https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:16:43 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2420796 Wed, 13 Jan 2016 17:46:24 +0000 Dr. Pepper 2420796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Silva: Hey! Sorry for the late response! My laptop died and I just got a new computer yesterday!!! </p> <p>I refinanced through the Bank of North Dakota Deal One loan program. It is available only to residents of ND or persons who attended a ND university (I think). I went with the variable interest rate, which I know is risky, but for me it was worth the risk. Fixed was at about 5.25%. Variable was at 1.75% when I refinanced. The max rate on the variable was 10% and the annual increase was capped at 1%. My plan was to repay in 4-5 years, so the max increase of 5% would have increased my interest to a 6.75% rate which was still less than the 6.8% I was paying prior to refinancing. I refinanced about 1 year ago and the rate has not increased at all yet (in fact it has gone down) and I have cut my estimated repayment time from 4-5 years down to a year and a half! In the end, it was a totally awesome deal for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2412542 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 11:23:24 +0000 Silva 2412542@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dr. Pepper: okay, how did you be such a low rate on th student loans? We want to refinance in July when we no longer need the income based repayment options. We have about 180k in loans from med school and a masters. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2412516 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 11:01:27 +0000 .twist. 2412516@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@loveisstrange: awesome! he was pretty stoked. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2412297 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 08:59:51 +0000 ElbieKay 2412297@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I hope you guys settle into a routine soon. Good luck.</p> <p>I'm sure you don't want to add even more change, but have you considered sending your older daughter to a local daycare/preschool so that you can have the nanny handle dropoff/pickup? I guess you only have half a school year left until she will start preschool locally anyway, so maybe it's not worth it.</p> <p>My son started two half days per week at a local daycare, so if we have a second child we will have to pay double for those two mornings, too. It really adds up.</p> <p>I hope the nanny can help with some stuff around the house. Mine does that, and it really helps take the edge off. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411896 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 20:37:11 +0000 loveisstrange 2411896@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@.twist.: sure! I shared it think the very first one you posted with some friends and they liked it too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411544 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 15:21:20 +0000 Boopers 2411544@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dr. Pepper: that is incredible!!!! Great job! I walled you some questions I have about refinancing student loans, if you don't mind answering them. 😃 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411536 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 15:15:49 +0000 Truth Bombs 2411536@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Probably going to buy hubs a new car. Need to set up LO2's 529. Other than that just keep on saving and investing as much as possible each month. We try to cash flow everything, even big things like vacations, down payment on the new car, etc so money only ever goes IN to savings for the distant future and never comes OUT. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411508 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 14:59:27 +0000 LovelyPlum 2411508@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our main goals for 2016 are not financial, but we are going to try to do a few things, pending info about DH's raise after his review this month. We just recently moved into a bigger apartment and are casually TTC again, so trying to prep for a potential double daycare payment in 2017. We also found out that we are getting an unexpectedly large settlement from an injury case we had pending (car accident). Almost all of it will go towards paying off debt and establishing some savings. I'm also going to try to supplement our income with some online work to help offset the research travel I'll be doing this summer </p> <p>Modest goals, compared to some, but baby steps, right? ☺ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411479 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 14:41:41 +0000 MrsBrewer 2411479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a ton of student loans, and I would love to focus on paying those down! We have one that's down to $2,400. That doesn't sound like a lot to most of you, but my goal this year is to pay that one off!! Right around $200/month. To us that's a LOT of money!! but that's our goal! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411477 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 14:40:55 +0000 josina 2411477@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dr. Pepper: Wow, thats a great refi/interest rate on your student loans! I was looking into it but didn't think i could beat 4.5% by enough to make the hassle worth it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411379 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 13:40:39 +0000 Dr. Pepper 2411379@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: Thanks! We were sick and tired of making a lot of money and then it all going towards bills. I was able to refinance my student loans to 1.5% interest and that made a tons of extra money available that I was no longer paying on interest (my payments went from $1,000/month to $300/month). So that go us motivated and from there we went a little crazy and kept cutting things and re-prioritizing things and now are super excited about where we are heading! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411344 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 13:19:36 +0000 runnerd 2411344@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1. Prepayment of pregnancy expenses (not a goal, since it's required lol)<br /> 2. Paying off small remaining personal loan by March.<br /> 3. Finishing funding our emergency fund by baby #2's arrival in June<br /> 4. Planning and paying for Denver anniversary trip we will take in October<br /> 5. Set up #2's college savings, and continue funding #1's monthly</p> <p>Mostly our goal is after my maternity to SURVIVE our life for the next 3 years of 2 in daycare lol! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411335 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 13:14:30 +0000 Tanjowen 2411335@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Goals for 2016:</p> <p> - Pay back in laws money we borrowed for down payment<br /> - Get our savings back up to cover 6 months of our living expenses</p> <p>We have been living bare bones for the past 2 years. I went PT, and DH started a new job that gives low pay for the first year. But he gets his new pay starting next month and hoping all these goals are very attainable and that we can ease up on our budget this year!</p> <p>Another big thing we need to happen is our old home to sell. We've had some nibbles but no offers, and we are eating into our savings paying for it, ugh. We plan to give it until March and if no offers, put it up for rent and let it be. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411270 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 12:30:43 +0000 MediaNaranja 2411270@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started 2015 in a pretty bad place (lots of CC debt after a year of unemployment), and ended it in a much better one :) </p> <p>We paid off all the CC debt, and saved enough to allow us to put a down payment on our first home! We are closing in two weeks !!</p> <p>I suspect that we won't be able to save much this year due to all the fun stuff that comes with owning a home. </p> <p>I still have massive student loans, but am on an income-based repayment plan so payments are manageable. I also have one small Perkins loan with about $1500 left, and I pan to pay it off completely by March. </p> <p>The only other financial goal I have is to find better-paying jobs for myself (and really my husband, too). I'd like to stay with my same general employer (university system) but move to a different department/job. I'm keeping my eye out on postings and attending events in my holy grail department in case anything opens up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411228 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 12:19:16 +0000 yoursilverlining 2411228@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dr. Pepper: I just have to say, damn! Go you!!! That's amazing how much you paid off last year and will pay off this year!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411194 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 12:09:40 +0000 Modern Daisy 2411194@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are in such an odd transitional situation right now that making goals is impossible. The construction on our house was supposed to be done 11/15 but they still have at least a month left to go, so we can't start budgeting to pay that off until it's done. DH is employed but unhappy at work so he is interviewing for a new job and if things get much worse he might up and quit his job, we won't know for several months. I will be out on leave in June and our childcare costs will increase once I go back to work but we don't know by how much. Also we have to pay capital gains taxes on the sale of our home and have no idea how much that will be until we do our taxes. So yeah.. Basically things are not looking great for 2016 and meeting goals since we can't even set them!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411169 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 12:02:50 +0000 Anagram 2411169@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: We got a nanny for the baby and are keeping LO1 in school/daycare 3 full days a week. LO1 will also stay home with the nanny T,Th....but if she seems bored, we'll put her in her school full time 5 days a week. We're saving a little money having her just go 3 days, but it's still super expensive.</p> <p>I was hoping to find a nanny share for the baby to really save $$, but I couldn't find another share family. Blah</p> <p>It's all super new--the nanny just started Monday and LO 1 just started going back to her old daycare close to my job on Monday so we are definitely in the adjustment phase. Daycare drop of has been rough with lots of tears, and the baby isn't napping or eating well for the nanny yet. :bummed: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2411004 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 10:10:05 +0000 .twist. 2411004@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cmomma17: Totally. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2410945 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 09:32:05 +0000 Dr. Pepper 2410945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2015 was a great year for us. We paid off my husbands pickup, my SUV, our camper, and bought a boat with cash. We paid down about $13,000 on our mortgage and about $30,000 on my students loans. We put 4% of my income into a matching 401K and 10% of my husbands income into a matching 401K and contributed 1% of our income to our son's 529.</p> <p>Goals for 2016:<br /> 1. We WILL pay off the remaining $33,000 of my student loans by October.<br /> 2. Continue current contributions to 401K and then increase my husbands to 15% and mine to 10% once student loans are paid off.<br /> 3. Continue to round payments on mortgage to a $500 principle payment each month (which ends up being about $80 extra each month- its not much, but I like seeing the nice round numbers and every little bit helps)<br /> 4. After student loans are paid off, save the payment that was going toward student loans ($3,500 each month) for November and December as an emergency fund.<br /> 5. Continue to contribute 1% of income to the 529 and then in July after baby arrives another 1% into the new baby's 529.</p> <p>We have a few larger expenses coming up in 2016- new bedroom set for our son (so baby can have the crib set), a new desk for our very first desktop computer (we are no longer laptop people!), neutering our 4 year old hunting dog (finally), finishing the rest of the basement (1 room and 2 small storage spaces- my husband will do all the work so we just have to pay for materials), and the worst of all- NEW WINDOWS throughout the house (OMG it is going to be so expensive- I cry thinking about it). Oh yeah- I guess we could consider the birth of our son as a large expense (the last one was $5,800 but that involved a NICU stay and me being really sick in the hospital for a long time too, so I hope it is less this time. And 4 weeks of my leave will be unpaid. So, I guess goal 6 could be to make sure we pay cash for all of that.</p> <p>At the end of 2016 we will have zero debt other than our mortgage. At that point we will begin to attack the mortgage. The goal is to pay it off by the end of 2020! We are really excited and motivated to be completely debt free. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2410909 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 09:04:04 +0000 cmomma17 2410909@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@.twist.: I am so interested in checking out your hubby's fitness videos! Is that weird? can you wall me a link? I think that's so cool! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2410903 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 08:56:01 +0000 ElbieKay 2410903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: Did you switch to local care instead of care near your job? I hope it cuts down on your crazy routine! The early years are expensive, but I try to remember that it's for a finite amount of time until elementary school starts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2410851 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 08:06:01 +0000 cmomma17 2410851@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bao: I have a long list of financial goals for 2016. Long story short is I want to get out of debt and build up savings.</p> <p>In more detail - 1. get a $1,000 baby emergency fund set up 2. save up $100 to attend FPU or another financial course 3. pay off all of our medical and credit card debt 4. increase the amount of money I bring in monthly (as a SAHM) </p> <p>We should start a whole thread on money saving ideas! I am doing a price book for the whole year to get the best deal on grocery, household and health/beauty items. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2410132 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 12:55:16 +0000 josina 2410132@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2015 was a crazy year for us... we remodeled our house so almost doubled our home loan + taxes, and had to purchase a new furnace/ac unit in addition to that. DS started daycare and DH took a new job that was a big paycut for the first 6 months.<br /> This year I want to get back on track financially and pay off our recently accrued CC debt and get a budget in place that allows us to have baby #2 (and afford that 2nd daycare bill). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2410122 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 12:45:17 +0000 DillonLion 2410122@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1. Finish filling our emergency fund (80% done)<br /> 2. Max out both of our roth IRAs for the first time<br /> 3. Start a 529 for LO<br /> 4. Top off DH's 401k so we are contributing 15% of our gross income to retirement<br /> 5. Start tossing any extra windfalls to paying off our mortgage</p> <p>Very excited for the year! We spent all of 2014 paying off debt and all of 2015 saving our emergency fund, so I'm excited to see where we go in 2016. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2410066 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 12:16:28 +0000 birdofafeather 2410066@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>our big goal is buying a house in a new city. we are getting preapproved and hoping to meet with a realtor within the month to get serious about looking (been cruising MLS, redfin, realtor.com for the last 4 months). we are moving into an apartment to save on rent and have some big goals to save for the downpayment and also get used to living on less since our mortgage will be a lot more than we're paying now for rent! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2409882 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 10:14:06 +0000 .twist. 2409882@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@loveisstrange: :D Thank you! He kind of gets discouraged because he doesn't get a lot of feedback about his videos. Would you mind if I told him that you've done a few?! He actually just went to an interview with a gym last night and they're having him shadow some group classes so he can take over some evening classes! I'm pretty proud of him. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals/page/2#post-2409312 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 20:09:01 +0000 loveisstrange 2409312@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@.twist.: tell him good luck! I've done a couple of the fitness videos he made and he kicked my ass in a big way. Lol</p> <p>We are thankfully debt free now but we're hoping to do some work on our woefully neglected house this year. So we're saving up for some fairly hefty renovations. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals#post-2409305 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 20:05:56 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2409305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Buying DH's a new vehicle (Raptor)without carrying a car note. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals#post-2409267 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 19:49:55 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2409267@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This year we streamlined the budget to a point where there's nothing left to cut, so our focus for the next few months is on increasing our income. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/financial-goals#post-2409231 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 19:21:20 +0000 fussygal 2409231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're saving to buy a house this fall while simultaneously paying down some of DHs smaller student loans to up his credit score. We've really cracked down the past five months and have put away more than I thought we would (yay!), but with a new baby in March I know how hard it will be to resist dipping into those savings. Also, we could definitely be saving more than we are. Dining out and random Target trips are a big budget eater :(</p> <p>We're also saving for a Disneyland trip to take in 2017! :D</p> <p>@avivoca: We need to cut way down on eating out, too. It's been a huge crutch for us during this second pregnancy when I've been too lazy to cook. </p>