $670.00 - $685.00
Other:
Will be left with about $500.00/month for retirement/college/savings

Random expenses in 2014:
1.Wedding Gifts = $100.00
2.Wedding Travel = $500.00
3.Car Registration(s) = $500.00
4.Kids’ birthday parties = $300.00 ($150.00 each for cake & ice cream, party supplies, presents, etc.)
5.Vacation = $500.00 (Not sure we’ll take one)
6.Clothing = $500.00 – we are all really in need of some clothes!
7.Home (random doings) = $150.00 – the house is so blah right now!
8.Birthday gifts/Graduation gifts = $150.00
9.Christmas = $400.00
Total Random = $3,100.00

Investments in 2014:
College:$300.00 for the year (fiancé does another $300.00)
Retirement:$5,500.00 for the year (fiancé max’s out his Roth also)

Savings will go toward:
Shoulder surgery: $4,500.00 $4,000.00/$4,500.00
Recover time: $5,500.00
Roof: $2,000.00
Gutters: $1,200.00

I don't know how to manage next year:
1. Throw tax return and other at retirement so I don't have to budget so much for that - if I do that I'd contribute $58.00/week to retirement; or
2. Throw tax return and other at random expenses so that they are covered and we don't have to worry about it. Save monthly for retirement and surgery, time off, and house improvements; or
3. Throw tax return and other at surgery, time, and house improvements so we can get that out of the way.

I think I could cash flow us through fiance's time off work for surgery if I throw it at retirement. I just don't know the best way to go about it.

Fiance will also help with everything except my portion of college, and retirement.

Any ideas?! We have a lot going on next year!

Tonight I looked at our bank accounts and this is what I found:

Fiances checking: $2, 500
My checking: $200 (I run it pretty low as I always know where I'm at and transfer extra into savings)
My savings: $2, 074 (will pull from this to fully fund retirement by end of year but after Christmas it will be $2, 100)
Fiances 401k: $15, 000
Fiances Roth: $2, 200 (he will fully fund it for 2013)
My Roth: $4, 500 ($5, 500 by end of year)
Utilites account: $800 ($1, 000 by end of year. We deposit average amount of all our utility bills and bring it back to $1, 000 in December)
Investment accounts: $15, 000 (all but about $3, 00 is our EF)
Kids' college: $1, 600

Debts:
House: $82, 500 (assessor says it's worth about 90k)
Attorney: $5, 300
My car: $333.00

Also, GradSave has received $80 from family already! :-)

I would like to thank everyone for their input on my last post!

Gave son two tablets and after a little swaying, he is asleep and I got some homework done!!!! I have 24 days to turn in my homework and like 52 assignments left to do/turn in.. Ouch!

In regards to my college and graduating next semester, my advisor emailed me today and said "I'm sure we can find a way to work this out". She said that she'll talk to her supervisor and to give her a few days! I will follow up with her in a week or so if I don't hear anything before then.

Our son has been awfully grumpy in the evenings lately. He normally goes to sleep pretty easy at night, but the last two nights have been a different story.. It's making it very difficult to get any homework done (I have a lot to do before the semester is over, which is December 13th). Guess I will be getting up at 5:00 a.m.

My college advisor told me that after this semester I have three classes to take and that one of those classes is offered every semester and the other two will only be offered Spring of 2014. I went to sign up for those classes when it came time to register and they are not being offered next semester. I am mad!! That would put graduation off a year (those classes are only offered Spring semester when they are offered). I'm trying to be nice because it is not my intention to get my advisor in trouble, but I do expect them to do whatever they can to help me graduate next Spring. UGH!!!!!

Anyway, the weekend was pretty productive. Fiance and I both got some laundry done (even some folding and putting away!), he cleaned the kitchen, and made supper Saturday, I made lunch Saturday and supper Sunday, got some shopping done, went to Church, went to his Grandma's place to have lunch with her on Sunday, watched our Huskers lose, and watched some football on Sunday also.. AND I got a little homework done.

While shopping this weekend, we had daughter look at some toys and show us things she would want for Christmas. While looking, she found a cheap book ($3.00) that she really wanted. Fiance asked me if we should just get it for her for that night. I told him no, and that we really need to quit just buying her things and have her purchase extra items that she wants with the money that she earns and gets to put in her "Spend" jar. We did that and she was pretty excited that she got to take her own money and purchase something. I think she felt like a big girl. When she got home and put the change back in her money jar I think she realized that there wasn't much there now, but she sure is proud of that book! We'll see what happens when she wants to purchase a more expensive item and has to take some time to earn and save up money.

Fiance is working overtime Monday - Thursday I guess to come up with his portion of the Christmas budget. Yuck! I guess if he can do that then I should definitely make an effort to get up early to get my homework done.

On my way home tonight I decided to stop and get a drink ($1.92) which I knew I really shouldn't spend money on anyway and was really second guessing it by the time I got to the window to pay. A boy that looked to be 3 or so years younger than me came up and said (with a smile) "I've got it, just pull up to the second window". I'm not sure if he was doing something nice or what, but I got my drink for free!!

Well, it's back to bed for me for a few hours! Hope everyone has a great Tuesday!

We set our Christmas budget tonight and for each other we are spending $50. We never get eachother gifts, we always keep it really practical. My goal this year is to do several things for him under $50. Any ideas? ! I need some suggestions, please and thank you !

Fiance got a raise of $0.52, plus a $200.00-something bonus last week!!

And sons gradsave account has been set up for less than a month and now has $50.00 from Grandma! He just turned 4 months old yesterday. It has already been very exciting watching him grow.. smiling, laughing, cooing, rolling over, eating some rice cereal.. I just love him!! :-)

My ending balance in my checking account for last month, was $570.23 - would have been lower, but I haven't paid my CC's yet. My deposit from work was $1,426.77, for a total of $1,997.00 ($175.00 of this is from savings and is to fund retirement for next month, so I need $175.00 to be my ending balance). Here is my budget for this month and it is frightening:

Beginning balance = $1,997.00
Retirement - $660.00
Bills - $351.00
Pets - $35.00
College - $25.00
CC 1 - $246.96
CC 2 - $171.27
Babysitter - $50.00
Fuel - $120.00
Groceries - $100.00
Unexpected expenses, miscellaneous - $150.00

This leaves me with a balance of $87.77, but leaves me short $87.23 for retirement next month.

If my ending balance this month is $87.77, this is what my budget for next month will look like:

Income will be anywhere from $1,277.57 - $1,447.64 (as our business hours are only 7 hours/day, but we cannot work more than 40 hours/week)
Retirement - $825.00
Bills - $351.00
Fuel - $120.00
Groceries - $100.00
Babysitter - $80.00
College - $25.00
Unexpected expenses/miscellaneous - $150.00
I will be anywhere from -$285.66 to -$115.59 at the end of the year.

Ouch! Not looking forward to the next couple months!

Thank goodness I still have sick days left. We get 42 hours for sick days/year and I haven't used all of mine. If I don't use anymore I will get $300.00 for that at the end of the year. I'm relying on that money to replace the difference in my budget.

Fiance got his bonus and it was $700.00!!!! That's about $2, 600.00 we have so far for shoulder surgery.

Here's an update on our goals:
Shoulder surgery: $4,000.00
Fiances time off: $6,000.00
Roof: $2,000.00
Gutters: $1,500.00
Fence: $10,000.00
Siding: $15,00.00

Yikes!! :-(