Another milestone

Yesterday was my one-year anniversary at my current job. It passed without ceremony and hardly a mention, but it does hold meaning to me. This is the longest period of time I've ever worked at a full-time job, benefits and all, and I'm rather proud of myself for finally hitting the one-year mark. Not that I have much to be proud about, considering that most people in this country hold full-time jobs for decades sometimes, but I'm still new to this game and it is a personal first for me. I can see, though, how a person could put her head down and allow years to pass almost unnoticed. Routines make the time go, and quickly. I think that's what I was doing all those years before looking for real work: I was trying to slow down time. In fact, I knew it while I was doing it.

I hope to keep changing and growing with time, even though I now understand that it's easy to move forward with little alteration. My challenge now is to create new milestones on my life, milestones such as moves, steps "up the ladder" or across to other careers, a degree or two or certifications, a home. The last thing I want to do right now is stand still.

EEK!

I did it. I opened my Roth IRA with Fidelity. Egad. I know it's good for me, but I had to lock up $2500 of my own liquid money, and that's hard to do. Chances are I wouldn't touch it anyway, but it hurts knowing that now I can't. It's still my money, why do I feel like I just spent $2500 on something?

I could have opted out of that huge down payment had I chosen the $200/month minimum monthly deposit option, but I wanted the flexibility of being able to contribute or not contribute at my discretion. And now I have a few days with which to research funds and build my portfolio before the money actually goes in there. Maybe I will post my findings here, as incentive to actually get me to pay attention, although I ought to be spending the free time studying for my midterm on Monday.

Thats 2-0 today, because earlier I set up an automatic transfer that will move monthly payments from my checking to my high-yeild savings so I don't have to do it in pieces like I had before, and because compounded interest is so much fun!

And tomorrow... tomorrow I plan to head down to my bank on the corner, demand they close out that pathetic and useless savings account (I'll say it just like that, too!!), and move that money into my checking. 1/4% interest is nothing. That money won't quite make up for what I paid to my IRA, but what the hell, if it's not going to earn anything it may as well be in checking rather than savings. And if it's going to be in savings it may as well be earning 4-5% interest, instead of one quarter of 1%!!

Whew. I feel good and nervous all at once. At least I didn't spend that $2500 on something like a television. I feel it's well placed. I will be sad to see the money dissapear from my checking account, though. That always hurts me a little.

Financial Baby Steps

My first 401K started this January. In some respects, I'm waaaaaaayyyyy behind, financially. Sure, I have a net worth in the black, but that's because I just save and don't spend, and I don't have any "good debt" like a mortgage, that will give me equity. Anyway, I was impressed that my 401K, at a meager 4%, is rising so quickly. That's because of the company match, which is also meager, and not today's turbulent stock market. And I'm pleased that my savings will earn me close to 1K without my doing anything at all. I like that. I want more of that "passive income" in my life.

At any rate, lately I've resolved to seriously get my finances in order. Earlier this month I moved a chunk of my checking into my high-yeild savings, to take advantage of a special offer rate. Today I finally applied to get my cell phone discount from work. A minor amount, but it will matter. Tomorrow, if time allows (work is demanding lately, and I have a presentation for class tomorrow night), I will open an IRA. I may even open a brokerage account soon! That may happen this month or next. I have some money laying around and I think it ought to grow, and maybe even grow more than the 5-6% in my HSBC online savings account. After all, I want to own a home one day, I want to have a safety net, and I want to travel more. I haven't traveled in a while and I miss it. Hell, I may even want to get by on just a part-time job one day. Never mind that I just like to find new ways to make my money grow and to save. I'm a bit nervous, though. But step 1: IRA. Step 2, invest.

Tonight: schoolwork. Damned schoolwork.

Why I'm Not the Boss Yet

Aside from being fairly inexperienced in the business realm, aside from my brief time here and lack of connections and all of those other things one needs to become the one in charge, I realized today why I still have a lot to learn about running a department, organization, or group. I realize that is essential to ask "why," ask it often, and work as hard as possible to figure out the answers. One thing I've learned from observing my bosses is that they ask "why" continually and they challenge assumptions often. I've come from many positions where I've had to make decisions, but I haven't had to challenge assumptions, and it was actually in my best interest not to disagree with the person giving orders. Now I have a little more flexibility, and I hope to learn how and when to ask questions more often. I can no longer take everything at face value, although that's easier to do, because if I do want to move up and beyond I must do more than complete assigned tasks.

I feel I've evolved from the employee who only does what's asked of her to one that takes initiative to start new projects, come up with new ideas, and find creative solutions to certain problems. But I still don't ask "why" enough, and that's my next step. It's less comfortable and it may mean more work for me, but I've seen that work ethic's results. Anyway.

Not Enough Hours in the Day

Okay, so I plan on starting a personal finance blog, and using it to fuel my research into personal finance as well as a sounding board for my money concerns and issues and ideas. I need to do research. I need to strengthen my 401K. I need to start some IRA's. I feel like I'm entering late in the game. Yet, there's not enough hours in the day. I've already wasted hours doing taxes at work (!), and I need a haircut, I have school tonight, and I have to start doing research for school projects, and I still am trying to volunteer at the zoo, and I need to spend time with the boyfriend and the cat and levelling up in World of Warcraft (we are now rocking blood elves). Oh, and I have friends, too.

I think that everyone should have three day weekends. The first day would be dedicated to relaxing after the work week, socializing, eating well, and play in general. Sunday would be spent on chores, such as housework and homework, shopping, bills, and all the necessities of life outside the office. Monday would be spent on personal development. This would be the day to set aside for all one's creative projects or schemes.

I've heard of companies who do 80/9 hour weeks: workers put in 80 hours over 2 weeks, taking 5 9-hour days the first week, and 4 9-hour days the second. Thus, everyone has a three-day weekend every other week. This sounds perfect to me. I must find one of these companies and work for them.