| Happy New Year to everyone! I managed to get through the holiday travel and gift giving season with no credit card debt thanks to a timely performance bonus and also managed to put $2K to kick off my long term (6-months of expenses) emergency fund.
Into the New Year, I'm reading more finance blogs and listening to audio books to really turn my attention to building wealth, increasing income and investing. I have been in rabid debt-payoff mode for many years, and now it's a whole new ball game. I'm going to need to shift into a different gear to really add to my income and reduce my current expenses. Everything is being looked at and re-evaluated; the house, the cable, the phone plan, EVERYTHING! Paying too much for all of those things really adds up and in the long run can have a seriously detrimental effect on ones dreams of financial independence.
My roommate graduated from her doctoral program and hasn't said anything about moving out, but I'm not sure how much longer she will stay. The other roommate (family member) would like to move out of state to join her husband who got a job in Wisconsin; right now she is staying put until they find out if his position will be extended into the next academic year. So, there could be some real changes on the rental income front in a few months. I do not cherish the thought of living with just anyone, so I'm seriously contemplating my options with regard to downsizing. Being here by myself the past week (both roommates are on vacation) has been weird. Definitely too much space for one person. Time will tell...
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Home value is updated monthly from Zillow.com/Zestimate
(Purchase price was $370K in August 2006).
Other Mortgage = HELOC/2nd Mortgage
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