Update and dilemma. . . .

Hey there folks!

Long time no blog!  This summer has flown by - I'm still working like a dawg, but I can sense that the end is nigh!

I now owe $29,318 on my student loans!!  Here's a more organized update (and then I'll explain my dilemma):

Here's where things stand now, in early-mid September 2012:

Second Mortgage Debt: $31,400::::$25,176

Student Loan Debt: $61,762::::$29,318

Primary Mortgage Debt: $167,500::::$154,209


Here's what it looked like in late May 2012:

Second Mortgage Debt: $31,400::::$25,442

Student Loan Debt: $61,762::::$39,070

Primary Mortgage Debt: $167,500::::$155,191


That second mortgage really needs to DIE, by the way.  The balance never goes down!

So here's the dilemma:  I find that with the current stock market (which is doing pretty well, all things considered) I could sell ALL of my stock and pay off ALL of my remaining student loan balance.  As in, TODAY (or, end of the week, assuming that kind of thing takes a few days).

I was intending to pay down my loans to $20,000 by January 2013 (totally doable) and then use $20K of the stock to pay the rest of it, thereby retaining about $8K for future use (or if I needed it to pay taxes).  Assuming, of course, that the stock market doesn't tank between now and January.

Psychologically, having a bit of stock left over makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, though logically I know that the stock is NOT going to gain 8.25% a month as my student loans do.  Or 8.9% a month as my second mortgage does. So the smart thing to do is pay the student loan off now, and take the tax hit this year  Since it's considered capital gains (I think), it would be 15% on the 'gain' regardless of how much other income I bring in this year (and I'm closing in on $100K this year so my income taxes will be high).  (BUT WAIT:  I just had a thought.  Since my student loan rate is 8.25% and the taxes are 15%, won't I pay more in taxes than I will in interest if I sell up now? ARGH!  Why didn't I major in Accounting or Finance?).

So essentially my logical self is battling with my emotional self about this.  I know what Dave Ramsey would say:  Sell now and get out of debt - then start on the second mortgage.  My new-to-saving self wants a little nest egg, though.

Also, and I don't think I've mentioned this, but I also picked up an auto loan in the last year.  My 15 year old beater finally bit the dust - I'm not worried about the car loan (2.9% interest) mostly because I bought a used, reliable, low-mileage, in-demand car that will keep its value for years should I choose to sell it.  And with my current extra income I can pay off that car loan in about 4 months.  No worries there. 

Anyhoo, here are my options as I see them:

• Sell ~ $28,000 in stock now and pay off all (or almost all) of student loan debt; would then need to spend the rest of the year saving for taxes;
• Sell ~ $20,000 in stock now and pay off almost all of student loan debt, using the rest of the year to pay the rest of it off.  Downside:  have to pay capital gains tax for 2012 when I'm already having to save for extra federal and state taxes;
• Pay down the student loan debt to $20,000 by January 2013 and then sell $20K in stock and pay the capital gains in 2013 when I may be making less money (and therefore won't have to save as much for my 'regular' taxes).

What would you do?

An update to celebrate the new year. . . .

Greetings! We we begin the new year, I wanted to update my debt repayment status. I've made a dent in my student loan debt, though it has come at the cost of my mortgage debt, unfortunately.

Even so, I'm happy with the progress I've made and am excited to watch my student loan debt decrease even more quickly in 2012. I can't imagine the relief that I will feel when this burden is removed from my life forever!

See my last post for my 2012 goals, while you're here!

Here's where my debt stands now, at the end of 2011:

Second Mortgage Debt: $31,400::::$25,763

Student Loan Debt: $61,762::::$49,438

Primary Mortgage Debt: $167,500::::$156,344

And here's where I was in mid-October:

Second Mortgage Debt: $31,400::::$25,888

Student Loan Debt: $61,762::::$51,881

Primary Mortgage Debt: $167,500::::$156,757

Clearly, my first and second mortgages are primarily interest payments, which is truly painful to see. I am hopeful that when my student loan debt is repaid, I can throw some extra money at these bills to ensure that they decrease more quickly than they have over the last year.

I hope to update more frequently this year, though can't make any promises given my hectic work schedule. Have a wonderful start to 2012!!

End of Year Wrap Up and 2012 Goals

Hello, and Happy Holidays, folks!


Whew! It's been quite a year; I have a total of four jobs (one full time, three part time) and am beginning to make a dent in my student loan debt. By the end of this year, I will have increased my income by over 70% (compared to my one full time job). My goal at the beginning of this year was to double my income, and while that didn't happen, I am pleased with what I've managed to achieve.

As a reminder, my goals for 2011 were:

• Attempt to double my income (from roughly $40,000 from the day job to $80,000 including all of my part time and full time income. With all four of my current jobs, I'll only make around $65,000 in 2011 so I need to add about $15,000 in additional income to get there);
• Related to the bullet item above, continue to develop my online teaching portfolio in order to bring in extra funds;
• Pay down my second mortgage to such a degree that I can sell my home in the spring of 2012;
• Continue paying at least the interest on my student loans.

Here's how I did:

• Attempt to double my income: I will gross around $73,000 this year, so I almost made it!
  
• Related to the bullet item above, continue to develop my online teaching portfolio in order to bring in extra funds: I picked up an online teaching gig that should hopefully continue into 2012 - I will continue looking for realistic opportunities to increase my work in this area.
  
• Pay down my second mortgage to such a degree that I can sell my home in the spring of 2012: I changed my tactic on this - instead, I am focusing on my student loan debt.
  
• Continue paying at least the interest on my student loans: See above. I have paid off over $10,000 of the principle balance on my student loans in 2011, bringing the total debt to (finally) less than $50,000!! It hasn't been this low since before I finished graduate school in 1998!

Now, going forward, what are my goals for 2012?

• Reach a gross income of at least $80,000 by the end of 2012;
• Continue to apply for online teaching positions that will help me meet the above goal;
• Continue to throw as much extra money as possible at my student loans, with a very ambitious goal of paying it down to $25,000 by the end of 2012 (I currently owe just under $50K);
• Associated with the above goal, make sure that I have a handle on my discretionary spending - in 2011, I made more money, but I also SPENT more money. In other words, i need to keep my eyes on the prize!

So that's it! I am a numbers nerd, so I am having fun with my various spreadsheets, tracking (primarily) my income levels and sources, as well as my debt payments. I see 2012 as a challenge, but one that I'm looking forward to, as it will move me closer to my goal of getting rid of my debt!

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday and that 2012 brings you much happiness, prosperity, and wisdom!

Frugal doubt. . . .

I sort of knew this was coming. Inevitably at some point after I've made a decision I start to question myself. In this case, I'm questioning whether I should pay off my second mortgage first, or wait on that and pay towards my student loan instead.

I keep thinking that I may be throwing good money after bad by paying down my second mortgage. After all, if (and this is a big IF) the housing market ever recovers (or just stops resulting in decreasing value) then I may be able to sell my house without creating equity by paying off my second mortgage debt. Right? Here's what I read in a recent US News article about who will continue to struggle in 2011:

Homeowners. Americans have lost about $9 trillion worth of household wealth since 2007, largely because of falling home values. The rout isn't over, unfortunately. Most forecasters think home values will decline another 5 to 10 percent in 2011, as high unemployment causes more foreclosures and a glut of homes pushes prices down. The good news, if there is any, is that the housing market may finally hit bottom in 2011, with home values stabilizing after five years of declines. That doesn't mean home prices will shoot up any time soon. But once buyers believe that prices have stopped falling, they'll be more inclined to buy, the first step back toward a healthy housing market. Stabilizing home values will also help owners do better financial planning, since they'll have a firm idea what their home is worth.

Sigh.

Meanwhile, I could be working on that student loan, almost half of which may be paid off by the generous gift of a family member. Meaning that I could, potentially, have my student loan paid off by mid-2012. At which time I may be able to sell my house and just break even. Right?

Or is this just a case of 'six of one, half-dozen of the other'?

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2011! Little did I know when I started this blog in January of 2008 that I would learn so much and come so far in my struggle to overcome my debt and control my spending. Over the past three years I've heard from so many of you who are in the same situation, either just beginning your journey or close to the end. It helps so much to know that I'm not alone in this battle!

I've also heard from many of you who "walk the talk" so to speak; people who have always, it seems, lived frugally. Those who are living within (or beneath) their means, who espouse the ideals of simple living without feeling as if they're missing out on anything. I am hoping to join the ranks of this latter group within the next two years. Until then, I'm continuing to ramp up my extra income while attempting to control the negative financial effects of my 'shopping gene' (I think I'm generally pretty successful at this, although this past Christmas I fell off the proverbial wagon).

With that said, here are my goals for 2011:

• Attempt to double my income (from roughly $40,000 from the day job to $80,000 including all of my part time and full time income. With all four of my current jobs, I'll only make around $65,000 in 2011 so I need to add about $15,000 in additional income to get there);
• Related to the bullet item above, continue to develop my online teaching portfolio in order to bring in extra funds;
• Pay down my second mortgage to such a degree that I can sell my home in the spring of 2012;
• Continue paying at least the interest on my student loans.

So there you have it! We'll see how things go; I'm definitely committed to following through with my goals, although they seem rather daunting at this stage. I hope you'll continue to join me in this journey!

Digital motivator. . . .

When I graduated last spring, I splurged (well, $100 to start and about $70 a month thereafter) on a 'Smartphone' with which I can surf the Internet, check email, listen to podcasts, text, and oh, of course, talk. It's an extra expense that I don't necessarily need, but I wanted to reward myself for completing my program (without additional debt!) and it definitely keeps me sane on my 45 minute lightrail commute each morning and afternoon!

One of the bazillions of things you can download onto the phone is a 'Countdown Widget', which I used to create a clock counting down the days until my second mortgage is paid off. I'm estimating that by the beginning of March, 2012 I'll either have that baby paid off or will be very, very close to it.

Here's (essentially) what it looks like:

Neat, huh? I'm a spreadsheet nerd; I'm constantly playing around with different debt payoff scenarios. This little widget helps me to see the 'light' at the end of the tunnel as I pack my days (and nights) with more and more part-time work that adds to the coffers. It'll be nice to see this number get smaller, and smaller, and smaller the closer I get to my goal. Maybe once I'm down to a year or less I'll add the widget to the sidebar so you can all follow along with me!

My 'Next Big Thing'. . . . .

So here it is, the Big Plan that is helping me keep my sanity as I continue to work a mind-blowing 65+ hours a week between my four jobs. Well, first here's a hint:



Have you guessed? Not yet? Well, how about this:



Okay, that one was a little silly. So how about THIS:



Yes, you've guessed it! Paris! 'Uh, but what about Paris', you ask? 'You live in the Pacific Northwest, and Paris, France is roughly 6,000 miles away. Also, have you forgotten that you owe $90,000 to the U.S. government and to CitiMortgage?'

Yes, I do know all of that. But I need some kind of incentive to work like a maniac for the next year or two, and what better reward than Paris to keep a girl's eye on the prize?

Several months ago, my best girlfriend, whom I've known since I was six years old, called to see if I wanted to celebrate her birthday with her in Paris. In Spring 2011. I knew that my financial goals wouldn't be met by then (not to mention I had no idea where I would be working and in what capacity) so I told her that Spring 2012 might be a possibility, given that I wanted to have money in savings for the trip (no credit! I've traveled before, and even studied abroad years ago, and came home with nasty credit card bills).

Then, not weeks later a coworker mentioned that she wanted to spend next summer in Paris with a friend. Which started me thinking: Why should I limit myself? Why shouldn't I start living my dreams, once I've gotten rid of the heavy weight of $90,000 in student loan and second mortgage debt? Yes, I'll go to Paris for ten days in Spring 2012 to celebrate my friend's birthday. But what if I started thinking about how I could relocate to Paris, a city I love? I studied abroad in France many years ago, still speak 'un peu' (a little) French, and in reading back over my old travel and study abroad journals, I actually wrote about how much I loved the city and wished I could study there (this was never feasible, unfortunately, given my lack of funding and the requirements of my program).

Perhaps this is just a pipe dream, something that will help me justify the sacrifices I'm making now. Maybe it's a very extreme reaction to the sometimes plodding, nose-to-the grindstone life I'll be living until my debt is repaid. And I know there are people out there thinking that I've lost my everlasting mind. Then again, I've always been a 'planner', I've always looked to the future and matched my actions to my objectives, and this new goal just might be the thing that helps me keep my momentum on this last, long leg of the journey towards frugality, financial independence, and debt-free living.

New developments. . .

Wondering where Finally Frugal has been lo these many months? Well, I've just snagged my third part time job (making four jobs total: one full time, three part time). So as you can imagine, I'm just a little busy these days. The month of October was really tricky and I wasn't sure I was going to survive it, to be honest.

In an effort to pay off my second mortgage (which will help me to build some equity rather than remaining "underwater" in terms of what I owe versus how much my house is now worth), I've added a part time teaching gig (at a local college) as well as a part time online teaching gig in addition to my online research position. The full time job remains the same, in spite of my graduation with a second master's in June. I'll probably stay there until I've met my next financial goal, and then after that, who knows?

My very, very, VERY optimistic plan is to have the second mortgage (all $30,000 of it) paid off in a little more than one year. As I say, that's incredibly optimistic - I'm not making THAT much at my three jobs. But I want to aim high, rather than succumbing to the idea that I can't do it. It's tough having all these jobs, but also challenging (in a good way), and hey, I can do anything for a year, right?

I'm also chipping away at the student loans ($60,000) although a recent death in the family that resulted in an inheritance (not to me, however) may result in a bit of that debt going away a little quicker than I anticipated. Maybe I WON'T be paying that off until I'm 90!!

Later this week, I'll post a little secret plan that I've been fantasizing about. I've not shared it with any of my friends and family, but what better place to let the cat out of the bag (and maybe get some objective feedback. . . .) than my trusty blog?

I can't promise daily posts (did I ever post on a daily basis?) but if my plans come to fruition, I'd like to renew my relationship with the Finally Frugal blog - it (and my faithful readers) helped keep my sanity while I made the transition from a credit-card carrying shopaholic to a frugal gal who actually THINKS before making purchases (and in cash, these days!)

More to come!

Super Frugal-istic. . . .

I've been doing some thinking about this $60,000 student loan bill, which is growing like a monster each minute I put off my repayment. I want to pay this sucker off as soon as I possibly can, and I'm just starting to consider what I'm willing to do to achieve that.

Today, I looked at my "day job" income (which is 20% lower than it was last year). With 10% going to my 403b, I'm bringing home just over $1800 a month. I logged into my trusty Excel spreadsheet to see what my life would look life if I were 'forced' to live off of just that income (thereby allowing me to send all the income from second jobs to good ole Sallie Mae). Here's what it looks like:

Pretty barebones, eh? I know that in order to make this work, I need complete confidence in my ability to live on $1800 a month, but this just looks unrealistic! Then again, I'm so tired of that $60K hanging over my head.

Since I stopped monitoring every penny I spend, I'll need to begin paying attention again, or this austerity plan will never work. So, starting next month (July 1st) I'll see just how frugal I can be!

A new chapter. . . .

School's out! Meaning, I've finished my graduate program and am now weighing my options (which are somewhat limited in this anemic economy). I will continue my previous job (now at part-time status) as well as my night job, and am trying to pick up teaching gigs on the side. It's tough, since I have little experience; I've really had to promote myself, which is not a 'natural' for me!

I'm so impatient to begin the next chapter of my financial life, yet am finding that the opportunities aren't just dropping into my lap as I'd hoped, so I'm having to learn a little patience and humility (as my many job applications are either ignored or denied). Baby steps!

As far as my financial life, what's on my mind now is the $60,000 in student loan debt that I'm carrying (and which is growing, growing, growing as that interest accrues!) I've been listening to Dave Ramsey's show on my morning MAX commute, which is helping inspire me, but to be entirely honest, the prospect of paying off that much debt is just . . . . daunting! I vacillate between: "I can DO this!" and "There is NO WAY I can do this!" If I could sell my house for what I owe, life would be much, much less complicated (I'm sure many Americans are in the same bind). I literally fantasize about selling my house and living in a cheap apartment, constantly running the numbers in my head, calculating how much extra I'd have each month to pay down that student loan debt.

So that's my current dilemma: how to pay off $60,000 in the shortest possible time on about a $45,000 year salary (including the second job), with about 55% of my take-home pay going towards my mortgage. Yikes! And I've already whittled my budget down as much as I can. Should I bite the bullet and try to find a roommate? I love my privacy, but having an extra $400 or so a month would be bliss!

Hibernation. . . .

I suppose I shouldn't title this blog post 'hibernation', as that would imply that I've been sleeping away the past six or seven months. No, I've been busy -- and that's why my hiatus has stretched as long as it has. Not that it's technically over, just yet; but I did at least want to sign back in and let anyone who's still out there (um, anyone still out there?) know that I'm alive and well! It's just that, with working almost 70 hours a week at the day job, the night job, the unpaid internship, along various attempts at socializing, life has been wacky and hectic. Two more months and I'll be calling myself a graduate school survivor -- and one without any additional school debt (let us not forget that $55K in previous student loans I'll be working on as soon as I graduate).

There has been one rather big surprise in my financial life, though. I spent at least a year padding my savings account in preparation for the year of living super-frugally. I figured out how much less money I'd be making in my last year of school, and built a savings account that almost approximated the amount of money I'd need over a nine month period. The surprise? Almost the entire savings account is still in existence!

Somehow, I managed to live on 25% less income without digging into the savings account. I had to replace my computer, and that was really my only big expense. Other than that, I pay my bills each month, on time and in full, and rarely do I think longingly of the things I could buy with the $2500 that still sits in savings -- earning a now-paltry 1.1% interest (down from the high of about 3.75% when I opened the account years ago, pre-recession). I used my credit card over the holidays for travel and gifts, and have managed to pay down the balance to a respectable $250, again without dipping into my savings accounts.

I've been puzzling over this lack of reliance on my savings account, and mentioned this to a coworker. She pointed out that I had already adjusted my spending habits when I was in 'savings mode', putting every spare penny into the bank. My spending habits have remained the same, but I'm just not saving at the same high rate I was before. That's what explains my still-healthy account balances!

In any case, I'll be moving into another financial phase in a couple of months when I graduate; as I mentioned, I'll be starting to pay down that beast of a student loan debt, I'll need to consider what (if anything) to do with my house (sell? rent? stay? move?), and looking around for jobs that pay a little better than the one I have -- which may or may not find me relocating.

Stay tuned!
p.s. hope you all have been successful in your own financial journeys during the past few months! I'm looking forward to finding the time to browse the blogs and forums again, and reconnecting with my online support group!

Finally Frugal goals for 2009

I've never been one to make a resolution on New Year's Day, because that just seems to be inviting failure. However, this year, I'd like to create a list of goals so that when 2010 rolls around I can look back and really measure my progress.

Now that my credit card debt is paid off, my financial goals revolve around keeping to a frugal budget and saving a nest egg for the 2009-2010 academic year, when I won't be able to work full time due to school obligations.

So, here goes:

• Use the cash-envelope system for my 'fun money' and 'grocery money' in the zero-based budget; hopefully this will allow me to stay within my allotted amounts, as these two areas have been challenging for me in 2008.
• Engage in a modified 'Compact' to only buy used items. A reader suggested that I give myself three 'freebies', an idea that I like. However, I think I'll double that to six 'free' new items that I can purchase throughout the year. I'll continue to buy new items in the personal hygiene categories as well as for true needs that I'm unable to find used. I'm hoping that this goal will help me curb my desire for new shoes and clothes (of which I have more than enough already). Also, I'm giving myself permission to purchase new gifts for birthdays and other events (for other people) since my busy life doesn't allow for much creative crafting at this point.
  
• Increase my 'Internship Year' savings account from $365 to $4,500 by September of 2009, at which time I'll need to work less than full time. This money will help 'bridge the gap' during my internship year.
• Send 15% of my gross salary (from the day job) to my 403(b) account, at least until September of 2009. This will lower my tax liability as well as take advantage of currently low stock prices.

These goals will hopefully help me stay on track as I continue to work toward financial independence this year. What are your goals for 2009?

June goals. . . . .

I apologize for the late post! I confess that I'm having a little difficulty focusing on my goals for this month, primarily because I'm anxious that it will be very tight financially and I'm hesitating to even create my zero-based budget!

Sticking my head in the sand isn't going to make me any less anxious, so today I'm committed to getting my goals out there and to updating my monthly budget. . . .

Financial:

• Add at least $200 to emergency fund to make up for $300 spent on drain repair.
  
  
• Send at least $200 to American Express (more than twice the minimum) to continue the satisfaction of watching that balance shrink!
  
  
• Keep gas bill under $40 this month. This might be difficult, considering gas prices. I've started taking the bus from my house a few days a week, to avoid driving to the transit center. Although it's a longer, less satisfying ride, it might help me meet this goal.



• Find an airline ticket for $200 or less for my July trip to California. Pay cash!
  
  
• Keep an eye on entertainment (fun) related costs, which were relatively large in May. I want to decrease this, without decreasing the fun in my life! I've tried very hard to find a balance between work, school, and having a social life, and when the chips are down, my social life suffers.

Blog-related:

• Increase personal learning about financial matters that I can share with readers.



• Submit articles to five carnivals this month. I didn't meet this goal last month, so will work harder on being aware of what else is going on in the blogosphere and networking with my fellow bloggers.



• Welcome at least 3,000 visitors to my blog this month. Last month over 3,200 of you visited me, which I find amazing. My goal this month is less than that, because many of the readers who visited came from the MSN Smart Spending site that highlighted one of my posts. Is it wrong not to try for 4,000? Can you tell I'm in an uncertain mood today?



• Finish reading an amazing book, called 'Simple Prosperity', by David Wann, and review it on this site.

Personal:
Some meaningful quotes that I've discovered in Simple Prosperity, which may interest and inspire you:

"Inconceivable amounts of money and effort are spent to fill every consumer moment with a product, leaaving little time for healthy food, great relationships, or learing new skills. Because the real wealth makes us feel content, the marketers have learned how to ridicule it and portray it as 'boring'. You don't see a lot of ads for small, well-designed houses, backpacking adventures, potluck dinners, or other experiences and products that reduce the GDP yet elevate our gladness to be alive" David Wann

"You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy" Eric Hoffer

"I'm not sure people are meant to work full-time. Life is more complicated than that. We human beings need time to think, make music, weave baskets, play with kids and dogs, bond with each other, and care for friends and family. Those of us with demanding jobs that continually spill over into our personal lives often don't have the time for those things while we work full-time". Carol Ostram

May goals update. . . .

Early in May, I decided to begin writing monthly goals, as an added incentive to continue acting in a frugal way, while developing this blog into something useful and interesting for others. Here’s how I did last month:









Financial:

• Increase emergency fund in preparation for possible strike. My EF was up to over $1600, with the addition of my rebate check. Unfortunately, I had to use $300 to have a clogged drain cleared in my house. The good news is, I still ended up with more in my EF than I started with--my balance is $1347.03!

  
  

• Send more than the minimum to American Express. I was able to send $488 to AE, primarily because I received three checks from my night job this month, increasing my income considerably.

  
  

• Keep grocery bill to less than $85 for the month. I kept it to $77.29!

  
  

• Use no more than $300 to purchase used bike, to ride to transit center in good weather, thus saving on gas. I spent a total of $177.96 on my bike and new tires. While I have yet to ride to the transit center (I’ve discovered a bus that will take me to downtown within three blocks of my house), I have used the bike for short trips, such as returning books to the library.




• Finally (!!!) close Verizon wireless account, thereby saving $23.50 each month. After some initial mixups, I finally closed my Verizon account, and my recent bill indicates that they owe me almost $12! Freedom!

Blog-related:

• Continue to research and write posts that interest and inspire myself and others. This month, I started reading about Urban Homesteading, which created some interest from readers of this blog. I hope to continue learning about this frugal, environmentally friendly movement.

  
  

• Submit articles to at least five carnivals this month. Hmmm, I think I submitted four articles, three of which were published. Not bad!

  
  

• Increase monthly readership---I'd like to double this in May, which means I'll need over 2,000 visits this month. My readership actually surpassed 2,000 last month, and hit over 3,200! Many, many thanks to the readers who visit and comment on my blog. Receiving validation from all of you that my financial objectives are shared by so many has been amazing!

Tomorrow, I’ll post my June goals.

Finally Frugal May goals. . . .

In a continuing effort to keep myself honest and work on current and new goals, I'm putting it out there for May in black and white. Granted, these goals are neither earth-shattering or unique; in fact, they're probably similar to goals you all make for yourselves!

Financial:

• Increase emergency fund in preparation for possible strike
• Send more than the minimum to American Express
• Keep grocery bill to less than $85 for the month (this might be difficult, as I've already spent over $50 refilling the cupboards. . . )
• Use no more than half of tax rebate to purchase used bike, to ride to transit center in good weather, thus saving on gas
• Finally (!!!) close Verizon wireless account, thereby saving $23.50 each month

Blog-related:

• Continue to research and write posts that interest and inspire myself and others
• Submit articles to at least five carnivals this month
• Increase monthly readership---I'd like to double this in May, which means I'll need over 2,000 visits this month---will you help? If you like this blog, use the link below to email the URL to a friend or family member!

Personal:

• Remember to be grateful for what I already have.
  Chase after money and security,
  And your heart will never unclench.
  Care about people's approval,
  and you will be their prisoner.
  Do your work, and then step back.
  The only path to serenity.
  Lao Tzu