As I have mentioned before, I decided to get rid of my trash service and recycle eveything. I called and cancelled the service and will have one last weekly trash pickup tomorrow ( I was paid up until the end of the year.) So, today I add the $32.00 to the $20. Challenge account that I would normally have sent to the trash company!! WooHoo..this is exciting!!

$20 Challenge $36.00
deposit $32.00
New balance $68.00

Goodness....I learned today that the $5.00 gift cards that I have received for earning Swag Bucks is taxable! I also read that I must report the $3.00 I receive from PineCone research for the online surveys I have done.

Oh I am so excited! Today I cashed in my rolled coins. I had $36.00 so that is my first deposit into my new $20 challenge.

Today I found this very interesting Retirement Planner calculator. Best one I have ever seen. I found it at CNN Money Retirement Planner.

We are kind of planning on hubby retiring in three years He will be 59.

The thing that worries me the most is when Hubby retires we will have to cover a large medical insurance premium until we are old enough for medicare. We will still get the medical insurance through his company but I think it will be in the $600- $800 range per month....does this sound right? I estimate his pension will be about $1400. per month.

I found a way several months ago to save on my groceries. I do 80% of my grocery and household shopping at Meijer. I found out that I can order Meijer gift cards when I go through ShopAtHome.com
and get a percentage back! Today I just ordered next month's grocery gift cards (that I will use for my own groceries). I ordered $300.00 worth and will get back 3% wich is $9.00. Not a lot but still not bad! Not all store allow you to get credit when you order gift cards but I know meijer.com does! So, since I do my shopping there anyway..works for me!

In case, you have not heard of ShopAtHome.com here is a link to it. I just deposit my last check from them two days ago..it was for $90.94!

http://www.shopathome.com/?IAFCG=GUP7dagC3pbQYpv2FRbBdQ==

Like everyone else, I am setting new goals for 2012.

I want to put $4800.00 into Hubby's Roth IRA.

I want to finish investing in Granddaughter #1's investment account. $1,320.00

I want to set aside $50.00 per month for date night with Hubby.

I want to continue saving $500.00 per month toward a new truck for Hubby,

I have started a $20 challenge account, not sure what "rules" for myself I will impliment yet!

I would like to do better on my grocery/household spending. I am going to budget $100.00 per week for the two of us. That includes food,pet,household and health & beauty.

I noticed today that ING Online bank has dropped it's interest rate again. ING savings account is now paying .85%. That is way better then my local bank pays but still so low.

I kind of enjoy the end of the year when I set new financial goals for the new year. I would like to work things out so my hubby can retire earlier then he expects. I am hoping for March 2015 as retirement for him. I have always been a full time homemaker.

We are already debt free so I am trying to save up a large emergency fund so that we can live just on his retirement pension that he would receive. We have a 401K, IRA's, and savings. I would like to just live on the pension but I'm not sure that is feasable. Hopefully when we reach the right age, we will receive our Social Security too.