Debt Dumpers - 2013

[gracie1]

Fantastic! I love geeky tools like that, now I'm totally excited to set it up! Plus, when I tell DH it uses Dropbox he'll be psyched. He thinks that's the greatest invention ever.

I agree 100% with your husband regarding Dropbox! We use it for work and love it!! It's the greatest thing!

 

[gracie1]

I am having one of those days were I feel like we will never get out of this black hole we are in. Yes we have been doing good paying off are credit cards 6 so far but to be honest we have 9 left...... :confused and that doesn't include other debt like medical bills and what not. All credit cards have relatively low balances anywhere from 300 to 1500 on them but still I feel like it will be forever before we are done. Just so sick of my money going to something that wasn't worth it. I wish when I was younger I would have been so much smarter. Lesson learned I will keep chugging away. Hopefully tomorrow I will have a better attitude about all of this. Thanks for listening some days can just be so hard to get through.

You should be so proud of yourself for getting 6 cards paid off!! That is fantastic! Just keep plugging away and you will get the others paid off!

 

[peel]

I agree 100% with your husband regarding Dropbox! We use it for work and love it!! It's the greatest thing!

It sure beats using those megafile upload sites! I think my husband will really get into using YNAB. It's kind of like those calorie counting apps. You stop yourself from eating too much when you're keeping track of your daily intake. He's been vigilant about using one of those, so I have high hopes that he'll feel the same way once he's keeping track of where the money goes.

 

[ctinct]

peel, check out llnoe.com. A free site that follows DR's tenets.

 

[gracie1]

Bumping thread

Happy 4th everyone!

 

[AuroraRora]

Welcome, Peel!! I'm so glad you found this thread - it's helped me so much and there's so much great advice on here. I'd definitely recommend picking up Dave Ramsey's book, I got mine used from amazon for about $3 and there's always the library too. You can also listen to his podcasts online for free, and browse his forum although you have to be a member to actually post. I'm still debating on paying to sign up for that, the majority of benefit I got from it was just reading, which is free. Although I got a $20 off thing when I cancelled my trial membership

I've had a lot of extra hours at work this week So tomorrow I'll be (hopefully) able to pay off my first student loan. I need to get my Hills And Valleys fund back up to where it should be first, but if I'm crunching the numbers right, it'll leave me enough to pay off the last of my little student loan. THEN I can add that minimum to my snowball in time to start tackling my 2nd-smallest student loan this month

Now I need to get out my sharpies and make a new debt thermometer for the wall, darn it

 

[gracie1]

Welcome, Peel!! I'm so glad you found this thread - it's helped me so much and there's so much great advice on here. I'd definitely recommend picking up Dave Ramsey's book, I got mine used from amazon for about $3 and there's always the library too. You can also listen to his podcasts online for free, and browse his forum although you have to be a member to actually post. I'm still debating on paying to sign up for that, the majority of benefit I got from it was just reading, which is free. Although I got a $20 off thing when I cancelled my trial membership

I've had a lot of extra hours at work this week So tomorrow I'll be (hopefully) able to pay off my first student loan. I need to get my Hills And Valleys fund back up to where it should be first, but if I'm crunching the numbers right, it'll leave me enough to pay off the last of my little student loan. THEN I can add that minimum to my snowball in time to start tackling my 2nd-smallest student loan this month


That is fantastic Aurora What an accomplishment to have your student loan paid off!!
I need to work on my budget, although since I do have my debts paid off, I am trying to sink as much as I can each month into my savings account. And that $1100 dentist bill did not help any!!

 

[AuroraRora]

That is fantastic Aurora What an accomplishment to have your student loan paid off!!

Sadly just the first student loan, still 4 more to go. But it's going to be so nice to be done with dealing with one of the companies altogether, one less payment to remember to make a month etc. Good job sinking your money into your savings, that's awesome! I definitely found it a lot easier to arrange where my money was going once I had my budget written out and I was using the envelope system. Now I have no excuse to just have random cash in my wallet waiting to be wasted - it's either grocery cash, or it's coming out of my limited "treats' cash, because that's all I have with me!

I've been getting all excited about crunching numbers and I spent over an hour this morning writing out different scenarios based on what I might get paid over the next few weeks, and the % that would go to my loans, the different ways I could allocate it to future bills etc - all for money I haven't actually even got yet. I need to stop before I wear my brain out!

 

[disneychic2]

Peel, so glad you found this thread and are already using some of the tools suggested! The first step is the hardest. If you look at small steps you can take to get your budget under control, it is less overwhelming. When I'm overwhelmed, I tend to get nothing done. So I try to break everything down into more manageable segments.

I am not in any way judging you for taking a yearly Disney trip with your mom. But I do have a suggestion that would maybe help both you and her. Since getting away and spending time with your mom is the most important part, could you consider taking a "spa" holiday somewhere within driving distance for say a long weekend instead of going all the way to WDW? You could save quite a bit and still have wonderful memories and special time with your mom. Maybe a Disney trip every other year? Just a thought.

Also, it is very important to have your hubby on the same page as you with finances. My DD had the same problem with her DH and I bought them the DVDs for Dave Ramsey (at her request) and when he heard them, he got on board. I agree with AuroraRora that you should read Dave Ramsey's books. The library should carry them and that was good advise for buying a used one on Amazon. That way, it educates you to what you can say to your DH to get him excited about having a budget and planning for your future.

As far as your health, I'm so sorry you are having such issues that only promise to worsen in the future. If you have Netflix, may I recommend two shows on there that changed my life? They are: Hungry for Change and Food Matters. Also good ones are Forks over Knives and Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. (You don't have to be fat to benefit from what he tells you) These also may be available at your library.

I understand completely about your animals being family. We've always had pets until recently and they are such wonderful companions. So, no flames on that account. I know it's hard to think about, but would prolonging your cat's life be in his/her best interest? I know I waited too long to put my last dog down because I just couldn't bear to be without her. Spending a lot of money to have the same result isn't necessarily the best for the animal. Just food for thought, not in any way meant to make you feel badly about whatever choices you make in that regard.

You are getting lots of good advice from others on this thread, so I hope it encourages you to come back often and let us know how things are going. You can do this. Don't give up!

 

[peel]

Thanks, disneychic!

To answer some of your questions...

My mom and I are definitely NOT spa people. Thankfully, this year our trip is largely being paid for by her as a graduation gift, so I'm not forking out too much of my own money this time. It will actually have been almost 2 years in between trips this time around because we went in January of 2012 and won't be heading back until either October or December of this year, depending on FD. Hopefully by our next trip I'll have a full time gig and more pocket money.

The cat situation is tricky. We definitely would not put our own interests over hers and prolong her life just so we could have her around a little longer. She has this very aggressive but localized cancer, caused by a rabies vaccination. It's pretty rare, but it happens. The thing is, the tumor grows very rapidly, but hardly ever spreads to any other areas. So she's perfectly healthy, acts completely fine, and has no issues other than this localized tumor. If it's left untreated, it will multiply in size (the first time we spotted it we had her scheduled for surgery, and by the end of the week it had tripled in size and ripped her skin). She's had two surgeries to remove tumors but they keep growing back in the same spot, so now it's onto radiation and chemo. It's very expensive, but there's no way we can in good conscience make the decision to end her life when she isn't suffering or sick in any way.

I have actually seen Food Matters. Thanks for the suggestion on the other film. I eat pretty healthy....my husband is vegan and I rarely eat meat...I'm pretty well versed on what foods and vitamins seem to help with my illness. I've also consulted naturopaths and try to stay current on the studies that are being done. Full disclosure--I have MS, and thankfully it has not hindered me in any major way so far. It's been over 10 years since I was diagnosed, and it seems to be staying in check for the most part. Of course, it's a very unpredictable disease and it's very hard to "plan" for. I just need to pay close attention to my body and not push myself too much. Obviously, stress is a HUGE risk factor, so that's why I'm finally taking the plunge to get serious about finances. I had good paying jobs straight out of college (my first time at college) and was young enough to not think too much about the future.

I'll definitely keep checking in here! I'm subscribed to the thread so that I can revel in others' success and keep you all updated on my own! It's a great way to hold myself accountable too. Either tonight or tomorrow, my DH and I are going to watch all of the YNAB videos online and get acquainted with the app. I don't want to sign up for the trial until we have all of our papers in order so that we don't spend most of the free trial period getting organized and not using the program.

 

[peel]

Welcome, Peel!! I'm so glad you found this thread - it's helped me so much and there's so much great advice on here. I'd definitely recommend picking up Dave Ramsey's book, I got mine used from amazon for about $3 and there's always the library too. You can also listen to his podcasts online for free, and browse his forum although you have to be a member to actually post. I'm still debating on paying to sign up for that, the majority of benefit I got from it was just reading, which is free. Although I got a $20 off thing when I cancelled my trial membership

Thanks, Aurora!

Which DR book did you get? Was it The Total Money Makeover?

 

[AuroraRora]

Thanks, Aurora!

Which DR book did you get? Was it The Total Money Makeover?

Yup!! I got the 2007 one, I think there's a few different editions based on updated forewords and that kind of stuff, but whichever year published you get, it seems to be the same. I know the 2007 one was totally relevant to me and to everything on his site. I just looked it up on amazon and I paid $9 for it including shipping, so it's not too bad. I've found it really motivating to have it with me, because whenever I'm not sure about something I can pick up the book and look it up, and it spells everything out for you so it's really easy - you just follow the steps. If it had seemed complicated to me, I probably would have just fallen off the wagon already, but he explains everything clearly and then there's copies at the back of the charts he's talking about, to go with his explanation. I photocopied the charts so I'd have lots of blank ones!

I completely understand about your cat, and your vacation too. My cat is absolutely my fur-child and if I knew he was healthy except for a treatable, localized tumor, I'd be writing a blank check too. My kitty has been with me through some tough times in my life, and I could never turn my back on him for the sake of saving money. Going to WDW is the same.... I'm really wrestling with our choice to go in October given how much I'm trying to commit to the Dave Ramsey plan, but WDW makes me so happy in amongst life's ups and downs, and work stress etc. I have a medical situation too, which although not overly expensive, is something I struggle with, and having Disney to look forward to really does help me get through it.

 

[disneychic2]

I hear you on the not being "spa" people! And I'm so glad you are enjoying your tirps with your mom. There are ways to save when going to Disney and I'm sure you've discovered most of them. Lots of people (who don't go to Disney) think it has to be this big expensive trip, when, in reality, it's no more expensive than many other vacations a person could take. I love both October and December as times to go, with a little edge toward December only because I just love the decorations and the festive mood. Whichever you end up choosing, I hope you and your mom have a fabulous time!

What you describe sounds like a whole different story since the cancer is isolated. I think I would do the same thing you are doing. My dog was only sick for two weeks, but I felt badly for prolonging things. I kept thinking she couldn't go from being completely healthy to being so sick so quickly. I never found out what was wrong because by the time the test results came back, she was gone and I couldn't bear to hear about it. Now I wish I had. Good luck with your kitty!

I'm glad you have such a good handle on eating right and taking good care of yourself. That will go a long way in controlling the progress of your disease. It seems you are living each day as it comes and that is a healthy way to live for sure. Here's hoping you can get a great job, eliminate the stress over finances and continue to enjoy life on your own terms. You sound like a strong young woman! Good for you!

 

[AuroraRora]

Argh - I had a big client contract scheduled for next week at work, and now it seems he has disappeared off the face of the earth. He's not answering my emails or phonecalls and we were supposed to fly to Pittsburgh tomorrow to meet with him and now I don't know what we're doing I'm going to be so sad if this falls though, I had the money from it earmarked for a variety of bills and my snowball

Edit: Nevermind, he confirmed earlier via my boss and she just hadn't sent me the details yet.

Today I paid off the last of my first student loan - I'm SO excited! I have this little dream that a banker will see I've paid it off already and be sad about all the interest they'll miss out on from me in the future coz I'm DONE with it!! Discover Student Loans, it was nice knowin ya, but see ya! And so the snowball rolls on to the next student loan

 

[gracie1]

Argh - I had a big client contract scheduled for next week at work, and now it seems he has disappeared off the face of the earth. He's not answering my emails or phonecalls and we were supposed to fly to Pittsburgh tomorrow to meet with him and now I don't know what we're doing I'm going to be so sad if this falls though, I had the money from it earmarked for a variety of bills and my snowball

Edit: Nevermind, he confirmed earlier via my boss and she just hadn't sent me the details yet.

Today I paid off the last of my first student loan - I'm SO excited! I have this little dream that a banker will see I've paid it off already and be sad about all the interest they'll miss out on from me in the future coz I'm DONE with it!! Discover Student Loans, it was nice knowin ya, but see ya! And so the snowball rolls on to the next student loan

Way to go on paying off your student loan!! Snowballing that amount into your next loan is exciting! Especially when you see the balance go down faster!

 

[AuroraRora]

After I made the last payment, I called the customer service line to tell them I'd paid it off and to cancel my automatic debit withdrawal. The guy reminded me that I got a discount on my interest rate for signing up for the automatic debit program, and that if I withdrew from it, my interest rate would go up. I burst out laughing and told him I didn't care, I'd just paid it off He laughed too and said congrats... cool guy!

 

[peel]

I hear you on the not being "spa" people! And I'm so glad you are enjoying your tirps with your mom. There are ways to save when going to Disney and I'm sure you've discovered most of them. Lots of people (who don't go to Disney) think it has to be this big expensive trip, when, in reality, it's no more expensive than many other vacations a person could take. I love both October and December as times to go, with a little edge toward December only because I just love the decorations and the festive mood. Whichever you end up choosing, I hope you and your mom have a fabulous time!

What you describe sounds like a whole different story since the cancer is isolated. I think I would do the same thing you are doing. My dog was only sick for two weeks, but I felt badly for prolonging things. I kept thinking she couldn't go from being completely healthy to being so sick so quickly. I never found out what was wrong because by the time the test results came back, she was gone and I couldn't bear to hear about it. Now I wish I had. Good luck with your kitty!

I'm glad you have such a good handle on eating right and taking good care of yourself. That will go a long way in controlling the progress of your disease. It seems you are living each day as it comes and that is a healthy way to live for sure. Here's hoping you can get a great job, eliminate the stress over finances and continue to enjoy life on your own terms. You sound like a strong young woman! Good for you!

Awww, thanks! I'm not THAT young, unfortunately.

I think I have successfully won over DH. We watched all of the YNAB tutorial videos together tonight, and I think it was key to start this process as a team. We had a good and CALM discussion about how we want to approach things, and we're definitely on the same page. Victory!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

You can also listen to his podcasts online for free, and browse his forum although you have to be a member to actually post. I'm still debating on paying to sign up for that, the majority of benefit I got from it was just reading, which is free. Although I got a $20 off thing when I cancelled my trial membership

Hi

I haven't read the whole thread; I just peeked in here on the last page and saw this post. I don't know if this has been mentioned or not, but there is an unofficial and FREE Dave Ramsey forum; the link is www.livinglikenooneelse.com.

 

[disney-inspired]

Kinda got off track with my budget
But I'm back on it and I've already budgeted for the next 4 weeks. Thankfully my pay is stable and predictable. The only possibility is that I get OT and it goes up and that's just fine with me

So, by September I hope to be down another credit card and have about $900 saved toward my next Disney trip.
I'm actively seeking a full time job because this contract job is not enough. It's hard though as the economy still sucks.

 

[gracie1]

Kinda got off track with my budget
But I'm back on it and I've already budgeted for the next 4 weeks. Thankfully my pay is stable and predictable. The only possibility is that I get OT and it goes up and that's just fine with me

So, by September I hope to be down another credit card and have about $900 saved toward my next Disney trip.
I'm actively seeking a full time job because this contract job is not enough. It's hard though as the economy still sucks.

September is not far away!! Way to go on getting back on track