November update

November is already over and it's time once again to do a monthly review and update.

The biggest change I'm excited about is my credit score. Last month it ended at 737. A check today and it is now 740!! I finally made it to the "very good" level and what most lenders use as the criteria for better rates.  This will be very good (I hope!) for applying for a construction loan/mortgage. When I was applying for mortgage a year and a half ago, I was in the low 700's.

I'm also excited that today it has been 7 years since our bankruptcy was discharged. All the banks told me I needed to be 7 years past in order to qualify for a conventional loan. I have read that it can be 7 years and sometimes 10 years before the BK will not show on your credit report. As of today, it's still there, but at least for lending purposes (unless they've changed their rules again) I am good to go. Between that and my better credit score, I think we should be able to find a construction loan.

I think we've done pretty good post bankruptcy. Stayed out of debt.  Have one credit card, for emergencies and have rebuilt our credit and increased our net worth some. I do have some store credit cards, but don't use them too often and always pay in full. I basically just used them to help rebuild my credit, once I was able to start getting approved for them.

My 401k increased $1955 to $73,875. Getting close to $75,000! Maybe by end of December? Technically speaking, it will be over that, the money just won't be there for several months after that. The year ends and we earn 3.4% profit sharing and our 50% company match, which is a bit over $4000, in total, that will be added to my account.

M-Turk. I was doing well until Thanksgiving week, where I pretty much didn't do anything. Then for some reason I have had trouble getting back to it this week. I finally did a few dollars yesterday and have done a couple of dollars today and I'll try more during my lunch break. I earned about $67 for November.

Google ad sense: $20.83, so it takes me about 5-6 months to get the payment for $100

Swagbucks - really pathetic again. $5.67. It's just much easier to earn money on M-Turk (when I do it!)

In work news, still keeping my fingers crossed on the bonus payout ($3900) for year end and a bonus from my side job. Today I submitted to my boss a proposal for a new method in completing one of the aspects of my job. Tracking down commission discrepancy issues. I just do not have the hours available each month to get to the number of discrepancies I come across every month, especially with the way I have always had to work on resolving them. There are just too many.  I have asked for her feedback in making a change to the procedure, which will also have to get approval from our project management supervisor (as her group has to research my requests). She actually emailed me right back and loves the idea and emailed the pm manager right away for her input.  That manager just emailed back this morning that she is fine with that idea. This should make my job easier and more importantly we'll probably get back more money owed to us that is slipping through the cracks now.