Making Me a Millionaire

Net Worth Update

I’m back from my NYC trip and now it’s back to work.  Looks like February was a relatively good month.  Here’s where we stand right now and I’m pretty pleased with the way things are going.

No red!  Seeing all green makes me a happy person!  You’ll notice there was a significant increase in the amount of cash we had.  This is because my husband is still on his severance from his old job (it runs out in April) so we’re currently collecting two paychecks which is nice.  We’re taking his entire paycheck from his old company and putting it away because we don’t want to get used to having 2 paychecks since we know it’s not permanent.

It looks like we have recovered from January and did pretty well this past month.  There has definitely been quite a change since I’ve been tracking the progress of our net worth.  If you’re currently not tracking your net worth, I encourage you to do so because it is so rewarding to see how far you’ve come and it gives you the motivation you need to continue saving and investing!

What Credit Card Do You Use?

So I’d like to know what credit card you folks out there are using.  I’m looking for a credit card with good rewards.  My husband travels for work so it makes sense to get a travel-related credit card.  We never carry a balance but we just use our credit cards for everything so we can take advantage of the rewards!  I know a lot of financial experts warn us against using credit cards but I’ve been using them for over 10 years, have always paid in full on time and just sit back and collect my hotel points. Anyway, I’d love to know what you are using!

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a little different for the hubby and I because it’s also his birthday!  When we first started dating he would say “because the 14th is my birthday we can use that to cancel out Valentine’s Day right?” At the time I told him it was wishful thinking, but today, after 5 years of marriage, we really don’t do much for Valentine’s Day.  We’ve tried in the past, but the flowers and chocolate thing just doesn’t do much for me and if you ask me, sending flowers on Valentine’s Day is a complete rip off!  So instead of spending the money on typical Valentine’s Day gifts, we’ve made a tradition out of having a nice meal without spending big bucks.  In the past, we’ve done the romantic dinner at home, we’ve used gift cards we received over Christmas at restaurants, and this year, we’re using our American Express points for a free dinner!  I’ll be happy to have an inexpensive Valentine’s Day every year!

Do you do anything special for Valentine’s Day?  What kind of gifts/experiences do you prefer?  Are you doing anything to be more frugal on Valentine’s Day?

My Favorite Places for a Good Deal

I absolutely love getting a good deal.  I sign up for sites that offer deals, I go through them everyday, I use coupons, I’ll go to happy hour, I use frequent flyer miles and I hoard hotel points.

My great accomplishment this week?  Ordering a $100 gift card to the Capital Grille using my Amex points and making the reservations with OpenTable while earning 1,000 OpenTable points (Capital Grille was on their 1,000 point list!).  Since this Sunday is Valentine’s Day (and also my husband’s birthday) it was time for a fine dining experience!  We will use any excuse for an opportunity to eat good food.  It felt so good to know I wasn’t going to spend much (or anything at all) on this eventful dinner and at the same time earn 1,000 points for it (which equals $10)!  So I thought I’d share some of my favorite sites that offer great deals.

1) Slickdeals.net - I check this site everyday.  I have learned of some amazing deals from visiting Slickdeals.  The best deal I ever got was a 3 night stay at the Wynn in Las Vegas for the hubby and I as well as for my parents for FREE!  My parents ended up with a suite too!  We also got $200 in resort credit!  Of course we had to pay for the flight but I’m not complaining!  We’ve also gotten other great discounts but nothing topped the free nights at the Wynn.

2) RueLaLa - What woman doesn’t like to buy designer clothes for 50-70% off?  I don’t usually buy too much designer stuff but if I do, it comes from RueLaLa.  Everyday, there are different boutiques that go on sale for a limited time.  It’s like an online sample sale so you better act fast before items get sold out!  You need to be referred to set up an account so send me a message if you want me to refer you!  Other similar sites include Gilt, HauteLook and OneKingLane (for home goods).

3) ShopItToMe – When you sign up with ShopItToMe, you tell them what brands you’re interested in.  Every week, you’ll get an email with the best deals on those brand items .  I’ve bought several BCBG dresses through this site for less than $100.

4) Groupon – Select your city, and everyday there’s a new sale.  It could be half priced meals at restaurants, discounted spa services, specialty stores, etc.  There needs to be at least a certain number of people who collectively want the deal in order for the deal to be on.  I’ve never actually seen a deal not happen!

5) Restaurant.com – Because my husband and I love to eat, Restaurant.com is a great site for us.  You can browse through all the restaurants in your area and purchase a gift certificate to your eatery of choice.  The standard rate is a $25 gift certificate for $10 which is pretty good…but practically every week they have great sales where you can purchase a $25 gift certificate for just $2!  I’ve used this site many times before and I love that you can print out your gift certificate as soon as you make your purchase.  The only thing to watch out for is to check what kind of restrictions the restaurant has – some will say that the certificates can only be used for dinner or can only be used on certain days.

6) Coupons.com – I love using this site for groceries.  You can browse through a bunch of coupons, select the ones you want, them print them out and use them at the store!

7) OpenTable – OK by now you’ve heard me talk about OpenTable at least a few times. I love having a point system for when I dine and since making reservations is easy through this site (and free) I don’t see why anyone would not do it!  Each city has a list of restaurants that can earn you 1,000 points after dining there.  You can earn a $25 OpenTable dining cheque (to be used at any OpenTable restaurant) with 2,500 points.  This is great because so many good restaurants are on OpenTable and there are some great restaurants on the 1,000 points list too!  I’m currently at 3,000 points so I’m going to save up for a $100 dining cheque and have a nice meal!

So that’s all I’ve got.  Are there any other sites out there with great deals that you’d like to share?

Getting in Shape Without Going Broke

I’m the kind of chick who has always been weight conscious.  I’ve never starved myself or cried over my weight but I always make sure I get a good workout in and I hate the discomfort I feel when I put on weight and my jeans dig into me.  Because eating is truly a joy in my life, I can’t do the diet thing and have to keep my weight in check through exercise and portion control.  Over the last 10 years, I have spent too much money on exercise.  I’ve joined gyms, signed up for personal trainers, ran in races, invested in dumbbells, yoga mats, medicine balls.

Now that we’re moving, it’s time to cancel our pricey gym membership.  I’m sad to not have access to a nice gym but I vow to get my exercise in without going broke.  In the past, this is what exercise has cost me…

• Gym membership ($180 a month for 2 people) – we did get good use out of swimming pools, tennis courts, exercise classes and a rock wall though!
• Personal trainer – $80 for a 1/2 hour session
• Running in a race – anywhere between $20 and $80 depending on the length and size
• Indoor rock climbing – $25 a session

Now that we are moving to Seattle, I plan on taking advantage of the beautiful outdoors and saving on exercises expenses.  I’m going to put off a gym membership for as long as possible by doing the following:

• Walking.  The great thing about living in downtown is that you don’t need a car and you can walk everywhere.  All this walking helps to keep the fat off.  I used to live in NYC when I was younger and walked everywhere.  I never ever had to think about my weight because I was doing so much walking everyday!
• Hiking. With the mountains and hills everywhere, I will make an effort to go hiking on the weekends with my husband.  Great for a nice butt!
• Biking (maybe). We don’t have bikes right now so if we decide to go biking, we’ll have to invest in bikes which are expensive.  I’m also not sure if we’ll have space in our apartment for 2 bikes so we’ll have to see.  It is tempting though because there is a waterfront bike trail right outside the apartment building we’re looking at!
• Fitness DVDs. I believe in the benefits of resistance training, yoga and pilates so instead of signing up at a studio, I figure why not do it at home on my mat?  Most DVDs are around $13.  Here are some great ones…

$11.49 on Amazon.com

$8.49 on Amazon.com

$14.99 on Amazon.com

$11.99 on Amazon.com

Exercise is not only a great way to keep the fat off but it’s also very beneficial to your health.  If exercising can help reduce your chances of heart disease or cancer or stroke, I’d say it’s well worth the amount of money you put into yourself right now rather than having to pay medical bills later on.

Are there any other inexpensive/free ways of exercising that any of you out there practice?

Feb Net Worth

Well, it looks like this month has been a terrible one when it comes to the stock market.    I was excited last month and thought maybe a recovery was on its way but this month wasn’t what I was hoping it would be.  Let’s hope the January indicators won’t be an accurate in the portend of 2010!  I saw that the loss of $17K was in green in the chart above but it should be in red.  Just too lazy to redo and upload again!

How have the rest of you been doing?  Was January a bad month for you as well?

Oh, How I Love OpenTable

The husband and I love to eat.  It’s a great way to just get away, experience different cuisines and have some private time to talk and bond.  Although I’m all for saving money, I just need to eat out at least once a week.  It’s one of those things my husband and I really enjoy and aren’t willing to cut out.  So if we’re going to be dining out, why not earn points towards a free meal in the future?  That is why, I always use OpenTable to make reservations.

Here’s how it works:

1) Make your free reservations at OpenTable.com

2) When you arrive at the restaurant, let the host know you have reservations and give them your name

3) Enjoy your meal

After your meal, you should see points added to your account.  Most restaurants will offer 100 points for dining.  Each city has a list of restaurants that offer 1,000-point reservations.  I’ve noticed in the cities I looked at that there are many good restaurants that offer the 1,000 point reservations.  These are great as they allow you to build up points much faster than the regular 100 point restaurants.

What do you do with all these points? You redeem them for Dining Cheques!  They are basically gift certificates that you can use at any OpenTable restaurant.

2,000 OpenTable Points = $20 OpenTable Dining Cheque
5,000 OpenTable Points = $50 OpenTable Dining Cheque
10,000 OpenTable Points = $100 OpenTable Dining Cheque

I always always always use OpenTable to make my reservations.  You can even use it for lunch reservations and small restaurants.  It doesn’t hurt to always check before you head out to eat!

Back from Seattle

Sorry folks!  I’ve been MIA for a while because we’ve been in Seattle checking out the city and deciding whether or not it is the place to move to.  Well, after much thought and discussion, we’ve decided that Seattle will most likely be our new home!  Now we’ll just have to work out the kinks and start downsizing.  We currently live in a 4br townhouse and have accumulated a bit of junk.  We’re looking to move into a 2br/2ba apartment in Seattle so we’ll need to spend lots of time on Craigslist  trimming down on stuff.  I’m glad we’ll be downsizing because after living in such a big house, I really do believe the bigger the house you have the more money you spend to furnish it!  I am however, sad that we won’t be owning property.  I really hope we can get back into the world of real estate before home prices get too high again.  Sometimes I wonder if this move is a good idea.  It’s definitely a great place to raise well rounded kids but with our families back east I’m sometimes conflicted.  My husband doesn’t seem to have this problem as he just does it without worrying so much.  Would you ever move across country to save yourself from state income taxes?  Would you move far from your family to give your kids a good environment to grow up in?

January 2010 Net Worth

Here’s an update on my net worth for this month.  I’m feeling good with every month that passes!  But then again, when the economy has hit almost rock bottom, going up is not a big surpirse.

This month, we’re in the green by $26548.60!  The only thing that depreciated was my car.  We actually sold it (haven’t gotten the check yet though) for $24,000 so I know we lost $1k there but that’s OK.  I just canceled the auto insurance for that car so we should be saving a little bit more money.

Here’s a graph that shows how much the net worth has gone up in the last few months.

This has been the best month so far!

Next up:  Once we get the check from the car we sold, I’d like to use that money (and pull out some money from our cash savings) to pay off that home loan of $36,978.55.  With that paid off, we’ll have an extra $600 a month to play with and we’ll save ourselves a couple thousand dollars in interest.

Download a David Bach Book for Free!

Walletpop.com is offering a free download of David Bach’s latest Start Over, Finish Rich: 10 Steps to Get You Back on Track in 2010. Great deal for all us fiscally conscious folks!  The offer is for today only so make sure you go and grab a copy soon!