My Debt Free Life

My Fiverr Gigs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 11:35:00 +0000

My Fiverr Gigs

Fear and Debt

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 23:57:00 +0000

SCARY STUFF

Learn more about
us debt.

National Debt Clockgreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

OK, so my personal debt load isn't as scary as the national debt, but as a single mother trying to make ends meet on 1 paycheck I sometimes feel just as hopeless.

What causes this hopelessness? I think it's fear, at least for me. Fear that I won't be able to pay all the bills, fear that the credit card payments (even the minimums) will be too much, fear that I won't have enough money to buy groceries, fear, fear, fear.

I do not notice these feelings of fear when, at the end of every month, I get my paycheck. But by the 3rd of the month, after I've paid all of my fixed monthly expenses (such as electricity, mortgage, etc.), the fear begins to creep in. After I've paid all necessary expenses, there's not much left over. And, as so often happens, Murphy comes knocking.

The fear causes increasing anxiety, and sometimes panic. Then I start acting REALLY crazy - scouring the internet for additional part time jobs (I have one steady part time job currently, one full time job, and I do contract work when I can), go through the house AGAIN (even though I haven't acquired anything new since searching the house the month before) to find things to sell, whatever I can do to try to bring in more money to pay Murphy to leave me alone.

Today is February 4th, and I'm already in the hole $400. I need to come up with an additional $400 to pay everything I owe this month! That's crazy, insane! Why do I do the things I do? Why did I pull out that piece of plastic to pay for new bedroom decor? Why???? I rationalized to myself that I NEEDED it - I hadn't had a new bedroom outfit, or mattress for that matter, since, well, forever. But honestly, that's no excuse.

On a positive note, though, I am $30 closer to that $400 - I sold a homeschool Chemistry/Biology kit. And tomorrow I'll be participating in a research study that will bring in $45.

Debt Free Links

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:00:00 +0000

I've found some really cool blogs from other folks who are working on climbing out of debt, and thought I'd share.

Blogging Away Debt

Debt Free Blog

Not Made of Money

Quick & Cheap Meal Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 01:05:00 +0000

Quick & Cheap Meal Ideas:

1) Fried "Stuffed" Dough - I mentioned this meal idea a couple of posts ago, and also listed the recipe for the dough. This is by far my favorite!

2) Chili
Ingredients:
Tomato paste $.40
Beans (I usually buy a can of blackeye peas for $.67 and a can of Bush's Vegetarian Baked beans for $1.40) $2.07
Chili Seasoning $.33
TOTAL $2.80

3) Potato Soup
Ingredients:
Potatoes (a 10 pound bag averages approximately $3.00 in my area, and we use maybe a pound = $.30)
Milk ($1.98 per gallon) 1 cup $.12
Chicken broth or bouillon can be used for flavoring if necessary
Potato flakes (not sure on the price, we use about 1/2 cup just for thickening the soup)
Water
TOTAL $.42

4) Rice & Orzo - This is absolutely delicious! My daughter found a recipe, and basically you mix equal amounts of rice and orzo (after cooking, of course), add a little butter, and voila! Don't forget the butter!

You could also add chicken and/or peas to the rice & orzo dish. It's yummy!

IDEAS TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 12:53:00 +0000

Ideas to Make Extra Money

Trying to get out of debt, or simply make enough money each month to pay bills, sometimes takes more money than what normally comes in. I've tried different ways of earning money in the past, and this month I've done the following (with results of my hard work displayed):

1) Mturk.com - This is an Amazon site, and as a worker you work on "hits" (ranging from $.01 per hit to $1.25+ per hit). Some hits that I've worked on took about 5 or 10 seconds, and others have taken slightly longer but no more than 2 minutes. I've done this for a total of maybe 45 minutes, and have earned close to $6. Maybe minimum wage, right? But every little bit helps.

2) Fiverr.com - As a Seller, you would post what you're willing to do for $5. If there's someone out there looking for that type of job to be done, they would request it, you perform the gig and deliver the finished product (via email, video, mail, etc.), and get paid (Fiverr keeps $1, you get $4). You should check out the site, if for nothing else you can get a peek at some of the things people are willing to do for $5. I got 3 gigs for transcription, and am hopeful of more in the future.

3) $20 Walmart gift card - I redeemed my earnings from MyPoints. For the record, it has taken me a year to rack up enough points to get these gift cards but all I've done is click on the 2 or 3 emails they send me per day.

4) $30 Check from InboxDollars -

I will be redeeming my earnings from InboxDollars. Again, it's taken a LONG time to get this minimum amount required for cashing out my earnings, but clicking on a few email links per day is not that much work.

5) Mystery shopping - I'll get paid for this probably next month. My favorite company is Mintel (they pay quickly, and the pay is pretty good). The link to sign up is: https://shopper.mintel.com/user_login.php

Cheap Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 23:55:00 +0000

Cheap Recipes

My absolute favorite "recipe" is Fried Dough - more like a calzone, and you simply add whatever fillers you want. We recently tried Canadian Bacon, Mozzerella cheese, and eggs...it was DELICIOUS! Some of our other favorites are, of course, pizza, BBQ chicken, and rice with peas and chicken.

The basic dough recipe came from a bread machine recipe book, but I don't use the bread machine to mix it anymore.

Dough Recipe:

3/4 cup warm water
1 tsp. yeast ($1.06 per 3 pouch packet - each pouch yields 2 tsp.)
1 TBSP oil (we use the fat free butter spray rather than oil - $1.67 per bottle)
1 tsp. sugar ($4.98 per 10 pound bag)
1 tsp. salt ($.33 per box)
2 cups bread flour ($2.24 per 5 lb. bag)

Mix ingredients. Roll the dough out to the thickness desired. (This recipe makes more than enough for a family of 3 to have a medium to large calzone each). Stuff with desired contents. Calzone can be fried (we use an electric skillet) or baked in the oven at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

The cost to make the dough is not much. Depending on the contents you use to stuff the calzone, this could be a cheap dinner for your family!

There is Nothing New...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 12:12:00 +0000

There is Nothing New Under the Sun

By Lynn Forgy

Does the fact that there is nothing new under the sun ever cross your mind? Nothing that is being done has never not been done before (or something like that).

Ideas for increasing income, decreasing expenses, ways to save, ways to earn - I search, Google, and scour the internet and other reading material, only to find the same old, same old everywhere. If you've tried cutting expenses, and used all or most of the ideas you've read or heard about, what is left???

Cutting expenses to the bare bones is one thing, but chipping away at that bone is another matter.

Basic Ideas for Cutting Expenses:

1) Electricity
* Use fluorescent light bulbs
* Don't use the oven to cook - instead, try using an electric skillet or, better yet, a crockpot

2) Water:
* "Reuse" shower/bath water - place a bucket in your shower to catch all that water that's flowing down the drain and use it to fill up the washer when you're washing clothes

3) Heating/Cooling
* Set your thermostat to a lower temperature in the winter and add an extra layer of clothing; in the summer, turn it up and drink lots of cold drinks :)

4) Food
* Make a list of meals and their ingredients prior to going to the grocery. Stick to the list
* Use coupons and research the ads - this can easily be done online

5) Clothing
* Visit your local thrift store
* Buy new clothing after the season ends (I bought 3 new pair of jeans from Old Navy in October for $4 each!!! That's $1.89 cheaper than my local Goodwill)

Beyond the Basics:

1) Unplug ALL appliances not currently in use
2) Cancel your cable/satellite subscription - why not watch your favorite shows online? Many television stations offer some episodes online, and Netflix is a lot cheaper than cable
3) 76 the landline - I've used my cell phone exclusively for years, and haven't missed my landline yet :)

Do you have any wacky, different, unique, or creative ways to save on expenses? I'd love to hear them!

I fell off the wagon...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 11:51:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

So it's been quite a while since I've written anything, mainly because I've been too busy but also because I've fallen off the wagon. I confess - I used the credit card again, and again...and again.

Prior to my gluttonous activity (using the credit card in December, which I justified by telling myself that I hadn't had a new bedroom outfit since, well, forever), I hadn't used a credit card in 5 1/2 years. The worst part is, I don't feel terribly guilty. I do feel some guilt, and some remorse, but not enough to make me take all of the items back and to hide the card from myself.

My solution? Begin writing/posting again. I need to have some accountability, and if I put it in writing then it's not so easy to deceive myself.

The Tithes that Bind

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:33:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

I've been complaining for months that I have NO extra money, my expenses continually creep up, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. I've applied to numerous part time jobs, taken on extra work when I can, sold everything I can, and yet I can't seem to get ahead. So what's a girl to do?

My thoughts? TITHE! Maybe it seems a little wacky to think that I should give more when I can't make ends meet now, but let me explain...

Several years ago, I took a Crown Financial class at my church. I learned biblical principles on managing money. I tithed 10%, religiously. And you know what? I always had enough. Don't ask me how - all I know is it worked. I still had to pinch pennies, but I didn't worry so much, which made everything seem like it would be okay.

For the past year, give or take a few months, I haven't been tithing the full 10%. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I haven't. And not only do I struggle each month to pay the bills, sometimes borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, I am filled with worry.

The sermon at church this morning was on stewardship. God rewards those who are faithful. I realize that my "rewards" may not be a gigantic increase in my income, or that all my debt will be paid off miraculously. But I do believe that I will feel better and that God will reward me in some manner.

So I'm making a conscious decision, and a commitment to God - each check I receive, every bit of income I get, I will set aside 10% to give back to God. I plan on keeping a record or a journal for 3 months to see what has happened during that time. I don't expect to be worse off at the end of the 3 months than I am now, and in fact, I feel like something good will come from this experience.

Ways to Get Out of Debt...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:52:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

I am so sick of googling "ways to get out debt", and finding the same boring stuff. Like I haven't already quit eating out, and line drying my clothes, and buying generic brands, and on, and on, and on.

Does no one have any useful suggestions? I admit that these are good places to start, but what about when you've done all those things, and more, and are still in debt?

Things I've done to get out of debt by cutting expenses:
1) Disconnect Satellite TV
2) Quit using the oven in the summer (we did use it once a week, on Fridays, for pizza night - other than that, it was crockpot or electric skillet meals)
3) Do not step foot in department stores - buy clothes at thrift stores
4) Plan menus using lots of rice and very little meat
5) Make homemade laundry detergent (we had to discontinue this practice due to a rash)
6) Make homemade deodorant (again, had to discontinue due to a severe rash development - very unpleasant!)
7) Make homemade cleaning products using vinegar
8) Mystery shopping - good way to buy Christmas presents and get reimbursed for the purchase
9) Line dry clothing
10) Set thermostat at 80-82 in the summer, and 60-62 in the winter

Yet through all of these cost cutting measures, I am progressing very, very, VERY slowly. And yes, I'm frustrated! I mean, what good is saving $20 each month on the electric bill when I have dental bills for thousands of dollars, the toilet starts leaking and has to be replaced, the air conditioner breaks, etc.?

Any comments, suggestions, advice, ideas are welcome!

What if...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:32:00 +0000

By Anna Mae Peabody

What if...

I sold EVERYTHING in my house?

Really. I'm serious. OK, except for a few clothes, and a couple of place settings. Oh, and of course my family.

There would definitely be slim pickings right now, especially considering that I sold the living room furniture 2 weeks ago. (We're sitting on fold up chairs, you know the kind that people use on their lawns or sit in to watch their kids soccer games). Hmmm, so that leaves the bedroom furniture (none of it matches), a couple of odd chairs (real chairs, though, and made out of wood!), clothes (from Goodwill), "art" (that's funny), towels (with holes in them), and dishes (covered in cracks and chips). I hadn't really thought about it until today, when I was looking through the house to see what we had left that was "saleable". I noticed that just like the yard sales we had gone to last weekend, all our stuff shows signs of use, lots of it. (I wouldn't even buy my stuff).

So I've been asking myself - what do I do now? My budget is down to the minimum, I've sold everything I can, and I can't seem to get ahead. I used my $1000 emergency fund last month for a dental procedure. I need to have another $950 by August to finish the dental work. School will be starting soon, which means books and supplies must be bought. There are house repairs that will need to be done very soon, and on, and on, and on.

Rather than having a "Yard Sale", I've decided to have a "Junk Sale". Oh, the process might be similar, but the prices will be lower! It might be kind of fun - until someone turns up their nose at my favorite T-shirt that I've priced at $.05 (only because it has holes in the arm pits, but it's comfy!). And everybody should recognize right away that the headless Barbie on the table for a quarter is a collector's item!

I think I might be on to something here...

Food Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:26:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

Lately, I've noticed that the amount of money I spend on groceries each week is steadily increasing. So I'm on a quest to break this cycle.

While searching the internet, I found a link to U.S. Department of Agriculture website with a recipe database. You can search by cost per serving, meal type, etc. The results show the recipe, nutritional information, as well as cost per serving.

Of course, with summer just around the corner I don't really want to use the oven. I love cooking in the crockpot because not only do I not have to use the oven (which makes the A/C run longer which increases my electric bill), I don't have to "cook" as much.

Several months ago, I spent hours searching the internet for cheap, frugal recipes. I printed these out and put them in a 3 ring binder. I refer back to this when I'm feeling my grocery budget getting out of hand.

This week's menu includes the following:

1) Homemade pizza (cost about $6.00 total)
2) Stuffing with vegetables in the crockpot (approximately $2.00)
3) Squash, mashed potatoes, and broccoli (approximately $5.00)
4) Baked potatoes ($2-$4 depending on toppings)
5) Homemade Macaroni and cheese and baked beans (approximately $4.00)
6) Cheese sandwiches and chips (approximately $5.00, depending on type of chips purchased)

While the total of the above menu is around $26, this doesn't include personal hygiene items, paper products, etc. which I include in my grocery budget. I suppose if I were honest the reason I spend more than I intend during my visits to the grocery is that I purchase lotions, etc. Also not included above is my daughter's lunch items (she likes Lean Pockets and other frozen meals that are convenient to pop in the microwave).

A good idea for keeping the non-food items in the grocery costs low, I could use coupons and only by those products that are on sale. One of my favorite resources for coupons is HotCouponWorld.com. Not only does this site have coupons, but lots of freebie offers too!

Fat Free Sugar Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:14:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

OK, I can't remember where I found this recipe (somewhere online) - but they're great! Super easy, and budget friendly.

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup Egg Beaters (I have used the generic and found the results aren't as good, but they're still edible)

Mix the above ingredients. Place spoonfuls on pan. You can put sprinkles on the top of the cookies at this point, or sugar if you'd like. Bake at 350 degrees for about 7-8 minutes.

Demo for Dollars

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:44:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

I started another part-time job yesterday: grocery store demonstrations. This might work for some of you, interested in earning extra money and comfortable doing customer service work. The ability to stand for hours, a friendly smile and the ability to speak to the public are good skills to have for this type of work.

Another positive aspect of the job is that you can choose what days you would like to work.

The main drawback for me was the fact that I had to stand for long periods of time without sitting. I will take a rug to stand on next time, as I have heard that this helps quite a bit.

Cheap Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:59:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

Here are some ideas for really cheap meals:

1) Chili (if you put it in the crockpot to cook, you can save some money on your electricity bill)
- 2 cans of beans ($1.00)
- 1 can tomato paste ($.35)
- 1 packet chili seasoning ($.40)
TOTAL: $1.75

2) Vegetable soup (again, put it in the crockpot)
- 1 can mixed vegetables ($.50)
- leftover vegetables if you have any (if not, use 1 or 2 potatoes, a can of green beans or other beans, etc.) (approximately $.50)
- chicken bouillon ($.25)
TOTAL: $1.25

3) Corn chowder (in the crockpot)
- 2 potatoes ($.50)
- 1 can creamed corn ($.50)
- 1 can corn ($.50)
- Milk (I use the powdered milk and water it down somewhat) (approximate cost $.50)
- Chicken bouillon ($.50)
TOTAL: $2.50

4) Veggies & Rice (steam the vegetables, and put the rice in the microwave to lower electricity costs)
- 1 bag frozen veggies ($1.00)
- Rice (approximately $.50)
- Soy sauce ($.25)
TOTAL: $1.75

**Got any ideas for cheap meals? Email me to add yours to the list!

GRRRR....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:53:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

I'm sure some of you can understand my frustration - whenever I think I might be just a little bit ahead, WHAM - some unexpected expense smacks me in the face!

A brief summary - I did my taxes, and thought I would get a nice refund to pay off my student loan debt and then put half of the remaindert in my 3-6 month emergency fund and the other half towards my upcoming dental surgery.

So what happened? First, I got a bill from my daughter's dentist. $312 remaining from what the insurance wouldn't pay. OK, so I thought that wasn't too bad. I can handle $312. I just made the little deduction in my notebook.

And then? I got ANOTHER bill from my daughter's periodontist. Apparently, the insurance didn't want to pay for that consultation either (I think she had actually reached her limit for the year and I wasn't aware of it - long story, but that's the gist). Another $110.

So I made another deduction. And another, and another...

What was I left with?

Well, I had enough to pay off my student loan (Yeah!! Finally). And I'll be able to pay the aforementioned dental bills ($422). And I'll be able to pay back one-half of what I owe to a family member that fronted me the money for my daughter's root canal.

So instead of being finished with Baby Step 2 (my original plan), I am still stuck here, and with the following debts:

$600 - remaining payment for root canal
$3050 - dental surgery (mine)

Sometimes I just feel like giving up - except I know I wouldn't be any better off, particularly since I performed surgery on my credit cards. Grrrr...

Frugal Friday Tip

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:29:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

My aunt gave me a tip about saving money on the heating bill - remove the hose hooked up to your dryer vent, cover it with a sock, and let the heat enter the house rather than venting outside.

Drastic Times Call for Drastic Measures

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:05:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

It seems like the news, the radio, television, as well as the newspaper all bear the same grim story regarding this country's financial situation. I have not been laid off (yet), thank God, but I have not been immune to the effects of our economy nor has some of my family. My money doesn't stretch as far as it used to (I remember 10 years ago when we moved to Georgia and I was amazed that the price of gas was only $.88 per gallon!).

Tightening my financial belt was something I was doing to decrease my debt as quickly as possible. Now I feel like I need to do it more for the fact that I have no idea if I'll have a job next week, or tomorrow.

This has been on my mind a lot lately, of course. I realize, though, that it is a perfect example of how God may be using the economy and my fear of what could be coming to make me rely more on Him. When I was a child, I was the only one in the family that had money in the piggy bank - I was known by adult and child alike as a saver. Now when my family talks about it me, the words used are frugal, cheap, or thrifty.

I have come to the point that I am preparing myself to do something I don't really want to do, but I feel it is necessary - cut the cable! I know, I probably should have done it long ago. If I had, perhaps my fear would be considerably less.

My "Drastic Measures" Action Plan (what I plan on doing to cut my expenses to only the absolute necessities) include:

1) Disconnect the cable

2) Reduce the internet speed (I need some form of communication with the outside world - so I'll reduce the speed to the lowest but draw the line at dial-up, at least for now)

3) Health insurance - I shopped around and got a new policy this month that will save me $32 per month

4) No shopping - This hasn't been a problem for me since I quit going to the thrift stores, never visit the mall, and only buy things when I'm mystery shopping (where my purchase is usually fully reimbursed)

5) Groceries - I have $100 budgeted for this category, but sometimes have gone over. I plan on watching more closely the sale items at my local grocery stores and planning menus around those items. I may also go back to the 2 times per month grocery shopping, versus the 1 time per week that I go now - I seem to spend more money when I go weekly.

6) Sell household items - I have gone through the house several times and gathered things up to sell online. I belong to a Yahoo group that is sort of like an online yard sale which is in my area. I have had more luck selling items on this list than I have on craigslist. My action plan is to continue to go through the house, weekly, and select items that are not "necessary" and attempt to sell them.

I know these may not sound like epiphanies - but the cable one in particular is huge for me. I like to be able to watch the television if I want to. About a year ago, I reduced the cable package we had to the very basic where we only get about 20 channels. So truthfully I probably won't even miss it. After all, I can get my fill of bad news any time I want on the internet.

Poverty

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:07:00 +0000

By W. Haynes

For several years, there has been a deep-seated longing in me to do something about the invisible or unseen members of our society. At least that's how I see them - those living in poverty or very close to it.

I want to visit these people, see their homes, understand their lives and what it's like for them on a day to day basis. I've been told, however, that this curiosity on my part may in fact offend these people that I am so interested in. That surprised me - I don't think I would be offended if someone was truly interested in seeing how I lived, appreciated how hard it was at times to pay the bills, borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.

I am by no means wealthy, but I am not destitute or even what the government considers low income. I just want to do something, to bring attention to people that are often ignored or forgotten. It seems to me that for some people it's too painful to recognize them as fellow human beings, or maybe it reminds us of where we could find ourselves or where we came from.

I came across a website that I found interesting, and perhaps you might as well.

Better Budgeting.com

Other sites of interest:

The Poverty Site - Of particular interest to me was the daily spending calculator (I put in my totals and found, to my surprise, that I spend a great deal more than $2 per day.

Bartering

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 12:18:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

My monthly expenses have seemed to increase lately, with dental work, grocery prices, and everything else seemingly going up in price. My income, on the other hand, seems to be going down. With the holidays, instead of working 3 10 hour days, I only worked 2 last week and the same will probably apply to the upcoming week.

With that in mind, I have been considering starting a local barter network. The problem is I don't feel like I have much to offer. I need lots of stuff (electrical, plumbing, and dental work to name a few), yet my skills don't seem as valuable in comparison. My skills include cleaning, billing and invoicing, receptionist, organizing, and secretarial work.

I suppose I could start the board (maybe on Yahoo Groups), and see what comes of it. I have nothing to lose by doing that, and I might find an undiscovered skill that I could barter with!

Anyone have any ideas, comments, success stories they'd like to share?

Cheap Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:56:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

On the menu for this week are some extremely cheap meals (all my money seems to be disappearing in my mouth -- on my teeth).

1) Baked beans and cornbread:
Large Can of Bush's Vegetarian beans - $1.50
Cornbread (I buy a mix that requires egg and milk) - $.45
Total $1.95

2) Pizza:
Dough (homemade, less than $.25)
Sauce - $.88
Cheese (I buy the fat free, but Wal-mart and Kroger usually have shredded cheese on sale for $1.50) - $3.00
$3.88

3) Corn Casserole:
Cornbread (I buy the mix, adding a little more butter to make it more soupy) - $.45
Corn (creamed corn and regular) - $1.00
Sour cream - $.90
Total $2.35

4) Cheesy Potatoes and Broccoli:
Potatoes (I have these already, but a 10 pound bag is now $3.98 at the local Wal-mart)
Cheese - $3.00
Broccoli (I buy the frozen bags) - $1.00
Total $4.00

5) Fried Rice:
Rice (a large box is $2.00, and I'll use about 1/4 of the box) - $.50
Shrimp (small bag of frozen shrimp) - $2.50
Onion (have this on hand)
Green Pepper (it will probably be $1.00 each at the grocery, so I'll wait until these go on sale to have green peppers in my fried rice)
Egg - $.25
Total $3.25

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:20:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

As I said in my post yesterday, I have had a lot of drama in the past several weeks. Maybe a more accurate word would be setbacks. I like to make lists, so here goes...

1) The root canal ($2000 including the crown) that I had last year continued to get worse - I went to the oral surgeon who told me that I could either have an apicoectomy ($1000) that might work, or I could extract it ($250) and go with an implant ($3500 including the crown). (BTW - did you know that those lovely little crowns they put on your teeth, you know, the ones that cost about $1000, are actually not worth anything! It may seem stupid, but as frugal as I am I asked the oral surgeon if the existing crown could be "recycled" and placed on my implant. In case you have ever wondered the same thing, the answer is NO!)

My thoughts were, with the way my luck was going and the problems I have with my teeth (genetic maybe, one dentist told me it looked like I never had fluoride when I was younger, who knows) I would spend the money for the apicoectomy and then have it fail. Not only would I be out the root canal money, but the second surgery, and then the additional money for the extraction and implant.

So I elected to have it taken out. Now I have to wait 2 to 6 months for the implant. That's good, though - it allows me time to save up the money.

2) My daughter had a tooth issue as well the same week. She is too young, according to the periodontist, to have an implant so they would not pull it (it was one of her back molars). Instead, they said the only thing to do was a root canal. Guess how much that was - $1200! She does have insurance, but the endodontist would not bill the insurance until after I had paid the money up front.

Just a side note - $1200 is more than 3/4 what I bring home each month. After much prayer and pleading with God, he answered my prayer and the money to pay up front for the root canal was given to me.

3) Another tooth issue for me - I won't go into too much detail, but it seems another of my teeth (or possibly 2 teeth) need a root canal. I hesitate to throw more money away on these as I have had 2 that both failed. We'll see in another month or two after I have saved up enough to go back to the dentist.

4) My health insurance premium is set to go up in another month (9 months before they said it would!). Needless to say, I've been shopping around for a new provider.

5) Our dryer is on its last leg - literally. We can only dry clothes for about 15 minutes. I then hang them up to air dry.

I had been so excited to pay off my student loan at the end of the year, a mere 5 days away - I could see the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, my path has been blocked and I can't move forward and feel like I have instead moved backward.

The funny thing is that I'm not really worried anymore. I probably should be, but I'm not. I have my baby emergency fund in place, I've saved enough of my 1099 income for taxes, my car is paid for, and my other bills are current. I don't know if these situations have been tests, or trials, or whatever - maybe they have happened so that when (not if) I finally get out of debt I will be able to truly appreciate it.

Your comments, thoughts, and stories are welcome.

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 00:45:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

So much "drama" has happened in the past couple of weeks, but I'll get into that on my next post. I wanted to wish my faithful reader(s) a Merry Christmas :)

Christmas Gift Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:09:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

In our family, we have tried several ideas for gift giving over the years. These have included drawing a name from a hat, keeping the price of the gift under $5, and my all time favorite - giving "free" gifts.

Last year, we instituted the "free" gifts and will do so again this year. I LOVE this! It's a chance for us to be creative, and can sometimes be very humorous when opening the presents.

My free gifts come from a variety of places.

1) Free Samples - I request as many free samples as I can find. I have gotten coffee samples, free meal coupons, bath and beauty products, etc.

2) Mystery Shopping - For some of the shops I do, I have to purchase something. I try to buy something that is within the reimbursement guidelines, and I look for things for individuals on my list. I have gotten glasses (the kind you drink from), shirts and other clothing, home and garden items, etc. Depending on what type of shops I accept, the list is seemingly endless!

3) Surveys - I have signed up with MyPoints.com, and have earned enough points for a $10 gift card from Kohl's. MyPoints has a variety of merchants from which to choose.

Check back for other ideas regarding cheap or free Christmas gift ideas!

Preparing for Baby Step 3

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:30:00 +0000

By Lynn Forgy

At the end of the year, I will once again take a look at my assets and liabilities. This information will be typed in a financial statement (very basic, of course, since I have not a lot of one and what seems like an over-abundance of the other) so that I can see my progress since the same time last year.

Prior to this, however, I hope to have completed Baby Step 2. As you can see from the bar on the right, I have only $999 remaining to finish this step. The remainder is my student loan, and I hope to have it paid off by the end of December.

In preparation of this wonderful event, I have been looking forward to Baby Step 3. At this step, I would be saving 3 to 6 months of living expenses. This would include my basics: mortgage, groceries, utilities, electricity, health insurance, life insurance, and tithing. I have been debating whether or not to include phone, cable, and other "necessities"; however, I think that it would cause me less stress if I were to just include those things that I shouldn't live without. I could live without cable, although probably not happily, and the same could be said of my cell phone. My total for monthly living expenses would be $1,500 per month, and I would need to have $4,500 to $9,000 in my fully funded emergency fund for Baby Step 3.

Thinking about the length of time I would need to complete Baby Step 3 is not good for my digestion. Although if I put it into perspective, it will take a lot less time to accomplish this step than it did to finish Baby Step 2.

I'd love to hear from others out there who are working on the steps!