1. Pay Down the Mortgage
For the third month in a row we were able to make 7 additional principal payments towards the mortage for December thanks to no dental, medical, car, clothing, vet, unexpected or other major bills. Looking back my only regret is that we didn’t get a 15 year mortage when we bought this place. Oddly enough it didn’t even enter into my mind and that kind of bums me out. Oh well. Live and learn I guess.
2. Buy Nothing New for 1 Year.
I desperately wanted to buy a new pair of slippers again this week but I’m holding out for Santa. 😉 It’s like the only thing I want for Christmas. Well, that and maybe a new bra. But asking Santa for a bra would be weird.
3. Track Spending and Figure Out New Ways to Cut Spending Even More.
I carpooled to work one day, packed my lunch, disposed of my trash at my parents place for free, made everyone wear a sweater in the house and whipped up some freezer meals {cheaper than take out!} for a busy weeknight.
The Girl and I also found a few more iBotta rebates this week so we doubled up {she has an iBotta account as well}. I think she said she was up to $14.75 and she is planning on cashing her balance out for an Amazon gift card once it hits $20.
The iBotta deals we scored this week:
- $0.50 rebate for bananas
- $0.50 rebate for eggs
- $1.00 rebate WYB 2 Werther’s Caramels {on sale for $1.50 a bag PLUS they were last week’s Fred Meyer freebie item!}
For those of you who don’t know, basically Ibotta is way to earn cash every time you shop. All you do is check the Ibotta app before you shop for product offers, bonuses, new store coupons. Then, simply upload a picture of the UPC code and your receipt and get paid {via paypal or gift cards} once your balance hits $20. Join Ibotta with this link {my referral code} and get $10! Trust me, it’s easy.
4. Try 52 New Recipes.
I decided to test out a couple of freezer meal recipes. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
5. Keep My Grocery Budget Under $100 a Month.
Ya, not so much.
6. Go on 52 Dates with the Handsome Husband
No date day this past week but so far this year we’ve been on 31 dates and spent $536.22 out of pocket for our dates.
7. Turn My Wool Stash into $5,000.
I didn’t sell anything on Etsy or Ebay this past week but so far this year I have sold $6867.46 worth of arts & crafts. Which honestly, is fine with me. I dread going to the post office in the month of December becuase it’s always so crowded.
PSA – If you are planning on going to the post office in the coming weeks be on the lookout for car prowlers. A few weeks ago The Girl and I called the police because we noticed a guy breaking into a car. Yep. One of his buddies was standing at the front of the post office texting him {I assume} which cars to quickly break into and a third guy was on the outter part of the parking lot in a grey dodge caravan waiting in the getaway car.
There was a sweet older man who told us his wife’s car was broken into the week prior and when he realized what was going on he gingerly walked outside and jotted down the licence plate. The thieves realized we were all on to them {there were about 6 of us by that point} and bolted out of there. GOOD. Hopefully they won’t come back. Moral of the story, call the police, be on the lookout for thieves and put stuff in your trunk…. not the backseat where it’s visible!
8. Get Rid of 1,000 Things.
This week the puggle princess and I sorted through all the Christmas ornaments that didn’t make the cut for the tree this year {The Girl decorated it in all nutcrackers {again} this year.} We found 9 that we weren’t especially fond of and added them to the garage sale box along with a couple of strands of lights and a four boxes of glass icicles. That brings our purge total to 1188+ things for this year.
9. Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
My friend Heather from Massachusetts sent to me the book Lost on a Mountain in Maine and so I guess that means I’ll be reading it this week. 😉 Thanks Heather!
10. Track Hours Spent Working on My Vegetable Garden and do a Cost Analysis at the End of the Year.
To everything there is a season. And right now I’m taking a break from playing in the dirt. But come January, I’ll be out there with my garden trowel.
So far this year I have harvested 143 pounds 8 ounces of fresh veggies from our backyards. I spent $19.40 at the greenhouse, $10.40 at Wilco and about $16 on mulch.
11. 52 House Projects in 52 Weeks.
This week I cleaned all the baseboards. Lame. I know.
12. Make all Birthday and Christmas Gifts This Year or Acquire Them for Free.
I spy with my little eye 3 Fred Meyer freebies that are going to make their way into my parent’s gift basket. 🙂 🙂 🙂
How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2016? How are they coming along?
~Mavis
Read About My 2016 Goals HERE.
Beth says
Thanks for the warning about the post office thieves. Hadn’t thought of that before!
Marie says
You can ALWAYS refinance to a 15 year mortgage! In fact I just read that rates on rising now…
Susan says
Regarding the car thing… if possible, put your stuff in the trunk at your departure point, not your destination. I try to organize for my next stop when I’m getting ready to leave where I’m at, so I only open the trunk right before I’m leaving.
Another reminder – stay off your phone and stay alert to your surroundings. If you have to check your phone, put your back to a wall, or sit in your car with the doors locked. Criminals are opportunists, and distracted people are easier victims.
Another Susan says
BECU has a 12 year mortgage with no closing costs, available only for refinancing.
Karen Weems says
Mavis, can I ask the program that you use to calculate your reduced mortgage payment over time? My husband and I are retiring and have a loan we’d like to see finish out using this incentive. Thanks! Love your blog and have subscribed.
Mavis Butterfield says
We don’t use one, we just pay extra. Sorry.
Nadia says
Google amortization tools and you can plug in your numbers and see a schedule generated for you based on whatever numbers you plug in.
Sherry says
Have you checked your mortgage account online for one? Ours is there and I think most have them. If not, you can always find them by using Google like mentioned above.
Leslie says
Wow- your goals to pay down the mortgage and to spend zero dollars on gifts are both blowing my mind! Can’t wait to see the final gifts, and hear the mortgage wrap up 🙂
Tammy says
That is so inspiring about the mortgage. We have a 15-year mortgage, but we had no plans of selling any time soon when we purchased. I would think that with your plan to sell in the near future, it wouldn’t save you enough to refinance. You’ve made so much progress this year! That is so awesome. I was telling my husband about it. 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
It wouldn’t make sense to refinance at all, you’re right. I figured paying down as fast as I could was the better option for us.
Rebecca says
Another good thing about the 30-year mortgage is that if some unforeseen financial emergency would happen, you wouldn’t be locked in to the higher payment for the 15-year mortgage. That is what my husband and I did – – – took out a 30-year mortgage, but paid it off in 20. We would have paid it off in 15 years, but we used some equity for some big renovations. Just keep plugging away the way you are making as many extra principle payments as possible each month and you will get to your goal fast without the expenses of a refinance.
Mary says
We’ve been in our house for 28 years now and only had a house payment for 8 years. We got a 15 year mortgage and religiously made one extra principal payment every month. We asked the mortgage company for an amortization schedule so we had something to go by and stuck with our goal. So worth doing!
Sherry says
Wow, that’s impressive!
Jean says
I sell on ebay and print my shipping labels at home. For packages that don’t fit in my mail box, I leave a note for my carrier to pick up on my front porch. I never go to the post office because ebay offers shipping costs at a discount.
Mavis Butterfield says
DO you own one of those special postage printers or do you use print your label and tape it on?
Linda Tibbetts says
If you have a postal scale (or any accurate to the ounce scale) ebay will calculate the shipping costs and you can print the label on a regular computer printer. I can’t beat their price at the post office, and it is SOOO much easier to pop stuff in my mailbox for pickup. Do be cautious about leaving stuff in places other than the mailbox- it is a federal crime to tamper with mailbox contents, but a local police crime on your front porch. Most people (thieves) know they don’t want to be tried by the feds.