Mapgirl’s Fiscal Challenge

Since I’m not posting a lot of new stuff, at least I can put up the monthly ‘maintenance’ post on my goals and net worth.

Goal #1
Specific - Contribute to my 401k plan

I got squared away with contributions in February. I did have to bump up my contributions, to 10% for the last 11 months of 2008. That’s more than I need to get the full match over the course of the year, but just barely. Because I also have a Roth 401k available, I decided to kick in a little money into that account just to get it started. Frankly, it’s kind of dumb for me to have one until I can get my credit card debt squared away.

Grade: Pass!

Goal #2
Specific - Reduce my credit card debt
Measurable - By 50% or $9,137 (rounded up to $10K)
Achievable - Monthly payments of $762

I had to put my Lasik surgery on a credit card, but I sent in the paper work for my Medical/Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) reimbursement. Hopefully that won’t be too delayed.

I’m still stagnating on this goal however since I don’t seem to be able to stop charging onto my cards. I usually leave them at home, but I’m slowly ballooning in weight and planning wedding travel so that any progress I made was negated by new charges. Even if I leave them at home, inevitably, I need them to make a purchase online later. Reviewing my charges again, I forgot, I gave lots of baby gifts too.

Grade: Fail. I need to do some more thinking about this and how to make it happen. More than anything, I’ve tried moving to carrying a lot more cash and that does seem to help a little.

Goal #3
Specific - Reduce my credit card debt on my highest balance card ~$10K
Measurable - By 50%
Achievable - ~$450 a month

Grade: Pass. I’m paying $500 a month which meets the goal. But honestly, this still feels like a pyrrhic victory.

As for Lent, I am getting accustomed to diet soda, and yet, I’m getting quite fat. I’m not sure where the correlation is, but I think some of it is from my altered dining habits. I tend to eat heavier meals with my new boyfriend. Usually I will skip dinner or just have a light snack, but lately I’ve been eating a lot more food. Not just with my boyfriend, but also at the office. This new job is making me quite fat. I am looking for a used treadmill. Hopefully, I can find one on Freecycle soon so I don’t have to join a gym.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not perfect here when it comes to Lent. I did have a few sugar sodas last month. There are days when the stress gets so bad at work that I need a kick of sugar to get through the day. I’m not really sorry though.

Also, I decided to eat less red meat during Lent this year. I’ve been eating more tofu and chicken. But I did have bison (making a market for an alternative meat!), a few burgers and a grilled steak taco, or three. But given my penchant to make roast beef in the winter, I’m doing a lot better. I’ve gone a whole week without red meat this Lent. (Crap. I just realized that I have a wedding rehearsal dinner/party for a wedding on Good Friday. Merde. I might as well hide in my hotel room that night or else wait till midnight to drink. Oy vey.)