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March 2012 Mortgage Payment

Balance $120,870.00
+$377.72 Interest
+$319.71 Escrow
-$1323.28 Regular Payment
-$254.15 Principle Payment
New Balance $119,990.00


$119K = 119 months left = 9.92 years left!


Yeah we are under $120K! I didn't put much extra towards the mortgage principle this much since we are in the process of refinancing.

DH and I took a little break and went to a casino out of state to relax.....we earned it with all the hours I've been putting in for OT and for Bingo....and track coaching started this week for DH.

We took $1000 and came home with $1021. It was nice and relaxing and a lot of fun.

Not sure if I ever posted on here, but we have a strategy for when we go to the casino so we make sure that we at least bring some money home. First of all we always take a set amount, and we always bring it with us from home, we never use the ATM or write checks there, so we never get more then we had planned for. Then when we play a game we put in $10 and play it will we get to $20 or higher....or until we lose it. If we get to $20 or higher then we cash out at the next even amount and take that money home. We won't play that specific money again no matter what. Then we go play the next game with a new $10, etc. That way we for sure get to play a lot, and we will have "something" to take home. So using this stratgey we played a ton (think like 17hrs) and even came home a little ahead. We don't expect to come home millionaires, we just like to relax and have a little fun time. Our biggest hit of the weekend was $153, betting .80 on a penny machine.

We got our date set for closing on our refinance. March 23rd which is right after we come back from Vegas. Can't wait!!!!!!!
So just a few more weeks and everything will be wrapped up in a nice little 10 year bow.

Week Seven
Pounds Lost this week = .2
Total pounds lost = 5
% weight loss = 2.84%
Place = 1st out of 4 people

Well I am actually really happy with this weigh in. I took the lead and managed to lose a little even though we were out of town eating and drinking all weekend. So I am please with it. Next week is our last weigh in so I need to concentrate on not pigging out for just one more week. Hoping to lose 2lbs this week to stay in the lead and win $40!

Current Balance $18,765.00
+$90.00 Last weeks Bingo Tips
+$60.00 This weeks Bingo Tips
+$100.00 Sept 2012 Savings
+$125.00 Home Improvements
New Balance $19,140.00

Bingo Money $1,795.00
ING $11,310.00 ($2000.00 Bingo Money)
Mortgage Payoff $130.00
Home Improvements(cash) $1,195.00
HSBC $4,710.00
Total = $19,140.00

Added $149.40 to Bingo Tips
Tips total - $1432.11
Wage total - $2364.65
Total Bingo Money - $3796.76

My blog hit 200,000 hits today! AWESOME! Thanks everyone for reading and commenting!

Week Six
Pounds Lost this week = 0
Total pounds lost = 4.8
% weight loss = 2.73%
Place = 2nd out of 4 people

Not much to report here......I have been eating terrible, and have a bad cold so have not been getting much for excercise except for volleyball once a week. Need to get on the ball!

Looks like we are going to be right up close to our goal when we go to Vegas in March.....and then we will be taking about $2K out of savings for the trip.....shoot! Oh well, either way we will be there soon. Then I need to sit down with DH and decide exactly what we are going to do with savings vs the mortgage.

Current Balance $18,485.00
+$195.00 Bingo Payday
+$85.00 to retirement hold account
New Balance $18,765.00

Bingo Money $1,645.00
ING $11,210.00 ($2000.00 Bingo Money)
Mortgage Payoff $130.00
Home Improvements(cash) $1,070.00
HSBC $4,710.00
Total = $18,765.00

Added $197.36 to Bingo Payday
Tips total - $1282.71
Wage total - $2364.65
Total Bingo Money - $3647.36

Got our federal tax return yesterday!! Our return was $1476.00, so I transferred $1500.00 to savings. I paid back the last $450.00 back to my retirement hold account, so glad to have that paid back! Then I stuck the other $1050.00 to the EF. We are cruising to our goal right now!!

Current Balance $16,585.00
+$75.00 Bingo Tips
+$1500.00 Federal Tax Return
($450.00 to payback retirement hold account in full and $1050.00 to EF)
+$100.00 to Anniversary Cruise
+$100.00 to Sept 2012
+$125.00 to Home Improvements
New Balance $18,485.00

Bingo Money $1,450.00
ING $11,125.00 ($2000.00 Bingo Money)
Mortgage Payoff $130.00
Home Improvements(cash) $1,070.00
HSBC $4,710.00
Total = $18,485.00

Added $71.35 to Bingo Tips
Tips total - $1282.71
Wage total - $2167.29
Total Bingo Money - $3450.00

Yup you read that right!! 2.75%!!! So excited! We were not planning on refinancing again....but couldn't say no to that rate! We will not be done with all the paper work and appraisal until closer to the end of March. So the longest we could have our mortgage, even if we don't pay any extra would be 2022, and I would be 37. It feels amazing to know we will FOR SURE be mortgage free before I'm 40...hopefully by the time I'm 35!

Week Five
Pounds Lost this week = -1
Total pounds lost = 4.8
% weight loss = 2.73%
Place = 2nd out of 4 people

2 People weren't there to weigh in, but I still think I would be in 2nd place because those 2 haven't been doing that well. I keep going in the right direction and have kept off all the weight from the last BL, so that is good.

Got my state tax return today! It was $293, so I transferred $300 to savings. I decided to put it into my retirement hold account because I still owe it $750 that I borrowed a few months ago. I will use the federal return to pay the last $450 and then focus on the EF.

Current Balance $16,285.00
+$300.00 State Tax Return to payback retirement hold account
(Still owe $450.00)
New Balance $16,585.00

Bingo Money $1375.00
ING $9525.00 ($2000.00 Bingo Money)
Mortgage Payoff $130.00
Home Improvements(cash) $945.00
HSBC $4610.00
Total = $16,585.00

Added $0 to Bingo Tips
Tips total - $1211.36
Wage total - $2167.29
Total Bingo Money - $3378.65

Current Balance $16,230.00
+$55.00 Bingo Tips
New Balance $16,285.00

Bingo Money $1375.00
ING $9225.00 ($2000.00 Bingo Money)
Mortgage Payoff $130.00
Home Improvements(cash) $945.00
HSBC $4610.00
Total = $16,285.00

Added $54.00 to Bingo Tips
Tips total - $1211.36
Wage total - $2167.29
Total Bingo Money - $3378.65

Time for new phones again....we haven't paid for our cellphones for at least 8 years...we just wait till it is time for new ones and then get the free ones. This time we got the Jest 2. I just activated mine and so far I like it alot. I don't want a computer, I want a phone, so I am happy with one that will call, text and take pics.

I LOVE FREE!!!

This last round DH had broke his phone not very long after he got it cause he kept dropping it....and when I say broke...I mean BROKE....like in half....LOL. Luckily we save our old phones in case something like that would happen so that we dont have to pay for a new phone, he just used one of the old ones. Now I have 4 old phones and all of their instruction guides in a box in the basement closet. Two Razors, a Juke, and an Entice. Now that we have several backups we should be able to send some back to Verizon to be donated to their Hopeline program that gives used phones to support victims of domestic violence.

Well this is by far the longest I have ever waited to finish my taxes. I finally filed them today. $1476 is our federal return and $293 state. Not for sure what I am doing with that yet....but probably just going into the EF since it only has $200 in it right now. Now just to sit around and wait for it.

February 2012 Savings Update
As of February 1, 2012:

Regular Savings:
Bingo Money $3320
Home Maintanence $605
Mortgage Payoff Account (cash) $130
Cushion $2050
HSA $7100
New Patio Door(cash) $945
September 2012 $945
Emergency Fund $270
New Car $2055 - Complete
Vacation - $2625 - Complete
Anniversary Cruise $4610 - Complete
Total Regular Savings = $24,655.00

Retirement Savings:
Retirement Hold Account $715
Roth IRA $4870
Rollover IRA $890
401K $17,700
403B $13,500 (est)
Total Retirement Savings = $37,675.00

Total Savings = $62,330.00

Up $4400 from last month!! YEAH!! Some good HSA deposits and bingo money really helped! Yeah for being over $60K!

Had a really nice Bingo paycheck cause I picked up about 10 extra hours at Bingo this week.
ETA - Went back and adjusted the numbers cause I needed to move another $500 from Bingo money to ING.

Current Balance $16,000.00
+$310.00 Bingo Wages
+$5.44 ING Interest
+$24.56 Even Out Amount
+$5.00 to Mortgage Payoff Account
-$112.00 to 401K
-$3.00 Never got transferred to ING from last post
-$500.00 from Bingo Money
+$500.00 to ING
New Balance $16,230.00

Bingo Money $1320.00
ING $8725.00 ($2000.00 Bingo Money)
Mortgage Payoff $130.00
Home Improvements(cash) $945.00
HSBC $4610.00
Total = $16,230.00

Added $311.83 to Bingo Tips
Tips total - $1157.36
Wage total - $2167.29
Total Bingo Money - $3324.65

DH turns 30 in March and I am planning a super fun bus trip from town to our local casino (about 45 min away). I am inviting about 35 people and am hoping to have 20+ attend. We get the bus for as long as we want (within reason) and can bring drinks/coolers on the bus and each rider will get a $10 free money when they get to the casino. It costs $750 for the 34 passenger bus. So if we filled it up it would only be $22 per person plus they would get the $10 back when they get there. I am thinking we will have about 20 people and then it will be $37 a piece. We are super excited, should be crazy fun!!

Week Four
Pounds Lost this week = -.2
Total pounds lost = 3.8
% weight loss = 2.16%
Place = 2nd out of 4 people


Shoot, shoot, shoot! Monday morning I was down 4 (YES 4!) more lbs then this weigh in Tuesday morning....but Monday night I went out with a friend and had salad, bread, pasta, cheesecake and too many beers to count....DUMB. Sigh....
At least I was still down a little, but I was so excited Monday morning and then Tuesday morning I was bummed.....gotta get back to the gym...all weekend off from Bingo, so gotta have a sweating marathon Saturday and Sunday.

Finally got my $25 reimbursement for paying for my gaming fee for Bingo back in September so stuck that in the EF. Lots of misc little deposits since we get paid from all of our jobs this week....and we hit $16K!!!
I am pumped, I can see the end of the $20K Challenge! Between our taxes and not having to pay the mortgage for 2 months (seperate refi post to come soon) we should hit $20K in March or April!! YEAH! Then we can throw all of our extra money including the bingo money to the mortgage......say bye bye mortgage, your days (ok years) are numbered!!

Current Balance $15,670.00
+$90.00 Bingo Tips
+$25.00 Gaming License Reimbursement to EF
-$28.00 To ROTH IRA
+$3.00 Even Out Amount
+$100.00 To September 2012
+$125.00 To Home Improvements
+$15.00 To EF to get to $16K!!!!
New Balance $16,000.00

Bingo Money $1510.00
ING $8810.00 ($1500.00 Bingo Money)
Mortgage Payoff $125.00
Home Improvements(cash) $945.00
HSBC $4610.00
Total = $16,000.00

Added $91.15 to Bingo Tips
Tips total - $1157.36
Wage total - $1855.46
Total Bingo Money - $3012.82

We get tons of credit card offers in the mail, but because we love our Discover Card so much we normally just shred them. Recently I got an offer from Chasse Freedom for a card with 0% interest until Feb 2013 and you get $300 cash back just for making an initial purchase on the card. So I applied for the card and have now received it and activated it. When I called to activate it I checked with their phone rep and she verified all I have to do is make one initial purchase and in 6-8 weeks we will get a check for $300! YEAH! Love free money!

Current Balance $15,585.00
+$85.00 Bingo Tips
New Balance $15,670.00

Bingo Money $1420.00
ING $8695.00 ($1500.00 Bingo Money)
Mortgage Payoff $125.00
Home Improvements(cash) $820.00
HSBC $4610.00
Total = $15,670.00

Added $86.60 to Bingo Wages
Tips total - $1066.21
Wage total - $1855.46
Total Bingo Money - $2921.67

Week Three
Pounds Lost this week = -2
Total pounds lost = 3.6
% weight loss = 2.05%
Place = 2nd out of 4 people

Pretty happy with this week. I watched my food and even went running at the gym twice. I am 2.4lbs away from getting under the next 10lb mark....I would LOVE to make it under that by next weeks weigh in. So gonna try super hard. I have volleyball tomorrow night and really busy the rest of the week, but should be able to go to the gym Saturday afternoon (but I work 9 hours at bingo that night...so we will see if I have enough energy) but for sure will be able to go Sunday and get a good workout in.

Gotta keep my eye on the prize!

Posting this a little early cause I have some time to get it done right now.

February 2012 Mortgage Payment

Balance $122,100.00
+$381.56 Interest
+$319.71 Escrow
-$1323.28 Regular Payment
-$607.99 Principle Payment
New Balance $120,870.00


$120K = 120 months left = 10 years left!

If you use any stamps at all, make sure you stock up today! Stamp prices go up tomorrow from .44 to .45 each. I don't use stamps very often since the majority of our bills are paid automatically with our Discover Card, but of course there occasionally is a rebate, card, or letter that I need a stamp for. The last time I bought stamps was 5/11/08. I bought 100 forever stamps (kept the receipt) for .41 and still have 14 of those left. So now I bought another 100 @ .44 each and those should last me about 4 years since we still have some of the last batch left. I know it's only pennies, but they all add up!

We got our annual mortgage statement from our mortgage company.

Summary of payments for 2011:
Principal $13,500.00
Interest $4905.23
Property Taxes $2248.60
Late Charges $0

Our goal on the mortgage is to go down at least $1000 a month, so we beat our goal for the year by $3,500!!

Stillllllllllllll waiting for 2 more W2s (we had 4 this year), our HSA statement and our interest statements from our banks. Normally I would use what I already have to get started on Turbotax....but been so busy between work, OT, second job, and now I am also playing on a volleyball team....busy, busy, busy. So I think I will just wait till we get the forms and do it all at once.
All of the tax money is going into savings (not sure which account yet) so I can't wait to see if/what we are getting back.

Moved another $500 from my at home Bingo money to ING Bingo money. Trying to get as far away from $14K as we can before we go to Vegas in March.

Current Balance $15,185.00
+$215.00 Bingo Wages
+$100.00 to Anniversary Cruise
+$85.00 to Retirement Hold Account
-$500.00 Bingo Money from home
+$500.00 Bingo Money to ING
New Balance $15,585.00

Bingo Money $1335.00
ING $8695.00 ($1500.00 Bingo Money)
Mortgage Payoff $125.00
Home Improvements(cash) $820.00
HSBC $4610.00
Total = $15,585.00

Added $213.82 to Bingo Wages
Tips total - $979.61
Wage total - $1855.46
Total Bingo Money - $2835.07

Week Two
Pounds Lost this week = -.8
Total pounds lost = 1.6
% weight loss = .91%
Place = 3rd out of 4 people

Not as much as I was hoping for, but in the right direction so that is good. Very busy this week. Gonna make sure I go to the gym on Saturday and Sunday. And maybe do some Wii dancing too. Got lots of yummy Special K snacks for work.

Current Balance $15,125.00
+$60.00 Bingo Tips
New Balance $15,185.00

Bingo Money $1620.00
ING $8110.00 ($1000.00 Bingo Money)
Mortgage Payoff $125.00
Home Improvements(cash) $820.00
HSBC $4510.00
Total = $15,185.00

Added $58.10 to Bingo Tips
Tips total - $979.61
Wage total - $1641.64
Total Bingo Money - $2621.25