Cash Management while Job Hunting

Given the jobless rate I figure it's time for write about cash flow management while job hunting.  Hopefully this approach will reduce the stress of using your emergency savings and inform you on how long the money will last.  If it's a long time... then you'll sleep better.  If it isn't... than this exercise might add to your stress (sorry) but give you a heads up.  Either way you'll appreciate the necessity of re-building emergency savings when you are back being fully employed.

There are many cash flow items that impacted your salary before you got paid.  That all changes when you're unemployed.  If you had been making $50,000 in salary you weren't living on $50,000 due to taxes, social security and 401(k) contributions.  Your net pay was likely between 30-45% less.

So, your prior Net Pay amount is the gap 

you need to narrow and fund while unemployed.

How to determine the Cash Gap
(How much of your emergency savings will be needed each month?)

Do the following calculation:
Net Pay from your former job (per month)
- Less Reduced Expenses* (see list below)
- Less Unemployment Compensation
+ Increased Health Insurance
= Cash Gap per month

*Reducible monthly expenses:  house cleaners, child care, commuting costs, dry cleaning, take-out, cable services and phone minutes, lawn care, etc.)

How long will my $ last?

1. First, deposit any severance pay into your SAVINGS account.  This is part of your emergency savings.
   
   
2. Divide the your savings account balance by the 'Cash Gap' amount calculated above.
   This number is the estimated # of months worth of savings you have. 
   If it feels insufficient, than more drastic cost-cutting measures and/or supplemental interim income might be needed.
   
   
3. Finally, set-up an automatic transfer bi-monthly from saving to checking for half the cash gap amount.
   This transfer becomes your self-paycheck.  It reduces the stress of having to keep transferring $ to pay bills. If you are sticking to your reduced budget, than you shouldn't have to touch savings unless an unexpected, non-routine expense comes along.
   

Remember, this is about managing cash flow through a short period of your working life.  You'll have time to resume retirement/college savings, vacations, and home improvements soon.

Good luck with the job search,
Practical Jenn

P.S. Let me know if you see any interesting jobs for me!!!

New approach to buying plane tickets

Ever get frustrated looking for plane tickets????

It seems like you get one part at the day/time you want, nonstop and at a good price... and then compromise on the return flight.   Recently, when searching for fares to Florida, I noticed that they price & assemble round trip tickets as two parts.  I could get a great trip down on Jet Blue, but the return flights were horrible.  On the flip side Airtran had a cheap, nonstop trips available to fly back.  So, I bought two one-way tickets and saved over $150 per ticket (when compared to the best round trip ticket on a single carrier) - plus I got great flights and no compromises!   I just did the same thing again to get my mother north for Easter!

Buy 2 one-way tickets on different airlines!

• You have to be good at having multiple browser windows open at once so you set up each leg and buy them both within seconds of each other.

Happy Flying,

Practical Jenn

Preventing arguments over clothes... use a budget

When my daughter hit middle school she also became more fashion conscious and brand aware.  At the same time, I became more aware how fast a college bill would be hitting us.  To reconcile the competing financial strains and teach budgeting and value I came up with the following solution --- a separate 'tween' clothing budget.

We sat down together and created a spreadsheet itemizing her clothing needs (after inventorying her closet).  We also took into consideration that she was probably going to need two sets of clothes to make it through the school year given her rapid growth rate.  We discussed and agreed upon the average cost* of each type of item. Then, she plugged it in the spreadsheet and I showed her how to do cell equations, copy & paste and column sum. After rounding up the total she liked the $ amount ...it was a lot more than she'd thought she'd get and was psyched to go shopping!

*Average Cost =  Mall Store + Old Navy on-sale price divided by 2 

Now, when she wants to buy something crazy-expensive there isn't an argument.  She understands she'll have to offset it with a super-sale item or do with less ex., one less pair of pants.  After purchases I hand her the card with the spreadsheet printout and she subtracts the cost from each line item.  She knows I'm a tough cookie and that if she spends it all in the Fall there will be no budget override in the Spring.  (She does have a March birthday as a safety net.)

The outcome:

• She shops very carefully and looks for sales & clearance.
  Last year she decided to hold off on lots of back-to-school clothes so she could see what other kids were wearing and get them on sale! (Good decision since she grew 2" from Sept-Dec.)
• She better understands want vs. need.
• She's had buyer's remorse and I didn't have to save a word.  That expensive "great" sweater she wore twice before it was too small still hangs in her closet as a reminder.
• She learned Excel and a practical use for math.
• She had leftover $ at the end of the year!  
  I let her roll it on top of this year's budget so she could buy something awesome when she found it.

BTW - I also have some fashion guidelines in place for what I consider age/school appropriate so it's not complete free reign.  She knows the guidelines and is still a rule follower so, it prevents augments too.

Happy shopping,
Practical Jenn

Do you really save money at Costco?

It's a trick question... Do you save money at Costco? vs. Can you save money at Costco?

Yes, you absolutely can save money at Costco and I actually do, but it takes focus.  Below is an example and a few tips that might help.  (Although I'm using Costco in my example you can insert Target or any other store that has great merchandising.)

Example - Basic groceries at Costco:
I spend at least $20 less saving 50% by buying my family's basic weekly groceries (milk, bread, eggs, cream, lettuce, bananas & a roast chicken) at Costco vs. the regular market. However, I only save the $20 IF I can get out of Costco without buying something else.  If it's less than $20 than at least I'm still ahead of the game!

6 Tips for Spending Less at Costco

Tip #1  - Know your goal.  There is a big difference between "Saving $" and "Spending Less $".  These days between unemployment and rising healthcare costs, people are trying to spend less.  

If you are trying to spend less $ and can't resist impulse buys or "deals" on things you really don't need, then stay out of the stores that tempt you.  In the end you'll spend less $ shopping at a store where you don't see items you don't need (even if you are paying full price on the items you do need).

Tip #2  - Blinders On & Work the List
I'm both a list maker and unenthusiastic shopper so, I realize this tip is easier for me than most people.

Tip #3 - Always put one thing back at the register
When you fail at tip #2 (which I often do) this tip works great.  I almost always have at least one thing that I'll never miss.  It's better not to buy it rather than believing you'll return it later (which makes you go in the store again).

Tip #5 - Will you use it all? 
Yes, you get more for your money by buying in bulk, however only if you going use the entire package.  Items like laundry detergent and toilet paper are a no-brainer.  Unfortunately, I find that if its edible there is an inverse relationship.  The more we have, the less likely it will be what my family wants to eat it! It just proved out yet again with a giant box of great chocolate chip cookies my in-laws brought us!

Tip #6 - It's only a bargain it you need it.
Oh, I love a bargain but I've had a lot of bargains hanging in my closet that I never wore.  So, apply what I learned from my mother...  It's only a bargain if you need it.

Happy shopping,
Practical Jenn

Don't rush to refinance - DO THE MATH

I've been writing cover letters lately and need to get in touch with my analytical side.  So, this is my chance to talk about mortgage rates and play with spreadsheets.  Yes, rates are low again and sooooo tempting.

Ever overhear people discussing how low their rate is?  (It's the grown-up version of competing over who has the car with the most horse power)!   As tempting as low rates are, refinancing can end up costing you more in the long run when you've had your current mortgage for a few years.  It's because most of your payment is interest at the beginning (paying the bank) and diminishes slowly until it flips about half way through (in 15 years) ...after that more of the payment is principle (paying yourself).  So, every time you refinance you go back to paying the bank more and yourself less!

Here is an example of the problem I'm trying to solve. 

What does the rate need to be for refinancing to be worth it - break-even point?
(Assuming I refinance my remaining principle balance 

since some of the original mortgage amount has been paid off). 

So, I got out my trusty amortization spreadsheet to quantify the break even point so I can stop drooling over the bank ads and know when I should react.

• Assumption: 
  My current $200,000 30-year mortgage is 5 years old at 5.375%
  
  
• Results:  I was surprised!
  The interest rate needs to be less than 4.2% before I'd be ahead; assuming I'm holding the loan the full term.  Also, the analysis isn't taking into consideration all the bank fees and points.
  
  But, if I'm planning to sell my house before the loan ends then it changes everything... 
  my break-even refinance rate increases to 4.75% if it sell my house or payoff in 10 years.

• Reason: The initial payments go almost entirely to interest so, when you refinance you get to pay more interest again & again.  That's the reason banks advertise rates and want you to refinance.  The good news is that the later years of your mortgage are mostly paying yourself equity. If you keep refinancing you never get to the golden years of your mortgage and you keep pushing out when you'll be debt free.   

Pay yourself instead of the bank. You're better off making an extra payment annually (or rounding up your payment) and having a big party to celebrate being the first to pay off their mortgage!

If I paid an extra $100 each month in the example above, the loan would be paid off 5 years earlier and save over $40,000 in interest.

DO THE MATH (or ask someone to help you with it)!

Sunday Paper - Read the paper; not the ads!

It's Sunday.
Call me old fashioned, but my favorite part of the weekend is reading the news in paper form with a good cup of coffee. When I scaled back my career (& salary) I also scaled back what parts of the Sunday paper I read.

More precisely... recycle the Ad circulars before you read the front page, comics or whichever your preferred 1st section may be.

It's amazing how infrequently I "need" to go to Target now. I can't tell you how much I've saved, but I can tell you the best way to save money is by NOT shopping.

It's time to savor the book review section!
Happy Sunday,
- Practical Jenn

Equity Line as Low Cost Insurance

Hello,

IF you own a house with some equity built-up, do you have an equity line set-up? If not, do it TODAY and then FORGET you have it.

What this does is provide you with access to low interest cash in the event of an unplanned, hopefully once-in-a-lifetime desperate situation such as an extreme medical issue or extended period of unemployment. It gives you a way to pay your critical bills such as a mortgage so you have time to get through the short-term situation or readjust your lifestyle to accommodate it. It's the breathing room you need so you can focus on resolving the primary issue with a good night's sleep.

- Unused Home Equity Lines typically only charge small annual fee around $50.
- Mine was free to apply for.
- Don't go crazy interest rate-shopping because you'll hopefully never use it and rates are variable and tied to published standard rates such as "prime".
- Do not get a check book for it (too tempting for some).

More information on Home Equity Lines

I heard this advice from Suze Orman years ago.

Have a good day,
Practical Jenn