Huzzah!

Well, to be more accurate, it is projected to be fully funded by the time we board the plane in mid-May.

Basically we are trying to save $1300 cash and are allowing ourselves to charge the rental car expenses plus $300 on a credit card (with a plan to pay it off before we accrue any interest).

Today we brought a Mason jar full of change to the bank and had it deposited into our account: $68.08! As I was adding that to our tally in Google docs, I looked over our projected budget for the next three months. I realized I had planned to withdraw exercise incentive cash on May 15. Well, we're going to England for 10 days, so we won't be working out. I deleted that line item and voila! We had a positive number at the end of our budget spreadsheet.

Since we don't have an emergency fund, the budget's never set in stone. But odds are good we won't need that money for anything else and we'll be able to blow it in Europe!

Now I've set my sights on our homeowners insurance bill. Adding that to the end of my spreadsheet puts our bottom line in the negative, but only by $143. And that's no hurry--we can make the minimum monthly payments till we get enough to pay off the whole year's premium.

NT is expecting some OT pay, and AS a $300 bonus from work, and we have a few things listed on eBay, so shouldn't be too long before we have that fully funded as well.

After that, my goals will be increasing withholding so we don't owe as much on taxes next year, and then saving up for a trip to the old homestead (well, the suburbs of DC) to see family in the fall. And then I suppose it'll be time to start saving up for Xmas again!

Brr... OK, I think I've thought far enough into the future for now. The last thing I want to think about is next Xmas and another stupid Minnesota winter! :-)