One Girl's Quest...

Things That Keep You In Debt

2014-11-12T11:43:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in my most recent post that I was still seeing myself in some debt. The sad thing is that I got lots of it paid off and then the balances just crept back up. So, what keeps someone in debt for so many years? I know that it sounds kind of stupid, but I am not the only person out there who can't keep things debt free.

However, the things that keep up under that mountain of debt vary from one person to the next. For me, it is all about crazy awesome travel (for the most part) and lots of coffee cause I'm always caffeinated. I mean, this lifetime Starbucks giveaway really wouldn't even last me half my lifetime, that's how much coffee I drink! If only I'd spent all that money on Starbucks stock instead of coffee drinks and travel and then maybe I wouldn't be in debt again!

For other people, the things that they spend all their money on can include lots of different things like:

kids
home repairs
autos
gambling
collecting things
DVDs and music
electronic gadgets
dining out
nights out on the town, going to the movies, etc
concert tickets
and many other things

Going forward, I do not really see myself putting a dead stop to the amount that I spend on things like coffee and travel. And it is the same way with a lot of people. Why? Because the last thing that you want to happen is that you cut out all of the fun in your life just to save some money and pay down debt...and then you die unexpectedly before you even get to enjoy being debt free.

So, if you're not going to change your spending on the things that you enjoy, then how do you pay down your debt or get yourself debt free? Easy. You find ways to make more money. This can be looking for a job that pays you more per hour. Or it can be taking on second jobs. You may even want to start a business or get a few side jobs to increase your income. Just don't spend a lot of money to get that side income cause that will defeat the purpose.

For me, I am adding a few side hustles to my monthly income sources after getting the idea from this book. Hopefully, by adding in some additional sources of income to my bank account each month, I will be able to finally get that debt down and keep it down.

Still in Debt After All These Years

2014-10-10T08:49:00.002-04:00

You know what's funny in a tragic way? You start a blog about getting out of debt and along the way you actually end up getting your debt down and you stop blogging because you do not really have anything else to say on the matter. Then, fast forward a few years and you're almost right back where you started. Back in debt. The balances and creditors are different but everything else is the same.

Well, that is where I am at right now. Exactly. Sure, I am back in debt. However, my income amount per month has risen, so while I have debt again it is not as debilitating as it once was. So, what does that mean for me?

It means that I am back on the wagon of paying down my debt as quickly as humanly possible. However, it does not mean that I am doing the Dave Ramsey rice and beans and beans and rice meals. No reason to get poor nutrition just because you are trying to be in super beast debt pay down mode. Besides, fresh veggies can be just as cheap and a lot better for you than rice.

How to Read a Credit Report

2010-02-18T12:50:00.003-05:00

If you are getting ready to review your credit report you may want a refresher on how to read the credit report. You may get your credit report by mail in a hard copy form or you may opt to view an electronic version of your credit report online.

The top of your credit report will list your personal details, including your address and current or past employers.

The next part of your credit report is typically a credit summary. It is a summary of all that is in the credit report. It will show things like how many total accounts are on the credit report, how many accounts are open, how many are in good standing, how many are not in good standing and so on. Public records are also listed, which includes things like a bankruptcy.

All of your accounts and data about your payment history makes up the bulk of a credit report.

At the of all of that is where the credit inquiries section is located on your credit report. Any time you have applied for a credit card or loan you will see it listed in this section of your credit report. The info stays here for 2 years.

If there is any incorrect information on your credit report you can dispute it with the credit bureau. The dispute process will be listed on your credit report somewhere.

Laura Pausini World Tour

2009-10-15T00:59:00.000-04:00

I'm getting pretty excited. Why? The Laura Pausini World Tour 2009 is in the US. And I have tickets for the concert tomorrow! She does not come to the States often. So when I get to see her in concert it is VERY exciting for me. Just wish I had the cash to go to all of her US concert dates!

Leaves are a fallin'

2009-10-09T00:57:00.002-04:00

Took a drive through the mountains in PA today. Looks like the leaves are already turning. It was a windy day so they were all over the place too. It is always so pretty when the leaves turn. But it gets me to thinking about how Xmas will be here before you know it!

Time to get a pumpkin!

2009-10-03T00:56:00.001-04:00

Well, now that it is officially October I can get a pumpkin! Side note - is anyone else weirded out by seeing Xmas stuff in stores? It is just barely October!

Looking forward to fall. And roasted pumpkin seeds!

Hating PayPal - What are my options?

2009-09-27T00:54:00.002-04:00

Well, now that 2CO is out I had to change payment processors.

Again.

I looked into Authorize.net. However - it is hella expensive. Just like a real merchant account.

So, I gave in and tried Google Checkoout. It seems easy enough. But I am not a fan of them holding money for 60 days.

I may have to end up sucking it up and using PayPal again. Ugh.

More on hating PayPal

2009-09-21T00:50:00.002-04:00

I looked into using Google Checkout. I did a lot of thinking. Then I decided to pony up the $49 and give 2CO (2 Checkout) a try. It is more like a real merchant account. I signed up with them. I updated my websites with the new account info.

It looked pretty good.

Then 3 days later I logged into the account to see if I had any sales.

The account was closed!

I never got an email from them about it. I emailed to inquire and got a form letter response!

I looked around on the web and saw that this happens to a lot of people with them! WTF? I could have lost some sales!

How to Negotiate Cheaper Balance Transfers

2009-09-15T19:22:00.000-04:00

A balance transfer can be a great way to get a lower interest rate on some of your higher interest debt. In my experience, the best way to get a cheaper balance transfer rate is to pay off the credit card in full that you want to transfer to. A couple of months after you do that you will get some balance transfer checks in the mail at super low rates - at least that was the case for me and my Chase credit cards.

If you can't do that, you can always call in and ask for a low balance transfer rate.

If this is your plan of attack, make sure that you have been paying on time as it will help your case. Also try to have your other bills paid on time. If your credit report shows that you are making payments on time it will help your case.

Making money with affiliate programs

2009-09-09T00:47:00.001-04:00

One of the things that I do to make extra cash for debt paydown is affiliate programs. I have a gazillion sites besides this one. And some of them have affiliate links for related things on them. I have been working on this for a couple of years now. Off and on that is.

And I am up to an average of $100 a month!

I use Commission Junction, LinkShare and PepperJam Network. But I have 95% luck with CJ, 4% with LinkShare and 1% with PepperJam.

The PayPal Story - part 2

2009-09-03T00:45:00.001-04:00

I tried to fight it out with PayPal. That never works. Like ever. So, I gave up on them. I stated my case to them. It fell on deaf ears. And I moved on along to Google Checkout. But there is a 60 day waiting period for cashing out new accounts! Argh!

The PayPal Story - part 1

2009-08-28T00:42:00.002-04:00

I sell some digital download items for extra debt paying off money. I use e-junkie for the delivery. And until recently I was using PayPal. It was a pain and I got chargebacks from fraudulent buyers regularly but that's the way it is. Apparently PayPal has decided that it's too risky/fraud-prone.

Still hating PayPal

2009-08-22T00:41:00.001-04:00

My love affair with PayPal is over. I'm looking for alternatives. I sell a couple of digital items online. So, I need something that supports digital download items. And hopefully it is something that is better than PayPal.

I hate PayPal

2009-08-16T00:39:00.001-04:00

Don't you hate when one thing becomes the only way to do things? That thing is PayPal for me. You have to use it. But it is like the worst thing ever! Argh! I wish someone would overtake PayPal on the online payment scene.

cash for clunkers?

2009-08-10T01:59:00.000-04:00

I've been reading a lot about this Cash for Clunkers program. I even looked into it as I have an SUV and I would love to be able to do my part for the environment. But it seems to me like this program is skewed a bit. It targets the wrong people. For instance, I really want to be able to do my part for the environment but my SUV is not paid off and it is worth more than $4500. But if I wanted to do this program then that is all that I would get. And if you think about it - who has old "clunkers" that they could trade in and have $4500 be a good offer? In my experience, those people are the same people that can't really afford new car payments. In fact, I know someone that took advantage of C4C and this person cannot afford a new car payment.

Free book download from Oprah.com!!!

2009-08-04T19:01:00.002-04:00

Act fast!! This is a freebie you will want to check out!

Free book download on Oprah.com!

Download Colum McCann's new novel and current Oprah Book Club selection, Let the Great World Spin for free until 10:59 a.m. ET Wednesday August 5, 2009.

Get it before it is gone! It comes in PDF.

Another freelancing problem

2009-07-30T16:42:00.000-04:00

Trying to secure an apartment. The rent is half as much as I currently pay. But apparently freelance income is frowned upon. Nevermind the fact that my current rent - remember twice as much - is never late. How frustrating. What do freelancers do?

Need to lower rent

2009-07-24T16:41:00.000-04:00

I need to move. My lease is up soon and I live in a high cost of living city. I need to move back east where the cost of living is reasonable. Moving is so expensive though. I really do dread just the thought of it.

Still burned out

2009-07-18T16:39:00.000-04:00

I'm still experiencing burnout. I'm keeping on trucking though. But my productivity just isn't as high as it was. I'm thinking that the vacation is to blame! And I worked extra hard the week before it to make crazy cash. And I did. And the result is this yucky burnout.

Motivation woes

2009-07-12T16:38:00.000-04:00

I have discovered something. After doing freelancing for months now I have a conclusion. It is hard to stay motivated! I think it is more likely that it is burnout that I am experiencing. But still, it is no fun! I need to work to get paid! Must get motivated!

No holiday pay

2009-07-06T16:37:00.000-04:00

I've found a problem with freelancing. You don't get any holiday pay! And for that matter, you don't get any sick time either :) So if you aren't working then you aren't getting paid. That part of freelancing is kind of a bummer.

Vacation time

2009-06-30T16:36:00.000-04:00

Taking a little mini-vacation. More like a road trip vacation I suppose. The best part is that freelance money is paying for it. Made enough to cover the bills with some leftover for a relaxing vacation. But I'll likely work some too since I can do it over the web! Too bad I can't work while driving!

Freelancing for $$$

2009-06-24T16:35:00.000-04:00

I lost my job a while back. It wasn't a huge deal as I had started freelancing a few months before that. So now I'm totally dependent on freelance money. And so far it is going pretty good. Made more this week freelancing than a week of work. Hopefully I can keep it up!

Yay summer fruits

2009-06-18T16:33:00.000-04:00

I love summer. Mostly because all of my fave fruits are now in season. Got me some yummy strawberries today. I also love getting raspberries and cherries in the summer. The winter fruits are pretty lacking for me. It's mostly bananas and apples for me that time of year.

Spammers suck

2009-06-12T16:32:00.000-04:00

I hate spammers. I get tons of comments on older posts here from spammers. And it seems like it is always the older posts. Well, I get tired of having to delete them. And Blogger doesn't seem to have a blacklist like Wordpress. So. I've set up comment moderation from now on.