A First Step

Well, I finally got off my butt and opened up an online saving account. So which did I choose? INGdirect of FNBO?

Actually my crummy credit made the choice for me. I initially tried FNBO but they turned me down for an online savings account. So to INGdirect I went with great fear and trepidation but apparently they like my money more than my credit and I was in! I moved $5000 out of my checking and into my new online account. 2.39% interest is much better than 0.05%.

On another front, I sat down last night with all of my tax information and entered it into TaxAct. I knew that withdrawing my retirement would bite me and it did, but not as badly as it could have. I won't have to pay any in and should actually get around $1900 back. That's a steep cut for someone who's used to getting around $4500 back each year. That retirement withdrawal kicked my adjusted gross income up to $48000 for 2008.

I wish I could have done things differently but that withdrawal saved my a** in 2008. I essentially went 4 months without a paycheck. Had it not been for that money I honestly don't know how I would have paid my bills. Yes I worked during some of those four months but I wound up making less than $1000 for the time I worked at the restaurant and didn't get paid until December for the hospital work I did in November. That retirement carried me through those months, paid for a few unpaid bills (still lots more of those to go through), saw me through Christmas, paid for this semester's college tuition and books, and what's left is in savings.

Where I'm at now?
~ $1000 in my brick and mortar bank savings
~ $5000 in online savings
~$500 cash savings
~ an average paycheck of $600 every two week
~ $600 per month in child support.

Bills:
~$1000 for mortgage/utilities/food
~$245 car payment
~$106 student loan payment
~$68 car insurance
~$75 automatic savings withdrawal
~$40 cell phone (teenage daughter's)
~$60 cell phone every 3 months (my prepaid and kid's prepaid) or $20/month
~$80 fuel for car

This leaves roughly $166 per month for miscellaneous/bill payments. I'm debating requesting a deferment on my current student loan payment as I'm now back in school again. I also have $50 from each paycheck withdrawn for my flex account to cover doctor co-pays and medicine. I know that once we start with the rheumatology appointments for Anime that money is going to go fast.

I started getting organized with my paperwork. Started being the key word. Things are sorted but I still have not written them all out on paper to total the amount of medical bills owed. Yes, I know that needs to get done asap.

At least through my job at the hospital we have health and dental insurance at an affordable rate. I also pay $10 a month for life insurance. My main worry right now is that Mr. Ex would not be able to pay his child support. I really hate being dependent upon that.

I think I need to sit down and write an About Me post to summarize where I've been financially in my life. But first I should total up that debt, don't you think?!