Our House Savings
One thing about finance blogland is there is a lot of talk about saving, but fewer examples of how people actually do it. If you're a frequent reader of Dual Income No Kids, you know that we are homeowners. When we were saving for our place, we kept a record of where our savings came from. We thought you might enjoy having a look at this.
We did all kinds of stuff to meet our savings goals. For example, we set up direct deposit into ING, sold things on craigslist, put money from family into the fund, profit from our investment properties, pretty much anything to meet the goal. One time we found a working microwave in the dumpster, cleaned it up and sold it.
Some things weren't that great. For example, James bounced a check because of some carelessness and we had to juggle the savings to cover his airfare for a work function at one point. The money got made up, but generally its a good idea to keep personal checking and savings accounts separate.
Also, we switched from a Washington Mutual to an ING savings account halfway through the process. ING has much lower monthly fees and pays a much higher interest rate.
Hope you enjoy!
p.s. We had to truncate some of the lines to get the photo to fit, so the numbers don't necessarily add up in the middle.




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4 comments:
I like this blog...I am a DINK and have been for a while...we are at the point now where my husband has been able to quit his job and become self-employed. I am working half the year and take the other half of the year off to write my novel! Life is great...but I want to comment on something...
You DINKS live in a zip code and are paying for it DEARLY! Here I sit on lakefront property and have no mortgage because I am willing to live in the country. I may make WAY less...I am sure...but I have WAY less stress and I am in control of my future...I also own a vacation home in Maine which is in a secluded area but has ocean views!
I know real estate! I have owned rental properties in Tampa, FL and once I sold them I ditched my 4/3 with jacuzzi and 2 fireplaces...a huge home for a DINK...for a small, older home that has lower taxes and where living is less expensive...
THINK DINK! If you are wise you can do the same and have a lot less mortgage debt to worry over...Also, a 1 BR condo for $300K...OMG...that's ridiculous...no amount of income can justify that kind of expense for housing...C'mon I'm serious! If I told you what I paid for my houses and what I pay in taxes you just wouldn't believe it...you probably paid more for your car, but lakefront has appreciated and it is a peaceful way of life I would never give up...Yes, I have retirement accounts, life insurance, paid off all my debts but have 2 newere cars and an RV and all that covered too and I'm living on what a retiree could live on but I have a networth of ...well...let's just say it's more than yours...I don't believe in posting a spreadsheet on the data...Maybe you should look me up and buy one of these FLorida lakefront gems...I'm a real estate angent here...email me at: boutinik@netzero.com...this isn't a sales pitch...it's reality...I'm sure you won't be retiring in DC...WAY too expensive! But, thanks for the posts on this blog...I'm was looking for comments on how others get to be financially free and I'm willing to share the wealth of my wisdom if anyone want they can look me up at:
http://www.myspace.com/cherylboutin
Yes indeed, our housing costs are high, but not compared to other housing in our area. Also keep in mind that due to our great location we are able to decline having a car. This means what we would spend on having a depreciating car, we can invest in our housing instead. Some think that living in the burbs is less expensive, but don't consider what they pay in transportation expenses (car, insurance, gas, parking, metro, etc.) Our house may be expensive but we'll likely see appreciation before we sell. We also save money because we don't have to furnish a larger place. Just food for thought!
I guess if you have investments that are making you $10,000 a pop, you aren't really going to have any problems saving up a down payment on a home!
Good for you! You sound like me and my wife. We've done all those things from selling on Craigslist to ebay to saving change to meet a financial goal. It's a good feeling. Having an emergency fund is our little insurance policy for those unexpected expenditures, too.
Jerry
www.leads4insurance.com
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