I got a raise!

[iam21177]

A totally unexpected raise!

So this degree I went back for that took me 5 years (I had no engineering background when I started, it was a long road), has increased my salary 33% in 2 years! I am very grateful, it always doesn't work out that way.

I had an intial raise soon after graduation (and a position title change), and now this second one! I was also informed I get the 1.5% COL raise coming in July.

Very exciting!

Opening an HSA for myself this month and looking to add a little extra to the mortgage payments.

 

[Walt34]

Opening an HSA for myself this month and looking to add a little extra to the mortgage payments.

Excellent! But do allow yourself a glass of wine.

 

[iam21177]

Yes! Already thinking about sitting on the sunny warm deck enjoying a blood orange San Pellegrino and gin with my husband!

 

[rodi]

Congratulations!!!

 

[Dreamer]

Nice!

 

[heeyy_joe]

Many happy returns.

 

[NW-Bound]

I like a good story when hard work pays off. Congrats!

 

[FIREd]

Congrats on the raise! And that blood orange cocktail sounds delicious.

 

[BigBangWeary]

Congratulations! It's always great to hear about hard work paying off.

 

[Brett_Cameron]

Congratulations!

 

[panacea]

Congrats, ginadog! Love it when a plan comes together.

 

[ERD50]

Awesome - congrats! According to the news reports, this is impossible! No one can get ahead, we are all doomed, personal initiative is hopeless! Corporate America is just out to screw everyone! Fortunately, you didn't listen to 'em!

Congrats again, but.... did'ya have to mention.......












adding to the mortgage payments? Now this just has to turn into another 'pay off the mortgage' thread!

But seriously, consider if that is really the best use of the extra cash flow.

-ERD50

 

[tmm99]

Good going! I am very happy for you!

 

[powerplay]

Congratulations! A nice reward for your hard work. Hope you have a nice celebration planned.

 

[iam21177]

Congrats again, but.... did'ya have to mention.......

adding to the mortgage payments? Now this just has to turn into another 'pay off the mortgage' thread!

But seriously, consider if that is really the best use of the extra cash flow.

-ERD50

Uh oh, is that a taboo topic here? I haven't noticed. OK, I won't make my second post I was thinking then!

My husband was pretty convincing that we should put any extra funds towards tax-deferred accounts rather than the mortgage, so we will have a mortgage still in ER for about 5-7 years as it looks right now.

So today, we each started adding $100 each to our 403b accounts (which were otherwise untouched at the moment) - that makes a Roth (maxed), 457b (maxed), 403b ($100 each), 401a (14.2% each from work), and HSA (maxed) for each of us.

 

[REWahoo]

Uh oh, is that a taboo topic here? I haven't noticed.

Not taboo, more like never-ending, circular and eternally debated.

 

[HFWR]

Not taboo, more like never-ending, circular and eternally debated.

I'm paying off my mortgage...

In 2042...

 

[iam21177]

Ah!

I'm paying off my mortgage...

In 2042...

When you're 88?

 

[HFWR]

Ah!



When you're 88?

Sounds right...

I paid extra for years, but when I was right-sized by megaconglomocorp, I stopped, to improve my cash flow, and to keep some dry powder. Fast forward to 2012, I refi-ed at 3.75%, so PITI is $700, which fits my FIRE budget. Plus. most of my money is in tax-deferred, so I'd take a very big tax hit to remove money just to pay off mortgage.

 

[iam21177]

I should probably note that I was working at the same place for 8 years before I went back to school (and kept working). I have been there a total of 15 years now. Tasks have changed over time.

 

[ERD50]

Uh oh, is that a taboo topic here? I haven't noticed. OK, I won't make my second post I was thinking then! ...

Nope, just a little too much of an 'inside joke' for you at this point I guess. REWahoo covered it, that's the story.

-ERD50

 

[Senator]

I got a raise earlier this year, then the company gave all of the IT folks a week of 'free' vacation. That is, we all get to take a week off, unpaid.

The amount (1/52) of our pay is deducted in equal amounts over each paycheck for the rest of the year, the remaining 5 months. I already buy a week, and I would have probably bought another week if it would have been available during benefits sign up, so it will likely be good for me. But it does say something about the economy.

It's 2014, I thought the economy was doing great?

 

[LoneAspen]

I got a raise earlier this year, then the company gave all of the IT folks a week of 'free' vacation. That is, we all get to take a week off, unpaid.

The amount (1/52) of our pay is deducted in equal amounts over each paycheck for the rest of the year, the remaining 5 months. I already buy a week, and I would have probably bought another week if it would have been available during benefits sign up, so it will likely be good for me. But it does say something about the economy.

It's 2014, I thought the economy was doing great?

Reminds me of when I worked at HP back in the mid 90's. They had an across-the-board 10% pay cut to save on expenses, with the plan to reinstate the former salary after about a year.

Good friend of mine whose skills were pretty critical told them he'd be "working from home" every other Friday (every 10th day), but with an implied understanding no actual work would be done on that day, so don't bother contacting him.

He got away with that until they finally reinstated everybody's salary about a year later, and he started coming in on those Fridays again. He was fully prepared to quit, too, if they'd pressed him on it.

Anyways, to the OP...congrats!

 

[RISP]

[...] never-ending, circular and eternally debated.

Which usually means, it doesn't really matter what you do.

Congrats, Gina!

 

[WannabeRetired]

Good friend of mine whose skills were pretty critical told them he'd be "working from home" every other Friday (every 10th day), but with an implied understanding no actual work would be done on that day, so don't bother contacting him.

Hahahaha. That's great. Good for him!