Keeping Up With the Joneses - Part I

So, for the past few years, probably five or so, more and more of my friends and peers, and even people who report up to me at work (so, I'd consider them non-peers) have been buying homes at purchase price points ranging from $700,000 to a million.

I find this phenomenon strange, but also incredibly alluring.

Let's start with an analysis of these folks.   I will start with the ones who started this trend, and I do believe there is a somewhat contagious trend among friends that equates to keeping up with the Joneses.  The ones who started the trend, in my humble opinion, likely made smarter choices.

1.  It started with my friend Mary, all names changed to protect the innocent, and her husband George.  Back in 2011, they actually got a great deal and paid mid $500s for a home that is now likely worth close to $800,000.  They bought a 5000 square foot McMansion in a better school district, they have a small child, with 5 bedrooms, 4 baths in a new development.  Their family consists of 3 people and they do not plan to have any more children so this is a house bigger than they need.  Their real estate taxes are more than $8000.  They took out a $400,000 mortgage.  Five years later they are putting in a pool.  The house they sold they had owned since 2002 and they made about $50,000 profit when they sold it.  They were buying in a buyers market due to the 2008 real estate crash which means they were also selling in a buyers market.

Mary is in the same profession as I am, I assume she makes similar money to me.  Her husband is in law enforcement.  While he makes less money, he has a great pension that will be coming to him (and soon) such that their retirement savings is less crucial.  I have one other friend who will have a federal pension, but she cannot collect said pension until closer to traditional retirement age.  George will be able to start collecting his pension in less than 10 years and his pension is for life.  As a result, they don't have to save as much for retirement.

2.  Jennifer and Alan were next.  They are a dual income, professional, couple.  Both are in the same profession I am in.  They have three kids.

In 2012 they bought a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath, 5000 square foot home.  It also has a 2000 square foot out building (with air conditioning) and a pool.  They bought the home for $775,000 (the prior owner had bought it for $800,000 so, again, it was likely a good buy) and it is likely worth close to a million now.  Taxes are $14,000 a year.  They took on a $620,000 mortgage.  Later they took on a $35,000 home equity loan.

They held onto their prior house for a couple of years, while the Florida real estate market improved (likely a smart move), and they later sold it in 2015 for a $265,000 profit.  I don't believe they took that profit and reduced or refinanced the mortgage on their current home, rather before they sold their prior home they put it into a trust and I assume the profits also went into that trust.    

They have engaged in a variety of real estate and trust maneuvers in the last few years.  This is probably because Alan also bought an office building and they are creating protection for their other assets.

Does it sound like I'm stalking my friends' personal business??  Well I guess I am.  All of this information, at least in Florida, is public record and readily accessible on line.  I also am learning from what they are doing, and that is both positive and negative (more on that later).

Aspirational Housing

Great article by author Michael Lewis of The Blind Side fame regarding the perils of expensive housing.  Even a very rich man like Michael Lewis couldn't keep up with renting a landmark mansion in his home town.  Mr. Lewis' fun essay also documents the hidden costs of utilities, maintenance and furnishings for a much larger house.  

I'm in a phase right now where many of my friends are selling their first or second home and upgrading into McMansion world.  It is somewhat surreal for my husband and I to visit our friends/peers who have moved from reasonable rancher to gated community McMansion.  Some of them bought during Florida's real estate bubble deflation so they got good deals, but it is still a whole different world.  One of my friends, who moved into McMansion world in the last couple of years mentioned that she felt like she had to buy (or lease) a new car to keep up with her new neighbors.

My friends' homes are beautiful and sometimes its hard not to think envious thoughts about those new chef kitchens and especially the walk in closets.  But, I have no desire to take on that kind of debt.  I did have a refreshing conversation with a college friend recently and she is just a couple of years away from paying off her home in full.  Great motivation for me as not having a home mortgage is a goal that is always in the back of my mind.

$300 Rule & $100 Rule

As I have previously posted, I have a long standing goal to have plantation shutters installed in two bedrooms in our home.  But, since plantation shutters are very expensive I decided that I would update my plan and just get some new, nice shades for these two bedrooms.

I have done quite a bit of research, measured the windows, priced out my options and then I settled on a plan which will run about $800.

But, in our home there is another step I had to take and that was to discuss the project, the expense, the source of the funds (we have this money sitting in our house project account) with Mr. Sam.  We have a rule that anything over $300 has to be discussed and agreed to between us.  Most of the time we reach agreement pretty quickly, but not so this time around.  I've talked to Mr. Sam about this project several times, gave him the pricing, told him about my research, but he thinks it is silly to spend this kind of money on custom shades.   If we can't reach agreement then we don't go forward that is our rule.  We imposed this rule back in 2007, because we were trying to throw every extra dollar at our debt.  But, we have kept the rule because we believe that we should be in agreement that expenditures above $300 are necessary or a mutual want (vacation) or one of us convinces the other.

We did finally agree or he finally gave in, but we did reach agreement.

The other rule we have is the $100 rule.  When we are spending more than a couple of hundred dollars we have to wait a day for each $100 of the purchase.  So in this instance, if we are spending $800 on custom blinds we have to wait 8 days before we actually make the purchase.  This waiting period prevents expensive impulse purchases.

I haven't yet ordered the blinds because of the waiting period rule, but will do so next week.

2014 Additional Goals - Update

I posted earlier of my multi-year goal to update the widow treatments in our home and my plan for 2014 to make progress on this goal.

Well, I've done all my measuring for the bedroom windows, there are six, and I've priced out my options.  I  have selected a roman shade in a natural material (bamboo, grass, etc.) with a dual lift system.  I have not figured out color yet, but I have ordered free swatches of the natural material so I can make an informed selection.  A dual lift system means that the shade can be raised from bottom to top (traditional) or dropped from the top.  This means that we can have the shades partially open from the top which will let light in but maintain privacy since we are in a dense area.

No to Zip Code

I am one of those consumers that says no to most questions at the end of the transaction.  No to rewards card.  No to email receipt.  No to phone number.  And, no to zip code.  Basically, I've come to the conclusion, and it is just my personal belief, that the company or the store is not asking these questions to help me.

Now, I've come to find out that I was right at least as applied to the zip code question.  Rather then gathering data to figure out where to locate the next store, stores are gathering data on you.  Take your zip code and your name (gathered from your credit card or debit card) and they can track you down to send you catalogs and other unwanted marketing material.

Drinking and Shopping Don't Mix

I enjoyed this fun Atlantic Wire post on shopping under the influence.

 I have been to enough Palm Beach charity events over the years to understand the silent auction (and live auction) bidding dollars go way up the more people drink.

As such, I would add a section to the article that one should generally get a pass for shopping/bidding at charity auctions, since its for charity.

Otherwise, I thought the suggestions in this guide were great.  Definitely leave the credit cards at home if you are shopping after drinking and have a friend there to talk you out of bad ideas.

I often find myself in trouble when it comes to art, because (1) I love original art, (2) I'll spend good money for art, and (3) I'm often admiring art while holding a glass of wine.  So I stick to my rules and anything over a $100 requires a cooling off period.  I'll take a photo of the art with my iPhone, I'll take a business card, but I generally don't buy art on a first viewing.

Executing on the Holiday Plan

Earlier, I posted about our holiday plan and budget and since its Cyber Monday it is time for me to start executing on our plan.

As I previously posted, for the past few years we've been sending out holiday wreathes to our adult family members (we don't exchange holiday gifts with the adults in our family).  The past few years the holiday wreath giving has also supported one of my favorite charities, but they have opted not to participate this year.    So, I was thinking of sending wine from a winery we visited this year.  But, that option ended up being too expensive and too complicated although I am going to order a 6 pack of wine to give as gifts locally (work and hostess gifts).

For the wreathes, I decided to go with L.L. Bean. First, L.L. Bean makes the wreathes right in Maine, so the company supports American workers.  Second, the wreathes ended up costing about the same amount, with free shipping today and 10% off today, as the charity wreathes.  Also, I will receive $40 in gift cards, $10 per $50 spent, which I can use for other holiday shopping.

Cooking Baby Steps - Part II

I have started researching the best (but not super expensive) cooking tools and I found this helpful list from Consumer Reports.

I actually already have one of the tools on the list. The KitchanAid mixer.  KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer KSM150PS - Contour Silver - KitchenAid (Google Affiliate Ad)  And, while I don't use the mixer on a daily or even monthly basis, it does work very well.

My plan is to take this list and compare it against what I've already got and work on improving our stock of kitchen tools.  At present, our biggest issue is cookware and knives, although I could also use some better baking sheets.

2012 Savings Goals - November Update

(1) Max out 401k(s) - $31,379 (92%)(goal is $34,000)
(2) Max out IRA(s) - $5,829 (58%)(goal is $10,000)
(3) Add to e/r fund - $8,400 (84%)(goal is $10,000)
(4) Pay down mortgage - $2490 (50%)(goal is $5,000)
(4)(a) Savings for goal (4) - $415
(5) House projects - $1,200 (24%)(goal is $5,000)
(6) Trading account fund - $50 (1%)(goal is $5,000)

Total - $49,763 (72%)

I've added a sub goal to our list, since at present, I'm allocating our mortgage paydown money to savings until I figure out how to prepay our new mortgage.

At present, we are approximately $9,900 behind on our 2012 goals and the gap is approaching $10,000.

What can I say about our current savings deficit and the fact that it continues to grow?

I can tell you that (1) we've spent thousands on certifications for Mr. Sam this year (to improve career opportunities); (2) I can tell you we spent thousands on refinancing our primary dwelling and (3) thousands on fixing our our primary dwelling for the appraisal for the refi; and (4) recently a few thousands on some projects at Rental # 3.

But, I can also tell you that in the face of the above we have failed to change our lifestyle in any significant manner.  We continue to eat out more than we should.  I just booked a girls weekend in South Beach, Miami and, of course, I just bought some fabulous art. 

So, with two months to go, including the expensive holiday season, it seems doubtful that we will reach our $69,000 number.  Rather, at this point, while I'm not amending our goals, I'm hoping to meet and surpass last year's savings number which was $60,060.

Happy Days - Part III

Earlier I posted about my recent raise and retroactive pay, related to my raise, and how I wanted to spend those monies. I decided that I would put 2/3 of my retroactive pay towards the art that I've been stalking since Memorial Day and the rest would be put towards our 2012 IRAs or other 2012 savings goals.

Well, I am pleased to report that I have more than enough in my ING savings account to purchase the art work and I've already e-mailed the artist and made the purchase.

And, yes, I put the other 1/3 of my retroactive pay into our 2012 IRAs.

Happy Days

Good news, I  received a 5% raise yesterday at work.  And further good news is that the raise is retroactive for a few months.  Whoo-hoo!

So, since today is pay day for me, I received my newly increased paycheck via direct deposit and a check for the retroactive pay.  Eyeing that retroactive pay, we could use it towards funding our 2012 IRAs or towards paying down our mortgage.  We are behind on both of these 2012 savings goals (behind $2371 in funding our IRA, and behind $1461).  Or we could put it towards expenses related to turning Rental #3  (which Mr. Sam is working on as we speak).

But, what I really want to do is put it towards the art work that I've been saving for since Memorial Day.

What would you do, put it towards 2012 saving goals, put it towards current rental related expenses or spend it on something fun?  As an aside, I already have $110 in my art account so I only have $515 to go before I have sufficient funds to purchase.  This piece of art would be my Christmas present to myself from myself and Mr. Sam.

eBay Errors

So, like many brides, when Mr. Sam and I got married, we registered for fine china.  I registered for a brand and pattern of china that has been around for 100+ years.  But, like many brides, I didn't end up receiving a full set of china, since the fine china I registered for was and is expensive (think $150 for a dinner plate).

Now, five years later I have discovered that since my china has been around for so long, I can find it on eBay for prices that are much more favorable.  So, what do I do, I get excited and start bidding on my china.  Three soup bowls for $30, that sounds like a bargain, bid away.  $10 for an egg cup, deal!

Guess what, I am not an eBay expert and I've realized that I've skipped over a very important part of eBay bidding process . . . and that is actually reading the item description.  Because, as you may have guessed, I now have three soup bowls, but all three have chips on the rim.  And my egg cup has a crack.  Luckily, I've only spent $40 on this experiment.  But, its certainly a wasted $40 because really, I can't do much with chipped and cracked fine china.  

So, what have I learned.  I need to make sure I click through and actually read the description, because based on my two purchases, both sellers fully disclosed that the items I was purchasing had flaws.  But, since I had bid before I read, that information wasn't particularly helpful.  Additionally, a very low price likely indicates a flaw.  How did I win the auction for three soup bowls at $30, no one else wanted them because of the rim chips.  

At present, I am watching six dinner plates (no flaws) and the auction price is up to $305.  I don't expect to bid on the plates since it outside my budget but six perfect plates would be a deal since at retail cost they would run $900.

How about you, have you had success on eBay?   

Headboard Project

Working on my headboard project today.

A few weeks ago, on bulk trash day, I spied an old, painted, wood headboard that had been set out for trash pick up. Since we needed a headboard for our guest room, when I returned home from my early morning walk, I made Mr. Sam get up and go pick it up in his truck.

 Today, I sanded the headboard utilizing Mr. Sam's handheld sanding machine. I started off with 50 grit sandpaper, then used 80 grit and finished with 120 grit. In between rounds of sanding, I washed off all the dust.  Once I was done with sanding, I then primed the headboard with white primer spray paint. At present, I'm waiting for it to dry and then I'll paint it with a bright white high gloss paint.

Total cost for new headboard will be zero dollars. With all the projects Mr. Sam does, we already had all the necessary supplies.

Refinance Part 7

We just received our Refi appraisal report (the rough draft, we don't have the signed one with all the photos yet).

And the good news is we appraised at $395,000 which is above the number we needed which was $348,000.  And we are only down $20,000 from our last appraisal in 2009.

So, we should be able to move forward with our super awesome Refi terms.  There is a re-review of the appraisal, this is part of the process now, so there is a chance that the Refi could be derailed if the appraiser really screwed up.  I've not studied the report or the comps yet, except for the one comp which I suggested he utilize and, therefore, was already aware of based on my own research.

Refinance Part 6

I am physically sore today after all the work this past weekend.  And, I only worked a day and a half, Mr. Sam worked two and a half days.  We made good progress, below is our list and the status of same.  Appraisal is scheduled for Wednesday morning, so we have a little bit of time to finish up.  Overall, we spent close to a $1000 this weekend.  But, even if the appraisal is a bust, the projects and effort expended was well worth it and generally necessary.  For example, we normally replace the mulch every two years, but the last time we redid the mulch was 2010 so we were, frankly, due to undertake this project anyways.

Outside:
1) Remove old mulch in back and front yards and replace with new mulch (we've had this mulch in for a year plus so its started to break down and turn into dirt).  Mostly done, all the old mulch is gone (given to an organic gardener), I would say 60% of the new mulch is down.
2)  Power wash all walks.  Done.
3)  Weed and trim up any plants as necessary (we did a big trimming project a few weeks ago, so we are ahead of the game on this one).  Done.
4)  Get rid of any mold on the house and carriage house (we are in Florida, after a while mold starts to grow on the sides of the home that don't get a whole lot of sunshine).  Done.
5)  Paint touch up as needed.  Done.
6)  Wash windows.  Not done, and more than likely off the list.  
7)  Fix a couple of sprinklers.  Not done, but still on the list to get done.  
8)  Fix fence in back yard and back yard gate.  Fence is fixed.  Mr. Sam decided to replace the old gate which was beat up from the elements and hurricanes.  He has started building the gate (from a kit), but needs to finish.   

Garage:
1)  Clean and organize garage.  Done.

Inside:
1)  Make sure everything is put away, including in the office (our dumping ground) so I'll need to catch up on filing which will take a few hours at least.  I put away all the clean laundry (also did three or four loads of laundry, so laundry room is not overflowing with dirty laundry) and tidied up elsewhere.  I did at least a couple of hours of filing, but there are still baskets of "to be filed" in the office.  However, the office looks a lot better, desk is clean and tidy.
2)  Super clean the house, vac, mop, dust (including things like art and photos, every ceiling fan, A/C vents, light fixtures, plantation shutters, etc.), scrub kitchen (wash windows on kitchen cabinets) and baths, wash base-boards, get rid of scuff marks on walls and base boards.  We don't have a cleaning service, as much as I'd like one, and with our works hours our house is generally tidy, but not super clean most of the time.  I spent from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. yesterday working on the deep clean.  As I mentioned, I am physically sore.  I scrubbed baseboards, I cleaned ceiling fans, I dusted art and photos, I dusted furniture, I vacuumed soft furniture, I scrubbed the bathrooms, the tub, the floor, the walls, cleaned toilets, I washed the kitchen cabinets, etc.  We still need to do a final vacuuming and mopping which we will do Tuesday night.
3)  Complete headboard project for guest room.  Not done, and not sure its going to get done before appraisal.  But, headboard is in the garage so it is not a noticeable issue.  
4)  Replace any light bulbs.  Done.
5)  Trip to Goodwill to get rid of donation stuff sitting in master bedroom.  Still need to make this trip, plan to load up dry-cleaning and Goodwill donations for delivery tomorrow or even Wednesday after the appraisal.  Point being that this stuff will be in the trunk of my car, not sitting out.    
6)  Tidy up closets.  Done.
7)  Fix light fixture in mater bedroom sitting area.  Done.


Additional Projects:
1)  Mr. Sam completed a ceiling repair project in the living room.  Our house is a 1920s home and the plaster had separated from the lath.  Of course it ended up being a big project, moving furniture, mudding, texturizing, and will be painted today.
2)  Mr. Sam re-stained the kitchen kick-boards.

Refinance Part 4

We were supposed to go away this weekend, but instead we'll be spending the next three days on shining up our home to put it in the best condition possible for appraisal (which we assume will be next week).  Mr. Sam is working from home today and he already has his crew working on the outside projects.

This is our list of projects:

Outside:
1) Remove old mulch in back and front yards and replace with new mulch (we've had this mulch in for a year plus so its started to break down and turn into dirt).
2)  Power wash all walks.
3)  Weed and trim up any plants as necessary (we did a big trimming project a few weeks ago, so we are ahead of the game on this one).
4)  Get rid of any mold on the house and carriage house (we are in Florida, after a while mold starts to grow on the sides of the home that don't get a whole lot of sunshine).
5)  Paint touch up as needed.
6)  Wash windows.
7)  Fix a couple of sprinklers.
8)  Fix fence in back yard and back yard gate.

Garage:
1)  Clean and organize garage.

Inside:
1)  Make sure everything is put away, including in the office (our dumping ground) so I'll need to catch up on filing which will take a few hours at least.
2)  Super clean the house, vac, mop, dust (including things like art and photos, every ceiling fan, A/C vents, light fixtures, plantation shutters, etc.), scrub kitchen (wash windows on kitchen cabinets) and baths, wash base-boards, get rid of scuff marks on walls and base boards.  We don't have a cleaning service, as much as I'd like one, and with our works hours our house is generally tidy, but not super clean most of the time.
3)  Complete headboard project for guest room.
4)  Replace any light bulbs.
5)  Trip to Goodwill to get rid of donation stuff sitting in master bedroom.
6)  Tidy up closets.
7)  Fix light fixture in mater bedroom sitting area.

The Perils of Keeping Up

Mr. Sam and I live in an eclectic historic small city.  Our 1920s era home is large for the era, 2200 square feet, plus we have a detached two car garage/carriage house which provides additional space.  For our neighborhood, our home is on the larger end of the scale and, on our street, our home is probably the second largest (by square footage).  Moreover, our home is quite nice, it has renovated baths (2) and kitchen.  Mr. Sam also does a great job with the yard and landscaping.  But, our house is not "perfect", we still have storage projects to undertake (adding clothing and storage closets), we plan to add plantation shutters and we plan to add a bar at some point.  We also have less sexy projects in mind, like a new A/C system.

We live in what would probably be described by an outsider as an up and coming hipster type area.  We are close to the beach and within walking distance to parks, the library, and a downtown area with shops and bars.  The socio-economic mix of our neighborhood is varied, we have lots of retired folks, young families, some snow-birds/seasonal, several gay couples, and some professional families.  Overall, in our neighborhood, except for our friends living directly on the water, I suspect that we are on the higher end of the income distributions (two working professionals).

This past weekend, I was with a good friend at her house warming party. This friend, let's call her Jane, and her husband both work in the same profession as me.  They are a hard working, dual income, professional couple with three small children.  I assume they are both pulling in strong incomes.  They recently took advantage of the down real estate market in South Florida and bought a home (built in 2000) that is close to 8000 square feet, with an acre of land, pool, etc.

The home cost them $700,000+ and they have a $600,000+ mortgage on the home.  The house is beautiful, but even so they spent 6 weeks renovating the home, painting, installing hard wood floors upstairs, landscaping, minor renovations in the kitchen, minor renovations to downstairs bath and laundry.  They spent in the low 5 figures on the renovations.

Six months after they moved in, the house looks show room ready, meaning matching and appropriately nice furniture in each room, large flat screen TVs in several rooms, perfect window treatment, art hung on each wall, etc.  You would never know that they just moved into their home.

Jane is a good enough friend that she mentioned, when we were on the house tour, several tid-bits regarding the cost to furnish the home, to paint the home, the increase cost for the lawn service (since they have an acre of land), the increase cost for their house cleaning service (since the home is double the size of their old home), the cost of the pool service, the increase energy costs, etc.

I'm very happy for Jane and her family, they got a great deal on a great house that has the space they think they need as their children grow up.  But, I find that these check ins with my peers just reinforces my desire to live small.  First, I would hate to live 40 minutes west of the ocean.  Second, I would hate to live in a McMansionville community.  I like the variety of people  that I interact with in my community and neighborhood.  I also think I would find myself trying to keep up with the perfect furniture, the house keeper, the fancy, leased cars, etc. that my neighbors all would have.  In my neighborhood, we are generally at the top of the expenditure cascade so I don't often find myself keeping up with my neighbors.  Our home, while nice still has an empty room, mis-matched furniture and plastic blinds in several rooms (we are saving for plantation shutters as we speak).  Third, Jane's level of debt scares me.  Yes, we have $570,000+ in mortgage debt ourselves, but $310,000 of that debt is investment properties and the mortgages are being paid by our tenants.  Fourth, Jane and her husband have just engaged in major lifestyle inflation, they have increased their monthly costs (putting aside the mortgage) for utilities, taxes, insurance, up-keep, etc.

Can I Afford It?

I just returned from another fabulous, annual Memorial Day weekend girls trip.  The trip was expensive, nice hotel, pricey flight, fabulous 5 star dinners every night.  But, as you know, I plan for these trips and put away money each month for our travel expenses.  So this trip came in on budget, but it still was an expensive outing especially in light of the fact that Mr. Sam may not have a job at the end of the year.

While we did some great browsing in some great galleries and boutiques, I didn't actually buy anything on my trip.  I was interested in a hand made regional flavor basket, that would cost between $200-$300 (depending on size).  I decided not to buy it in the touristy area because I figured, and I was correct, that I could find a better price away from the hustle and bustle.  Then I was in a gallery and found a large piece of original art that I fell in love with.  In the gallery, it was priced at $750, but on-line it is priced at $625. Plus, I'd have to pay shipping which would tag on another $50 or so, but I don't have to pay sales tax.  So all together it would cost around $675.

I'm not a huge fan of Suze Orman but I've always liked her  "Can We Afford It" segments.  So this is my version of Orman's can I afford it.

Now, we don't have any unsecured debt, but we do have lots of mortgage debt.   However, at present, all of our investment properties are rented and paying for themselves.  We also have almost $18,000 in our emergency fund.

But, the elephant in the room is Mr. Sam's job.  We know there is a good chance that he will lose his job at the end of the year.  As a result we've been spending big dollars on some certification classes for him and therefore we are behind on our 2012 savings goals.  More importantly, we probably should be saving even more because of the high probability that Mr. Sam will be unemployed.

And putting that all aside, there are other home projects, i.e. plantations shutters and other improvements, that we could use this money for.

What do you think?  Can I afford it?

A Few of My Favorite Blogs (not about money or personal finances)

I am a reader.  I read books, articles, blogs, etc.  I've gathered up a few of my favorite non-money blogs and sites for your enjoyment.

First off, marriage.  I'm married and I believe that marriage, like any friendship or relationship takes effort and work.  So when I feel like my marriage needs work or a boost or I just need a reminder as to why I got married in the first place I turn to:  Engaged Marriage and Assume Love.

Second, work.  When I'm struggling with getting my work done or focusing at work, I really enjoy Dumb Little Man.

Third, home life.  I like Lime in the Coconut for Florida decorating and home ideas.  I read Real Simple, both in magazine form and online, for decorating, organizing, meal planning, holiday, and for fashion.  I also read Fly Lady for cleaning and organizing tips.

And last, but certainly not least, I read the Happiness Project blog for tips on how to get the most joy out of life.  I also read the book and I highly recommend it.

Please let me know if you have any favorite blogs that I need to read.

Additional 2012 Goals

We still need a new accountant, so that is a priority goal for 2012.  Additionally, I would like to get our debt load below $565,000.

As for non-financial goals, I would like to finish my office organizational goal (a carry over from 2011) and then maintain our paperwork habits.  I also would like to install plantation shutters in our front bedroom which faces east.  The front bedroom includes three large side by side windows (more like the photo on the right) and one additional large window on the south wall.  We have plantation shutters in one room in our home, the entry way, and my plan is to eventually install them in both downstairs bedrooms, the office and possibly the dining room.  The first room we did was expensive, so we are savings our pennies, see house account goal, and I hope that we will have enough saved to do room number two this year.