Debt $ense

This evening I spent a few hours cooking the food I bought Thursday night.

I ended up with 13 servings of chicken cacciatore and 17 of the sausage, veggie and pasta mix. Oh yes, and I still have one bag (three pounds) of chicken in my freezer. So that’s 30 meals (not counting the one I had for dinner) for about $15. It’s tough to beat 50 cents a meal.

Not only that, I still have plenty of food in the fridge for wraps during the next few days, plus eggs and bread for breakfast. So hopefully my May grocery money can go toward other things, like paying for my root canals.

I had the first one started today, and I go back in a week for them to finish it. Two weeks later, I get the second one, which the dentist hopes to finish that day. The first one was $200, but they only had me pay $100 while they see what my insurance will cover. (Two years ago, I only had to pay $141.)

Meanwhile, I got a statement of benefits from my dental insurance indicating my dentist can charge me $30 for my last appointment, basically because of X-rays that weren’t covered. *sigh* At least my dentist hasn’t actually sent the bill yet. Maybe they’ll hold off on that for a few weeks.

So I’m saving money on food, but since anniversary presents for my parents and grandparents drained my pinch-point account, all the savings will go toward my dentist(s) instead of paying down my credit card. *sigh* At least I got the interest rate lower.

I realized that after posting about setting my specific, detailed financial goals in my Latte Factor post, I probably should actually, you know, post them. I am glad I waited, though, because my first goal has changed after talking with my CC company this morning. Here they are:

1. I will pay off my credit card by January 31, 2007.

2. I will continue my 6 percent contributions to my 401(k). In February 2007, I will increase my contribution to 12 percent, and continue to increase it by 1 percent each month until I hit the limit of 20 percent in October 2007. I will continue that 20 percent contribution until I retire.

3. Beginning in April 2007, I will put $175 a week into a high-yield savings account designated to replace my car so I can pay cash for a used Hyundai Tucson in December 2008.

4. On July 1, 2008, I will open a Roth IRA and contribute $200 a month. Each year I will increase that monthly payment by $50 until I max out my annual contribution. I will then contribute the maximum each year until I retire.

5. In December 2007, I will put $200 a month into a high-yield savings account for a house fund. By May 28, 2010, I will put at least 20 percent down on a house in the city with at least three bedrooms, a yard small enough for a push mower, a master bathroom with room to expand for a whirlpool tub in the future and hardwood floors.

6. In May 2007, I will start putting $25 a week into a travel fund for trips with friends. For my 30th birthday, I will use that money to spend two weeks riding trains around North America and meeting interesting people.

I will revist these goals on July 1, when some work-related things have shaken out, and every six months thereafter to make sure they still align with my situation and goals.

I called my CC company today, was very polite, and got my rate droppped from 12.9 to 1.99 for nine months! (After that it’s prime plus 2.9.) It’s not 0 percent, but this way I’m not worrying about getting tripped up over fine print on another offer.

The only thing not good is my Excel spreadsheet figuring out my payments is at work so I can’t run this to figure out the effect. Maybe I’ll head in and save it to my computer before my dentist appointment. *VEG*

On that note, I’m off to the endodontist to get the first of two root canals and find out how much money I’ll be spending on that. *sigh*