About Me

Denise

I'm a freelance journalist and crafter who dreams of starting my own business-- a hometown Tiki bar. I am a former New Orleans Bourbon Street bartender.

The challenge: First, I must find creative new revenue streams, apart from my career. Second, 10-25 percent of the money I earn from my career will go to the challenge, but only if all of the family savings goals are met. If the family goals aren't met, the Tiki Fund money will be used to meet those goals, and any money left will stay in the tiki fund.

**Five year tiki goal: $40,000**
**2008 Tiki fund goal: $1,500**
$1751.50 in fund, GOAL MET!!

***Monthly Tiki Fund Total***

Nov: $483.09
$20.67 Web/Etsy sales
$25.67 misc. web projects
$80.76 (pending) Google adsense
saving act interest
$436.75 from freelance

Oct:$116.10
$10.85 Web sales
$29.07 Misc Web projects
$3.51 Amazon sales
$3.02 Saving act interest
$75,from freelance work

For a full breakdown of Tiki fund money, visit my $20 challenge page.

***Personal Savings Goals for 2008***
$5,000 into my IRA
$2,000 into hubby's Roth IRA
$2,000 into 529 plan
$7,100 into savings account
$2,500 into brokerage account
$650 into new car fund
Total: $19,250

***Progress Report***
$5,000 in my IRA. GOAL MET!
$2107 to Roth, GOAL MET!
$2100 to 529 plan, GOAL MET!
$8708 to savings, GOAL MET!
$2555 to brokerage, GOAL MET!
$676.85 in car fund, GOAL MET!
Total: $21,340

***
Debt to pay off:
Student Loan: $12,707.80
(Down from $40,000 in 2001)
Extra payments 2008: $1136.50
***
Mexico Vacation Goal: $6,000 by Feb, 2009
Fund total: $4,946.05
***
All of these goals will be a little harder to reach this year because I am now self-employed and the hubby and I had our first baby in April.

We have always lived on one salary only. But we aren't quite sure how a new baby and giving up my full-time job are going to affect our finances.

***The Big Picture***
Me 33, Hubby 35
-No credit card debt
-No car loan
-House paid off because we moved to a cheaper city

My Pages

Tiki challenge back on track a little...

July 29th, 2008 at 06:57 pm

Well, despite all the stuff in my personal life I did manage to add about $38 to the tiki fund.

It would have been more, but I got soaked on some shipping for an eBay item. I guess that was my amateur mistake. It cost me $22 to ship the lamp when I had budgeted $14. Oh well. Thankfully I didn't lose money on that one.

Next month should be better because I'll have some money coming in from Google Adsense. And I may try to post some more items to sell on Etsy.com.

Posted in $20 Challenge | 3 Comments »

3 Responses to “Tiki challenge back on track a little...”

gamecock43 Says:
July 29th, 2008 at 07:02 pm

Glad you have some business to take your mind off things. Shipping costs have risen lately, I think. It's hard to tell when there are no prices posted anywhere in the post office!
So that pretty floral lamp sold for a good amount of money? Looks like close to $50?? Much better than the .99 you first listed it for. It sure was pretty.
compulsive debtor Says:
July 29th, 2008 at 07:06 pm

Shipping always throws me off on eBay as well. I'm trying to be more careful about it, but every now and then it costs more than I estimated....
thriftorama Says:
July 29th, 2008 at 07:07 pm

Good thing the lamp sold for more or I would have lost a bunch on it! I'll have to be more careful next time.

Thrift-o-rama and the quest for a Tiki Bar

One girl's quest to shore up her personal finances and save for her own business

Tiki challenge back on track a little...

3 Responses to “Tiki challenge back on track a little...”

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