Debt Dumpers - 2013

[clintswifeymomof4]

We got our federal refund today

Not sure what we are paying off yet because I hadn't anticipated it until next week. I have to buy tickets for our trip as well as keep some cash for food for our trip... pay the lawyer fee to take my ex to court over back child support... and then, if anything is left, it will go towards debt.

Blessed to have money in the bank!

I have been keeping up with my Google docs spreadsheet of itemizing EVERY debit and check out of our account into categories. It's really eye opening to see how much we're spending on certain things (credit cards, gas, other bills, groceries, redbox/itunes, etc). I have an "extras" tab that I list all of the things that we buy that weren't expected or that I typically wouldn't budget for (having a tree cut down, signing kids up for softball, buying the baby some new clothes).

Once the month is over I can look at my totals for each "category" and trim it down if need be and develop a realistic, livable budget for our family. Totally psyched about that!

Need shampoo so I brought my coupon binders to work with me to hunt out a deal instead of just running in the store and paying full price. I just depleted my stockpile of it after a YEAR. Still have about 8 deodorants left and just replenished cleaning supplies last week.

I have almost $500 in my Christmas fund so far and am on track to have $2500 by November 1 (my goal) so I do not have to charge ANYTHING this Christmas (food, decorations, presents, etc).


Hoping to put another $300 in my "emergency fund" later on in the month. I have $1300 so far and would love to contribute $300 each month.

Keep going!

 

[gracie1]

We got our federal refund today

Not sure what we are paying off yet because I hadn't anticipated it until next week. I have to buy tickets for our trip as well as keep some cash for food for our trip... pay the lawyer fee to take my ex to court over back child support... and then, if anything is left, it will go towards debt.

Blessed to have money in the bank!

I have been keeping up with my Google docs spreadsheet of itemizing EVERY debit and check out of our account into categories. It's really eye opening to see how much we're spending on certain things (credit cards, gas, other bills, groceries, redbox/itunes, etc). I have an "extras" tab that I list all of the things that we buy that weren't expected or that I typically wouldn't budget for (having a tree cut down, signing kids up for softball, buying the baby some new clothes).

Once the month is over I can look at my totals for each "category" and trim it down if need be and develop a realistic, livable budget for our family. Totally psyched about that!

Need shampoo so I brought my coupon binders to work with me to hunt out a deal instead of just running in the store and paying full price. I just depleted my stockpile of it after a YEAR. Still have about 8 deodorants left and just replenished cleaning supplies last week.

I have almost $500 in my Christmas fund so far and am on track to have $2500 by November 1 (my goal) so I do not have to charge ANYTHING this Christmas (food, decorations, presents, etc).


Hoping to put another $300 in my "emergency fund" later on in the month. I have $1300 so far and would love to contribute $300 each month.

Keep going!

Great job!! Hope everything goes good for you when you take your ex to court

 

[SnowWhite09]

I don't know if this has been mentioned here or not, but I thought I would share. It's a snowball calculator. It's pretty neat to see. www.whatsthecost.com then click on the debt reduction (it's in box on left side). You can list all of your debts whether they are loans or credit cards. It will calculate it two ways for you, you can pick either by lowest to largest balance or by interest rate. Just thought I would share the site for you all.

Thanks so much for posting this!

 

[SnowWhite09]

We got our federal refund today

Not sure what we are paying off yet because I hadn't anticipated it until next week. I have to buy tickets for our trip as well as keep some cash for food for our trip... pay the lawyer fee to take my ex to court over back child support... and then, if anything is left, it will go towards debt.

Blessed to have money in the bank!

I have been keeping up with my Google docs spreadsheet of itemizing EVERY debit and check out of our account into categories. It's really eye opening to see how much we're spending on certain things (credit cards, gas, other bills, groceries, redbox/itunes, etc). I have an "extras" tab that I list all of the things that we buy that weren't expected or that I typically wouldn't budget for (having a tree cut down, signing kids up for softball, buying the baby some new clothes).

Once the month is over I can look at my totals for each "category" and trim it down if need be and develop a realistic, livable budget for our family. Totally psyched about that!

Need shampoo so I brought my coupon binders to work with me to hunt out a deal instead of just running in the store and paying full price. I just depleted my stockpile of it after a YEAR. Still have about 8 deodorants left and just replenished cleaning supplies last week.

I have almost $500 in my Christmas fund so far and am on track to have $2500 by November 1 (my goal) so I do not have to charge ANYTHING this Christmas (food, decorations, presents, etc).

Hoping to put another $300 in my "emergency fund" later on in the month. I have $1300 so far and would love to contribute $300 each month.

Keep going!

Great job!

 

[gracie1]

Bumping thread

 

[danielle79]

So March. . .In like a lion out like a lamb! Financially has been a good month and we have had two nice weather days 55+ up here. I have a question for the folks here that are married or in a commited relationship. Does everyone have joint accounts, seperate, his-hers-ours, how do you work bill paying and such? My husband and I have always had seperate accounts(big Dave Ramsey no no) and we split up bills that he pays and ones I pay. Has been working but I think we could benefit from a different system! Advice? By the way my Fed income return should hit my bank account friday!!!! Yeah!!!!

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

So March. . .In like a lion out like a lamb! Financially has been a good month and we have had two nice weather days 55+ up here. I have a question for the folks here that are married or in a commited relationship. Does everyone have joint accounts, seperate, his-hers-ours, how do you work bill paying and such? My husband and I have always had seperate accounts(big Dave Ramsey no no) and we split up bills that he pays and ones I pay. Has been working but I think we could benefit from a different system! Advice? By the way my Fed income return should hit my bank account friday!!!! Yeah!!!!

Our accounts are separate for now, for legal reasons. At some point we will have a "household account" but I will NEVER not have my own account. It may be small, but it will be mine.

However, even though we have separate accounts, we share what is in them constantly. I generally pay the household bills. He pays for his car and paying down his debt. Again, that will change eventually.

It's not what DR recommends, but we aren't in a cookie-cutter situation. For us it is not about who signs the checks. It is about communication. DH is making good progress in learning how to budget with our method, and he is dumping debt like crazy.

 

[ceemys]

We got our federal refund today

Not sure what we are paying off yet because I hadn't anticipated it until next week. I have to buy tickets for our trip as well as keep some cash for food for our trip... pay the lawyer fee to take my ex to court over back child support... and then, if anything is left, it will go towards debt.

Blessed to have money in the bank!

I have been keeping up with my Google docs spreadsheet of itemizing EVERY debit and check out of our account into categories. It's really eye opening to see how much we're spending on certain things (credit cards, gas, other bills, groceries, redbox/itunes, etc). I have an "extras" tab that I list all of the things that we buy that weren't expected or that I typically wouldn't budget for (having a tree cut down, signing kids up for softball, buying the baby some new clothes).

Once the month is over I can look at my totals for each "category" and trim it down if need be and develop a realistic, livable budget for our family. Totally psyched about that!

Need shampoo so I brought my coupon binders to work with me to hunt out a deal instead of just running in the store and paying full price. I just depleted my stockpile of it after a YEAR. Still have about 8 deodorants left and just replenished cleaning supplies last week.

I have almost $500 in my Christmas fund so far and am on track to have $2500 by November 1 (my goal) so I do not have to charge ANYTHING this Christmas (food, decorations, presents, etc).


Hoping to put another $300 in my "emergency fund" later on in the month. I have $1300 so far and would love to contribute $300 each month.

Keep going!

WTG! Keep on moving.

 

[ceemys]

So I put my receipts in my Quicken account and then updaetd my autodeductions this morning. Then before I put the receipts in my envelope, I updated my budget form. I realized I have to increase my grocery budget. Food prices have increased so much that my little family of 3 can no longer eat healthy and have a $300 monthly budget. I use coupons and use those with sales. I go without the kids (haha) so I don't get extras. I just did this weeks shopping and I am at $268.00.

I hate it that most of my bills come out with the 1st paycheck. The rest of this week will be tricky until I get paid on the 15th. The only thing I have to get is gas and a full tank is more than what is in my account. Looks like I will be only doing a 1/2 a tank. sigh. My apt windows are horrible! 1300 sq ft apt and I paid $430 in two months for electric.

On a good note, I realized that when I have to do quick trips (milk or bread) I do keep it to only those specific items and not pick up "spontaneous" items.

Saw the model house yesterday again to help my kids remember why we are cutting way back.

 

[gracie1]

So I put my receipts in my Quicken account and then updaetd my autodeductions this morning. Then before I put the receipts in my envelope, I updated my budget form. I realized I have to increase my grocery budget. Food prices have increased so much that my little family of 3 can no longer eat healthy and have a $300 monthly budget. I use coupons and use those with sales. I go without the kids (haha) so I don't get extras. I just did this weeks shopping and I am at $268.00.

I hate it that most of my bills come out with the 1st paycheck. The rest of this week will be tricky until I get paid on the 15th. The only thing I have to get is gas and a full tank is more than what is in my account. Looks like I will be only doing a 1/2 a tank. sigh. My apt windows are horrible! 1300 sq ft apt and I paid $430 in two months for electric.

On a good note, I realized that when I have to do quick trips (milk or bread) I do keep it to only those specific items and not pick up "spontaneous" items.

Saw the model house yesterday again to help my kids remember why we are cutting way back.

I can tell you, eating healthy is expensive. I agree with you, $300 for a month you will have to increase. It drives me crazy when I go to the store and see the prices of food Especially when my 'light' chips are $3.99 a bag but I can get the full fat chips for $1.99 a bag. It definitely adds up in the end!

 

[lovingeire]

I know I'm late to the party, but I am joining in! We just started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and for the first time ever I really have my husband on board! We have been living this crazy lifestyle of bad behavior where we live it up, DH deploys and we make "extra" money, I pay everything off, he get home, repeat cycle. It's not a good lifestyle, but he always said he couldn't take it with him. I wish we'd been wiser in our spending so we weren't in this predicament. Instead of deploying this year as planned DH got orders to a non-deployable unit (Praise God!), but with a house that needs to rent out of state and our rent where we live now I'm afraid we are going to be in a financial hole. I wish tax return was paying off debt, but instead it is going to keeping us a float with a mortgage and rent, but praying the house will rent soon. We have our emergency fund already so we are focusing on paying off our debt. We are trying to decide what to do about our August trip. Our options are 1. cancel it or 2. downsize it in some way, shape or form. We decided to see how paying things off goes before making a final decision though so we know where we are financially. Happy to be a part of a group where my love for Disney and need for financial peace can come together!

 

[Shunasee]

Great Thread!!

I also trying to get debt free this year. Lucky I dont have to much, and should everything go according to plan (yea right), I should be debt free by August. Just in time to book at trip to WDW. I have always made payments on my trips, so that never goes on any credit cards.

It's just me, and I am attempting to teach my son (who at 20 should have a better idea), that being in "bad" debt, like credit cards is not a good thing. He is doing pretty good and just has his car payment. I am hoping he can learn from my mistakes.

Good Luck Everyone!!

 

[*Flower*]

As someone who has 'been there, done that' to the tune of over $90,000 of debt, I'm proud of everyone who is trying so hard!!

We're still under the 'sequestration' gun- might have furloughs or RIFs, but I only have two more months to pay on the house. The vehicles are paid off, and I've been setting $$ aside for any unforseen situation.

I know that we can all overcome our situations!!

 

[danielle79]

Paid off two small debts so far this month, not a lot a $ but I will never see that debt/bill again, that is a good feeling! I started with 11 debts on my snowball and that is a lot of bills I see and pay every month I am hoping by the end of the year to only have 3 possibly 4 on my snowball by the end of the year! I really want to save for all of our spending $ and tickets for Disney in January 2014 also!! Oh and absolutely no cc for Christmas! I had a good month and feel like things are looking up from here!!! Happy debt dumping!!!!!!

 

[dreamin_disney]

Paid off a major ones yesterday. I now have $320 a month open . I get paid Friday so with that money I will pay of 3 more of my smaller debt. The check after that I will payoff 2 very small ones I have. Then I will have the larger one to pay. I'm shooting for the end of April. Of course my car tags are due and its the first year I have to get a smog . I'm just so addictive to trying to pay all debt

 

[bigsis1970]

This is a great thread.. Our goal for 2013 is to pay off 4 CC (all maxed out) and the rest of Hubs student loan.. that will leave us with one CC, one personal loan and Hubs truck to pay off in early 2014.. we had a vacation slated for the end of Oct for the Food and Wine festival (there is always 2014) but our 2013 had a rocky start with car troubles for both of us and our pipes freezing (thankful not bursting though) but rather then derail the payment plans I made the choice to nix the vacation.. we will keep our summer plans though as those include the kids. keep up the good work friends!

YAY paid off one CC so far!

 

[gracie1]

YAY paid off one CC so far!

Way to go!!! That is great!!

 

[lovingeire]

YAY paid off one CC so far!

Awesome! Way to go!

 

[gorkt]

I am in with you guys! This is the year I am going to get rid of all my remaining CC debt. I started out with $17000 last year (Basically I was a SAHM for a few years too long) and through aggressive payments I am now down to $8000. I received a small windfall that is going to allow me to chop another $5000 off next month and so with that I should be debt free by this summer in time for my next Disney Trip! It will be so nice to be able to put the money that I am paying into credit cards right now into savings!

My longer term goals are to use that extra money to build a 3-6 month salary savings fund, and pay off my husbands car by 2016. By then it will most likely be time for me to get a new car.

I am really encouraged by everyone stories, and it is nice to know I am not alone.

 

[gorkt]

Also, I find Mint.com is a great way to budget and keep track of all my finances. It takes a bit of time to set up all your accounts but once that is done it is pretty self-managing.