My Personal Finance Progress Report

determined not to fall back into old habits

2006-01-23T22:08:00.000-05:00

Right now, money is tight, as we get accustomed to paying rent and utility bills. I put a little away in savings each pay period, and when I mean little, I mean $20 to each savings account. It helps, every little bit does. More than ever I don't want to fall into the cycle of using credit to pay for life's necessities to have extra cash on hand - but I see why and how many people do that. I know poor is a relative term but this sure isn't fun. Oh well.

Nick and I decided to wait another year to get married. We got excited and would love to have it this year - but the smart thing, from every angle, whether it be financially or time-wise, is to wait. So October 2007 will be our time. I am relieved actually. I was getting a bit nervous anyway, wasn't sure if we'd be able to do it, and even if we could, why strap ourselves? Well, I'm off to work out - this goal is proving to be much more difficult than my financial goals ever were. I am still motivated and working out 5-6 days a week, and when I say I am being good, I am being GOOD. Healthy meals all the way, eating small portions, every couple hours - I am following all the rules. Not to mention I've drastically cut down on soda, almost to the point of elmination. But I've only lost 3 pounds. I know better than anyone not to base your progress by the numbers on the scale, and I also know slow weight loss is the best, but STILL. It would be nice! Grrr. :)

wedding planning. Oh what fun!

2006-01-08T21:38:00.000-05:00

Thank you for all the well wishes =) Nick and I both want a fall wedding, and to us, getting engaged means you want to get married, not wait 5 years to do so. We originally figured fall of this year, if not, spring or fall next year. That's pretty loose though, and we did some talking and are now planning for October 21st of this year. My brother just happened to propose a day after we got engaged to his girlfriend, and they are planning to be married in March of '07. I didn't want to wait until next year, didn't want to have it in the same timeframe as my brother, and really want a fall wedding. So 10 months. We have alot of the details hashed out, I reserved the church, have pre-cana classes scheduled - but I did not expect the joys that have popped up along the way. Meaning family. And budgets, yes, budgets people! That is fun stuff. With all the financial preparation I put myself through last year, boy am I getting a challenge when it comes to planning a wedding on a budget. Even before I became 'born-again' financially, I always believed it was outright stupid to drop 40 grand on a wedding. Yes it is a special day, but the people are what make it special. That being said, I certainly don't have 40 grand at my fingertips anyway (although I am guessing you knew that), but Nick and I did figure $18k would get us what we wanted, to enjoy our day with the people we want with us. We are both receiving settlements in the near future, and are going to use some of this money to help with deposits and things of that sort. Most of that budget is figured by the cost of the reception halls we have around here, although we are continuing our research to see if we can find something we like for a little cheaper. The plus side is that the places we're looking into provide everything, and alcohol is included in the cost. I have a dress I found online that I LOVE, costs about $649. Which I believe is not too shabby. My grandmother most likely will be buying that for me anyhow. However, I have found something more fun than budgets in my, oh, what? 3 weeks of being engaged? Family. Oh yeah, family is FUN when you're planning a wedding. I have never encountered so many politic-driven things in my life, what is traditional and not. I am about ready to pull my hair out. Another reason I am glad we chose an early date - the less I prolong the torture. lol. On the bright side, I should start posting in my diet journal, because I have been a VERY good girl - working out on a regular basis (I broke down with the engagement and realization I have 10 months to look like the bride I envision and bought the treadmill I've wanted) and while the scale is denying me the joy of even a pound lost, I feel considerably better about myself (not to mention quite solid). I'm going to try to update more often because with all the checklists and to do's, I have a feeling this will be one of the bigger financial challenges of my life!

Happy Holidays!

2005-12-23T13:55:00.000-05:00

My holiday of celebration is Merry Christmas, and I will be celebrating it very happily this year, as I am now an engaged woman. Nick proposed last night, and I've never felt lighter on my feet. Happy Holidays to all, and a safe and healthy 2006!

checking in

2005-12-01T22:03:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts! I should actually be blogging in my diet journal - I have been distracted because I have been focusing all of my attention in that arena. I will not be posting as often, not until something big comes up, etc. I have my financial goals listed for 2006 already, so I am working towards that - but my health is playing a bigger role right now and this upcoming year. In the meantime, be sure to have a great holiday season - this is my favorite time of year, I am so excited. Happy Holidays!

what a week

2005-11-12T18:32:00.000-05:00

I have been sick nearly all week, and been in and out of work. I only worked one day this week at the 2nd job, and even that was pushing it. I hate calling out sick, I could be on my deathbed and feel as though I am lying. I also really don't have any time left to use, due to the time that was eaten up before I went out of work for my surgery (which also makes me feel guilty for being out at all). I think I have a stomach virus. I went to the doctor yesterday and he wants to see me in a week if the symptoms haven't gone away.

I am starting to think about Christmas shopping and how unprepared I feel. I did have money in one of my ING categories for this purpose, but I used it towards moving expenses. I have about $500 back in my EF right now, but not for shopping. I think I am going to start looking around online and see what is out there. I am probably going to give my oldest niece money, it's always appreciated and she is at the point where she wants to pick her own stuff out. My parents have no cares about what they get for Christmas, which makes it even more difficult to get them something. I don't exchange w.my brother and sister, we agreed that it's just another gift to buy and we're really just spending unnecessary money. My sister does buy for me, which makes me uncomfortable, but she says because I buy for her kids. So I just have my parents, grandmother, 4 nieces and 1 nephew, and Nick. I am aiming to spend around $300 probably, nothing big.

I received my Citi card, and used it to purchase groceries this past Wednesday. I then transferred that amount into my Emigrant account until I am able to pay the bill online. I am going to keep doing this to earn the rewards each month. I am trying to use the credit I have to my benefit from now on, as much as possible.

also, with the holidays coming up...

2005-11-06T15:16:00.000-05:00

I wanted to urge you to check out this article from About.com. It discusses why you should AVOID (like the plague) putting holiday spending on your credit cards. Please, please, PLEASE don't use credit for holiday shopping. It's a vicious cycle!

Holiday Hangover: Avoid Credit Card Debt during the Holidays

If you want some great, cheap gift ideas, check out OrganizedChristmas.com. It will help with your holiday planning!

time to reassess and plan for the next goal

2005-11-06T14:43:00.000-05:00

I am in a really good, happy place right now. I met my goal, ahead of time (although still a little beyond what I had planned on), and now I need to reassess my progress made thus far, as well as set new goals for myself, for the next year. Here is what I accomplished this year, as well as what I think I need to work on:

*Starting in late February, I decided I needed to make this the year that I got rid of all my credit card debt. It was only bringing me down and I wasn't ever going to get ahead if I kept floating on the river of denial. I created a spreadsheet that listed all my credit accounts, including car loans and the computer, and how much my minimum payments were. Taking this information, I began at the top of the list (lowest debts were listed the highest) and started whittling away, by sending as much money as possible to each debt, each pay period. In roughly 9 months (first payment toward this effort was made in March, and it's early November right now) I have eliminated 9 debts. The total of these debts was around 7-8k. I had a few additional debts that I eliminated previous to my concentrated effort.

What I need to work on: eliminating frivilous spending, wasting food (I rarely eat leftovers), limiting number of times we eat out, cutting back on electricity and heat consumption. Try to get Nick to quit smoking for good. Me - try to 'quit' soda, it's just as bad a habit as his. In addition, this was 'The Year of Debt Reduction', but 2006 is the 'Year of Weight Reduction.' I am saving up for a treadmill as we speak.

So what are my financial goals for 2006? Well, I am taking a running start obviously, and not waiting until then. It may be tough with the holidays right around the corner, but I'll see what I can do.

2006 Goals

* Put at least $350 in savings each month. (*Update - I am not going to do this until the Grand Am loan is eliminated. Seems dumb to do it otherwise, because also when I pay off the Grand Am, I can drop it from my insurance, saving about $1100 a year. I will continue to put the $20 every pay day in ING, Emigrant, and now HSBC also until that time.)

* Eliminate the car loan for the Grand Am (this may be an easy goal if Barry somehow figures it all out and gets a loan to pay mine off). I am around $5300 right now.

* Reduce the Mustang loan by at least 8k. This seems like a big goal, I know, but I am actually shorting myself here. I am due a settlement that will be at least $6k and originally, I was going to put it in savings and leave it there. I've changed my mind, that is a dumb thing to do when I can be reducing debt. So for right now I am leaving this be - but I may adjust at that time to see if i can do anything additional.

* Seriously look into refinancing both vehicles. My credit has gotten better and I am definitely due a better rate than I currently have (about 12% on both).

* Right now I am contributing 10% to my 401k. I am going to leave that alone until I pay off the Grand Am, and then re-evaluate, maybe bump up just a bit more. I am also STILL waiting on paperwork from my financial advisor in regards to opening a Roth IRA. Maybe the mail wench has it?

* I had talked about moving within a year, buying a place of my own. That is not possible. Well, it might be, but it would be smarter for me to work on the debt I have now before I increase it with a mortgage payment. I am unfortunately not gaining any equity with my rent payments, but I am buying time. Nick's mother is a real estate agent, and she said in 2 years the market will probably cool down, as it has already started to.

*Increase my net worth by as much as possible. I really am leaving this open ended, because I know it will occur as I pay off this debt, but also I am not really sure if I should/can focus on that right now, until I meet the above goals.

These are my standing goals as of right now. Tweaking will probably occur along the way, as I grow and learn more in the pf world, but for now, these are it. If you have some good advice, I'd love to hear it.

Have a great day!

I guess the powers that be don't like too much happiness

2005-11-05T12:55:00.000-05:00

I guess God has issues with me being too happy or something? Because this is what he did to my car. Deer are all over the place here. And one chose to run in front of my car last week... missed it. Yesterday? caught the corner of it when Nick went out for cigarettes... he was gone for a long time and I called him... he said we had to talk when he got home.. and when he came home he was crying... told me what happened. I hugged him because I know it's not his fault, knew he felt really bad.. stupid deer are all over the place... but then I walked outside and I just cried. And I know it could be a lot worse, it actually isn't that bad considering, like I said he just caught the corner.. but it's still my car :( Only plus is if we find the right mechanic to work with us, we might be able to get a different bumper, etc. Aftermarket is often cheaper than the stock, true Ford parts (my hood for example is cheaper than a regular hood like I had originally). So he called his insurance and got the claim started...

It may be a stroke of luck, but I am going to meet my goal!

2005-11-04T21:08:00.000-05:00

I am so excited I can barely contain myself to type the words. I had a meeting for work yesterday and today in Atlantic City (NJ) at the Borgata. Nick came along for the ride, even though we didn't have money to gamble with. I figured, get out of the house, don't have to drive down alone, stay in a nice hotel, etc. We had a really nice time last night, and then today when my meeting broke for lunch, I tried getting in touch with him, to invite him to join us all (my co-worker's husband did, so I thought, why not). I was having difficulty reaching him and was getting frustrated, when he calls me back... tells me he is playing on a Wheel of Fortune machine and is up to $900 something dollars from $20 he used to gamble... well, I am surprised and very happy! We get off the phone, him promising that he won't go below $700 should he start to lose. Okay, cool. Go back to my meeting, some interesting stuff so I actually wasn't focusing on the money he won. When we had our afternoon break, I called him and he said he'd come meet me really quick. I'm standing at the top of the escalator on the convention floor, and he comes up and hands me a ticket that reads $156.35. I say "What is this?" with extreme caution, because inside I am thinking, "If you went from $900 to $156 I am going to kill you," and he smiles the biggest smile I have seen in a long time. He opens up his wallet and whispers, "I won $3,000." I said "WhAT?!" (trying to illustrate my shriek of disbelief). He explained that he had kept on gambling on the one machine for awhile and cashed out, then proceeded to move on to another machine where he won the 3k... I am so happy at this point in the story that I am fighting the urge to jump up and down. "So I can pay off my Discover, right? Right? Right?" and he just laughed.... I had to go back to my meeting, which thankfully was almost over at this point, because I had trouble focusing after the good news I just received. So fast forward: meeting is over and I call him, figure he can meet me where I am and we can just leave (I am wiped). So he says uh no, can't meet you... come meet me... and gives me directions to some lucky dollar poker machine... where we left about a 1/2 hour later with another $503 in his (our, lol) pocket. $3500 roughly. I am still in utter shock. All from $20!!!!!!!!! Which is even more unbelievable. And yes, we are paying off my Discover, I am SO EXCITED! So although it's nothing more than a stroke of luck, I am so thrilled that I'll be meeting my goal and paying off all my credit cards this year. I had actually just resigned myself to accepting that it may not happen. With rent, my other bills, and Nick not working right now, I can't exactly afford to be throwing $500 every pay period at my bills.

I am even happier to know my credit score should be going up even more. I just recently applied for a Citi Platinum Dividends Reward Card and American Express Blue (both approved) to increase my available credit (and thus, my score - I did the math on this using Citi's Credit Analyzer). I was originally going to use the Citi Card to transfer my balance from Discover, since it offers 0% for 12 months on balance transfers, but woohoo, no need for that now! And just with opening the cards alone (even having the Discover balance) my score was estimated to raise 7 points. So again can sock some money away into savings again, and probably double up payments on the Grand Am (Nick's brother is shopping for personal loans to try to take it out of my name, that would be welcome news).

So, I'm off to celebrate ~ God, it feels good to meet this goal :)

ChexSystems took it off!

2005-10-30T12:29:00.000-05:00

I was about to will myself to write another letter to ChexSystems this weekend, when I received a letter informing me they had done an investigation on my file, and had deleted the item from WaMu! Woohoo! :) Now I have to believe WaMu helped in this, because I don't remember if I filled out a request for them to investigate it? I hadn't wanted to do so since technically the item was valid. Instead, I wrote a letter to WaMu, requesting to consider removing the item. So right now, I am incredibly grateful to WaMu. Now I can go ahead and open other savings accounts if I wish, get the bonuses, etc.

Not much else going on - feeling poor at the moment. Rent for November was just paid... and now some part on my car broke (mass airflow sensor), which could set me back $199-$599 apparently... which I do not have at the moment. Nick rigged it up so it's okay for the time being, but should that break, my car won't run. *sigh*

I just completed a focus group with LiveWire, it was an online message board that asked a series of questions yesterday and today... for that I will receive a check for $30 in a few weeks. I am thinking I may keep the Citi Credit Monitoring Service... I really like being able to access my information at any time, not to mention the alerts I receive whenever something changes. In the day and age of id theft, $10 a month is probably worth it.

no wonder good credit is such a desired thing...

2005-10-24T19:56:00.000-04:00

You have to work hard to get it and stay there. I ordered a free trial of Citi Credit Monitoring Services, mostly because I was interested in my score and also whether the collections item was removed as requested (it was, except for Equifax, so I contacted them). My Equifax score is 632 (this is with the collections item still listed so it may be slightly higher), and the other 2 were 654 and 656. I believe I am 4 points away from 'Good' credit (mine is Fair). My score was hurt when I was unemployed in 2002 (as I mentioned previously in my shopaholic phase), and although I remember it being quite a rough time, I was reported 4 times as being late, all once on different accounts. I never was past 30 days. To be honest I am positive it had to be more. I was very disorganized and remember being late more than that. Unfortunate that it's still affecting me. Anyhow, although this is the information I was after, here's what I found very interesting (and kind of made me depressed/upset too):

I used the Credit Analyzer tool, which will tell you how your score will be affected, depending on what you do (pay off x amount of debt, close out accounts, be late with a payment, etc.). So, I created the scenario in which I pay all my bills on time for a year, and completely pay off both the Grand Am and Discover cc, in addition to cutting $5k off the Mustang loan. All in all, a pretty chunk of change (for me, anyhow). What will the credit gods reward me with? 15 measly points. 15 points! Which would technically still leave me in the 'Fair' category! But wait, now I was REALLY curious. Let's see what would happen if I were late with just ONE monthly payment, and, let's keep it to just one account. Just want to measure the difference. Take heed, fellow budgeters and penny pinchers: it told me my score could decrease by as much as 54 points... FIFTY-FOUR POINTS - for ONE late payment. Doesn't seem fair, does it? Nope. It must be based off the same system that life is, huh?

moving, mail tampering and aggravation

2005-10-22T15:08:00.000-04:00

Well, one week ago today I was just starting to pack up all our belongings onto a Uhaul truck (by the way, Uhaul sucks, don't ever use them unless absolutely necessary - they tried to convince us to take a truck that they were jumping in front of our faces, unbelievable. After an hour of arguing we finally got a working truck). Like I said, I am very happy, despite all the additional costs now commanding my life. I have had aggravation of another kind, including mail tampering, etc. of which I just submitted paperwork for investigation. This is Nick's ex boss... I am guessing you can understand without explanation what a vicious, vindictive human being she is (and why I really hated him working there). Apparently she has very little to amuse her in life, because even after we have vacated the building, and essentially her life, she is still poking around for something to b*tch about. It started with me emailing her the address to forward the checks he is owed to, and she responded that the apartment is not vacant (it had a wooden shelf in it, I told her feel free to dispose of it), that she hasn't received the keys to the building/mailbox (I assured her we would return them promptly as soon as we were assured all our mail was being received, I just didn't trust her and apparently rightly so, will talk about THAT in a second), and then she went on to say she needs to speak to Nick about a power sprayer they purchased for a particular job, that she cannot find it. Never responded to my inquiry about his checks, but instead is creating a reason on which to hold them. Oh no, don't think so. I cautioned her that indicating that we took this item is extremely unprofessional, and I also warned her against doing so, as we already are in the process of filing a complaint with the Labor Board against her. Later that afternoon, Nick emails me that he received a phone call from a guy that still works there - she is going to pop the lock on our mailbox and keep our mail. He didn't want us to do anything because he is afraid of her. Oh no. Adrenaline rushed through my body. How dare she, is her life really that miserable? We aren't even there and she can't let go (not to mention, what was DONE to HER? Nick was basically forced out because of his injured knee!) I contacted the President and Vice President of the company (which, by the way, is faith-based and the company's motto is "Helping people in need." Suffice it to say that they got an earful (computer screen wise) on their employee) and the entire situation. She has been so careless that it amazes me, basically every step she's taken has been illegal. There will be more on this to come - but this is what my life has been for the past week. In addition to the mail investigation paperwork, we are completing paperwork regarding his checks, which should have been received by now.

So - other than that, doing well. I have to work on my budget, change it since I haven't touched it since before we moved. I still have only Discover to pay off, which I just noticed on my account raised my limit from $1200 to $1700 - I never requested it, but I am guessing my credit score increased or something? I am okay with the raise because this is my only card, and also it pushes me further away from showing as almost maxed out. My balance is $1020 (had to use it for some moving expenses) so gotta work on it. Since my big basis for having emergency cash on hand was in the event of getting an apartment, need for security deposit, I can relax on that one and concentrate on paying off the cc. I still have $40 every 2 weeks going into my ING and Emigrant accounts so I'll leave that alone. I just want to make sure I meet my goal before the end of the year - after all, it's almost November already. I am also glad I made the switch to get 5% back on gas purchases - in one month my cashback went from $4.65 to over $10. Crazy. I can take that money and put it in my ING account, once it reaches $25. I also received a refund from Comcast, all the way back from when I was living in Princeton. Apparently I didn't need to pay the last bill in full, so I got $55 back. Nice :) Also am loving BzzAgent, currently bzzing L'Oreal hair products. Expecting another check from Pinecone, and that's about it. Hopefully (how many times have I said this?) all will be well from now on.

I didn't fall off the face of the earth...

2005-10-18T20:34:00.000-04:00

But I did move - yep, that quickly. Suffice it to say that it was worth the peace of mind for me to move it up to this past weekend. So I am now amongst those paying rent - and despite knowing I will be paying $900 plus every month, really going towards nothing equity-wise, I am really happy. I love my apartment, I love the area, I love it all. And it is mine, not related to Nick's job, so unless I do not pay, they can't tell me to leave. It is my home. So, was it worth it? Yes. Absolutely. I am also happy Nick is out of that place, I hated him working there. I am just checking in, but I'll be back later - possibly not until later this week, work is so busy! But just wanted to update quickly. :O)

Mr. Murphy! Come on in!

2005-10-12T12:09:00.000-04:00

Really, did I extend an invitation that I was unaware of?

No, just life happening again. Because it's exhausting and repetitive, I will say without too many details that many illegal and underhanded things are/have happened with Nick's job, and we are being pressured to be out by Saturday. It may not be an issue, as I took off from both jobs yesterday and we went apartment hunting. Found a nice one in a nice area, great price! Cats are allowed, but it's $20 a month rent for them. Oh well. Also is spacious and has a fireplace in the living room...nice! On top of that, the leasing consultant informed Nick there is a job opening for a maintenance tech - and if he takes it, it's a 20% discount on rent, but if he were to suddenly quit one day, it's not like we'd have to move, just have to pay full price. Not a problem! So he is considering it, because it sounds good but still not sure if he should take a job still related to the same field. We shall see. In the meantime, we did a lot of speaking with the Labor Board and his lawyer yesterday... what a day.

So - keep your fingers crossed for me about this apartment. I really like it and am excited!

Carnival of Debt Reduction, 4th edition

2005-10-09T22:13:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the 4th edition of the Carnival of Debt Reduction! Below you will find a mix of informative posts from various authors. We have some great submissions this week - thanks to all that participated! Now, let's get started:

Don't Save, Pay off Debt!

Jim says, "Don't Save, Pay Off Debt!" is a simple reminder to people who are in debt but still putting (non-emergency fund) savings into an interest bearing account. He provides a simple strategy to figure out which path your money should be taking. Seems like a no-brainer!

The Two Dumbest Ways to Pay Down Your Credit Card Debt

Paying down your credit cards? Great - but wait. Are you doing it the right way? See what FMF has to say about it.

9 Ways To Find Extra Money To Pay Off Your Debts

Need extra cash? Having trouble making ends meet? Cathy provides nine ways to 'find' money you may not even realize you have.

Buy Nothing Day

Dawn challenges you to hold off on immediate gratification and buy nothing for at least a day, and try to set a record for yourself with the number of consecutive days you haven't bought anything.

The Missed Fortune 101 Debate Continues

MBH has quite a debate going on over at his blog, regarding acceleration of mortgage payments (Be sure to check out the original post in the submission, where this all stemmed from!) and whether your money would be better invested elsewhere.

New "Keep The Change" Program

Jeffrey discusses the new promotion that Bank of America is coming out with to help you kickstart your savings plan. For those that have a hard time setting aside money for savings, this plan may be just what the doctor ordered...but as with anything else, read the fine print!

Online Financial Calculators Galore

The title describes it perfectly; Nickel shares a helpful link to every type of financial calculator you could dream of. Enjoy!

Journey...Greatest Hits

Nope, this isn't about Steve Perry & Co. NCN reflects back on his amazing journey from April of this year until now - he has eliminated a whopping 70% of his debt during these few months - wow! If ever you needed a motivational story to prod you in the debt reduction direction, this is it. Congratulations NCN!

Getting Out of Debt Takes Patience

Why is it that we always have to make mistakes before we learn? Hmmm. Ostrauder discusses how much more satisfying it is to purchase items in cash...and how he wishes he'd had the patience to do so all along.

Mr. Wendal

I liked this post so much that I asked Lauren, a.k.a. lpkitten, if I could share it here on the Carnival. While listening to an older, but favorite song, she identifies with the lyrics and what the whole meaning of simplicity means to her. A very insightful post, indeed.

Hosed Out at the Gas Pump by your Debit Card?

If you're not familiar with my blog, take a look around. I detail my personal goals and obstacles, and share information I think may be informative. This is one such article from MSN.com.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit! Be sure to visit Frugal Underground for next week's edition. Interested in hosting/submitting a post? Check out the schedule and guidelines here.

Have a great week!

I know it's early, but...

2005-10-09T22:08:00.000-04:00

...I am going to bed soon, and won't have time to put the Carnival up tomorrow until noonish, so I am instead going to post it now. So if you're up late tonight, you get a sneak peek at the goodies we've got for you this week!

what a nightmare

2005-10-08T15:33:00.000-04:00

Yesterday after lunch, a coworker came to tell me excitedly how she had bought this great top and belt to go with it at Express, an old favorite of mine back in my shopaholic days. Immediately my brain analyzed her words and I figured she probably spent at least $40 or more for those 2 items. I also thought how much I'd love to be able to fit in those clothes again! She also filled me in on her plans for the weekend. I admit, I was a little envious. Sometimes I listen to others talk, and see them in new clothes almost every week and it taps on my envy nerve. I also sometimes hate that my brain automatically calculates how much I'll spend if I go out somewhere, and that is usually my deciding factor on whether I do (that's what I did as she listed off plans for each day). Frugal burnout? Sometimes. I just usually give myself a little pep talk that I was once like that, and am in a better place now. Well, yesterday my envy must've stuck with me.

I had a dream that Nick and I went out shopping (at the mall no less) and I went into - Express! Go figure. I walked in and the colors jumped out at me. Three salesgirls came to my aide and began showing off the latest fashion must haves. I was elated and excited and oh-so-happy. I had to have these clothes. I was thinking that I didn't have any money in my budget, but I had just paid off $100 on my Discover, so I could always use that (and Nick didn't need to know about it; he had somehow disappeared and went off somewhere else). I was busy rationalizing why I needed these clothes, when all of a sudden, the dream shifted. This wasn't one of those complimentary dreams where you are 20 pounds lighter and look great. Nope, just the opposite. I was bigger than I really am. So big, that I couldn't walk through aisles without bumping into people, making them angry at me. The salesgirls were suddenly snickering behind my back, why I had the audacity to even enter the store. Then, another girl came over to me and commented that she thought the salespeople were being rude to her, and I casually told her it was because she was fat, like me. She didn't appreciate the information, and told me that in no way was she as horrendously fat as I was. Now, let me just say I found the fat part of the dream pretty amusing, because it was so blown out of proportion, it was funny. The dream showcases my obvious issues - money and weight. But the dream scared me because of how much I wanted to shop, and even without the means to do it, I was making excuses. Yikes. I guess I am lucky my relapse occurred while I was sleeping!

chaos as usual

2005-10-05T12:29:00.000-04:00

Nick's knee blew up Monday - had to go to the ER. He can barely walk, has a note to be out of work, but is working so he won't get fired. I am so upset he is doing that, but I understand. It will take a month or so to reopen his case and get regular paychecks. So, have been browsing apartments online, seeing what's out there. Preparing myself for the next step, that which I know very well by now: we will be moving, sooner or later. I have also been thinking a lot about the 2nd job, because I am really dead tired during the week, and it's not something I think I'll be able to stick with long-term, I am not sure. I plan to keep it at least until the end of this year (when Discover should be gone), but I know that if we will be paying rent, I'll need/want to keep it if I want to keep saving as much as I have in the past. But is my lack of energy/sometimes sour mood worth $1k net a month? What do you think? I am interested in other's opinions.

Remember that the next Carnival of Debt Reduction goes up this Monday - so don't forget to send me your submission! Send them to kar3881 at yahoo.com.

ING doesn't need you. they don't need anyone...

2005-10-03T20:43:00.000-04:00

Today I read that ING Direct 'fires' 3-4% of customers each month that they deem too high maintenance. Interesting. I am honestly surprised that they have no qualms about admitting that publicly, and part of me applauds them, because anyone that has ever dealt with the public can think of that person that has kept you on the phone for 45 minutes asking a question that is so simple that they must be doing it to torture you...there is no other reason. I think of the ING customer service rep 'recommending' an unruly customer to be excommunicated... hehe. How good that must feel! No wonder the company is doing so well...

On a very cool note, go check out Dawn's recent post about the free courses Barnes & Noble is offering at Frugal For Life, one of which is regarding Women & Money Management. I am extremely interested in the free, 4-week course, but there isn't too much detail and since I work evenings, I am thinking it's not an option. I did want to mention it so you could all check it out though :)

Carnival of Debt Reduction is up at FMF

2005-10-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

...so go check it out! Here's the link!

I'll be hosting the Carnival next week, so be sure to send me your submissions. E-mail me at kar3881 at yahoo.com. Submissions are due by 5 p.m. Sunday night. Have a great day!

frugal burnout?

2005-10-02T18:23:00.000-04:00

I've heard of the term before, I know I have experienced it, too. At the moment I feel kind of peaceful with what I have accomplished to date, but also excited (that's a good way to feel about paying off debt, isn't it!) because I have a new challenge ahead. Actually, two challenges. I mostly discuss my credit card debt here, but the main source of all my debt at the moment is my car payment(s). We're still trying to work on things with Nick's brother, we want him to get a loan and buy the car off of us (Grand Am). We're trying to exercise a little patience since he is currently on Worker's Comp. and the car also recently required a new battery and alternator, but sometimes I don't feel so sympathetic. After all, if I were to call up my auto financing company and explain my problems, do you think they'd care? No. But we are family, so as long as he continues making payments, even if he breaks them up (as he has been doing), I won't have a problem.

The challenges that lie ahead are the Mustang and saving for a house. I am going to be tackling both of these goals in 2006, and since I owe about $19k on the stang, it's much more than the credit cards ever were. Don't get me wrong, debt is debt, no matter how you look at it. I am not as stressed by my debt for my car, since the car is worth more from what I have done to it (plus it's a 40th Anniversary edition), I enjoy it, and I plan on keeping it a LONG time. I want to keep it and baby it. I don't drive it regularly, I drive Nick's car more, so I see it as an investment more than anything ( I hear the tongues wagging out there, some people HATE to hear that people think of their cars that way). But, it's a Mustang, a beautiful car in and out, and a piece of American history. Not saying it's going to be worth $100k one day, but if I can hand it down to one of my kids, etc. that is good enough for me. I don't know what the future holds, as far as what my living arrangements will be next year, but if I am still living rent-free, I will probably pay the car down $1k a month. This is also assuming I still have the 2nd job. I will work on socking away money for a down payment for a house as well. The fact that both Nick and I are receiving settlements will help that endeavor. I am just looking forward to what lies ahead.

Today I tackled the task of writing WaMu about my ChexSystems issue... I can't say I feel very optimistic. They don't owe me anything, they aren't required to do anything; but still, I hope they acknowledge my points and honor my request. I also copied ChexSystems, and created a new statement to be included in my file (the last one couldn't be included since it was over 100 words and included specific company names - do you know how hard it is to complain in less than 100 words? lol). I also drafted Nick's letter to the company that charged us for some fake insurance they claim he bought in February, and copied the local BBB. I have otherwise just been relaxing and catching up on my favorite blogs/forums, a great weekend overall :)

article: hosed out at the gas pump - by your debit card

2005-10-01T16:52:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share this article from msn.com. Basically when you use your credit or debit card at the pump, a hold charge of up to $75 could be put on your card, and while most will disappear within a day or so, some can stay for as long as a week. Obviously this can wreak financial havoc for those that operate on a strict budget, and use their debit card to purchase gas. My friend sent this to me earlier this week, and luckily I haven't experienced this (I frequently use Exxon/Mobil to fill up since I get money back from Upromise, they only put a hold on $1), but it burned me up. She said she thinks it HAS happened to her.

Even worse - a bank representative in the article stating that you may or may not recover the fees that you will incur, at no fault of your own. I guess it depends if they are in a good mood that day?

Read the article here.

October Goals

2005-10-01T14:49:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day of October, and all I can think of is that I KNOW Christmas is going to be here before I blink my eyes. Another year, almost gone! Here are my goals for the month:

1. Deposit as much as possible into my savings accounts.

2. Despite doing this, still manage to pay down (pay off?) Discover...this month? I'd like to split my money between #1 & #2. Since I'd like to set a goal, I'll say $300 at least off the Discover.

3. Research opening a Roth IRA - possibly do so this month.

4. Stay focused on my health, keep exercising and be sure I eat nutrition-filled food. Within a week of letting this slip, I felt the difference.

5. Keep communication going with ChexSystems to dispute the WaMu item - even if they repeatedly tell me no. I am also going to copy WaMu on my letter to them (or vice versa?) I don't pay for postage so I will continue to fight what I feel is unjustly bringing me down.

6. Have to also fight the $59 charge I mentioned in my previous post - plan to do so this weekend.

7. Maybe start Christmas shopping.

8. Try to meet my grocery goal of $250 (we were almost $50 over in September).

just exhausted lately

2005-09-29T20:34:00.000-04:00

Wow, I am surprised I managed to find time to even come on here tonight. I have been super busy, and of course am extremely tired as a result. I don't have much time left before I go home, and when I get there I plan on relaxing and watching one of the movies from my free trial with Blockbuster Online, so here goes:

- today I deposited $525 in ING, $20 in EmigrantDirect.
- $150 was paid to Discover.
- a full 10% was contributed to my Simple IRA this pay period. I lucked out because since I got 3 checks this month, I didn't get any money deducted for medical or dental this time.
- I spoke with my rep for my IRA (he called to make sure the extra $ was taken out, everything was okay) and he's sending me information on a Roth IRA - I was under the impression I had only until December, but apparently I have until April 2006 to meet the yearly amount, so I will go ahead and open one ASAP.
- still haven't written my response to ChexSystems - it's pretty exhausting when someone basically says no, and I am tired enough already. I plan to do it this weekend.
- Nick traded in the Jeep for a 96 Neon, 4 cylinder. Has only 60k miles, everything works, runs well, etc. He has to do buy here, pay here for a few months but overall thinks it'll be better off, especially due to gas prices. I am going to be taking this to work (once I learn how to drive stick! ugh)
- Nick is wishy-washy about leaving his job now. He isn't sure he can deal with what most likely will be a pay cut, in addition with paying rent. My first concern is him and his health, but if it's what he wants I will not argue. I would prefer a nicer neighborhood but I can deal for now.
- I got another Kiplinger's in the mail yesterday, back issues must've been going to the old address. I now have 3 magazines to read this weekend.
- paid the cell phone bill, Comcast, my car insurance, and am waiting for my car payment bill to send out.
- the confrontations never end - some medical plan Nick had looked into before he had insurance at the last job, charged our account $59. Even if we did buy it, this is from February. Late much??!! It's pending right now, so we can't go to the bank yet to complete a dispute, and the company says we need to write a letter and state we never had the insurance and never gave authorization. But they will not reverse the charge. I am continually amazed at the lack of power consumers apparently have over their money. You'd think that me saying, "It's my money, this isn't authorized" would be enough. *sigh*

Signs I am getting old: found gray hairs this past weekend, forgot to tell. What's up with that? I am only 24, not too happy. There were only a few, but still. That and I have a swollen lymph node right on my jaw. I rubbed lotion on my face and felt this thing under the surface, moving. Gross. Got a little freaked, went to the doctor on lunch yesterday (it hurts a little, not much). He asked if my throat is sore, and if I drink a lot... lol. I NEVER drink. I just am not one of those people that enjoys the taste of alcohol. I also cannot handle my liquor. He told me to wait a month and hopefully the swelling will go down - if not to come back, I have to go to a ear, eyes, nose & throat doctor. He threw out some large medical term, last word was ancoma. Didn't get into what it was or what the end result was, but he did mention a needle, a biopsy, and drooling out the side of my face due to the needle. He also stated that this condition is frequently found in middle-aged men that drink a lot. lol. Hopefully I won't have to worry. It feels a little larger today. Luckily you can't see it, then it would REALLY bother me.

Well I am about to leave, so goodnight! I hope to catch up on all my blogs this weekend. Thank GOD tomorrow is Friday...

living in freebie heaven

2005-09-27T12:40:00.000-04:00

I guess no one has advice about the ChexSystems issue? :( I guess I'll go ahead and plan on writing the bank, as well as the statement for my file at ChexSystems.

I arrived home yesterday to find Budget Living and Kiplinger's magazine sitting on my counter - talk about elated. That free magazine site really does work :) And boy am I glad that I got refunded for my BL subscription. Unfortunately, I was much too tired to concentrate on reading either of them - I hope to dig in tonight, but I wouldn't be surprised if they end up being weekend reading.

Nick and I have been discussing his/our future a little more in depth, most of all being our current residence. Neither of us are happy living there, it is really bringing us down. Even the free rent isn't enough to make it worth it. The neighborhood is bad news - gangs apparently are located right down the road from us, etc. We obviously found this out subsequent to moving in. That is one aspect - second being that I don't want Nick to be a superintendent anymore. I want him to find a job, any job, and maybe go to school. His knee is messed up, it will hurt him for the rest of his life. Every doctor has told him to find another line of work. It would be stupid to ignore that message any longer. I honestly just see him hurting himself again, and it's not worth it. On top of it all, as I mentioned once before, this building is a mess - there are currently 20 leaks in that building alone (he is responsible for 4-5 other buildings, and I get the impression ours is one of the better buildings, scary to think about). When we go to sleep at night, we hear drip, drip, drip behind our bedroom wall. The place is falling apart, they have no money to fix the problems, and then it's Nick's responsibility (when he doesn't have the budget). It's so not worth it. We are going to start looking around for apartments in the surrounding area (nicer cities like Princeton, where we were before) and I have about $1k put away, will have to put all the $$ from the 2nd job to the security deposit, Discover will still get paid a good amount, but not as much as I planned. I know I can pay it off by year end, it's the only one left. We'll see what happens :)