December Challenge: Get it done GYSTember

[mirepoix]

I was supposed to read two short novels on my holiday train rides but forgot to pack them. Guess I’ll just read something on my Kindle

[MonkeyJenga]

Week 3 Blank Slate

Open

1. Set up zelle on Ally Bank
2. OH SHIT contribute to an IRA!!! I forgot I haven’t done that yet. 4,825 done, final on hold
3. Figure out NYE in Seattle plans
4. Ugh transfer HSA again @diapasoun
5. Call OHP one more time to confirm eligibility question
6. Claim lost money (update: need to mail claim docs for 1, deposit 2 done)
7. Buy B12 supplement

On Hold

1. Research and buy fancy electric toothbrush
2. Uhhh finish 2018 state taxes
3. Make decision on old pension (need to understand tax/MCD elig hit)
4. Sign up for TD card bonus - website doesn’t work
5. set up autopay on REI on next manual payment - need to wait until Jan
6. Call BoA to confirm sign up bonus for Amtrak card
7. Planet Granite: Free week trial - not a priority, may not have time in Dec
8. 24 Hr Fitness: Free 3 day trial - not a priority, may not have time in Dec
9. Pay rent with Plastiq for Amtrak bonus (donations handled it)
10. Make cheat sheet for Beyond Beautiful
11. Change Sprint autopay to REI card ?? need to research phone protection plans
12. Email contact from old job
13. Update address w/ Amex - first find blue cash card?
14. Create Jan 26 meetup event
15. send in rebate for waterpik

Completed

1. Call Kaiser about blood test follow up, schedule appointments
2. Find out about family medical history, p1
3. Change to $2/mo Hulu plan/pause existing
4. Make texts make noises
5. Call HSA provider about login. AHHH I’ve been getting monthly fees since leaving my old job! I need to roll this over to an individual HSA provider that doesn’t charge fees… Does that exist? (Update: opened new account AND submitted transfer request paperwork)
6. Submit Equifax claim
7. Set up autopay for Amtrak cc
8. Pay 1st Amtrak bill manually
9. Make g voice emails auto archive again - filter stopped working (update: turned off “override filter” setting)
10. Check REI autopay (checked, called, got fee waived)
11. Figure out old pension details (will be getting benefits package in the mail)
12. Sign up for 2020 health plan - after 2 hours on the phone, finally confirmed I don’t need to do anything…
13. Order stuff . Waterpik, phone case, reusable pads
14. Update Google search settings
15. Buy return ticket from Seattle (bonus points won’t hit in time)
16. Pass on clothes through BN/swap
17. Get Blues volunteer position (saw guy in person)
18. Email VG and donate remics
19. Change dividend reinvestments for ETF’s
20. Renew/check out library books before trip
21. Pay rent before going to Canada
22. Sweep new dividends to checking acct
23. Buy camp mustache tickets
24. Figure out the best way to liquidate $6,000 for a Roth contribution…
25. Set up Ally savings acct once in USA

[Pancakes]

We went to lay on the beach for Christmas and I neglected the list. Somehow a few things got done regardless.

@Pancakes

Most Important:

• Mark all holiday events on the calendar
• Make sure all our bills are paid - done!
• Fill out and send medical history forms for fertility clinic
• Get the spare room in a state for guests - it has never been tidier!
• buy pillows for the spare bedroom
• Replace the lining in the base of the worm farm with something they won’t eat then fall through
• clean gravel off the lawn - it has become clear this will be an ongoing chore well into the future
• clean out the pantry
  before the moth infestation gets worse
• organize remaining Christmas gifts - i baked the last tray of cookies (biscuits!) this afternoon
• consider refinancing our mortgage probably won’t happen

Less important:

• decide to buy or not to buy a dishwasher
• Obtain containers so we can buy rice and flour in bulk
• Get a replacement tshirt for at least one with holes - currently wearing my new shirt

Not particularly important:

• Pick new internal and front door paint colours
• Draw up a few kitchen ideas

[nnls]

@nnls

• Eat Down Pantry
• Decluttering clothes and spare room
• “Hit by a bus” folder

I wont get the decluttering of clothes done, since I am now at work until 1 January, but that can be a challenge for next year

[diapasoun]

Long-term projects:

• Fully set up go-bags
• Find final homes for things in living room
• Investigate what I need to do to get a will set up
• Investigate new HSA homes
• Find final home for things in hallway
• Max out Roth IRA

December-specific:

• Finish sweater for Mom
• Finish socks/slippers for Dad
• Make candies for everyone else for holidays
• Get started on candidate year
• Send holiday cards

[MonkeyJenga]

@diapasoun

Investigate new HSA homes

Health Equity for HSA?

[Gdogg]

FINAL UPDATE: All done EXCEPT - test Consignment shop. If I get that done I will edit this post - otherwise this is final.

@Gdogg

Gdogg:

Other Bonus items done - “charitable” giving done (Wikipedia, Khan Academy, Public Radio). Other donations done earlier this year.

Gdogg:

Objectives:

1. Convert rewards checking account at Bank1 to another checking account type since I can no longer meet the requirements former this account type (saves a fee); - DONE
2. DECLUTTER at least 15 items in December; - DONE (to Goodwill)
3. Test Local clothing consignment shop (take items there for resale - they may not accept any items);
4. Take at least one bag or box of items to Goodwill; - DONE
5. Do end of year account reconciliation/ spreadsheet update (including delta net worth); records up-to-date as of 12/27/19 - calling this DONE
6. Do at least one self-care activity. - DONE
   BONUS - Roth Conversion (from November challenge) - DONE

[rural]

FINAL UPDATE: Done on all!
Updated the notebook in the safe deposit box yesterday.
Of course, all this has revealed more things that need doing, so there will be some continuation of the list. I hope we can continue the challenge next month; it really helped me.

For us in January: so far, figure out why the Feds think husband should not have a My Social Security account and combine our checking accounts so he’ll have access to all the info in our online bill pay if I’m hit by a bus.

[diapasoun]

Ohhh thank you. That was very, very helpful.

[Greyweld]

@Greyweld

1. Establish a weekly base meal plan & corresponding ingredients list. This will hopefully help with “what are we eating there’s nothing in the house fuck it we’re getting pizza” syndrome.
2. Get done with projects I don’t want to carry over into next year. Finish moving the dirt pile, finish the anvil stand.
3. Make sure everything that I usually pay through the mortgage is re-routed to me & everything that needs to be filed is files. Insurance, taxes, mortgage payoff statement, escrow balance and getting that back, loan paid certificate, mortgage release docs, make sure auto payments will no longer be made.

Final update:

• Dirt pile not all moved due to frozenness, likely not going to be finished
• Anvil stand finished
• Mortgage stuff finished
• Meal plan varies week to week but getting better at making one based on our core Staples and only getting groceries on weekends
• Fence stuff not totally finished because I haven’t heard from neighbor
• Bonus: I put up blackout curtains, which has been on my to do list for ages!

[anomalily]

I still have 5 things left in my list, and I added a few:

To do:

• Hem jumpsuit for NYE
• Set up auto transactions to avoid monthly fee at hacking bank (10 mins, saves $7/month)
• Product change on my BOA card to something with no annual fee (30 mins, saves $75) - need to call, online chat couldn’t do it

Added:

• Move phone to cheaper carrier during end of year sale
• Reenroll in copay assistance for drug

Probably not happening before end of year:

• replacement driver’s license

Done:

• Update skincare spreadsheet
• Tighten bike brakes
• Mail out all final KS packages
• Publish November monthly report
• Ask for reviews on Amazon for new ISBN
• Start Patron matching campaign
• Set up new store + fix front page flow
• Cancel Spotify Premium and switch to free one through work (saves $7.50/month)
• Decide if cancelling gym membership and do so if so (10 mins, saves $42/month)

[LittleWanderer]

@LittleWanderer

1.) Call the dentist to set up an appointment to get my permanent filling in.
2.) Contact landlord about my fireplace only working about 50% of the time.
3.) Contact Spectrum AGAIN about my internet constantly going out (UGHHHHHHHHH.)
4.) Make roll out cookies and frost them and not totally rush through them. Purchase fun sprinkles for this?
5.) Hit my bike mileage goal for the year for the first time ever!

All of my shit is finally done!!

Not only did I contact Spectrum, but then I sat on the phone with Netgear TWICE. They’re sending me a new router. I am paying $16.90 for shipping (), but that’s better than being without internet completely for a week or buying a new router, so okay, fine.

Cookies turned out okay. I kinda did rush through them, but I used piping bags, so that automatically makes them fancy, right?

https://i.imgur.com/R7ubZHv.jpg?1

[anomalily]

Question: Who is up for a food/meal planning-related January challenge? It’s a fraught area for many of us, so as always, it would be optional and you can stay off the thread if it isn’t a good place for you.

I know a lot of people would like to cut back on eating out after the holiday season, or (in my case) do more meal planning and batch cooking. Food is a huge cost for many of us!

I know many people do Uberfrugal january which dove tails well with many food-related budget challenges.

[Gdogg]

I targeted reducing food waste a few years ago - that may be less of a trigger for some, but still a good goal.

[katscratch]

@anomalily

food/meal planning-related January challenge

YES

I worked so many hours in December I totally fell off all my preparation type wagons.

[flan]

@flan

• list 10+ articles of clothing for sale on Poshmark
• donate bag of clothes not listed on Poshmark
• determine if we’re contributing to tIRAs or rIRAs or 2019 tax year & set aside funds
• elect health insurance enrollment & dental enrollment with company
• finish 30 days of Darebee Power-Up challenge by Dec 31
• plan out gifts by Dec 14 (yes yes it’ll be tight)
• make chocolates for family gifts
• plan out doctors appts to schedule for January when my new insurance kicks in

Ok I have started my planner for 2020 and made a list of medical appointments (that I can remember) to schedule once I get my new insurance card!

[LadyDuck]

Week 4, Final:

@LadyDuck

• Finish adding sensitive account logins to password manager DONE
• Send tax documents to accountant, mine + partners JANUARY Now a January job. Ran out of time.
• Drop off 1 load of electronics waste at recycling centre. JANUARY Ran out of time. First week of Jan.
• Make all my craft supplies fit into their allocated space DONE
• Make a Family Folder and a Go Bag. JANUARY Got bag, got folder, putting it all together next week. Ordered the extra stuff I needed for emergencies.
• Include a page in Family Folder for Wait In Place for emergencies. DONE
• plan holidays, outings & events for Jan - March 2020. DONE
• Obtain or order all items required to make school & work lunches every day for 2020. JANUARY
• New drivers licenses. DONE

I got everything done to a point where about half of it still needs an hour to actually complete. Christmas took a LOT more of my energy than I expected. I’ll finish in January.
5/9 DONE
4/9 TBC in January

[anomalily]

Snackuary is a thing:

Snackuary: January Food Budget Challenge

It’s the first monthly budget challenge of the decade. This month we’re working on reducing food costs! If thinking/talking about food isn’t a good fit for you right now, please check out our rad 20 in 2020 Challenges (there’s 5 to choose from) and skip this month’s challenge. If seeing food content isn’t good for you - You can click at the bottom to mute this thread you don’t see this category in the “latest posts”!

(see how here)

<a class="lightbox" href="//omdforum.s3.duals…

[kenner]

All right, down to one, or maybe it’s a half, and given the cc company’s new policy about making me wait to get an online card before I have a physical card activated, I have to wait until I’m back home on the 31st before I can actually use my new card to pay the insurance. Which I want to do because that’s a little over a quarter of my planned minimum spend, I just hate cutting it that close since the insurance is due on Jan. 1st.

• Call about car insurance (and pay car insurance)
• Look and see if there are any CCs worth picking up early next year

Maybe in for Snackuary, need to take a look at the calendar and see how much I’ll be around to know how useful it’ll be. The full-year 2020 goals are set regardless, though.

[Ms_Terror]

@Ms_Terror

• Organise private health insurance as our current plan is being scrapped, do I want to stay with current provider or search around? (For both myself and husband.)
• Declutter wardrobe to fit floordrobe into actual wardrobe. (likely attempt over Christmas - NY break. At least get rid of 30 things? Hmm, may update this number.)
• Find a better way of tracking expenses and update FI spreadsheets.
• Book a skin check for myself and husband.

All done! We are staying with current insurance for now after husband did some hunting around. Have a box of about 25 things to go into the but nothing clothes bag and that’s about as much as I can get rid of now but I’ve more than made up the difference to 30 in other things around the house being decluttered. FI spreadsheets and tracking all up to date and I’m enjoying tackling daily expenses using money manager. I’ve got a skin check booked for March as that’s the earliest I could get. Have to call for an appt for husband tomorrow, they are super busy for the foreseeable future! I also remembered that we had a recurring dentist appt next year already that was booked in when we attended this year so that’s already done! Feeling pretty good so far going into 2020!