Thursday, November 12, 2015

I'm officially 25% of the way to my 40 week goal!

I am thrilled that I'm 25% of the way there (date wise) to my 40 week goal! As of today, I have 30 weeks left to save, save, save, which will allow me to take time off at the end of the school year. I've pegged my exit date as the boys last day of school. I have a few option vests that may require me to extend by a week or so, but in my mind, I'm going with that date. :-) I need a target!!

So, how am I doing with my goal? Well, there's a lot to think about, and I've shared my plan with my immediate family members. It's been super helpful to have people to talk to, and they've been a voice of reason as I've raised concerns or fears over this huge change. I also find that it "feels" more real when you are able to talk to other people about such a big life change.

On the financial side, here's where things stand:

Savings Goal by June 8th:

  • $45,000 saved for 2015 taxes & tax related expenses (not related to 40 week goal, but obviously something I need to have cash available for. We did revise our withholdings significantly this year to adjust, but I like to be conservative.)
  • $15,000 saved for 2016 travel fund, to ensure we can still take a few planned trips, & enjoy our summer together. Particularly because I will have more time & flexibility to travel! :-) 
  • $100,000 for the actual savings fund. This fund will be used to cover the gap between our expenses and M's income. I hope to find something flexible & freelance, so that I can add to the total savings fund, and not draw from it very often. The current amount would allow us to go for about 2.5 years without any substantial impact to our lifestyle, assuming no extreme expenditures outside of our planned budget.
  • Fully fund my 401K for 2016
Total planned savings = $160,000 (not counting the 401K as savings, but required money just the same)

And, our current savings (what's earmarked for the above categories), stands at $101,000, although I'm a little worried about having to pull some out to cover holiday expenses, etc. I'll be very curious to see where things stand at the end of the year. So, we're approximately 63% of the way there. 

What other incoming money will I be allocating towards this savings?

  • Upcoming stock vests
  • My 2015 bonus (paid in January)
  • Any raises will be added to the pool
  • Any other money I can scrappily find
I'm getting excited! It's starting to feel real!!!!

6 comments:

  1. That is exciting, you might have to get one of those countdown-thingies for your blog :) Each crappy day you have from here on out at work is one less crappy work day you will have in future.

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    1. I keep telling myself that!! One more international trip for the year, and I can take a bit of a breather until January. Woohoo!! PS - love the countdown idea!

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  2. Happy for you! This seems like a very good decision for your health and your family. Your work schedule sounds exhausting to me, and I don't even have children!

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    1. Thank you! I'm extremely excited - it's so nice to see progress. :-) Otherwise, it just feels like a long series of endless weeks.

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  3. I love these updates! You are killing it & I'm so happy for you :)

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    1. Thank you! I'm so excited!!! It's going so quickly & then really, not quickly enough, at the same time. ;-)

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