I mainly wanted to post a thanks to the lot of you. I've been lurking a long time. Reading, thinking, understanding. Reading, not understanding, Googling, thinking, "Eureka"-ing.
I'm also placing a little marker in the virtual sand to perhaps update in a year.
Me: Took a long time to grow up. Worked crappy retail jobs and made pocket money until around 30 years old. Took some schooling and work for a hospital now. I'm 35 next month.
DH: Has almost 15 years in at a place with fair pay, bennies, and pension. He will be 40 this summer.
No kids. No plans to have kids. Love, love, love to travel and eat good food, and that's where too much of our money goes. We're in Michigan; for the employed, the cost of living is great.
I would consider retirement anywhere in my 50s a success. I LOVE my job (Newlywed phase, I keep saying, but so far it sticks) so I wouldn't be crushed to be part time depending on how things go. DH does not like his job but does not despise it.
Here's to improvement for us all in 2015! *clink*
DEBTS:
Mortgage: $134k to go. Fixer-upper -- potentially limitless projects/Money Pit
401k loan (Not proud of it but working on it): 14k
Car (Few years ago finally gave up the '93 Olds): 14k
ASSETS:
My humor and charm
Lint in my pocket
DH 401k: 50k? current balance
My 403b: 5k (Not at job too long and am entry level-- just bumped to 15% taken out with a small employer match -- aiming to raise this by at least 5% per year until maxed)
Roth: 2k
Emergency Fund: Aforementioned lint in my pocket and a credit card that I keep paid off every 2 weeks.
We don't make a ton of money, so we're somewhere between the pizza man making it happen and the 4-year degree folks saving like a house on fire.
I shall resume lurking, reading, and learning. Thank you all so very much again.
Liz
I'm also placing a little marker in the virtual sand to perhaps update in a year.
Me: Took a long time to grow up. Worked crappy retail jobs and made pocket money until around 30 years old. Took some schooling and work for a hospital now. I'm 35 next month.
DH: Has almost 15 years in at a place with fair pay, bennies, and pension. He will be 40 this summer.
No kids. No plans to have kids. Love, love, love to travel and eat good food, and that's where too much of our money goes. We're in Michigan; for the employed, the cost of living is great.
I would consider retirement anywhere in my 50s a success. I LOVE my job (Newlywed phase, I keep saying, but so far it sticks) so I wouldn't be crushed to be part time depending on how things go. DH does not like his job but does not despise it.
Here's to improvement for us all in 2015! *clink*
DEBTS:
Mortgage: $134k to go. Fixer-upper -- potentially limitless projects/Money Pit
401k loan (Not proud of it but working on it): 14k
Car (Few years ago finally gave up the '93 Olds): 14k
ASSETS:
My humor and charm
Lint in my pocket
DH 401k: 50k? current balance
My 403b: 5k (Not at job too long and am entry level-- just bumped to 15% taken out with a small employer match -- aiming to raise this by at least 5% per year until maxed)
Roth: 2k
Emergency Fund: Aforementioned lint in my pocket and a credit card that I keep paid off every 2 weeks.
We don't make a ton of money, so we're somewhere between the pizza man making it happen and the 4-year degree folks saving like a house on fire.
I shall resume lurking, reading, and learning. Thank you all so very much again.
Liz