September Challenges! August Wrap-up!

September is an exploration in how to get more sleep.

August was money month!  How did we do?

#1:

• go through all my TIAA-Cref paperwork, discard the outdated stuff, file the new stuff, and sign up for paperless statements
1. at least it’s all in one place now, in the same box, even if most of the stuff isn’t opened and none is organized.  That’s progress, right?
2. Take everything out, open envelopes.  Recycle envelopes and outdated inserts.  Tell TIAA-CREF my new address.  Put things in piles by organization (TIAA-Cref, Vanguard, etc.).  Then put the papers in each pile in order by date.
3. Do stuff: possibly make appointment with the advisor guy.  Find out more about this annuity thing I have.
4. Get form from HR to transfer my raise to retirement account.
• track my spending all month, as suggested by Your Money or Your Life
• finally get rid of my lingering retirement accounts from 2 employers ago, which have like $87 total, and roll them into my current accounts.  Done!  Accidentally.  I found a check — they liquidated the account and cashed it out to me when they didn’t hear from me for a while.  I don’t mind the tax hit on $82 or whatever, because that was my original plan anyway.  Win.
• find out WTF is up with my Vanguard accounts and fix my address with them.  And maybe move to TIAA-CREF.
• call my credit card companies and ask them to stop sending me those checks
• consider how much of my emergency fund I need to have liquid, and possibly invest some.  (Treasury bonds?)
• only sort of related: back up, patch, and otherwise maintain *all* computers
1. Lab computer main (back up, uninstall, install, patch)
2. lab computer backup (uninstall, install, patch)
3. office computer (back up, uninstall, install, patch, organize)
4. home computer (back up, install, patch)

As of Aug. 1, I have started by making a shared googledoc with my partner.  It’s a spreadsheet where we can track all our household expenses (rent, cable, water, gas, power, etc.) as well as who paid what to whom.  This is very useful now that we are living together once more, and splitting expenses but not exactly evenly; there are formulae and everything.  Also I know where the YMOYL book is but mean to reread it.

Update, Aug. 2: I re-read important parts of the book and skimmed the rest.  Also I discussed finances with my partner a little bit.  Look at me go!

Update, Sept 1:

#2:

• Sell all individual stocks and sucky mutual funds (except the one).  Reinvest.  Chase IRA moved to Vanguard, reinvested in Target date 2050 fund.  Requested full control of American Century.  Remaining movements will have to wait until the markets settle down.
• Check numbers to see if IRA possible this year.:  Yes:  Roth eligible.
• Force Ing to let go.:  Forms are filled out, put in addressed envelope… waiting for the stock market to settle down a bit.  (This may take a year…)
• Check out 457 plan.  Forms sent off.
• Make the etrade margin account not a margin account!  Done.
• Look into moving from etrade to vanguard.  Or just open new vanguard account:  Vanguard account opened. Decided to hold on to etrade a while longer.
• Or just open new vanguard account.  
• Call credit card companies and ask them to stop sending checks (good idea!):  Was waiting for CC company to send checks… they didn’t, so I haven’t called.  But if they do, I will be ready!
• Figure out how much to deduct for dependent daycare account ~3500
• Cash in last DDA for the year  Done.
• Sign up for annual benefits (easier this year… there are fewer choices…) Done.

#2 was hampered by the stockmarket suddenly deciding to go bat-excrement crazy.  #2 dislikes moving money when the market is swinging wildly.  She could lose big (or win big) and she doesn’t like that kind of volatility.  Chase got moved right before the big dip happened, but American Century and Ing are staying put.  Keeping Ing with Ing is losing about $300/year, but the American Century account doesn’t cost nearly so much (because there’s not much in it!), and these wild fluctuations could permanently take a big bite out of it if buying and selling are mistimed.  Other than that, #2 feels pretty good about the exercise and will probably do a money month next summer too.

Sept.: Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night!

This goal is really important.  If you recall, #1 has problems with tiredness that no doctor has been able to figure out.  So this month will be an experiment in sleep control– if #1 does all the non-invasive things the internet says to do to help sleep, will that help her sleep?

This includes but is not limited to:

• avoid unplanned nap behaviors; sleep in few large chunks
• Use commitment devices
• manage hydration to reduce sleepiness
• develop alternate methods of mood regulation / stress reduction besides sleep (sex!)
• set realistic alarm times and then get out of bed immediately when alarm goes off
• stay away from monitor a planned time before bedtime

Do you have any more non-invasive suggestions on how #1 can sleep better (apart from say, taking melatonin or other drugz)?

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