HSBC is now at 6%

HSBC has increased the interest rate on their online account to 6% for new deposits until April 30, 2007.

I want a bean bag chair

I have always wanted a bean bag chair, and I have decided to buy one. If anyone has any recommendations they would be appreciated. My budget is $100. This is a Christmas gift to myself as well as a reward for all the hours I have been working, and all the dedication I have put in.

Freedom! Freedom!

This is what it feels like to have money from paycheck to paycheck, and not feel stressed. I just finished paying bills online and writing checks. Next Wednesday I will have another paycheck again. The part-time gig is really paying off. The credit card balances are starting to go down.

I strongly recommend anyone who is serious about getting rid of debt to try and increase their income if possible.

Tax time

The W-2s have started to come in so it is time to do my taxes. I will be using the Turbo Tax software because the online version is free through my insurance company. So far Uncle Sam and I are at break even. However, there are some additional information that am waiting on.

My state taxes will be completed right before the deadline since NY state and I seem to have some issues. I fear a repeat of last year.

Savings update

As of this coming Thursday I will have a total of $1,006.18 in my ING savings account. This amount does not include the CD with $400.00. I decided to have the baby e-fund outside of the CD. If anything were to happen I would have access to my e-fund without any penalty on the interest earned on the CD.

Saving is now addictive. I can't wait each week to see my account grow.

Going on vacation does not mean my money issues will go to rest. Quite the opposite.

Here are some money things that happened, along with other random shit:

1. Last year with the accident and everything I forgot one critical thing for my car; the state inspection. So am driving and got pulled over (random my ass, no way you could have seen my sticker from that far away). Now I have to wait to get the fine back from the court in some white azz town in upstate NY to see what my fine is.

My interaction with the good ole boys of NY State Police Patrol reconfirms why I hate police officers. You hear people complain about it on the news, but until it happens to you it is not completely real.
FYI....Officer Till there is no reason for your teeth and your face to be the same color. Yellow teeth bastard. Let me clue you into something, if you are pulling over every black driver for every 10 or so drivers, it is not random. Let me stop here before I keep going, since am still pissed. Am stil wondering if you arrested and beat the crap out of the other black driver you pulled over half mile ahead of me

2. The price of gas went down by atleast 5 cents.

3. I received my first paycheck from the part-time gig with the raise. It's lookin good.

4. After my various issues with Bank of America, I now have my lone active checking account with Wachovia Bank.

Am back

I am back from vacation, now I need a vacation from my vacation. This was the most rest I had in a long time. I'll update later on my finances including an error on my part that might cost me a few hundred.

I'm on vacation

I will be away visiting family until next Saturday, with no access to a computer.

Have a safe holiday weekend all!

Brush your shoulders off

I have to send much love out to my haters. You guys motivate me even more.

Look heffer it is not my fault I have only been at the part-time gig a few months and have a different position (with a nice raise to boot! ha). Talk to management.

Not my fault this is your job, while it is my supplemental income. Sorry chica, it is not that serious, trust me. You put yourself in this position where you have to take the bullsh.it. I don't.

Step your game up, put your game face on, bring your A game, ya da ya da ya da. Until then, am just gonna brush ma shoulders off.

There were four credit cards that I had to pay off. This week I transferred the balance from one of the cards at 2.99%. This will save on interest and reduces the number of cards I have to pay each month to three. My birthday is less than six months away. It is my goal to pay off one of the cards, leaving only two. Going forward paying bills each week will get a lot simpler.

A Sallie Mae update is long past due. One will be coming soon.

Random Rant

Here goes:

1. Yeah I walk around with a permanent screw face! and so what? I am not on candid camera.

2. Cell phone in one hand, drink in the other. Are you working? Yeah fool cuz you see everyone else eating, talking on a cell and working at the same time. Duhhh!!!

3. Let me see, name tag, check! little walkie thingy, check! Ms. Do you work here? No am just hanging out out. I smile and point to the name tag, you think am rude. WTH??

5. Why didn't you answer your phone? Cuz I pay the high @ss bill and I do not have to answer if I do not want to.

6. You either like me or you don't. If after 20 odd years you do not realize am not warm and fuzzy, you are clueless.

7. How much I make or spend is none of your damn business unless of course you read my blog.

Retirement

My 403B now has almost $4,500.00. Yeahhhhhhh

I read an article recently that mentioned a high percentage of my age group do not participate in an employer sponsored plan. Why??? I ask why???? This is one of the easiest things I have done. I just like to log in and look at the balance. Makes me smile. I am contributing the minimum so I can get the employer match. Once my all credit card debt is gone I will increase my contribution to 15%.

Come on slackers make this your new year's resolution. Sign up for your company's 401K, 403B, ABC, 123 whatever it is. Like Nike says, Just do it.

Getting on the debt payoff track

Now that most of my regular bills (cable, phone, electric, etc) are current I can now focus and get on the road to aggressive debt pay off.

One strategy that I have in mind is to pay all the bills using the main paycheck. The pay check from the part-time gig will go towards one credit card until that card is paid off. I am not using the highest interest strategy at first, but the smallest balance. The reason for this is psychological. Once the credit card with the smallest balance is paid off (and I get an emotional boost) I will then focus on the card with the highest balance and or interest (which ever is more costly).

The part-time gig:
As many of you may have guessed the part-time gig is retail. This is my first time in retail and it is not as bad as I anticipated.

Advantages:
Extra cash
Gets me out the house
Weight Loss (I have lost 10 pounds without much effort)

Disadvantages:
Less time to do other things (sleep, surf the net, sleep, sleep)
More time on the road

Overall, the advantages of the part-time gig out weighs the disadvantages. For this reason, I will continue as long as I can. Oh, the icing on the cake is a 10% raise that goes into effect today, because of a new position.