Things on the employment front are going swimmingly. My district mailed me a contract so I have official confirmation that I have a job. Naturally, it arrived at my parents' the day after I headed down to the Delta to take care of a few things so I haven't gotten it turned back in yet, but I'll get it signed and sent in tomorrow. I'll be paid the princely sum of $35,811 next year.
The boy got a dollar an hour raise. This has no impact on my finances whatsoever, but it still makes me happy. He's planning to rework his budget to take this into account. The fact that he has a budget makes me even more happy.
Showing posts with label income. Show all posts
Showing posts with label income. Show all posts
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
It's nice to get paid.
Last week the second of my June paychecks arrived. On the same day, a $250 stipend also showed up in the mailbox. The first of the June paychecks is still AWOL, but it still felt pretty darn good to have some money flowing in to counterbalance the steady gush of money out. Even though I had plenty to get me through the entire summer if need be, I was inching toward the point where I would have had to "borrow" money from my designated long term savings account at FNBO to pay my bills, and I found that somewhat disquieting.
Today an envelope containing my pay for all of July and August arrived. I have this secret worry that that means they've decided to fire me, but that's probably just my irrational fears taking over. In any case it meant I now have enough to live on until September (barring any big unexpected expenses, of course) and transfer another $3K into savings. I feel rich. Those of you who make much more than I do may now commence laughing at me.
Once this deposit posts, I'll have over $20,000 in my savings account, a new milestone. Throw in my savings bonds, my Roth from 2008, the contents of two other checking accounts and another much smaller savings account, and my stash of emergency cash in case I ever need to go on the lam, and I think I'm doing ok, not great, way too much frivolous spending in the past year to be anywhere close to great, but ok. However, note that that list does not include contributing to a Roth in 2009.
I've been setting the money aside; it's all there in that nice big savings account. I'm just being indecisive about what to do with it. It might make sense to keep contributing to the same index fund I used last year, but I'm finding the current losses a bit harder to stomach than I'd imagined.
FNBO has been promoting the option to set up multiple accounts, probably in an effort to compete with ING, and I've been toying with the idea of setting up one account for eventual Roth contributions, one for my car fund, one for graduate school application costs once I get my next stipend check to use as seed money, and perhaps later one for the costs of transitioning to graduate school. It might help me focus more on specific goals and keep me from coasting on the idea that I've got this big chunk of money so I can quit worrying so much. On the other hand, I'd still have the bulk of the money sitting there with no particular purpose at the moment, maybe a house fund for ten years from now, but nothing tangible so it might not help with that as much as it might otherwise.
Today an envelope containing my pay for all of July and August arrived. I have this secret worry that that means they've decided to fire me, but that's probably just my irrational fears taking over. In any case it meant I now have enough to live on until September (barring any big unexpected expenses, of course) and transfer another $3K into savings. I feel rich. Those of you who make much more than I do may now commence laughing at me.
Once this deposit posts, I'll have over $20,000 in my savings account, a new milestone. Throw in my savings bonds, my Roth from 2008, the contents of two other checking accounts and another much smaller savings account, and my stash of emergency cash in case I ever need to go on the lam, and I think I'm doing ok, not great, way too much frivolous spending in the past year to be anywhere close to great, but ok. However, note that that list does not include contributing to a Roth in 2009.
I've been setting the money aside; it's all there in that nice big savings account. I'm just being indecisive about what to do with it. It might make sense to keep contributing to the same index fund I used last year, but I'm finding the current losses a bit harder to stomach than I'd imagined.
FNBO has been promoting the option to set up multiple accounts, probably in an effort to compete with ING, and I've been toying with the idea of setting up one account for eventual Roth contributions, one for my car fund, one for graduate school application costs once I get my next stipend check to use as seed money, and perhaps later one for the costs of transitioning to graduate school. It might help me focus more on specific goals and keep me from coasting on the idea that I've got this big chunk of money so I can quit worrying so much. On the other hand, I'd still have the bulk of the money sitting there with no particular purpose at the moment, maybe a house fund for ten years from now, but nothing tangible so it might not help with that as much as it might otherwise.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
It sure would be nice to get paid.
Normally, I get a paycheck on the fourth and nineteenth of every month. The school had said they'd mail the summer paychecks since our salary is divided into twenty four increments. Then the day before the end of the year, word came down that they had decided not to mail the first of the June checks and to come pick them up instead. This presented no minor difficulty since I planned on being five hours away. My assistant principal called down to the central office to see if there was any way I could pick it up before I left, but no dice. Then one of our wonderful secretaries volunteered to send it on if I'd bring her a self-addressed stamped envelope, which I did. My June fourth paycheck has yet to arrive.
Thus, I guess I'm going to have to call on Monday and try to figure out what happened. I'm also not betting on my other paychecks actually making it parents' house either. I went to central office three times to try to change my address for the summer, and all three times the one person in the entire school district capable of inputting the information into the computer was out of the office. On the third try, I think one of the other ladies took pity on me; she told me to write down my new information and she'd be sure the correct person took care of it. At least if those paychecks get mailed to the wrong place, my roommate will let me know.
On the bright side, although it is somewhat frustrating and will probably be a hassle if the checks got lost in the mail, it's nice to have enough in savings that even waiting until August to get paid would be just a blip on my radar. I can't imagine how stressful this would be if I needed the money to make bill payments on time. Maybe I will go to direct deposit next year, but given my school's record for messing stuff up, I'm not all that keen on letting them have access to my bank account.
Thus, I guess I'm going to have to call on Monday and try to figure out what happened. I'm also not betting on my other paychecks actually making it parents' house either. I went to central office three times to try to change my address for the summer, and all three times the one person in the entire school district capable of inputting the information into the computer was out of the office. On the third try, I think one of the other ladies took pity on me; she told me to write down my new information and she'd be sure the correct person took care of it. At least if those paychecks get mailed to the wrong place, my roommate will let me know.
On the bright side, although it is somewhat frustrating and will probably be a hassle if the checks got lost in the mail, it's nice to have enough in savings that even waiting until August to get paid would be just a blip on my radar. I can't imagine how stressful this would be if I needed the money to make bill payments on time. Maybe I will go to direct deposit next year, but given my school's record for messing stuff up, I'm not all that keen on letting them have access to my bank account.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Drumroll please...
Last year I earned $557.95 in taxable interest, plus a smidge from my savings bonds that I won't have to report and pay taxes on until they mature. If only I hadn't lost nearly three times that much on the investments in my Roth. Still, you've got to dig free money.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Your tax dollars at work...
When I arrived home last night, I discovered that I'd received a letter from the state's Department of Higher Education. They've decided to fund my grant proposal. It'll mean $625 from the state and $625 from my university with which to pay myself for my work next semester, $1,000 for supplies, and $250 towards travel to a conference. I suppose that I really ought to be thrilled, but I'm feeling a bit ambivalent.
I've been the recipient of taxpayer's largess time and again. My family has never been on any form of welfare, but I may have gotten more money from the government these past few years than some people who are. In addition to whatever the state provides to my public university, they've given me $40,000 for school. My state decided to solve its brain drain problem by offering huge scholarships to students with top test scores, and for the past three years that scholarship covered most of my college costs. This year I've deferred it and am spending money from a different fellowship so I can use the state scholarship to pay most of my tuition for a masters in teaching if I decide to go that route.
If you're wondering what your federal income tax pays for, it may well have gone toward paying me to shoot proteins with a laser last summer. (Ok, so the research is a wee bit more complicated than that, but I doubt any of you want to read the details.) It's great that our country continues to fund basic research, but I feel weird about being the person getting funds.
I like my work, but I don't think it's going to change the world. At best, I'm hoping I might get to be co-author on a paper if we ever get to the point where we have anything publishable. To be perfectly candid, the money for supplies is fantastic, but I've got to get to work and try to get enough data to write a solid honors thesis and would be doing the research whether I get paid or not. It doesn't seem like my research is meaningful enough to get funding. Maybe it's a case of the Impostor Syndrome?
I've been the recipient of taxpayer's largess time and again. My family has never been on any form of welfare, but I may have gotten more money from the government these past few years than some people who are. In addition to whatever the state provides to my public university, they've given me $40,000 for school. My state decided to solve its brain drain problem by offering huge scholarships to students with top test scores, and for the past three years that scholarship covered most of my college costs. This year I've deferred it and am spending money from a different fellowship so I can use the state scholarship to pay most of my tuition for a masters in teaching if I decide to go that route.
If you're wondering what your federal income tax pays for, it may well have gone toward paying me to shoot proteins with a laser last summer. (Ok, so the research is a wee bit more complicated than that, but I doubt any of you want to read the details.) It's great that our country continues to fund basic research, but I feel weird about being the person getting funds.
I like my work, but I don't think it's going to change the world. At best, I'm hoping I might get to be co-author on a paper if we ever get to the point where we have anything publishable. To be perfectly candid, the money for supplies is fantastic, but I've got to get to work and try to get enough data to write a solid honors thesis and would be doing the research whether I get paid or not. It doesn't seem like my research is meaningful enough to get funding. Maybe it's a case of the Impostor Syndrome?
Friday, November 2, 2007
October wrap-up
Spending and income were both abnormally high this month. I bought a present for my brother’s birthday, which is in November, and ordered Christmas presents for my parents. I also spent far too much on dining out, in part because I resolved to eat down my pantry and then got sick of everything I had on hand. The work on the physics standards was a one-time project. The interest earned on my savings will be far less for the next few months since my cd won’t pay interest until May.
Spending
Rent $410
Utilities $83.63 (electricity, water, landline phone, trash service)
Groceries $67.67
Dining Out $46.10
Personal $6.10 (grooming and hygiene)
Household $1.43
Miscellaneous $15.48 (transcripts and photocopies)
Gifts $85.02
Charity $1
Total Spent $716.34
Income
$626.80 scholarship (1/5 of semester housing funds)
$54.83 interest earned by savings account
$110 tutoring
$91.32 work on the physics standards
$25 Amazon gift card from wisebread
$3 Pinecone Research
$0.01 found on the ground
Total Income $910.96
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
September spending
I've used Pearbudget to calculate the final spending numbers for September, and I think I like it a lot so far. Before I state the numbers, I should include a disclaimer: I'm not totally self-supporting. My parents pay for car insurance and gasoline, have me on their health insurance plan, and feed me whenever I'm home, which seems to be quite a lot the past couple of weeks. In addition, my mother keeps trying to buy food for me, and occasionally I cave and accept a hunk of cheddar and some mini pizzas rather than fighting with her when she shows up at my front door with a bag of groceries.
Spending
$410 rent
$83.61 utilities (includes landline phone, electricity, water, sewer, trash service)
$59.05 groceries
$8.36 dining out
$23.51 personal (hygiene and grooming items, high this month due to coupons and sales which made it advantageous to stock up on some items)
$6.43 household (laundry detergent and windshield washer fluid this month)
$5 miscellaneous (club dues)
Total Spent $595.51
Income
$626.80 scholarship (1/5 of semester housing funds)
$90 tutoring
$5 American Consumer Opinion
$0.12 the one and only time a reimbursement for school expenses I've submitted has ever resulted in a check for more than I paid rather than less
$0.01 found on ground
Total Income $721.93
In making these calculations, I ignored the school expenses and subsequent reimbursement, except for the extra twelve cents they gave me. I didn't count the wages for the work I did for my adviser since I haven't been paid yet. I also didn't include the interest earned on my savings since I've decided I'll count that as income whenever I receive a bank statement and I did not receive one for September.
Ok, I think I can quit pondering whether it's ok to buy a pack of gum when I go grocery shopping.
Spending
$410 rent
$83.61 utilities (includes landline phone, electricity, water, sewer, trash service)
$59.05 groceries
$8.36 dining out
$23.51 personal (hygiene and grooming items, high this month due to coupons and sales which made it advantageous to stock up on some items)
$6.43 household (laundry detergent and windshield washer fluid this month)
$5 miscellaneous (club dues)
Total Spent $595.51
Income
$626.80 scholarship (1/5 of semester housing funds)
$90 tutoring
$5 American Consumer Opinion
$0.12 the one and only time a reimbursement for school expenses I've submitted has ever resulted in a check for more than I paid rather than less
$0.01 found on ground
Total Income $721.93
In making these calculations, I ignored the school expenses and subsequent reimbursement, except for the extra twelve cents they gave me. I didn't count the wages for the work I did for my adviser since I haven't been paid yet. I also didn't include the interest earned on my savings since I've decided I'll count that as income whenever I receive a bank statement and I did not receive one for September.
Ok, I think I can quit pondering whether it's ok to buy a pack of gum when I go grocery shopping.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Getting paid for work is still awkward.
Tutoring this semester is a good thing. It's almost certainly making me a better teacher for my lab because when the girl I tutor, L., struggles, it's a safe bet some of my other students are having similar problems. It's also pretty much covering the cost of groceries.
I should be happy about that, right? Somehow, instead I feel mildly guilty. It's awkward at the end of each session when L. digs a ten dollar bill out of her pocket and thanks me. It's clear she doesn't come from a wealthy family. Her finances are tight. This is her last semester as an undergrad, and she's certain she'll have to work and save before she can apply to pharmacy school. Doing well in this physics class will help her get in and achieve her goals, so she seems to think paying for extra help is a good investment. I should be paying her. Watching her slowly build mastery is a great joy. She makes me feel needed, and she laughs at my jokes.
At this point in my life, I have the luxury of taking only jobs that please me. As a result, the work I end up doing is generally something I'd happily do for free. There's something very peculiar about being offered an additional reward for such a rewarding activity. If it's possible to go through life enjoying what I do to earn my bread, I should be content, but I can't quite get over the feeling that that's almost cheating. Shouldn't work involve sacrifice?
I should be happy about that, right? Somehow, instead I feel mildly guilty. It's awkward at the end of each session when L. digs a ten dollar bill out of her pocket and thanks me. It's clear she doesn't come from a wealthy family. Her finances are tight. This is her last semester as an undergrad, and she's certain she'll have to work and save before she can apply to pharmacy school. Doing well in this physics class will help her get in and achieve her goals, so she seems to think paying for extra help is a good investment. I should be paying her. Watching her slowly build mastery is a great joy. She makes me feel needed, and she laughs at my jokes.
At this point in my life, I have the luxury of taking only jobs that please me. As a result, the work I end up doing is generally something I'd happily do for free. There's something very peculiar about being offered an additional reward for such a rewarding activity. If it's possible to go through life enjoying what I do to earn my bread, I should be content, but I can't quite get over the feeling that that's almost cheating. Shouldn't work involve sacrifice?
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Just plain tired
Right now I'm feeling worn down. I've been trying to keep busy because then I have less time to dwell on things that aren't going well. It works up to a point. The most positive thing I can say about all this is that will be good for my finances since part of the reason I've been busy the past few days is tutoring and a job working for my advisor. Tonight I finished the part she asked me to do, but if I did it well, there may be more to do in the future. When she asked me if I had time to do this, she said, "Of course, we'll pay you so you can start an IRA." She knows me well.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Feeling rich
It's strange how the ten bucks I made tutoring today feels more significant than the housing reimbursement check I deposited.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The awkwardnes of getting paid for work
I have a tutoring job lined up. One of the students in University Physics I was quite nervous about the class and contacted the professor looking for someone to provide one-on-one help. Tutoring is somewhat fun, and I always feel somewhat weird taking money for things I would probably have done for free anyway. Nonetheless, money is useful, and my time and experience are of value so I should charge something, right?
How much to charge is a trickier question. I've never been comfortable setting rates for my services. When I used to occasionally babysit, I just took whatever the parents decided to pay. As a result, I'm pretty certain that some of the time I was underpaid. (Based on what I've read, a responsible college student who is trained in cpr and first aid who's watching a two year old and a very rambunctious five year old for the evening and must make dinner and put the kids to bed should almost certainly not be making less than $5 an hour.)
What's the best way to bring up payment? How do I figure out what to charge? Undergrads working for the university in the tutoring center make over $7 an hour, and much of their time is generally spent doing their own homework while waiting for students to wander in. Graduate students have posted fliers advertising one-on-one math tutoring for $20 an hour or more. Does asking for $8/hour seem reasonable? Would $9 be too greedy? Should I wait to see if my student suggests a price?
How much to charge is a trickier question. I've never been comfortable setting rates for my services. When I used to occasionally babysit, I just took whatever the parents decided to pay. As a result, I'm pretty certain that some of the time I was underpaid. (Based on what I've read, a responsible college student who is trained in cpr and first aid who's watching a two year old and a very rambunctious five year old for the evening and must make dinner and put the kids to bed should almost certainly not be making less than $5 an hour.)
What's the best way to bring up payment? How do I figure out what to charge? Undergrads working for the university in the tutoring center make over $7 an hour, and much of their time is generally spent doing their own homework while waiting for students to wander in. Graduate students have posted fliers advertising one-on-one math tutoring for $20 an hour or more. Does asking for $8/hour seem reasonable? Would $9 be too greedy? Should I wait to see if my student suggests a price?
Thursday, August 23, 2007
How I pay my bills
This afternoon I mailed bills associated with the apartment costs for the first time. The electric bill for the first five days I had service was $5.90, but I don't think I can use that to extrapolate costs for a whole month. I used the air conditioner a bit, but I didn't do laundry, use my computer much, or run the dishwasher during that time. I also mailed my rent check for September. I am pretty sure I got far too nice an apartment. $410 is a lot.
I hope that my housing allowance requisition gets processed before I have to pay October's rent. It should come through long before then, but I've seen the problems they've had with the system in the past. As part of my scholarship, I am allowed to either live in the dormitories and eat in the cafeterias or request that money to spend on a place of my own. It comes to $626.80 a month. (Regardless of where I live, I also get a stipend of $1000 dollars per semester as well. If I live off-campus, I may also request the cost of internet access, which I haven't gotten yet but should look into.) I originally hoped to cover rent, utilities, food, and household expenses using only the housing allowance. I do plan to give myself a personal allowance out of the interest from my savings account.
If I am very frugal about food and very sparing in my use of electricity and water, that might work, but I'm not sure I can be very frugal about food for ten months straight. Temptations abound.
I hope that my housing allowance requisition gets processed before I have to pay October's rent. It should come through long before then, but I've seen the problems they've had with the system in the past. As part of my scholarship, I am allowed to either live in the dormitories and eat in the cafeterias or request that money to spend on a place of my own. It comes to $626.80 a month. (Regardless of where I live, I also get a stipend of $1000 dollars per semester as well. If I live off-campus, I may also request the cost of internet access, which I haven't gotten yet but should look into.) I originally hoped to cover rent, utilities, food, and household expenses using only the housing allowance. I do plan to give myself a personal allowance out of the interest from my savings account.
If I am very frugal about food and very sparing in my use of electricity and water, that might work, but I'm not sure I can be very frugal about food for ten months straight. Temptations abound.
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