I have simply too much going on right now and I don’t want to just keep posting half-ass attempts of writing just to keep something up. I have seen that happen to other blogs and I can’t bear the idea of that happening to my own. I also can’t bear the idea of just disappearing off the face of the earth like I have seen happen with other websites. I hate it when people cannot even let you know if they are doing okay—especially when you spend months reading up on their lives. Right now, I have to concentrate on my two jobs and my boyfriend who is still going through some health problems. That is the simple explanation. The other truth is a matter of my own fault. I made the mistake of telling certain people who know me in my real life about this website and it has, unfortunately, restricted what I have been able to say as a result. I hope to one day not feel as restricted but I think it is best just to take a break for now.

I know for a fact I will be out till next year for sure. I have no idea when I will come back but I hope it to be soon.  I will really miss writing on this blog and keeping you updated on my own financial life.  As I have said before, this is NOT goodbye. It is just that I don’t think I have ever needed a break more than I do now and need to take care of somethings in my life right now. Feel free to drop me an email if you ever want to talk. I will still be reading up on your blogs and stories when I can. It is still one of my favorite things to do in the world.

–Natalie

The post Needing to Take a Break for Now… appeared first on Debt and the Girl.

The following is a guest post:

There are new ways to play games every day. Some people like to play games online as well board games with friends. There is also new styles of games that are popping up online all the time. For those who like to gamble, there are different avenues. There are legal online gambling options.

As with everything, there are good and bad ways to tackle it. Setting aside a certain amount that you will not go over is a great first step to started. Making sure you stick with it is utmost key in starting. It can be easy to get carried away if you don’ know your limit so establishing it beforehand is very important.

Keep tabs on how much you’re spending as it’s easy to ignore losses and promote gains in your mind.  A good way to do this is by keeping a detailed betting record. Any type of record keeping is sufficient as long as you are able to follow it. The important thing is to follow it and to make sure that you are sticking to it.

Another way to look at things is to regard gambling as an entertainment expense. This will make it easier to accept any losses and make it even easier to know just how much you can lose. Once again, keeping note of just what you can spend no matter is they key factor here. Having a maximum that you are willing to lose is extremely important so that you do not go overboard. This is true of buying things in retail stores and it is true here as well.

Of course, you should not gamble if you have had problems before but doing it responsibly can be fine. Once again, it is all about knowing your limits and playing responsibly.

The post Keeping Things Organized with Online Entertainment appeared first on Debt and the Girl.

For those of you who have been following, you will know that my boyfriend is a handyman specialist and likes to find fun and interesting solutions to everything. Since we didn’t have a fabulous budget this time again, he certainly had to use his expertise to get creative. It didn’t hurt either that he was able to negotiate some good deals at Home Depot. It turns out that there is no harm in asking if you can get a better deal. What do you think of how it turned out?

Anyways, we (mostly he) got all the work done and it only took a few days to rent out the house. This time around, we were lucky enough to be able to raise the price a few hundred dollars. We threw in some extras like lawn care and the price of water bill every month but we still come out ahead of the game.

We also modified the lease to include stricter terms like basically saying that the tenants were responsible for any pest control and saying that they were responsible for all minor repairs. Yeah, we didn’t want ten phone calls a day for a broken light bulb or whatever. Ain’t nobody got time for that shit!

The boyfriend is now trying to sell his dad’s old car and hopefully make some money off of it. Unfortunately, there have been lots of call but no takers yet. Wish us luck!!

The post Got the House Rented Out… appeared first on Debt and the Girl.

I did something last weekend in which I have been waiting to do for the better part of two years. I did that and did something else that I have wanted to do for the past twelve years. What did I do? Well, if you have read the title of this article, you probably got where I am going with this. We paid off our auto loan on the truck!! And…I bought a new car.

Before you hang a rope around my neck, I have to plead my case. First off, I did not buy a “new” car. It is a 2013 with a full warranty that covers just about everything mechanical. This is very important to me because we all know car repairs are very expensive and can really take a bite out of your bank account. This was another reason I bought a newish car is because I wanted to have at least a higher likelihood of having the car last longer. I bought a Toyota Corolla if you are wondering. I bought this car specifically for its reliability and efficiency. I had done a lot of research and this was one of the best cars for me by far. With all the driving I do, it is great. I have been up and down metro Atlanta and I still have only used a quarter of gas. Did I ever tell you my commuter trip to my job is about 30 miles each way in slow ass traffic?

I have to admit I got a few things added in the “new” car that I absolutely did not need. Of course, I could live without all those things. I didn’t really need a sunroof but I am going to be have this car for a while, hopefully. This car is utmost in safely and I actually want to enjoy something other than the solid suspension. I didn’t look for these things specifically, but they certainly add value to the car.

The car I am replacing wasn’t on its last leg but things were getting close. It had started to make some funny noises. I can’t really say it is too surprising. It has over 260k miles and it was not going to last forever. My fear was that it was going to die and I would be stranded from work. My boyfriend and I have decided to keep my junky but reliable old Camry and just use it till it absolutely croaks. Now that I have a newer car, I am less worried about it. The insurance on it is dirt cheap anyways.

The other great news is that we went ahead and paid the auto loan for the truck. I just didn’t want to deal with paying two auto loans at the same time. Yes, I did take out a partial loan for the majority of the price of the new car. I also got a killer interest rate because of my good credit. I also did a lot of math and settled on a monthly car payment that is affordable even if I get the extended warranty. It will be just over $300 with the car payment and the added insurance which I can do. I know a lot of people look down on taking out loans but the point of the matter is I was going to have to get a new car sooner or later. Without it, I would not be able to get to work and not make any money to pay my bills. I think it is good that my Camry lasted for over ten years. I am almost thirty now and I have had this car since high school.

I am happy with my purchase. I feel like I bought a car that will last me a while (fingers crossed). It is so nice to have a decent car to drive again. It means I will have to continue to work hard but I really don’t mind. It def. keeps me motivated.

The post We Paid off the Car Loan!!!!…And Got a New One appeared first on Debt and the Girl.

The post The Benefits of Playing Games appeared first on Debt and the Girl.

I have heard of stories about how celebrities and influential people in our societies have ended up being declared bankrupt despite making huge amounts of money during their peak days. It is just fascinating how this is even possible in the first place. Nevertheless, the saddening accounts of how reality rudely hits these people has made me conclude that indeed, no matter how much you make in a year, without financial knowledge, one can still be living paycheck to paycheck and eventually end up in a financial ruin. In this context, financial knowledge is vital in understanding what a financial plan is and how one goes about making a budget and actually sticking to it.

From a personal point of view, my experiences with the whole issue of debts and how to settle them have taught me a lot. Growing up as a kid and all throughout my high school I really had a big financial problem. At times I tend to blame it on my parents who virtually gave me everything I needed to the extent of seeing no need to save the huge chunks of money I had all to myself. Nevertheless, the harsh reality is that whether we are from that kind of a family or not, our reckless financial behaviors usually catch up with us at some point in life.

For my case, my college life was a real hell on earth. My dad’s job was no more, meaning there was no more extra cash for me. Having gotten used to the heaven on earth kind of a life, I was soon into huge debts that I even did not know how I got into them in the first place. I remember the situation got worse to a point I had to change institutions so as to save myself from my creditor who were always on my neck. This is the point I learned the hard lesson of how important it is to cultivate a culture of managing finances however more or little they are. I now believe in the spirit of saving and I promised myself to foster it in my kids from the youngest age possible.  One of the lessons I have learnt over time is that when there is no budget in place, it is very likely for one to spend more money than he is making. Therefore, by accounting for all income one receives and spends, he is able to see his spending habits. As a result, he will be able to assess whether his habits are good or bad or need to be adjusted/improved. This is a notion I have believed in ever since my troubled college life. As we speak, debt problem is a foregone case since I have learnt to save the little I can and only resort to borrowing when I really have to.

With this belief, I have managed to build in me a character of creating a financial plan and budget for earnings, spending, saving and investing. These things are separate but affect each other in almost equal magnitudes. More so, they are a necessity to laying a solid foundation on which any family’s future is built. As such, today, I concentrate on making good financial choices that will enable me save the little I can to add to my retirement income since from personal experiences, I believe personal financial choices will not only affect our lives now, but also affect how comfortable we will be when we retire.

The post Fostering Saving Culture appeared first on Debt and the Girl.

Getting out of debt, for most, is not easy.  While others may have gone to extremes to dig themselves out a giant hole of debt, I admit that I’ve gone about this in a more conservative fashion.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with making big sacrifices to get out of debt faster.  In fact, I really admire those people.  Those people aren’t afraid to take risks.

And then you have people like me.  The ones who prefer to play on the safe side of the field.  I contribute this to the fact that I will be on this journey for years.  Not weeks.  Not months.  Years.

When I find myself in a situation where I may have to make certain sacrifices for a potentially long time, I want to have a plan.  I want to feel secure in my life, my work, and my financial state.

For these reasons, there are some things I haven’t been willing to do while I’m trying to get out of debt.

I haven’t sold my car.

As a personal finance blogger, I’m well aware that selling a car with a loan attached to it is one of the easiest ways to unload debt.  However, even though I still owed the majority of my car loan when I started this journey, I had no intention of ridding myself of my car.  I love my car.  It’s my only form of transportation and it’s reliable.  Although I was not willing to part with my car, I acknowledged that it still represents debt and have appropriately worked it into my debt snowball.  I expect that my car loan will be paid off by mid-2015.

I haven’t worked at a fast food restaurant.

Look, I am not knocking fast food work by any means.  In fact, it slightly intimidates me!  I’ve had a second job for as long as I can remember.  I am the retail queen.  Whenever I am in the market for another side hustle, my first instinct is to look at the mall or at stores I frequent and am comfortable with.  I’ve never even applied for a job at a restaurant.  To me, it’s always appeared to be a high stress and underappreciated area of work.  Ideally, that is not something I’m looking for in a second job.  Kudos to those who work in this industry.

I didn’t freeze my “personal” products.

This is by far the weirdest opportunity I’ve been approached with as a means to make a few extra bucks.  A few months ago, I registered with one of those research agencies in hopes that I would qualify for a few studies.  It appeared to be an easy way to make some extra money for a few hours of participation.  However, I was recently contacted by the agency with an interesting study.  (I’ll give you a TMI warning now)  To put it bluntly, they wanted me to use certain feminine products during my cycle, freeze them, and turn them in to the agency at the end of the week.  My husband was appalled and I just couldn’t get past the idea of having these used items in my freezer next to the frozen chicken and pizza.  Ew!  The pay of $60 was not worth the mental anguish it would cause.

I haven’t stopped shopping.

Yes, I am trying to pay off debt.  And yes, I love to shop.  One of these things is not like the other!  While I am trying to lighten the financial load, I also refuse to cut out having fun during this process.  I know myself and I know that if I restrict myself too much, I will lose momentum and binge.  To avoid a catastrophe, I stick to a small cash budget for shopping or other personal purchases.  It’s been working well, and I no longer feel the urge to shop ‘til I drop.

Are there things you aren’t willing to do to get out of debt faster?

The post Four Things I Haven’t Done to Get Out of Debt appeared first on Debt and the Girl.

I thought long and hard before I purchased the tickets. I had seen my idol before and thought that maybe that was enough. Then again, I know that everyone gets older and I know other artists around his age have retired from touring–not to mention that Sir Paul does not need to tour ever again. He may have loads of cash but I don’t. I need to be considerate with my money as I do have lots of responsibilities that can’t be ignored.

Despite all these things, I went ahead and bought the tickets and I am so glad that I did. The concert was phenomenal. I was enthralled form the very beginning to the end (after several encores). My boyfriend had such a wonderful time and agreed that it was worth every penny. I had such a wonderful experience that it made me wonder why I had been so hung up about the money. I do work hard and obviously paying the bills is very important but so are the rare opportunities that you have to really enjoy life. I have talked about this before and it is so true. To me, money is not the end game. I don’t think this is the case for a lot of PF bloggers.   There is a lot of evidence that suggests that good experiences will make you much happier than just getting “things.”

So my dear readers, I just wanted this to be reminder that there is a benefit to working so hard. It is these moments that make it worth it. This could mean everything from family to concert experiences to your pet dog. We all work for something and that is what it is all about. One that happy note, here is a video of that happy experience for me. Happy Monday!

Also, I was recently published on Cardrates.com for my Cup of Coffee Savings Rule. Check it out if you have a chance.

The post One of My Reasons for Working Hard… appeared first on Debt and the Girl.

It all started when I was perusing on Youtube recently. Watching videos on Youtube has been a real stress reliever for me and it costs nothing. The only downside to this that sometimes I can get a little fixated on the subjects. This has been very true of make-up. I just started watching some beauty vloggers and their videos on their favorite brands and items of make-up. Something about these videos are so comforting to me. Maybe it was the soft lighting or the beautifully wrapped packaging of the cosmetics. I have to say that I was hooked either way. A couple of hundred dollars later, I had just a few dozen cosmetics. Despite the costs, I have been very pleased with the effect.

Now normally I would just say that I work hard and can justify some superfluous spending as I have mentioned on here before, but it has made me think. More specifically, it has made me think when is enough is enough. In the past week, I have been to four different stores in the hopes of getting some good make-up deals. I had some gift cards which I got for my birthday recently, but even I am asking myself when is it enough?

I used to have a really bad shopping problem. I did a lot of “emotional spending” because I felt like it would make me look cooler and be more with the “in crowd.” I ended up with over $5,000 in credit card debt which I eventually paid off.

I wish I could say that I was completely over this but the urge to spend is still there. These past couple of weeks have reminded me of that, unfortunately.

Why am I bringing this up? I like to think that being a PF blogger has certainly made me more accountable. I also know that there is nothing wrong with treating yourself when you work very hard.

I have to say my make-up stash has given me more confidence in my appearance and I have certainly gotten compliments on my new looks. I think the good middle ground is to scale back on my make-up spending even if I really enjoy it. I just don’t want to make another crazy financial mistake again or start the process at least.

What do you think?  When is it the right time to just start saying no?

The post When Is It Time to Say No? appeared first on Debt and the Girl.

1)    Can You Possibly Do it Yourself? Many homeowners can save around 50% by doing simple household repairs themselves. Maybe you can even handle something more complex. Just remember, if you can’t do it well, it’s best to leave it to the pros. But on the other hand, skills learned well will serve you in this and all of your future homes. Your house is a big investment. Unlike spread bets which pay off in hours, you will only see a return on your investment in your home sometime far down the line. Make sure the decisions you make now will make that return a great one.

2)    How Fast Will it Pay For Itself? This question applies most to landlords, but also to those who are selling their homes in the near future. If you want to do a $20,000 bathroom remodel on your rental property, how much more in rent can you get back every month. If the update will make the house more attractive, providing you with $1100 in rent every month, I say go for it. My rule of thumb is “a remodel must pay for itself in two years or less”. By adding a lot to the rent you can charge, a remodel of this size would fit that bill.

3)    What Are Your Goals For Your Home? Real Estate investors come in all shapes and sizes. Some live in the home they want to stay in for the rest of their lives. Some have a home that is just a stepping stone to bigger and better things. These investors will obviously approach this question differently. If you want to move somewhere else in the future, renting your current place to others, you’ll want durable but inexpensive upgrades. If you plan to sell, you may want to make the changes more impressive, to get it off the market quickly. If you want to live in your house forever, make it your dream home. Obviously, there are limits to what you want to spend, but I’m an advocate for being happy where you lay your head. Splurge every now and then, especially if you have other properties generating income elsewhere.

Renovations are varied, and there are lots of things to consider. But make sure you are seeing a good return on investment, and that all improvements you make align with your goals. If you follow these simple steps, your renovation investments should pay off really nicely.

The post When to Do a Household Renovation or Remodel appeared first on Debt and the Girl.