My 12 for 2012... Updates!

My 12 for 2012... Updates

Put $5,000.00 into a Roth IRA for me.-- So far despite the fact that South County Boy has been unable to find a new job, we have been able to continue to set aside $220.00 a month each month so far in 2012. If we we keep this up and take my 2 extra paychecks I get from being paid biweekly and deposit those into the Roth as well, we will max it out :) $4,335.95 left to go.

Add $1,200.00 to our emergency fund. We have been very diligent about not spending the unemployment funds that South County Boy has qualified for so we can get our emergency fund finally finished. We have only been able to keep this going because I've been working insane hours and have been bringing in a few hundred extra dollars each month. We only need $336.04 more before we can start using the funds from his unemployment checks towards other goals which will help us staff off a longer period of unemployment if SCB is unable to get a new job. 

Pay 2 additional mortgage payments this year. We got our first start on this the other month by adding $2.91 to our mortgage payment. It didn't dent our goal very much, but at least it is a start. This month we did it again and then added our property tax refund. We still have $1,262.55 to toss at our mortgage to make 2 additional payments this year. Since this is our largest monthly expenditure, paying down our mortgage is a must since we can't refinance. The faster we pay it down, the faster our MIP payment gets lowered (a percentage of the balance owed each year) and eventually eliminated. Once its gone, we can refinance to a lower interest rate assuming rates are still favorable.  

Save $1,000.00 to start a "new car" fund. Since I was able to successively eliminate a few of our bills last month, we have $93.22 stocked aside so far. I'm hoping that now that most of our larger car related bills are done for a while, I'll be able to take any extra money in our monthly gas allotment and add to this goal. Once we are done with the Emergency fund, we will divert extra funds here.

Open and put in $5,000.00 into a Roth IRA for South County Boy. This goal has been modified to 15% of any income SCB earns once he gets a job.

Change the rest of my accounts, etc to my new last name. I have successfully changed my name at 20 different establishments and I only have 4 more to go!

• ICMA-RC: I mailed both sets of forms for both of my account there-- and they are done!
• American Express / Costco Card:   I filled out the form for my American Express Card and got my new card--- now i just need to fix my Costco Card.
• County Clerk’s Office: I have yet to receive a date for my hearing about the increase in my property tax… so until I hear about that (which I filed with my maiden name, I’ll be sitting on my hands here.)
• HSBC: We are waiting to get our rewards check to the next $25 interval so we can cash that out and not "accidentally" loose the almost $100 in cash rewards we have waiting...So once we get the check we will look into changing my name here. 

Loose and keep off 15 lbs. Doing the LA Marathon allowed me to loose some inches and a few pounds! While i'm not at the 15 lbs lost marker, I feel better, my clothes fit better and last month I jogged a 5k without stopping... for the first time ever. I know in light of just finishing a marathon its no big deal, but to me (and my non-running self) i'm proud to know I can jog 3.1 miles without stopping and not kill over and die... and I did it at a respectable speed. 5mph. Its now apart of my weekly routine. So, 9 lbs down, 6 more to go!

Finish a Marathon. ya, did that!


Read at least 6 Books. I have been plowing through an old paperback series South County Boy told me I could get rid of after reading since he never really got into it. I'm finding them enjoyable and an easy read. I started book 2 of the series in January and just the other day I started book 5 so i'm 3 books in, 3 more to go :)


Crochet a sweater: Haven't even started... I've been playing with blankets, headbands, and little stuffed critters instead.


Attempt to bake/cook 12 new recipes: I've done one... my easy peasy chicken enchiladas... looks like I need to hunt around for more ideas. I have a pork idea and i'd like to learn to make fried rice and try my hand at some stir fry meals.


Attempt a small vegetable garden on my patio: I don't think this one will happen, but I have started to grow my own sprouts in the sprouter I got for Christmas from my father in law :) Since SCB isn't working, I can't justify starting a garden right now, and truthfully with the hours I have been working, I don't think i'd be able to tend it much and it would be left to SCB for saving and that's just not very nice of me to do to him. So for now, i'm a sprouter.