Debt Dumpers - 2013

[Eureka]

I am still here! I have been reading the posts regularly and you are all so motivating. As with us August was a yucky month but we managed to charge very little and in comparison to previous years. I was able to pay back all that I charged except for about $150 so that it not too bad.

On a personal note I just started training as a bank teller which is part time and only three miles from my house. I am a little stressed about the money handling but I figured that if I follow the rules and procedures then I will be fine. I had to open a checking account with the bank that I was hired at so all of the checks can be put in that account. I was initially bummed by this but now I realize it is a great way to make sure that all of my check goes toward to debt reduction and doesn't get mixed in with household funds.

That way regardless of how small or big the check is the money can go toward a bill. And if I find that this job is not for me then our family will have not gotten used to the extra money but some debt will be gone. Thinking positive thoughts that this could grow into a better position within the bank. (I have a business degree but worked in the past as a special education aide. Go figure! So I have to start somewhere)

Congratulations! Your plan sounds very logical and well thought out.

 

[gracie1]

I am still here! I have been reading the posts regularly and you are all so motivating. As with us August was a yucky month but we managed to charge very little and in comparison to previous years. I was able to pay back all that I charged except for about $150 so that it not too bad.



On a personal note I just started training as a bank teller which is part time and only three miles from my house. I am a little stressed about the money handling but I figured that if I follow the rules and procedures then I will be fine. I had to open a checking account with the bank that I was hired at so all of the checks can be put in that account. I was initially bummed by this but now I realize it is a great way to make sure that all of my check goes toward to debt reduction and doesn't get mixed in with household funds.

That way regardless of how small or big the check is the money can go toward a bill. And if I find that this job is not for me then our family will have not gotten used to the extra money but some debt will be gone. Thinking positive thoughts that this could grow into a better position within the bank. (I have a business degree but worked in the past as a special education aide. Go figure! So I have to start somewhere)

Congrats on your job!!

 

[ceemys]

Doodlebug---Congrats on the job! That is great thinking on the plan!

Gracie1---that's the perfect solution. Claim it on your taxes!

This is a hard week for me. I transferred the money into my savings account and we are struggling this week. Payday is not until the 30th and I have $40 to last me for gas and groceries. I just filled up my tank so I will have to fill it back up on Fridayish. Maybe only do 1/4 to last me to the following Monday. Groceries will be super cheep. Beans, soups and $1 TV dinners for my lunches. We have some stuff left over from last week.
My daughter has homecoming and I don't have anymore money to buy shoes. She wants silver flats so maybe Goodwill will have something. I have some items to return to Walmart and Lowes. That is about $12. Pray we can pull this off.

And now I have gained 10 lbs in the past 4 months...I can't afford healthy food and it is showing.

I am so stressed!

 

[SpaceGirl]

Christine

You need a big hug I know that if it was just you that you would just fight through all this but it's your daughter. I have been trying to think of a solution or some advise that will help, is there one of her friends that she maybe able to borrow the shoes from? I know back in the stone ages when I was in High School we would swap items all the time.

I know you have your credit card that you use for small purchases during the month to keep it active and to help your credit score. Is there anyway for you to take the returns back to the stores then using the return money just charge the difference in price of the shoes on the CC? (Ouch I can't believe I suggested that but hoping it would only be a very small amount.) I wish I had a pair of silver dance shoes I could send you. Please let us know how this works out.

Now about your eating habits I understand about the budget and stress eating but you need to make sure to take care of yourself, make sure that you are a
priority. Remember your savings and watching the spending ALL depends on you. You are VIP so treat yourself well.

You are so close to your goal.

 

[SpaceGirl]

Doodlebug

Congratulations on the new job, sounds like you are doing great working on your goals.

 

[sarahk0204]

DD got silver flats at Walmart a few weeks ago. They were not very expensive ($10 maybe?) for a big girl size. I hope you can find a way to make it work!

 

[ceemys]

Space girl...thank you so much! That was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes. Sniff snif. . I do feel better today. I am still stressed but I can't stay sad about it. It is what it is and I need to make it work!

She didn't like the ones at Walmart.

But we did find a friend to loan us a pair! They are red 2 inch heals and not silver flats but I told her to be happy my friend was gracious enough to loan them to us. . Now to make the money do for the week. I know we can do it! It will be boring, unhealthy cheap food but we won't starve.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.
Go colts!!

 

[Eureka]

Space girl...thank you so much! That was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes. Sniff snif. . I do feel better today. I am still stressed but I can't stay sad about it. It is what it is and I need to make it work!

She didn't like the ones at Walmart.

But we did find a friend to loan us a pair! They are red 2 inch heals and not silver flats but I told her to be happy my friend was gracious enough to loan them to us. . Now to make the money do for the week. I know we can do it! It will be boring, unhealthy cheap food but we won't starve.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.
Go colts!!

As far as food goes, a cheap and relatively healthy meal could be whole grain tortillas filled with brown rice, black beans and a little shredded cheese. Will give you fiber and some protein. Glad your friend had shoes that will work for your daughter.

 

[crazycatstacy]

I have been lurking on the boards for a while now. I have been reading this thread and am impressed with the support you offer. I have a budge through the end of the year that will change once January starts. In January I have to start paying back my massive student loan debt but I think we have a plan to be debt free in 18 months starting in January. Fingers crossed it works!!!!

 

[SpaceGirl]

I have been lurking on the boards for a while now. I have been reading this thread and am impressed with the support you offer. I have a budget through the end of the year that will change once January starts. In January I have to start paying back my massive student loan debt but I think we have a plan to be debt free in 18 months starting in January. Fingers crossed it works!!!!

CrazycatStacy

WELCOME

You'll fit right in here, we have members paying off student loans, saving for new homes, paying off homes, paying for home repairs, paying off credit card debt, medical debt, dental debt, if you can spend money on it one of us is paying debt because of it.

Sounds like you have a plan to pay off your loan so keep us updated with your progress next year, I'm sure we'll still be here.

Good Luck

 

[SpaceGirl]

Christine

So glad you found some shoes for your daughter, even though they are Red and not Silver. Tell her when she is Homecoming Queen you'll be sure to get her those Silver Shoes.

Good luck with your food budget, Soup is healthy and beans. I'm southern and while we are notorious for NOT eating healthy we do have a few things that are. I love a big pot of Navy Beans, cornbread, greens and sliced tomatoes for dinner or lunch, very inexpensive and good for you.

Keep Dancing Girl you are doing GREAT.

 

[disneycrazi]

Space girl...thank you so much! That was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes. Sniff snif. . I do feel better today. I am still stressed but I can't stay sad about it. It is what it is and I need to make it work!

She didn't like the ones at Walmart.

But we did find a friend to loan us a pair! They are red 2 inch heals and not silver flats but I told her to be happy my friend was gracious enough to loan them to us. . Now to make the money do for the week. I know we can do it! It will be boring, unhealthy cheap food but we won't starve.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.
Go colts!!

Colts are winning hope that makes your day a bright one! Hello from fellow Indiana resident! What area are you in? We are in North Indy Suburbs

 

[KateKat23]

I have been lurking on this thread for awhile now but haven't posted because I wanted to be successful at my debt reduction. I can toot my horn now. December 2012 we had a revolving line of credit with a balance of $7500 with only making $100 a month payments which was pretty much hitting the interest and not the principle. So I decided enough is enough I was going to start trimming the fat and started making $500.00 a month payments and with our taxes I put extra $1500.00 on it. Well I am on track to have that line paid off on December 1!! We will have an extra $500 to put away in case of emergencies or of course our Florida trips!! We don't have much for credit card debt either. Our line of credit was making me physically ill and I thought thats it I am done and made a plan and stuck to it the last year.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I have been lurking on this thread for awhile now but haven't posted because I wanted to be successful at my debt reduction. I can toot my horn now. December 2012 we had a revolving line of credit with a balance of $7500 with only making $100 a month payments which was pretty much hitting the interest and not the principle. So I decided enough is enough I was going to start trimming the fat and started making $500.00 a month payments and with our taxes I put extra $1500.00 on it. Well I am on track to have that line paid off on December 1!! We will have an extra $500 to put away in case of emergencies or of course our Florida trips!! We don't have much for credit card debt either. Our line of credit was making me physically ill and I thought thats it I am done and made a plan and stuck to it the last year.

Isn't it strange how you just get used to having debt until you decide that eliminating it will be a priority. We had overdraft protection for our checking account and never worried about our account being overdrawn because of it. So much so that it was up to almost the limit of $3K.
Whenever I would pay some down, eventually it raised up again.

Then our bank started tacking on OD fees and OD transfer fees and $15/month low balance fee if our balance dips below $100, even if just for a day.
The fees really bugged me so first I made it my mission to never get assessed the $15 monthly fee. Then I realized how quickly we could pay it down if we never have any more debt added to it.
In less than a year it was 1/3 of the original amount. I'm hoping to be rid of it completely by spring.

 

[Luvdancink]

I've decided that I am overdue to get back on track! I had done this several years ago with the focus of paying off my credit cards and it worked. Now I'm starting to make payments on my new student loans, and my dad is in the hospital for a transplant so with all of this stressful stuff going on, I've been allowing myself "emotional" purchasing. I need to get my student loans paid down. The payments are more than my mortgage and one of the student loans is a private loan at %9 What types of budgeting systems is everyone using. I need to start keeping track of my emotional spending. I "deserve" to be debt free more than I "deserve" a new dress or going out to eat.

~Kristy

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I'm pretty thrifty to begin with as far as going out on weekends or material stuff. I'm not an impulse shopper. We go out to dinner for our anniversary and birthdays and while on vacation. Clothes shopping is a chore.
Vacations are my weakness so if I can stop booking more trips, we'd save a lot more. The hard part is that my job is crazy high stress. So much that were all given 4 weeks off per year from day 1 (not including sick time). Vacations are my therapy, my sanity saver. It's amazing how just a long weekend escape just washes so much stress away.

Anyway, I'm hoping to keep paying down bills and keep accruing points on my SWA so next summer we can all fly free. I do pay this off every month faithfully.

I don't know how I'll be able to go from Sept to next summer, Aug maybe, with no vacations. One thing for sure I will not be fun to live with & eventually even DH The Saver will be pleading for a getaway.
I'll do my best though & keep my eye on the prize!

 

[pryncess527]

Christine -- I'm glad you were able to borrow some shoes that work -- I hope your dd has an amazing time at the dance

CrazyCatStacy -- welcome to the thread! Good job having a plan in place for those loans before the payments start, you are ahead of the game!

KateKat -- Welcome & Congrats! What a great first post. Ditto the pp who said it's amazing how comfortable we can get with debt until we decide we can't take it anymore!

Kristy -- Welcome back on track! It's so easy to get derailed, I love the forums for helping me stay accountable and providing encouragement for staying on track. I can't wait to live life debt free!!

We had a decent weekend at my house. We had company this weekend and, DH, bless him, is more generous than I might have been . . .he was all about picking up the tab for dinner . . . I had to go zen and remember that even though we are laser focused on debt reduction we can still afford to treat our friend from time to time.

But now I'm back to being laser focused. I want to spend AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE between now and Sunday. Any money left over on Sunday become an extra payment on the credit card, and we are SO close to paying it off, I'm at the point where I feel like every $1 counts.

I did get $60 new dollars to add to that payment thanks to some weekend ebay sales

 

[ceemys]

Eureka -

that does sound good! I will have to give it a try.

crazycatstacy -

Welcome!

SpaceGirl -
Keep Dancing Girl you are doing GREAT.


hmmm. I was raised in Upper Florida, so Navy Beans and Cornbread...yummm.

disneycrazi -
I'm in N Indy also! Live in Fishers, work in Carmel.

KateKat23 -
Welcome and AWESOME. congrats on the pay off date so close!

~Kristy -
I have stress eating versus emotional buying, but I kind of know what you are talking about. We have lots of people on our board paying off student loans. I use quicken for my budget but a lot seem to like You Need a Budget.

pryncess527 -
Thank you! I'm sure she will have a blast. Her friends mom rented a limo for the 4 friends and their dates. Oh boy!! lol


Sometimes you just have to go zen. I can't wait to hear the cheer of the 0 balance! And yea Ebay buyers!

 

[pryncess527]

What types of budgeting systems is everyone using.

~Kristy

I'm one of the more vocal YNAB users. YNAB is You Need a Budget. Finding it has led to an amazing transformation for how my household deals with money. I really can't say enough wonderful things about it.
The base price is $60, though there is a 10% off referral code found online (or that I could PM you). It also goes on sale for 75% off fairly regularly through a free gaming service called Steam. I fully expect it to go on sale again before the end of the year, Steam does a huge Christmas sale.

There is a 34 day free trial so you can check it out and see if it works for you. The YNAB forums are also a great source of help and support. http://forum.youneedabudget.com/discussions

 

[Eureka]

Eureka -

that does sound good! I will have to give it a try.

When the Perdue chicken short cuts are on sale or buy one get one free, I use those too and we have chicken and bean burritos. Very easy for nights when time is short. But normally, they are too expensive for me to justify buying.