January ended with $700 added to savings and $540 contributed to my Roth IRA. I still need to contribute $1,060 to the Roth to fully fund 2019 by April. I can do this!!!
February also marks the first month in which we will not have income coming from actual employment. It will be just my husband's pension and income from the rental properties. February will be the real test. We will be coming home next week; we miss our sons and our life in NJ.
The house, an emotional purchase, is on the market. We hope to unloaded before November when we will have to start paying the mortgage again. I (we) prepaid several mortgage payments in advance. We can afford to pay for it but rather sell it and count our losses.
I have an interview lined up to cover a maternity leave in a neighboring school. It's just for a couple of months, but I hope to be able to sub to earn an income. I will proactively look for a permanent job during the spring and summer for the next school year. If you can say a prayer (if you believe) or send positive thoughts, it is greatly appreciated.
Update
February 1st, 2020 at 07:41 pm
February 1st, 2020 at 08:01 pm 1580587283
Good plan to prepay the mortgage. Hope you can get it sold quickly.
February 2nd, 2020 at 02:20 pm 1580653201
I have had so many friends and acquaintances who relocated because of weather and ended up unhappy. Weather doesn't matter -- people do! People ask me why I'm spending my retirement in the windy city, and it's because my kids and grandkids are here. You are smart to just cut your losses.