Churning For...

Hello Dear Reader,

About 2 months ago, I signed up for a Chase Card with a $200 sign up bonus. After spending the required money in regular bills, the question is, what now? I have the money in bonus points on my Chase account. If I was the Jones's, I'd probably use it to pay a down on a couch set, or maybe buy a single fancy rim for my gas guzzling SUV. What should I do though?

I've thought of a couple options:

That would have been nice!

1. Use it for regular budget items. This would go to food, or some essential monthly expense. I wouldn't feel the rush of something shiny, but the $200 it frees up would then need a decision. Maybe I could put it toward an IRA. It isn't a lot of money, but it is something. An added bonus is this could get drawn into our money tree with an unusual pattern signifying it was creatively earned.
2. Buy a freezer. Our chest freeze has been getting full. Maybe I should buy another one and name it Chase.
3. Buy a bike rack. This is the one my wife wants. It would probably cost $150 leaving $50 for something minor like gardening supplies.

Not relevant picture...but it is Lego!!

We almost bought a bike rack at Sports Chalet (first day of sale...not the day of the posting). My wife found the one that a previous salesman said was good. It was $170, and the closing discount is...wait for it...10%!! Wow what a deal! I'm being sarcastic...I told the wife I was unimpressed that a store going out of business couldn't squeeze more discount than 10%, especially since that meant it couldn't be returned to any Sports Chalet store. This brings me to my conclusion. I am so cheap, that even with money basically given to me, I can't bring myself to buy something slightly on sale.

The last option is the wife's sanity fund. We have been married 5 years and she has been wanting a weekend away since our last one was 4 or so months ago. We wouldn't normally need this except for the two year old. This is a good problem to have. I don't have the answer yet. Whatever we decide, I'll need the wife's buy in.

Mad Fientist Financial Independance Calculator

For the people looking to someday retire, this calculator may prove useful. You will need to create an account, but wait! Don't get scared. It's a simple email and password account...no...personal...info! I know the pain of websites wanting non-relevant information. This isn't that. I made a user account and then followed step-by-step instructions. What you do is put your expenses, savings and net worth for a mount and it plots your FI date on a graph. I only have one month right now so it isn't a line but a dot. Here is my picture:

Yes, you read that correctly. At my current rate I have 19 years until financial independence at my current rate, assuming I never get any raises or promotions. That isn't too bad when you think about it. On the left side you can adjust the assumptions for your particular case. Naturally, I have no affiliation with Mad Fientist.  

Happily Living Small

Yesterday, we celebrated my child's second birthday. Family and a few friends gathered. We requested that folks spare purchasing the typical giant gifts and, if comfortable/possible, instead contribute to the kiddo's college fund. The purpose behind this is that Emma has a closet and toy chest filled with toys. Also, the living room and dining room have gathered toys as well. This may not be the ideal for every family. Maybe you have a big house, maybe you live large. This is a good fit for my small family unit.
The family came together, got along, enjoy snacks, cupcakes. Before the party, the wife and I were initially worried that our house wouldn't hold all of the invited people. Unfortunately, some people were sick or unable to make it. So, in the end we had enough space.
After the party, cleanup was simple and my wife and I still loved each other at the end of the day. Chuck E. Cheese or outrageous spending hadn't caused the wife and I to fight each other and stress the kiddo. Emma had a blast and loved most
playing with...balloons! Of all things! This truly proves the Baby Blues dead fly theory. Baby Blues is a comic strip about a family and the struggles of raising children. One comic asks the reader to identify which item the baby will enjoy most. It goes from expensive toys to a dead fly. Who won? The dead fly. Before my kiddo grows out of this, I will get her some more balloons :)