Starting Over

No, I haven't forgotten about this blog, although I did have to dust a few cobwebs off the computer before sitting down.

Not much to update. We are moved in to our new house and will be heading out today to open our joint checking account. This is a little scary for me, sharing the responsibility with someone else. Our plan is to each contribute $1000 per month to the joint account for mortgage payments, utilities, and groceries. That leaves me with $240 car payment, $110 school loan payment, $63 for car insurance as other monthly bills. That's also not counting various medical bills that I'm trying to pay off.

I've just received the COBRA forms for carrying over our dental plan. That would be $100 per month. Plus I have the option to also carry over my life insurance plan. I haven't looked at the cost of that yet. I am still waiting to receive the COBRA forms for my health insurance, although I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to afford that. That's pretty scary.

I do receive $600 a month in child support but I have tried very hard to use that only for the kids expenses, not for bills.

I do have the option to pull out my state retirement now that I'm no longer with a school system. That account is just below $23000. I plan to pull it but the question is what to do with it? I can take a guaranteed 20% hit in taxes and take it in cash (and possibly pay another 10% in taxes at tax time, have to research that a bit more) or do I find something to roll it over into? Here's where I turn to you, my lovely readers, for any and all suggestions as to what to do with these funds.