Debt Dumpers - 2014

[delmar411]

I'm in for 2014. Our move and under employment in 2013 really did a number on our finances but we are back on track so I need get moving on the debt. I don't have specific goals just yet but I have a list of what will get paid off with our tax return which will allow me to start a nice sized snowball.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

Joining. I am apparently "the cheapest person who has ever lived" according to my DH, so budgeting isn't my problem necessarily. I just need to get serious about paying off our home mortgage on this house.

Background is that before kids, DH and I paid off 66K in consumer debt AND our home mortgage before we turned 27. A few years ago, an amazing foreclosure fell into our laps...but we had to take out a mortgage to buy it. It isn't a huge mortgage, but it feels "big" in terms of what I can pay off each year...I think I could pay it off in maybe 3-4 years. However, we have kids now and I am a SAHM now. Instead of paying it off, I obsessively add to our "emergency" fund which is now far larger than it probably "needs" to be.

Joining so you all can get me over the fear of never having "enough" in the emergency fund so I can start paying off the house.

 

[gracie1]

Welcome everyone!! Sounds like you all have some great motivation to start dumping debt

 

[gracie1]

In 2013, we finally paid off a major chunk of our debt. Now we have a few smaller bills (medical/dental) to work on. Also we had to replace a car in 2013 and had to add a car payment. Really hoping that my husband's company recognizes all the contributions he made in 2013 and gives him the raise he deserves, but we should still be okay, even without that. But just barely. I hate not having a cushion!

Those dental bills can be a beast!! After I paid off my debt last year I had to visit the dentist due to a broken tooth - and since I hadn't been in like 6 or 7 years (I know - bad!!) they did an assessment and I had $5000 of work not counting the root canal I am happy to say that everything is done except one filling which is scheduled for January! Yay!! Next step though is to see an orthodontist, and I am very doubtful that I can afford that in 2014.

I do hope your husband gets a raise! I wish my company would acknowledge all the work here and compensate, but they don't Oh well, I just look at the bright side and am thankful to have a job right now!

 

[momof2gr8kids]

I'm in again!

Happy to report no credit used for Christmas and I kept up with what I proposed to put towards debt each pay except just for the last pay before Christmas.

Looking forward to setting a new budget in the new year. My plan is to have our debt paid off in two years (includes a vehicle loan and some cc debt we dumped into a LOC a while ago).

I work for a politician, so there's a chance I could be unemployed within the next year, so we are trying as well to bump up our emergency fund.

6 years ago dh lost his job, went back to school and before that we had no consumer debt and a good emerg. fund. Thank goodness, cause we were the few that didn't lose our house, etc. We've kept up with Retirement Savings and kids Education Funds (not lots, that's for sure), and I think if we would have stopped that for a while we probably wouldn't have been in as much debt as we are. So not sure that was the best decision and sometimes am tempted to pull some out and pay off the debt! LOL

Finally starting to see us progressing to where we were before the job loss, so that is good.

Positive vibes for everyone that the unexpected doesn't happen too often in 2014 to curtail our plans!

 

[momof2gr8kids]

Those dental bills can be a beast!! After I paid off my debt last year I had to visit the dentist due to a broken tooth - and since I hadn't been in like 6 or 7 years (I know - bad!!) they did an assessment and I had $5000 of work not counting the root canal I am happy to say that everything is done except one filling which is scheduled for January! Yay!! Next step though is to see an orthodontist, and I am very doubtful that I can afford that in 2014.

I do hope your husband gets a raise! I wish my company would acknowledge all the work here and compensate, but they don't Oh well, I just look at the bright side and am thankful to have a job right now!

Yikes - that is why I am so grateful I have a great benefit plan through my work that covers a lot. I just hope braces aren't on my kids list sometime soon. Benefits pay for half, but that's still a good chunk of change!

 

[gator75]

I have been reading the 2013 thread and i'am also joining. My goal is to get out from underneath some of the crushing cc debt we have accumalted and start focusing on saving some of that paycheck we see slip away every 2 weeks.

2013 has been very trying finacially for us and i'm ready for a fresh go in 2014.

 

[treeface]

Count me in also! Still have to calculate this year's debt that was dumped and finish next months budget. Had lots of unplanned expense the past three months and a short trip to DSD's college graduation (planned for in advance) that created stress and anxiety the past month. Hoping for a better 2014 and 50% debt reduction.

 

[gracie1]

Yikes - that is why I am so grateful I have a great benefit plan through my work that covers a lot. I just hope braces aren't on my kids list sometime soon. Benefits pay for half, but that's still a good chunk of change!

I don't have any dental insurance. I told my dentist I wanted this all done before 12/31 because I will have medical expenses to deduct on my taxes!

 

[DawnM]

I only have mortgage, but I can certainly cut back. I was doing very well for a long time, but this year DH got a raise and I let YNAB calculating slip, and well, I spent more on needless things than I should have.

Here are my goals for 2014:

Jan 1, start back with YNAB and get a firm budget in place and input spending regularly.

Stick to the budget as written

Keep up the savings account. Honestly, once that emergency fund is fully funded, it is easy to just stop and use that money for fun……

Finish some home projects with CASH only

Stop using credit cards unless buying online or buying gas. All other things can be purchased with cash or debit.

 

[Flanigan]

2014 is the year I kick SallieMae to the curb. Getting rid of my student loan debt will be nice now that DW & I have a little one, and we want to take her to WDW. This is the last bit of debt we have, unless you count the home mortgage payment.

 

[SpaceGirl]

I don't have any dental insurance. I told my dentist I wanted this all done before 12/31 because I will have medical expenses to deduct on my taxes!

So glad 99% of the dental work has been completed, I didn't want to ask because with me I would start freaking out whenever I even thought about the DENTIST.

Now you just have a beautiful SMILE...


I wanted to take this time to wish everyone

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year​

​

​

​

​

​

 

[wunkmom]

i'll jump in too!

have a bit of CC debt that we need to get rid of, but more importantly, our emergency fund is severely lacking.

this is going to be our year of purging, destashing and no also!

 

[gracie1]

So glad 99% of the dental work has been completed, I didn't want to ask because with me I would start freaking out whenever I even thought about the DENTIST.

Now you just have a beautiful SMILE...


I wanted to take this time to wish everyone

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year​

​

​

​

​

​

Well, the one plus thing about my new dentist is he is very gentle - and cute!!! Haha. Now the orthodontic, that will probably just cause me to pass out with the estimate that he will give. I do have some pretty crooked teeth - and I may just have to live with them like that

 

[LittleBoPeep]

I would like to join in as well. We have a quite a bit of credit card debt that we've been working on but haven't been serious enough about it. We're ready for it to go permanently. Also have my student loan. Time to get to it... 2014 is the year we kick debt's booty!

 

[arwood82]

Woo hoo!!! I'm in. We should have our car paid off by October so that is exciting. We are super excited that we did not use a single credit card for Christmas.

 

[OhAmbs]

Jumping in too since I'm a single parent to a lovely 2 yr old who likes Mickey and Princess Sofia. I'm hoping to provide a better financial role model then what my parents did for me. I love the support on here!

 

[Eureka]

Now that gifts have been opened (DH gave me a NICE gift card to Coach!) I was allowed to look at the Discover account again...and discovered (no pun intended) that we have earned enough reward points for a statement credit. I was tempted to get a different gift card, but knew that we are better off taking some off our balance. It's a tiny drop in the bucket but every little bit counts. Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday.

 

[gracie1]

Now that gifts have been opened (DH gave me a NICE gift card to Coach!) I was allowed to look at the Discover account again...and discovered (no pun intended) that we have earned enough reward points for a statement credit. I was tempted to get a different gift card, but knew that we are better off taking some off our balance. It's a tiny drop in the bucket but every little bit counts. Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday.

You have a good husband It's so funny that you posted about the credit statement... I was just looking at mine this morning and I have quite a few dollars built up (because of the dentist!) and was thinking of changing it in for a gc. However, my cc is through my insurance company so I can just use the credit and apply to my car insurance or my homeowners. So I think I am just going to keep building it up and at the end of 2014 apply every bit to my homeowners. It should reduce it about $150 then, which is always nice in December

 

[gracie1]

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!! Now I feel that we can all get serious on our debt dumping for 2014