After nearly 2 months of work, my first paycheck with this employer has been deposited into my account.
It was nice to wake up to the balance in my checking account. Now I have to make it all last until the end of October, when I get paid again. I will get used to getting paid once a month, eventually.

Oldest DD will be attending a chorus trip to New York in May with her school, so I will add those costs into my budget. $600 for a 3 day, 2 night trip that includes vocal instruction, some meals, lodging, transportation, and a Broadway show sounds like a deal to me!

The school of course is promoting fundraising for these activities. They are selling frozen pies for $15 each, and the students get $3 as their cut. I told DD she could help fund the trip on her own, doing additional chores, washing cars, etc. That way the money earned is 100% profit for her. And we don't have to pressure friends and family to purchase over-priced junk food!

Youngest DD is also fundraising for school, but fortunately they also promote the "easy" fundraising method where people just give the school money. Again, this method gives back all of the money to the school and not to a third-party. Children who raise funds in this manner also qualify for the giveaways and other incentives that encourage the students to earn money.

These fundraisers have really opened my girls' eyes to the value of money. The girls can either earn $12 for someone else and just $3 for themselves by selling a pie and dealing with that hassle, or they can keep the whole $15 by providing a needed service to someone.

I feel like I need to empty my head of my financial chatter, beware!

Just like too many food choices contribute to overeating, too many accounts are making me financially sloppy.

Right now I have several accounts opened- in my previous town, in my new town, one with SO, online, etc. I'm working to pare this down to a local account and an online account. I'm making too many financial mistakes trying to keep up with everything.

The problem is that I have to transfer all of the debits and deposits to the surviving accounts. My new paychecks are already scheduled to go to my new account, including the summer pay I'm setting aside to cover me for the months I don't get a paycheck.

I need to contact my current tenant with new account information so that he can start depositing rent into one of the remaining accounts. (I have a checking account in my online account that is devoted to my rental).

Then I need to verify one final time that I've stopped all automatic payments and withdrawals from my old accounts. Update automatic payments to reflect my new account.

THEN I can close my old accounts. By the middle of October those accounts should be gone. I'll have fewer opportunities to make mistakes!

Overall, I'm pleased with my new life out here. I've always been one who can find the good side of things. Out here, there are many career opportunities and chances to grow my income. Financially this is a huge boost for us. There are also lots of things to do with my family on the weekends, and a huge variety of people living here. It's great for my kids to live in such a diverse area.

Do I miss my old hometown? Yes, my family and close friends are there. The beach is there. It is more laid back there. But SO has to be in the D.C. area for 4 years, so I'm making the best out of it. If we do go back in the future, I will be in an even better position financially and career-wise to be more successful in my hometown. Sometimes you need to get away for opportunity. It doesn't mean you can't go back.

I always get a cold after returning back to school. Too many kid germs at once, I guess, lol. Luckily I didn't start to feel yuck until Friday, so I have the weekend to recuperate so I don't get everyone sick. We have to be very careful at this school to stay home if we are sick, we have a lot of medically fragile kids who could wind up in the hospital from a cold.

My money will not be straight until probably the end of September, after I get my first paycheck from my new job. Until then I am living off of a 0% interest loan for new teachers, designed to get us through that first month of work with no paycheck. I figured that was smarter than taking my money out of an interest earning account.

I've decided instead of continuing my 457b I will instead do a Roth IRA, since I pay little in taxes due to my wages and deductions. The tax-free benefit might do me more good in later years, when I should be making a lot more money. Of course, I will be making more money at this job than my last job, so maybe the 457 would be wiser?

Does anyone know of a good calculator that would help me decide which retirement vehicle would be best for my situation?

I always get a cold after returning back to school. Too many kid germs at once, I guess, lol. Luckily I didn't start to feel yuck until Friday, so I have the weekend to recuperate so I don't get everyone sick. We have to be very careful at this school to stay home if we are sick, we have a lot of medically fragile kids who could wind up in the hospital from a cold.

My money will not be straight until probably the end of September, after I get my first paycheck from my new job. Until then I am living off of a 0% interest loan for new teachers, designed to get us through that first month of work with no paycheck. I figured that was smarter than taking my money out of an interest earning account.

I've decided instead of continuing my 457b I will instead do a Roth IRA, since I pay little in taxes due to my wages and deductions. The tax-free benefit might do me more good in later years, when I should be making a lot more money. Of course, I will be making more money at this job than my last job, so maybe the 457 would be wiser?

Does anyone know of a good calculator that would help me decide which retirement vehicle would be best for my situation?

I'm trying to catch my breath with everything that's going on. New schools for the kids, new school for me, and trying to find my way around this place has been challenging.I'm relieved that it's starting to come together.

First off, the kids are back in school, getting to know other kids, and seem happy. No complaints from them! I'm glad my oldest DD has adjusted easily enough to high school. She has met other kids and exchanged numbers with them. My youngest DD has met a few kids in the neighborhood and likes her teacher, yay!

I really like my new job. There is so much support at this place, I'm not coming home physically and mentally exhausted like I used to. Yes, the students have challenging behaviors (or else they wouldn't be in this program), but the support is there for me to help change the behaviors. There is a system in place to radio for back up if a student has a melt down and is becoming unsafe. There is a behavior specialist on staff who pops in throughout the day with support. I actually get my planning time! I know that it is only day 2 but I'm so thankful for even 2 days. It has never gone so smoothly in the past.

I will update my goals and savings plan soon, financially things are still a bit up in the air. I have a new local credit union account, my old one, my online one, and the shared account with my partner. I'm in the middle of cutting this down to half.