I’m short and my leg to torso proportion closely resembles a crossbred Welsh corgi and a dachshund. I buy petite short pants… and have them hemmed.

Sure, I could ‘accept my God given shape’, ‘celebrate my uniqueness’, and believe all the other feel good sayings my mother told me OR… I could wear really, really, really tall shoes and live in denial.

Denial is the name of my game.

I never thought tall shoes would save me money until my co-workers started to ask me to accompany them to lunch. With the fantastic food offerings of downtown San Diego, it’s impossible to pass up… unless you can’t walk. It’s easy to say no when walking more than three steps causes me to beg God to take me from this earth and save me from pain.

So, I kick off my shoes, put on my slippers, and toast a sandwich.

Before you insult that lady at work with the ridiculous shoes, remember… she may be saving money… or maybe she’s self-conscious about her tiny legs… or maybe it’s both.

When my husband and I married, money was no option. Meaning, my parents and I had no money – so spending it wasn’t an option. Somehow, my parents and my husband’s parents made our wedding feel like a grand affair. Maybe it was because they chose to emphasize the celebration aspect and skip the uber competitive stuffed chicken dinner with seafood appetizers and an open bar.

I loved our wedding. It was beautiful – without a huge price tag.

I’ve been to a LOT of weddings over the last few years. All were high priced sit down dinners with open bars – no doubt, they were fun. My friend who married on Sunday was the first to say no to keeping up with the Joneses.

How much did you spend on your wedding? Was it the right amount? Too much? Too little?

A co-worker in my department lives 2 blocks from the transit stop I wait at each morning. About 4 months ago, he started pulling over and picking me up on his way to work. I felt guilty about the free rides and my lack of desire to share the expense, so I changed my hours to use public transit again.

A week later, he changed his hours to match mine.

Over the last few weeks, he has started to complain about gas prices. I asked him why he doesn’t use the free public transportation and he responded, ‘Eww. No. I wouldn’t be caught dead on public transit.’ I used this opportunity to tell him that I use the money I save in gas to pay debt. He rolled his eyes.

Yesterday, I told him I was driving to work because I had to meet my sister and needed my car. He snapped, ‘Well, it would be nice if you offered to drive me once in a while.’ I was unsure of what to say so I dumbly said, ‘I’m sorry’ rather than explain myself…again.

I already know changing my hours won’t work. I’ve tried to sneak out of the building and hide at the bus stop but he always finds me and gets offended if I turn down a ride home. He makes my turning down his offer for a ride home to be a personal insult – and then talks about it at work. It appears as though I have to talk to him about it (more clearly than the first time) but I’m not sure what to say or how to bring it up.

Any advice?

We were rejected for the Making Home Affordable Program through Bank of America.

Our application was ‘lost’ and we were asked to reapply. We applied with the exact same numbers we used 6 months ago but this time, we were denied. The program requires homeowners to spend 37% or more of their gross income on their mortgage to qualify and does not include the second mortgage in calculating the percentage. The monthly payment for our first mortgage is 36% of our gross income. I was disappointed with how close we were until the Bank of America representative (a supervisor) told me that even if we were at 37%, we would have been turned down anyway. She said that Bank of America isn’t likely to approve homeowners for the Making Home Affordable Program unless they are closer to 40-45%.

I asked her if we could refinance and she immediately said no. Not because we are upside-down on our home, but because refinancing requires homeowners to spend less than 33% of their gross income on BOTH mortgages combined.

I have a feeling there are a lot of homeowners stuck in this percentage window.

I’m disappointed to be stuck with a high interest mortgage, but we’re fortunate to be able to ‘afford’ our payment and we aren’t at risk of losing our home. We’re going to hold on, take responsibility for our poor decisions, and move forward.

On Sunday, I was served with legal papers. The plaintiff has re-opened the lawsuit, added my husband as a co-defendant (even though my husband has no legal ownership in our home), and is asking for more money than ever.

To me, it’s a fairly cut and dry frivolous lawsuit and I will gladly share the details once it’s over (if it ever ends) but I live in the lawsuit friendly state of California and I don’t have faith in our judicial system to protect me.

We’re going to bump up our emergency fund in preparation for legal fees. I’m not sure how far the plaintiff will go, but we’re preparing for the worst.

Working to become debt free would be an easy journey if it were only a few months, but when it stretches to years, that’s when you discover who you really are in terms of dedication.

It’s been just shy of 18 months since we began our journey and to be honest, I find myself growing weary – especially when my personal life gets slammed (more on that tomorrow). I find that when my personal life gets messy…so do my finances.

I was browsing iTunes for free podcasts and stumbled over the Dave Ramsey radio show. His podcasts are free (shorter versions of his radio program – there are some commercials) and you don’t need an iPod to listen to them. You can listen directly from your home computer. I was feeling down this morning and for some reason, listened to his podcast on my way to work. A family had paid off nearly $100K in debt and drove all the way to Dave’s studio just to shout, ‘We’re Debt Free!!!’

It made me smile. Today, it was what I needed.

Check out the show. It’s free and a good source of encouragement.

You are going to get tired. You are going to get weary. You are going to flounder in your decision to live below your means. But we can stick through it because one day, it’s going to be you and me screaming…

WE’RE DEBT FREE!!!

I’m a fan of daily fitness so I will be the first to tell you, if having a gym membership is the only way you will exercise, spend the money. The monthly gym fees will be far less expensive than poor health now and in the future.

We were able to temporarily cancel our monthly gym dues when my husband lost his job. Now that six months have passed without a trip to the gym, I’ve discovered something surprising…

I work out more now without a gym membership than I did with one.

I spend a quick 20 minutes running with the dogs or doing a workout video before making dinner each night. I do sit ups while watching TV or I jog in place. Before, if I didn’t have an hour to workout at the gym, I simply wouldn’t workout at all. Now, if I have 10 minutes, I use it!

I have always clung to my gym membership even in the leanest financial times. Looking at the impact of working out at home, I’m not sure why I held on so tight. We decided to make the temporary cancelation permanent. Rather than redirect all the money toward debt reduction, we’ve decided to keep part designated to fitness. The money can go toward new tennis shoes, marathon entrance fees, or exercise equipment. If we get desperate for a group class or a swim, we can sign up at the community center for $30 for a 3 month, two hour, twice weekly class.

Try working out at home this month. It may not work for you – but maybe you’ll be surprised at the results.

**If you do decide to cancel your membership, you may need to cancel several times. These companies (especially large gyms like 24Hour Fitness and LA Fitness ) can be very sneaky and ‘accidentally’ automatically deduct your dues for up to six months. You may need to consult with your bank to stop payments.**

Perfect.

She’s debt free other than her mortgage – and even then, she’s paying it aggressively. I’d love to tell you that her husband makes loads of money and that’s how she’s able to be a stay at home mom to four kids and remain debt free but…

He doesn’t.

My sister has found ways to live below her means and actively seeks new methods to spend less. She purchases clothing and toys for the kids at garage sales in nice neighborhoods then resells them when the kids outgrow them (sometimes, she actually MAKES money on this!), doesn’t waste money on cable TV or other ‘necessities’, drives an older yet reliable car, and she cooks fabulous inexpensive meals at home (my home cooked meals are inexpensive but they are far from fabulous).

She’s the annoyingly good at being frugal but not cheap.

Naturally, I spend this time around her basking in her infinite financial wisdom, asking questions, and learning from her example…

…and I am also the queen of England.

Sorry folks, sibling rivalry is alive and well.

So, I do the second best thing, I make my mom ask the questions and I pretend not to listen.

My advice, befriend someone frugal – even if it is your sister. I find that I don’t learn as much from the books or the internet as I do from those who may not have it all figured out, but they do a pretty darn good job.

Today at work, I received an e-mail from my husband with a ‘solution’ to our problem.

From: Chris
To: Rebekah
Subject: Dog Food Storage
What do you think of something like this for dog food storage?

Um. I don’t think food containers are even that complicated at the San Diego Zoo. A ‘blast gate’ on the bottom? Was he planning to build a dog food container or a launch pad for NASA?

I showed my co-worker the sketch from my overachieving Mr. Fix it and she laughed… then offered to give me a dog food bin from her dog who passed away 6 months ago. She wasn’t planning on getting a new dog and was throwing the bin away.

In the end, my husband came through, just not in the way we expected. We were able to return cheap bin. Woo Hoo for returns! More grocery money!

Thought.

Hmm.

Last night, I asked my husband to pick up tomato soup and bread for dinner. Total spending shouldn’t have been more than $5.

He spent half our grocery budget – mostly on snack items I never buy.

He was excited to have ‘helped’ and I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’m not sure how we’re going to eat the rest of the month unless I can make meals out of Fritos, beef jerky, and Oreo cookies.

I had wheat bread with tomato soup for dinner last night and wheat bread with oranges for lunch today. 26 more days of 50 cent meals.

I can’t be mad. He was willing to take over the shopping without complaint and bought the things he thought I would like. Sure I’ll be eating wheat bread with carrots or oranges for the next 26 days, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m married to a sweet man… a sweet man who won’t be doing any more grocery shopping alone in the near future.

The deadly season of Easter.

It’s not the peeps that make my heart go pitter patter; it’s the tasty chocolate Cadbury Mini Eggs. I can’t resist them no matter how much they cost financially or physically. Sure the $2.50 price tag isn’t terrible but literally, I can’t fit into my pants after eating them. This is likely because I can eat a bag in less than a week and there are 56 grams of fat and 1,330 calories in each bag of yummy goodness.

I had to go to Target to buy a bag of dog food and couldn’t resist the bright sale sign resting on the heavenly purple bag (why don’t they ever put flax seed on sale?). I took the treasured chocolate eggs to work with my lunch and set my carrying bag on the table to pull out my food for the refrigerator. Distracted, I left the chocolate eggs in my carrying bag on the lunch table. 20 minutes later, I realized my mistake and went back to the lunch room to retrieve my food.

My carrying bag was there… the eggs were not.

My heart was broken (but my hips were thankful).

I’ve been hit by overspending Karma. I knew I shouldn’t have wasted the money (or the calories) and it was taken from me. Sure it seems silly to feel guilty for spending $2.50 when I’m planning on heading overseas – but saving for the trip has renewed my penny pinching ways to an unprecedented level. Since I don’t have the willpower necessary to resist the minefield of temptation, my husband will be doing the shopping for the next four weeks. Sorry Cadbury, our love affair is over.

Alas, I will eventually discover which of my co-workers has ‘sticky’ fingers – I’ll simply look for the one who can no longer fit in his or her pants by Friday.

And I’m kidding about Karma… well… kind of.

Target Stores (along with Henry’s, Trader Joe’s, Kroger, and Whole Foods) offer 5 cents off your bill for each bag used. The program started in November but somehow I missed the giant glowing red signs posted at eye level on each check stand until today.

Obviously I’m a very observant person.

The bags don’t have to be Target brand recycled bags but they cannot be regular plastic bags that you happen to be reusing.

If you know of any stores around you offering the same incentive – let me know!

It’s sort of my unwritten rule that I do not discuss people close to me on here unless I can keep it very general or if they say it’s okay. So you’ll have to pardon me when I say there was someone close to me with a health issue but do not give any more details. It’s tough when you know someone having troubles. I am a worry wart – I didn’t handle it well. A little bit later I found myself with my own health issue. Since that issue is about me, it’s fair game to blog about so I will take this update as my chance to do so.

Before you read any further, what I am about to write is not necessarily finance-related although the financial aspect of it will probably be discussed in a future update. It also may be too much information for some of you and it’s definitely not what you would expect to read on a debt blog. It’s still very fresh on my mind and it’s been a part of my “Life After Credit Card Debt.” Rather than skip yet another update, I decided to write about it.

Deep breath…here we go…

I still remember the exact moment I felt it. It was a small, hard lump a little bigger than a pea. I finished up my shower and as soon as I saw my husband I said, “I found a lump in my breast.” The next morning I told my doctor what I had found and she wanted to see me at my earliest convenience. I made an appointment and tried not to think about it too much. When it was time for her to see me, she confirmed that she felt the lump in my left breast and she said the next step would be to get a mammogram. I’m in my early 30s, I never thought I would be having a mammogram so soon.

My husband went with me to my mammogram appointment. He asked the technician if he could go in the mammogram room with me (what a sweetie) but the technician said he couldn’t because of the radiation. The technician left me alone in the mammogram room to change and I slipped on the hospital gown. There was a mirror on the wall and I found myself gazing into it, feeling like all of this was a dream. I heard a knock and the technician came back in. As my breasts took turns being compressed in the mammogram machine I knew it wasn’t a dream. When it was over, the technician left the room to develop the film. I decided to stand instead of sit in the pink recliner. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the x-rays start to appear on the technician’s computer monitor behind the glass. I pressed my face as close to the glass as I could. There was my left breast. I didn’t see the lump I felt, but I saw some white in the area where the lump was. I knew enough from researching mammogram pictures on the internet that white isn’t necessarily a bad thing. My right breast pictures started to appear. Clear as day, there was a mass. I was completely surprised – my left breast had a palpable lump, not my right!

The technician came back and said that the radiologist didn’t need any more pictures and that I could get dressed and leave. I wouldn’t receive my results for a few days. I joined my husband in the waiting room and we went home. Life went on as I anxiously waited for the results. I jumped every time the phone rang. Almost a week later the results came back. It wasn’t the worst news, but it wasn’t the best news either. The results were inconclusive – I needed to have a follow-up ultrasound. The appointment was made for that and again I had to wait. Of course, I hit the internet again but this time I filled my brain with ultrasound pictures.

The day of the exam, my husband had to work so he couldn’t be there with me. The technician left the ultrasound room while I slipped on the hospital gown. This time I didn’t think I was in a dream. It was all very real and part of me wished I was back to thinking it was a dream – if only for a little bit. The technician came back and instructed me to lay on the bed. She squirted the cold gel on my body and the ultrasound began. She located the mass in the right breast first. It was uncomfortable, but I managed to contort my neck enough to allow me to view the monitor. There was definitely a mass, but the inside of it was black. Fluid shows up as black on an ultrasound so I took that as a good sign that maybe the mass was just a cyst. Whew. She moved the ultrasound wand to the other breast. She started hitting buttons on the ultrasound console to mark something on the screen. Mark what? I couldn’t tell heads from tails with what I could see on the screen.

When she was done I asked if I would receive results that day and she slightly chuckled that it would take a few days for the radiologist to review and for me to receive the results. She left the room to talk to the radiologist to make sure he or she didn’t need any more pictures. I sat up from the bed and reviewed the ultrasound pictures still on the screen. I didn’t like what I saw (or rather couldn’t see) with the left breast lump. I forced myself to lay back down and stare at the ceiling tiles. I’m not a radiologist. I have no clue what the ultrasound pictures mean and I had to stop looking at them.

The technician’s knock broke my tile-counting concentration. She walked in and she wasn’t alone. The man with her was dressed in business casual attire and not wearing scrubs. My heart dropped even before he introduced himself as the radiologist. I knew it wasn’t a good sign when she brought him back with her. He started off by talking about the mass in my right breast. It was nothing to worry about and blah, blah, blah. Seriously, I don’t know what all he said. You’d think that I would have felt some relief at that news but I didn’t. He was there for a reason and it wasn’t to tell me everything was okay. Finally he started talking about the lump in my left breast. Again, I don’t remember everything that he said but he did mention that he didn’t think the lump was cancer. That was the first time anyone uttered the “C” word to me. I tried my hardest to keep my face emotionless but a single tear managed to slip out and travel down my right cheek.

I had a few options. I could come in for follow-up ultrasounds at six months and a year to see if there are any changes with the lump or I could have a biopsy right then and there. Biopsies are more invasive than an ultrasound but you will know for sure if a lump is cancerous or benign without waiting months. I bet I don’t have to say which option I chose.

The radiologist performed a fine needle aspiration biopsy. He numbed my breast with a shot of lidocaine – the same anesthetic that dentists use to numb your gums. With the technician showing the way with the ultrasound machine, the radiologist pierced my skin and navigated the needle to the lump. The needle draws out either fluid or pieces of the lump depending on what the lump is made out of. I had wanted to watch the procedure itself to see what ended up in the needle barrel but given my awkward position and the needle angle I couldn’t see it. I did the next best thing and watched the procedure on the monitor. After three aspirations with the needle the procedure was finished. I asked how long the results would take and they told me 2-3 days.

I went home and the waiting period began. I found an article from the New York Times that said that the anxiety of waiting for biopsy results appears to affect stress hormone levels just as much as finding out you have cancer does. I believe it. The stress broke me down.

Two days passed. Three days passed. Four, then five days passed. I received a telephone call – the person close to me was going to be just fine. A large portion of the weight on my shoulders was lifted as I soaked in the good news. The last thing to know about was the result of my biopsy. Six days passed. Finally, a week after my biopsy I heard the results: benign. That single word was what I wanted to hear. I started balling. It wasn’t because I was overjoyed and it definitely wasn’t because I was sad. I had been under so much stress the past few months and kept most of it in. I felt it was finally time to cry buckets and I did. I let it all out.

So now we are at the present day. It’s been only a few days since hearing the benign word. I think it’s a funny looking word, but it’s oh so beautiful. This weekend I will be digging back into our finances again since they have been put on the back burner. It’s also time to start our taxes to see where we stand with those this year. The next update will be lighter fare (I certainly hope!) and related to finances.

Till next time…

Silly optimistic me.

NBC reports new ways credit card companies can sneakily get around the rules and find ways to make paying off debt more difficult.

It’s up to us to keep up with the game.

Read the article here: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/business/ConsumerMan__Have_a_credit_card__Read_this-85107382.html

In desperation for new reading material, I picked up ‘The Power of Less’ by Leo Babauta.

I nearly stopped reading by the end of the first chapter. The author talked about being a marathoner, a father of 6 children, an author of many books, a man with two jobs, a healthy eater, and a perfectly organized person. For someone who can hardly be trusted to make my bed in the morning, this seemed a bit out of my league.

But I struggled through the first few chapters and actually started to enjoy it. He shared some helpful tips on simplifying life. He suggests starting VERY slowly. Exercise 5 minutes a day, or de-clutter one drawer of the hideous mess you like to call a home office. As I listened to the book, I wanted to go home and clean out a drawer and trust me…

I never get excited about cleaning out office drawers – especially when Grey’s Anatomy is on.

While he doesn’t talk about reducing debt, I appreciated his suggestions on how to spend less. When it comes to getting money under control, he suggests placing any non-necessity purchases on a list and waiting 30 days to buy it. If I did this only 1 out of every 5 times I went to Target, I’d be in a better place.

This is the kind of book I will re-read in a few months. The author is fabulously motivational and if all I get out of it is a cleaned desk drawer, I still come out ahead. It’s a quick read and I’d recommend it.

The cost of the trip?

$3,000 each.

I could say no but… I have decided to go.

Our tax refund covers the entire expense so we won’t fall behind on our debt free date.

I’m sorry to disappoint you, and I’m sure I have, but this is an opportunity I can’t turn down. Spending time with my family discovering our history across the sea, walking the same steps our grandfathers did, is important to me.

Without getting into specifics, I’m having problems with my lungs and there is permanent damage. I would ignore the problem but since breathing is somewhat important to survival, I have to take care of it. I informed my husband that the side effects from the medications were pretty serious including shaking, high anxiety, excessive hunger, moodiness, and inability to sleep. He responded, ‘How is that different from normal?’

I told him that if his body should mysteriously go missing, no female judge in the world would convict me.

This has blown a bit of a hole in our budget. The medications and co-payments have been expensive.

But there is good news! My doctor thinks my problems may ease over the summer months. Cheers to summer! It can’t get here fast enough can it?

As I waited for the elevator while holding my cardboard box, the manager of HR walked up and asked if I was leaving.

‘Yup, I’m out of here!’ I said with a smile.

She put her hand on my arm and said, ‘Is there something I can do? Did something happen?’

Then it hit me. She thought I was quitting.

‘Oh, no. This is for an outreach tomorrow.’ I said laughing.

‘Oh my God. Don’t ever scare me like that again.’ She said placing her hand to her chest.

As I caught the elevator down, I couldn’t help but smile. In these uncertain times, I’ll sleep well tonight. It’s good to feel valued.

I was watching my brother’s Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy, Dozer, last night and was amused to see him play wrestle with my sturdy Boston Terrier, Hutch.

When my brother bought the dog a few weeks ago, Dozer and Hutch were the same size. They would tussle in the backyard and Hutch, skilled in doggie play, would pin Dozer fairly quickly. Last night, things changed…

Dozer put on a good 5 – 10 pounds of solid mass over the last few weeks. Maybe he started doing pushups when no one was looking… or maybe he’s heading to the 120 pound size of his father a little more quickly than we thought.

As they played tug of war over a stuffed dog toy last night, Dozer, who had never ‘won’ before, was able to drag Hutch across the room. His growth had made him far more powerful.

Dozer, surprised at his strength, wagged his little tail with glee.

I couldn’t help but relate this to our tug of war with our debt. Our inexperience and lack of strength made us continually lose the battle. As we grow and learn, we win more battles. We make better decisions and become stronger in our strength to spend less-save more. In the end, I want to be Dozer. Sure I lost a lot of ground in my youth… but I’m not young and stupid anymore.

I will win… eventually.

(And for the animal lovers out there – I count myself as one – please note, the dogs play wrestle together. They do not fight or cause injury to each other. They are buddies and sleep in the same bed. Just thought I’d throw that out there)

We decided to build the fence with the lumber faced horizontally rather than vertically to reduce waste. We used every inch of lumber we bought!

We’re done with home improvement… for now anyway.

Um, this is what it looked like. Please don’t tell my mother.

I didn’t realize this disorganization was costing me money until I decided to spend $20 on little clear boxes from Walmart and organize the closet over the three day weekend.

I found, among many other things, two thermometers (last time I checked, I only need one), 6 boxes of daytime cold medicine (4 expired), 4 boxes of Benadryl (3 expired), 3 bottles of pain reliever (1 expired).

My disorganization has made many pharmaceutical companies very happy. Last time I checked, I need the money far more than they do.

No more. Here’s the closet now.

Please make me feel better. Misery loves company. Tell me you have a messy, wasteful closet too.

Today, tomorrow, and Saturday, Ride Aid is offering all cosmetics for 25% off. This offer is also accompanied by their Risk Free Beauty Guarantee. If you don’t like it, take it back!

They have a few restrictions – no coupons, no restocking, no rain checks.

So if you’re running low on your Maybelline or Cover Girl, don’t wait until Saturday but do me a favor – don’t spend $5 on cosmetics and $57 on Chia pets, valentine’s candy, slankets, and topsy turvys.

I understand my debt is HORRIBLE and I can’t wait to be rid of it, but nearly $40,000 of credit card debt can’t be average right?

What are you numbers? And how long did it take you to get there?

Overall, the job loss was good for us. We were able to adjust and refocus but more importantly, we were able to prove to ourselves that we could survive our fear. Sometimes knowing what you are capable of is the best lesson.

Here are this month’s numbers…

Original Debt: $38,495.86
Paid: $19,149.13
Remaining: $19,346.73

Broken Down
Auto Loan 1: $0
Credit Card: $0
Student Loan: $9,501.52
Auto Loan 2: $9,845.21

Yup, we’re about $100 from HALFWAY!! Woo Hoo!!

We will hopefully receive our tax refund check in March so we should have a nice jump next month.

When my husband called me from work on Friday to let me know he had injured his eye and needed urgent care he mentioned…he had no healthcare coverage.

His employer had failed to send the application.

We panicked. Goodbye tax refund. Possibly goodbye house…goodbye car… goodbye right arm.

Thanks to some quick thinking on my husband’s part, his was rerouted to the hospital at his school rather than to the local emergency room.

A few hours later he was bandaged, drugged, and… bill free. Because he is an active student, he is given certain medical care for free. Whew!

For those of you who attend, or have children who attend, large universities, consider researching the medical options available. It could save you a bundle.

2.) An elderly woman wearing pants with ‘Naughty’ crocheted across her hind quarters.

While I can’t stop an octogenarian shopping at my local Target store from reliving her youth inappropriately, I can stop car payments. How?

Our tax refund this year is just shy of $6,000.

We will wipe out 60% of our car debt. SIXTY PERCENT!!

YES!!

‘Edible’ isn’t the response a wife wants to hear.

I’ve decided to cook the inexpensive meals you suggested when I first started the ‘pantry diet’ and review them here. I’m off to the grocery store!

If you have any additional meal suggestions you’d like to share, I’ll make them!

He finally carved out Saturday to build a large portion on the fence. Since it’s not a task he can complete by himself, he called my brothers and his brothers to help.

No one was available.

He looked at me, his last hope (his very last and desperate hope since I’m afraid of sunshine, bees, saw blades, splinters, and manual labor)… and said, ‘Hon, do you think you could help me out this weekend? I need strong helpers but everyone is busy.’

I thought about pulling the ‘I’m recovering from pneumonia’ card but quickly decided I should make an attempt at being a decent human being.

We worked together for a few hours. I drew lines on the beams and things seemed to be going well until he started calling out construction terms when measuring.

‘142 – 3 strong!’ He yelled.

‘Hut hut hike?’ I asked confused. Were we playing football?

Things only went downhill from there. I tripped repeatedly, accidentally broke boards, misfired the nail gun, and inaccurately measured several times.

Fortunately, his brother freed up his afternoon and stopped by to help for a few hours. His brother knows construction terminology and they moved like a set of skilled craftsmen. I was demoted to weed puller and water girl for the afternoon.

Despite the botched morning, the fence is nearly done and it’s beautiful thanks to the hard work of my husband and his brother. It’s times like these that I am thankful for the talented men in my life. Without them, I’d be a mess. Well… more of a mess than I already am.

And in case you were doubting the stability or reliability of our old fence… photos are more valuable than words…

and the last photo – the saw blade start to our new fence.

I spent about an hour compiling information and completing forms in the tax software. It was far easier than I expected and I am a bit perturbed at how difficult our accountant made us think it was and more importantly… how much he charged us to do it.

It’s upsetting to me how many hundreds of dollars we have wasted in the past for something so terribly simple.

Don’t tell my husband but… I actually enjoyed doing it. The chronic organizer/obsessive compulsive in me loved the structure and numbers. My husband offered to do the dishes for a week if I took care of the taxes. If he finds out I actually enjoyed it, I’m on KP duty again so… shhh!

So far, the results are going to make a change to our debt. We can’t finalize anything until mid-week but as it stands now, it’s a far different number than we were expecting.

More? Less? Are we going to have to pull out our credit card to pay the tax due or are we getting some cash back?

I guess you’ll have to wait and see…

I looked down at my doughy fresh sandwich and immediately felt guilty.

I forget that sometimes, weight gain is a blessing.

The first of the month is around the corner. I can hear the collective groan. Bills are due. Stress is high.

Be thankful for what you have. There are those who would trade you in an instant.

My husband bought me the Wii Active More Workouts game for Christmas so I figured that would be a good place to start. Users are given the option to choose easy, medium, or hard workouts. Given my current situation, I chose… medium.

The overachiever in me is incapable of choosing any option labeled ‘easy’.

And maybe, this choice would have been fine… had I not exchanged the flimsy resistance band from the package to my ultra strong 3 layer band.

31 minutes later I was sweating, gasping for breath, and wishing I had taught my dog to fetch my inhaler. Just thinking about the ‘hard’ level gives me night terrors.

I’m cancelling my gym membership.

In October of last year, I was approved for the Making Home Affordable program through Bank of America. I was told I would receive the paperwork in 45 business days or less. Surprise. Surprise. It’s been over 60 business days and I have yet to see any paperwork from my lender (except the multiple pre-approvals for Home Equity Lines of Credit they send each month).

I called last week to check the status and was told to call back the next day. They continued to tell me to call back for 3 days. Late last week, I was told I was no longer qualified for the Making Home Affordable Program. After months of delays, this was disheartening news.

I called again last night to discuss my refinancing options and was told I was still being considered for the Making Home Affordable program and was told to call back in two weeks.

Based on the current progress, I should have this resolved by the time I pay off my home in 30 years.

How much is the hike for us?

$50 a month.

I stared at my already lean budget and tried to find a line item to reduce. I’m already dancing with danger in my necessity line items. My ‘check engine’ light came on again but unless I can fix it for the $37 I have in my car repair fund, it won’t happen. I sadly looked at the non-necessity line items, pulled out my ugly red pen, and started scratching off our once monthly dinner out, my Saturday morning bike ride icy lemonade stop, and stretched the distance between haircuts to 14 weeks.

Thank you California.

I think lawmakers are hoping residents will forget about the painful tax hike 10 months from now when they are up for re-election but I have this to say…

My ratty split ends will remind me.

I’m off to send good vibes to my car. Maybe if I wash it lovingly and talk to it sweetly, it will fix itself.

Amazon.com has reduced their price by 25% (to 44.99)
Costco has a $10 off coupon until Jan. 24th (to $39.99)

If you find a better deal (on any software), share! I think we could all use a break this year.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1953704,00.html

She believes the extra long extensions to unemployment benefits are detrimental to pulling the economy out of the gutter.

My first reaction was to disagree. This is a tough economy and finding a job is difficult but… now I’m beginning to wonder if she’s right.

When I was laid off in late 2008, I didn’t apply for unemployment. I was so sure I’d find a job quickly that I didn’t want to deal with the paperwork. I hand delivered 5-7 applications a day and before I knew it, 4 weeks had slipped by. I started to panic and a sense of desperation overwhelmed me. I bumped up my search, applied for any and every job including dog trainer and street sweeper, and found a job before 2009 started. I worked pushing shopping carts and boxing groceries until I found a permanent position.

When my husband was laid off in late 2009, he searched for jobs in his field and applied for an average of 3 jobs a week. We knew unemployment bought us about 6-9 months worth of time and were willing to wait for the right position. He was eventually re-hired for his old position a few months later.

No, I don’t think this is true of everyone but I do wonder if nearly two years of unemployment checks is only making the problem worse.

Californians aren’t necessarily ‘prepared’ when it comes to rain stronger than a light mist. Our local fire station ran out of 700 sandbags in less than 4 hours on Saturday.

Our house is located near the top of a low grade hill with a strong supporting wall so we don’t run the risk of flooding or landslides but my husband had to install rain gutters to keep the water from seeping under our front door.

Yes. Prior to this week, we did not have rain gutters… on a 50 year old house. In fact, more than half our neighbors don’t have rain gutters. If it actually rained in California, maybe we would have considered this sooner. Financial setback – $200. I guess we’ll be eating top ramen for the next three weeks.

My husband has been out in the rain stacking sandbags in the neighbor’s yard downhill from us. Their house has started to flood and the storms aren’t halfway over.

Some things are still funny. The transit company was out in waders measuring the water height on the train tracks. It would have been appropriate had the water been more than… 4 inches.

I still can’t complain. My sister is in Kansas City where the weather hasn’t been above freezing for most of the month. Sorry Liz.

How is the weather fairing around you? Has it set you back in your finances?

It creaked. It groaned. It fell. I cried.

We have a couple options:

a. We can leave the fence broken, give away our dogs, and hope nothing larger than a hippo wants in or out of our yard.

b. We can do yet another band-aid fix – i.e. buy more chicken wire, bazooka bubble gum, and a load of hope and prayer.

c. We can construct what I consider a perfectly acceptable but perhaps not aesthetically pleasing Preskool bubbly plastic play gate in a rainbow of colors available at garage sales everywhere.

Or

d. We can build a real fence.

Now is not a good time for this to happen (when is?). My husband started his job on Tuesday and won’t receive a paycheck until next week. Fortunately, those of us who are paid bi-weekly receive three paychecks in one month two times per year. January just happens to be my three paycheck month.

Sniff. Goodbye extra car payment.

We decided to build a new fence with my third check. Over the last three years, we could have paid for a new fence several times over but never seemed to have enough to do anything more than band-aid fix after band-aid fix. My husband is constructing the fence and stringing it with power so we can add lighting in the future. Looking at the perfectly dug trenches in our back yard, it appears as though I am haunted by a 170 pound gopher who looks a lot like my husband.

It’s time to stretch ourselves. I’m tired of continuing to make bad temporary financial decisions.

There’s nothing quite like being told your lungs are ‘out of shape’.

I quietly whispered, ‘Can I still do a sprint Triathlon in March?’ I whispered because I thought maybe she wouldn’t hear me clearly and nod yes without thinking.

‘WHAT?!? Absolutely not. Maybe by the end of summer if you’re lucky. If you push too hard too fast, you’ll do serious damage.’

I’m heartbroken.

Doing a triathlon, specifically this triathlon in an area I love, was a way to prove to myself that I am capable of stretching, changing, and growing. It’s been a nice distraction from my debt reduction path and for now, it’s gone.

It’s time to take a moment and sit still.

I’ve never been good at that.

Your free credit report can only be obtained through www.annualcreditreport.com

If you are interested in obtaining your credit score, use the www.annualcreditreport.com site as well. Credit scores on this site run about $6 – $9.

If you use the direct website for the credit reporting agency, the cost of your score will be more than twice as much.

My sister and I were discussing our choices in mortgage lenders last night and were both surprised at how pleased we were with Wells Fargo (Her first mortgage and my home equity line are with Wells Fargo). And yes, we talk about stuff like that. Today’s topic at lunch? The differences between revolving and installment accounts and their impact on credit scores – oh, and the wow factor of that good looking guy from New Moon.

Wells Fargo’s service over the last three years has far exceeded my expectations. As an example, I had a concern about my account a few months ago and wanted to talk to a Wells Fargo representative. The representative, John, resolved my concern kindly and quickly then gave me his phone extension if I ever needed to call again.

I’ve heard about movements to convince consumers to pull money out of big banks and move it to small local banks. It sounds like a good idea… but I’m not planning on removing my Vice Grip clasp from Wells Fargo anytime in the near future. If I could, I’d move my first mortgage to Wells Fargo because I feel a connection with them. I feel valued. Sometimes I pick up the phone to call John to invite him to a summer BBQ before I remember John doesn’t live in California and he’d probably be a little more than creeped out that the lady with the endless questions from San Diego wants to spend time together.

Maybe you love Bank of America. Maybe you hate Wells Fargo. Maybe you hate them both and love your local credit union. It’s not about big or small banking; it’s about where you feel at home.

Banking is about feeling valued. If you don’t feel valued, it’s time to move on.

This year, our taxes have simplified a bit and I think we may be able to prepare them using tax software. I’ve never done this before and I’m a bit concerned about my abilities. Heck, I hardly trust myself to calculate the proper tip at a restaurant – and miscalculations of tips don’t generally result in jail time or huge fines.

But I’m motivated by one thing…

$6.65

Doesn’t seem like much… until I realized that is how much we pay our accountant per MINUTE to prepare our taxes. It adds up very quickly.

Suddenly, TurboTax for $53 on Amazon or $49 at Costco seems like a steal.

How do you prepare your taxes? Have you somehow managed to prepare them yourself without a Masters in Accounting?

What do we generally report? Mortgage/taxes, student loan interest, student books and fees, car registration, etc.

Since the lawsuit is still within the statute of limitations, I cannot say exactly what happened but I can say this…

It’s over – for now.

I received a call this afternoon from my attorney. The lawsuit against us has been dropped. Unfortunately, the statute of limitations won’t expire until March but for now, I’m very pleased.

Now if I can just survive the next 12 weeks!

This month: Experian

I discovered the credit reporting agencies are getting a little sneaky. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to navigate these sites to find the free reports. Be careful where you click!

I’ve been coughing… for 41 days.

I wanted to see a doctor about 3 weeks ago but our company was undergoing a major healthcare change and we were covered but didn’t have valid medical insurance cards. We were told to see a doctor if necessary and we would ‘likely’ be reimbursed for our expenses….Yeah. I didn’t fall for that either.

I decided to wait it out until my health insurance card arrived. Maybe this was a poor decision.

Especially since, today, my doctor told me I have pneumonia.

Oh but wait. There’s more.

My pneumonia initiated asthma.

The funny part about this is – I’m relieved. I’ve been feeling ridiculously overdramatic for the last few weeks as I cried because I couldn’t breathe and couldn’t stop coughing. My tears and misery have been vindicated!!

I’m off to take an insane amount of pharmaceuticals and sleep the week away.

We’re nearly halfway through our debt free journey!

Original Debt: $38,495.86
Paid: $18,212.82
Remaining: $20,283.04

Broken Down
Auto Loan 1: $0
Credit Card: $0
Student Loan: $9,608.58
Auto Loan 2: $10,674.46

My top four:

1. Replenish savings. Our bank accounts turned to rubble after the job loss and I find myself uncomfortable without a safety net. We do still have cash – but a trip to Taco Bell for two 89 cent burritos may cause an overdraft.

2. Pay off at least $19,000 in debt. We paid down over $17,000 this year and I think we may have a chance at $19,000 if we are able to keep our jobs.

3. Continue to find ways to live below my means. To start the new year off in the right direction, I registered for classes at our nearby community center rather than at a community college. I won’t get college credit (I don’t need it since I already have a degree) but I’ll save around $300 a year without having to give up my love for learning.

4. Take another budget vacation. Tent? Cheap motel? Roadtrip? Become a train hobo? Whatever we decide, it will be an adventure.

Do you have your goals planned for the year?

1. When you pay off credit cards and car loans, banks turn into the very worst version of your mother. They write sappy love notes telling you how much you are missed and wouldn’t it be nice if you’d care to spend the holidays with them?

2. It’s never too early to start teaching children about the perils of debt – but constantly singing ‘If you’re happy and debt free clap your hands’ to your six month old nephew may annoy his mother.

3. It was somehow possible to lower my already sub-par vacationing standards. I went from ‘Motel 4 type establishments’ to ‘tents with 25 cent showers’ – and it wasn’t bad!

4. Marrying my best friend and celebrating five years of wedded bliss was the best decision I ever made – well…other than the decision to wear clean underwear in case of an emergency.

5. Blog readers are awesome, supportive, and helpful. Thanks for helping me grow.

6. I’ve had more than my fair share of laughter and joy. Regardless of the numbers on my bank statement, the interest rate of my mortgage, or drama of life, my family and friends are unchanging. I am a very lucky girl.

Please be safe tonight. Save money, stay home.

We’re still working our way through those 37 meals hidden in our pantry and freezer and it’s likely to get a whole lot worse from here but I’m ready for the challenge.

Before you express concern for our health, we are still purchasing perishable items like greens and dairy products and my parents having been sharing the fruit from their apple and orange trees.

So here’s the question…

These are desperate financial times, what is your cheapest (and somehow still healthy) dinner?

We had been looking forward to becoming debt free in about 12 months, but our schedule has been delayed due to the bout of unemployment. I could tell you that I’m not disappointed… and I could also tell you I was excited to see my check engine light pop on this morning – but I’d be lying.

Setbacks and adjustment are just a part of the journey.

How are we dealing we ours?

Rather than jump straight into reducing debt, we are going to rally up our depleted savings. Depending on my husband’s actual start date, we should be back up in about 2 months. After we have a stable amount, we’re going to jump right back into the fight against our debt.

The good news? My husband will start working at construction prevailing wage rates in February or March. Prevailing wage rates are higher than he is currently earning and should help us get back on track faster.

Monday, I was tossed violently from the pool.

I was sitting at my desk typing a report when a co-worker came up and admired the photo of my family – all 26 of us (my parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews). The photo looked normal to me. It was all the people I love, a sea of heads, each of us connected to each other. She counted each family member and carefully looked at each smiling face. She continued to stare for a long time and finally said to me, ‘You have no idea how lucky you are.’ (She lost her mother when she was young and her father passed on over the summer).

She walked away, visibly saddened at reminder of her loss.

I picked up the picture, looked at my family… and felt like the most ungrateful person in the world. How dare we complain about our finances and lack of gifts for each other when we are beyond blessed with something far more valuable than money?

I have an unbreakable bond 25 people who love me, who never judge me, who will laugh at me (um, I mean WITH me), and will fight any battle to protect me. I am more confident, more centered, and happier because of their presence in my life.

We were right in saying we hadn’t had a ‘good’ Christmas in years. We’ve had an amazing, great, unbelievable, wonderful, blessed Christmas every year.

Merry Christmas Everyone!