Debt Dumpers - 2013

[PrincessSuzanne]

There are dozens of those on etsy! I was tempted, but I probably wouldn't want to tote it in and hook it up to the buggy every time.

I recently ordered this organizing wallet to help me with my cash budget and my coupons... I'm so excited for it to arrive!!! I shopped around for a couple of weeks and finally decided on this brand...
http://www.savvy-cents.com/

It was the only thing I have found that meets my needs. I have tried the accordian holders, they fall apart, the binder was too much of a hassle, this works perfectly and I have never hooked it to the cart.

The one you have the link for wouldn't work for me, I have too many coupons, I have to take mine I, I might run into an unadvertised sale that I need a coupon for. In my case, the Commissary doesn't put out sales ads, so I have to cary it. Most of the time, my purse is large enough to accommodate it.

 

[aclov]

It was the only thing I have found that meets my needs. I have tried the accordian holders, they fall apart, the binder was too much of a hassle, this works perfectly and I have never hooked it to the cart.

The one you have the link for wouldn't work for me, I have too many coupons, I have to take mine I, I might run into an unadvertised sale that I need a coupon for. In my case, the Commissary doesn't put out sales ads, so I have to cary it. Most of the time, my purse is large enough to accommodate it.

I love to coupon but need to find a really good coupon organizer! Between regular coupons, Target store coupons, restaurant coupons, CVS and Walgreen coupons. I've tried different things right now I'm using a manilla type folder but they are unorganized. I'll have to check this out!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I love to coupon but need to find a really good coupon organizer! Between regular coupons, Target store coupons, restaurant coupons, CVS and Walgreen coupons. I've tried different things right now I'm using a manilla type folder but they are unorganized. I'll have to check this out!

That is what I thought was so great about this one, I could label them any way I wanted to. Behind my grocery store coupons by isle, I have a section for Target, Publix, an restaurants, I can add or remove them as needed. My grocery list also fits inside.

 

[richmond282]

I'd love to! My DH is the one I'd have to convince.
Anyone have any suggestions on stopping a DH who spends frivolously? It's not a lot, but he stops every day before work for a coffee and treats. I get tied of the $1 here $2 there out of our account. I want to give him cash for the week, but he says 1) he would spend cash faster and 2) it would make him feel like a kid with an allowance.

I'm going to jump on board too! Our debt has gotten out of hand too. We were doing well on the DR snowball but then I don't know. I guess I got burnt out, we had to replace 2 cars, Christmas, DH went back to school (but we have paid for this semester in cash) etc. It's nobody's fault but ours (mine and hubby's.) We have 2 major credit cards to pay off, 2 car loans, and a mortgage. I am not really that concerned about the mortgage, though. We have already refinanced down to a 15 year loan and are on track to have it paid off before DD goes to college.

As for the above, we are using the Dave Ramsey envelope system. My DH and I each get $50 a month as our spending money. Neither one of us has a job where we could eat out for lunch, so this seems to be plenty enough for incidentals. I tend to save my $ for something bigger, DH tends to buy a snack or soda or whatever with his. The rule is you can't dis or comment how the other person spends their $. This has worked well for us.

I have a question for anybody who can answer. We could probably save about $80-$90/ month if we could ditch our verizon phone plan and get one of those straight talk phone plans. Anybody have any thoughts on how to get out of the current contract or how to get them to lower the buy out fee? Honestly, after crunching the #s it would still be way cheaper to buy out the contract and switch then to continue to pay for the next 1 1/2 years. I don't have the $ to buy it out though. Thoughts?

Also thanks for the links to some of these calculators. I haven't used any of them yet, but gonna look at them tonight.

 

[Cinderelly5507]

I'm going to jump on board too! Our debt has gotten out of hand too. We were doing well on the DR snowball but then I don't know. I guess I got burnt out, we had to replace 2 cars, Christmas, DH went back to school (but we have paid for this semester in cash) etc. It's nobody's fault but ours (mine and hubby's.) We have 2 major credit cards to pay off, 2 car loans, and a mortgage. I am not really that concerned about the mortgage, though. We have already refinanced down to a 15 year loan and are on track to have it paid off before DD goes to college.

As for the above, we are using the Dave Ramsey envelope system. My DH and I each get $50 a month as our spending money. Neither one of us has a job where we could eat out for lunch, so this seems to be plenty enough for incidentals. I tend to save my $ for something bigger, DH tends to buy a snack or soda or whatever with his. The rule is you can't dis or comment how the other person spends their $. This has worked well for us.

I have a question for anybody who can answer. We could probably save about $80-$90/ month if we could ditch our verizon phone plan and get one of those straight talk phone plans. Anybody have any thoughts on how to get out of the current contract or how to get them to lower the buy out fee? Honestly, after crunching the #s it would still be way cheaper to buy out the contract and switch then to continue to pay for the next 1 1/2 years. I don't have the $ to buy it out though. Thoughts?

Also thanks for the links to some of these calculators. I haven't used any of them yet, but gonna look at them tonight.

Thanks! I'm looking into the envelope system. We used it before but then it fizzled out. I'm currently thinking about the same situation as you are with your phones, but about my cable with Comcast.

 

[twinmommyks]

No cc debt but want to pay off some appliances that we purchased with 12 months 0 percent interest through local store. Rather than taking thousands out of savings, I much prefer to use these promotions and make monthly payments. I have $400 on a very large flat screen tv and promotion doesn't end until August and 1,400 for new stove which I still have 11 months left to pay. Even though I could pay it off now, I much prefer to take it out of our monthly budget.

 

[AuroraRora]

I have a question for anybody who can answer. We could probably save about $80-$90/ month if we could ditch our verizon phone plan and get one of those straight talk phone plans. Anybody have any thoughts on how to get out of the current contract or how to get them to lower the buy out fee? Honestly, after crunching the #s it would still be way cheaper to buy out the contract and switch then to continue to pay for the next 1 1/2 years. I don't have the $ to buy it out though. Thoughts?

One thing I'd say about that - make sure you can still use your phones once you switch to Straight Talk. I thought it sounded like a great deal too so I started researching it, and apparently its easy to switch over AT&T and Tmobile phones to it, but difficult for a lot of verizon phones. Something about verizon phones being CDMA or something. I didn't really understand it, but basically my verizon phone isn't compatible with Straight Talk and I'd have had to buy a whole new phone at full price, negating any savings.

 

[gracie1]

I'm going to jump on board too! Our debt has gotten out of hand too. We were doing well on the DR snowball but then I don't know. I guess I got burnt out, we had to replace 2 cars, Christmas, DH went back to school (but we have paid for this semester in cash) etc. It's nobody's fault but ours (mine and hubby's.) We have 2 major credit cards to pay off, 2 car loans, and a mortgage. I am not really that concerned about the mortgage, though. We have already refinanced down to a 15 year loan and are on track to have it paid off before DD goes to college.

As for the above, we are using the Dave Ramsey envelope system. My DH and I each get $50 a month as our spending money. Neither one of us has a job where we could eat out for lunch, so this seems to be plenty enough for incidentals. I tend to save my $ for something bigger, DH tends to buy a snack or soda or whatever with his. The rule is you can't dis or comment how the other person spends their $. This has worked well for us.

I have a question for anybody who can answer. We could probably save about $80-$90/ month if we could ditch our verizon phone plan and get one of those straight talk phone plans. Anybody have any thoughts on how to get out of the current contract or how to get them to lower the buy out fee? Honestly, after crunching the #s it would still be way cheaper to buy out the contract and switch then to continue to pay for the next 1 1/2 years. I don't have the $ to buy it out though. Thoughts?

Also thanks for the links to some of these calculators. I haven't used any of them yet, but gonna look at them tonight.

The $50 is just your personal spending for the month, right?? That's not including gas for the cars is it?

 

[richmond282]

The $50 is just your personal spending for the month, right?? That's not including gas for the cars is it?

Yes. it is just for our personal spending on whatever we want. "Gasoline" is a separate line item in our budget as is "eating out."

 

[Cinderelly5507]

Some advice please.... I'm looking to cut costs, and I'm considering dropping cable. Right now we have the Xfinity triple through Comcast for $155/month. Our contract (and promotional discounts) are up in August. It would be a $45 termination fee to cancel the contract. To keep just internet would be $71.95/mo plus taxes. I would also get (at least one) of Netflix, Hulu plus or Amazon prime, which would be $7.99/mo plus tax. Thoughts? any other suggestions? Thanks!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Some advice please.... I'm looking to cut costs, and I'm considering dropping cable. Right now we have the Xfinity triple through Comcast for $155/month. Our contract (and promotional discounts) are up in August. It would be a $45 termination fee to cancel the contract. To keep just internet would be $71.95/mo plus taxes. I would also get (at least one) of Netflix, Hulu plus or Amazon prime, which would be $7.99/mo plus tax. Thoughts? any other suggestions? Thanks!

Well, we dropped our cable about 3 years ago and haven't looked back. We have Netflix and love it, they have added a lot of content lately. We watch so much on the 4 major networks that we don't miss cable at all. We were paying no where near what you are, though. Our cable was $50-$60 a month and we have AT&T for internet and it's $35 a month, we don't have a home phone, I was tired of paying $30 a month and literally no one called us on it, they always call our cell phones.

 

[mrssmith06]

Some advice please.... I'm looking to cut costs, and I'm considering dropping cable. Right now we have the Xfinity triple through Comcast for $155/month. Our contract (and promotional discounts) are up in August. It would be a $45 termination fee to cancel the contract. To keep just internet would be $71.95/mo plus taxes. I would also get (at least one) of Netflix, Hulu plus or Amazon prime, which would be $7.99/mo plus tax. Thoughts? any other suggestions? Thanks!

That is really high! Is there a lower internet option you could get?

Our AT&T package (includes home phone, DirecTV & internet) runs about $115/mo.
I have the cheapest TV package option and we also have Netflix. I think I would miss my regular TV, lol. I just can't give it up, not yet anyway!

 

[Cinderelly5507]

Well, we dropped our cable about 3 years ago and haven't looked back. We have Netflix and love it, they have added a lot of content lately. We watch so much on the 4 major networks that we don't miss cable at all. We were paying no where near what you are, though. Our cable was $50-$60 a month and we have AT&T for internet and it's $35 a month, we don't have a home phone, I was tired of paying $30 a month and literally no one called us on it, they always call our cell phones.

Thank you! I need to still shop around for Internet, but I don't think much is offered in the area other than Comcast. I also know that I can watch my handful of shows online, so I don't think we should keep cable for an extra $70/mo. I really hope I can find high-speed Internet/wifi for cheaper. Even if I can't, I'd be saving!

 

[Cinderelly5507]

That is really high! Is there a lower internet option you could get?

Our AT&T package (includes home phone, DirecTV & internet) runs about $115/mo.
I have the cheapest TV package option and we also have Netflix. I think I would miss my regular TV, lol. I just can't give it up, not yet anyway!

We have AT&T cell service but I don't realize they bundle with DirecTv. I know the AT&T universe isn't available yet though. I think my problem with it all is that it's just ridiculous to pay that much!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

( Hi Edk!!! ) I am joining this thread, everyone has great input!! My budgeting has taken on a different twist. I am not working. Our buying habits had to change and this has been hard. We started off the new year with no debt, but I see the constant temptation to spend. I LOVE envelope system mentioned here and started that just this month. We are putting in $25/week in an envelope for my husband and myself. I love this because now we can spend what we want and not feel like we are going over our budget.

I really want to get into couponing. I never had to worry about them before but now it is a necessity if we want to have extra money to spend. I really need a coupon organizer and I need it to be portable. So far the ones posted won't work for me.

My brother cut out cable only 9 months, only did Netflix. They finally went back to cable but only internet and TV. It's really hard to cut it all out!!

 

[mrssmith06]

We have AT&T cell service but I don't realize they bundle with DirecTv. I know the AT&T universe isn't available yet though. I think my problem with it all is that it's just ridiculous to pay that much!

Yep they bundle with DirecTV and I believe it cuts $10 a month off of your bill when you bundle it with them.
I want U-verse so bad but it's not offered here yet either.

 

[Cinderelly5507]

Yep they bundle with DirecTV and I believe it cuts $10 a month off of your bill when you bundle it with them.
I want U-verse so bad but it's not offered here yet either.

Thanks! I called, but it was after hours. I will call back tomorrow.

I've had two budget busters the past two days-- one my fault and one not. My copay for a medicine went from $40/month to $70. I paid for, and I know my next medicine to fill is the same increase. So, from $80/mo to $140. Next is my daughter's dance recital ads. At least $75 more than I budgeted for, assuming I don't buy a bigger sized ad. I'm not sure how much more that would be. :/

 

[Jenny3]

I'm joining this thread... I just used that worksheet on page one and yikes! Didn't realize how much we really owe.

I'm also on what I call the Great Cleanup of 2013 in regards to our home. I have a list and am tackling one room per week - every drawer, closet, cabinet and shelf cleaned out, wiped down and the entire room floor to ceiling Lysol clean. It's amazing how much 'stuff' we accumulate! Time to go.

I've come to the realization (sadly) that our dream of moving to a larger home is not likely in the coming years as we had planned. So I'm determined to clean out, redo and love this home again since we'll be here for awhile longer. I'm tired of being frustrated with its size and lack of space... so we're going to clean out the crap, flip a few rooms around, redo those and then totally renovate the kitchen this year - all on a budget!

Back to the debt... I haven't read the whole thread, so my apologies if this was already answered.. For the snowball idea... is it highest interest rate or lowest balance first? And for the rest of the payments, I'm assuming you just pay the minimum due until the first one is paid off, then apply that to the second and so one. Does Dave Ramsey have a spreadsheet online or anything to keep track?

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I'm joining this thread... I just used that worksheet on page one and yikes! Didn't realize how much we really owe.

I'm also on what I call the Great Cleanup of 2013 in regards to our home. I have a list and am tackling one room per week - every drawer, closet, cabinet and shelf cleaned out, wiped down and the entire room floor to ceiling Lysol clean. It's amazing how much 'stuff' we accumulate! Time to go.

I've come to the realization (sadly) that our dream of moving to a larger home is not likely in the coming years as we had planned. So I'm determined to clean out, redo and love this home again since we'll be here for awhile longer. I'm tired of being frustrated with its size and lack of space... so we're going to clean out the crap, flip a few rooms around, redo those and then totally renovate the kitchen this year - all on a budget!

Back to the debt... I haven't read the whole thread, so my apologies if this was already answered.. For the snowball idea... is it highest interest rate or lowest balance first? And for the rest of the payments, I'm assuming you just pay the minimum due until the first one is paid off, then apply that to the second and so one. Does Dave Ramsey have a spreadsheet online or anything to keep track?

With Dave Ramsey's method you pay the lowest balance first. If 2 balances are similar pay the one with higher interest first. He has a lot of resources in his site so check it out!

 

[mrssmith06]

Just filed our taxes and will be using a good chunk of our refund towards our debt when it comes in!!! Can't wait, LOL.