Debt Dumpers - 2014

[PrincessKymm]

Money is just leaping out of my bank account! $100+ yesterday for band outfit and shoes (but yay we got one thing bought for our vacation, Payless BOGO 1/2 off sale allowed me to but his sandals pretty cheap).

No word on my tax refund...still isn't accepted by IRS. AGH!

Big decision time...I get to go to Atlantis for work this October. Big question is do I take DBF and DS or just DBF? I only have to pay for their plane tickets (mine is covered), 2 nights hotel (at a nice discount) and food and souvenirs for 3 days. Everything else will be covered. Flights start at $536 RT...so I guess I need to decide if I'm taking DS or not. I'm definitely flying DBF down. I just don't know if we should use it as a weekend away together or turn it into a family vacation. What would you do? We are already going to Clearwater beach as a family over spring break in April.

I also have to start spinning 5 days a week!!!! I don't want my boss to see me look like a whale in a swimsuit! Guess I'm joining the gym!

 

[gracie1]

Bumping thread How is everyone doing?? Yesterday was a good day when I checked my bank account - both federal and state taxes were deposited. However, the excitement of seeing it there only lasted for a couple minutes because it will be going to the furbabies tomorrow for the surgery and teeth cleanings. I was able to pay my 6 month car insurance premium - but that's it for me!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I paid off DH's amex card, but that gets filled back up again. ERGH! And I have a CC that is hovering around the $300 mark but I won't pay that off until we get back from Disney, I'd rather have the money for that just in case.

Other than that, we are just plugging away. Not using cards other than the Amex (for work) and the iTunes card, which gets paid off, we use it to get iTunes points which turns into gift cards.

As soon as we get back from Disney I need to finish our taxes and then my main focus is paying off my car by the end of the year. It would be a lot of extra money a month, but if I can pay it off that would free up boat loads of money.

 

[gracie1]

I paid off DH's amex card, but that gets filled back up again. ERGH! And I have a CC that is hovering around the $300 mark but I won't pay that off until we get back from Disney, I'd rather have the money for that just in case.

Other than that, we are just plugging away. Not using cards other than the Amex (for work) and the iTunes card, which gets paid off, we use it to get iTunes points which turns into gift cards.

As soon as we get back from Disney I need to finish our taxes and then my main focus is paying off my car by the end of the year. It would be a lot of extra money a month, but if I can pay it off that would free up boat loads of money.

Sounds like you are doing a great job plugging along! And only a week until Disney
There's an ITunes credit card?

 

[dayvewc]

Bumping thread How is everyone doing?? Yesterday was a good day when I checked my bank account - both federal and state taxes were deposited. However, the excitement of seeing it there only lasted for a couple minutes because it will be going to the furbabies tomorrow for the surgery and teeth cleanings. I was able to pay my 6 month car insurance premium - but that's it for me!

Yay!! On getting the refunds. Boo on having to have surgery on the furbabies. Yay!! on getting the 6 month insurance premium. I'm lucky if I make the quarterly payments.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Sounds like you are doing a great job plugging along! And only a week until Disney
There's an ITunes credit card?

There is. We got it when we bought my laptop. Basically if you use it in iTunes you get 2 points for every dollar you spend and when you reach 2500 points you get a $25 iTunes gift card. We are movie and music junkies but live in a small house so DVD and CD storage is at a premium so we try to buy as much content as possible digitally. We only use this card for iTunes though, I won't use it for other purchases, although you can but you just get 1 point for every dollar you spend.

 

[dayvewc]

Ugh. My least favorite time of the year. I think I have all my documents to file my taxes, but I'm not sure. I don't want to finalize and have to file an amendment if something comes in later, but I also want to get my refund as soon as possible. Ugh.

 

[gracie1]

Yay!! On getting the refunds. Boo on having to have surgery on the furbabies. Yay!! on getting the 6 month insurance premium. I'm lucky if I make the quarterly payments.

Do you normally get a refund? This year mine was larger than usual because of medical deductions. I wish there were deductions for fur babies!! I think owners who take care of them should get a deduction! Lol

 

[dayvewc]

Do you normally get a refund? This year mine was larger than usual because of medical deductions. I wish there were deductions for fur babies!! I think owners who take care of them should get a deduction! Lol

I normally do, yeah. This year is looking to be a bit bigger than normal, so I'll be happy to get it.

Good for you on the larger refund, but hate the reason you got it. And I agree with you, good pet parents should be able to take deductions for our fur babies.

 

[dayvewc]

Well, took the plunge. Went through and compared everything to last year, and I couldn't find any missing documents. So, I'm pretty sure I have it all done, so I filed.

I must confess, I did use my CC to file. With the ice and snow we got last week, I missed one of my shifts at my 3rd job, and my 2nd job hasn't had me work any since New Years. But, I'm getting about $600 more this year than last year on my refund, so I'm planning to pay off that CC and then snowball what I've been paying to another one.

I may be opening myself up, but does anyone want to critique my plans for my refund? (Just remember Thumpers daddy, "If you can't say something nice, don't say nuthin' at all.")

Total refund is about $3500

pay back my mom $500 for emergency loan late from late December, $3000 left.

pay off 1 CC for about $1500, leaving $1500 (it's my lowest balance, but also my lowest interest card. It's also the only one I can completely pay off considering my next expenditure),

use about $1000 for my March vacation trip ($300 for gas, $150 for memory maker, $200 for ECV rental, $150 for food [+ the $150 in gift cards I got for Christmas for table service], $200 for souvenirs) I may get some back on this, I have a couple of friends who want to go to Disney with me since I have a time-share, and I'll "charge" them an equal share for gas and an equitable cost for the room. But if they go, not for certain yet, that money will just be added to ...

add/create my emergency fund $500+ any left over from vacation or reimbursements from friends.

Any constructive thoughts?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Well, took the plunge. Went through and compared everything to last year, and I couldn't find any missing documents. So, I'm pretty sure I have it all done, so I filed.

I must confess, I did use my CC to file. With the ice and snow we got last week, I missed one of my shifts at my 3rd job, and my 2nd job hasn't had me work any since New Years. But, I'm getting about $600 more this year than last year on my refund, so I'm planning to pay off that CC and then snowball what I've been paying to another one.

I may be opening myself up, but does anyone want to critique my plans for my refund? (Just remember Thumpers daddy, "If you can't say something nice, don't say nuthin' at all.")

Total refund is about $3500

pay back my mom $500 for emergency loan late from late December, $3000 left.

pay off 1 CC for about $1500, leaving $1500 (it's my lowest balance, but also my lowest interest card. It's also the only one I can completely pay off considering my next expenditure),

use about $1000 for my March vacation trip ($300 for gas, $150 for memory maker, $200 for ECV rental, $150 for food [+ the $150 in gift cards I got for Christmas for table service], $200 for souvenirs) I may get some back on this, I have a couple of friends who want to go to Disney with me since I have a time-share, and I'll "charge" them an equal share for gas and an equitable cost for the room. But if they go, not for certain yet, that money will just be added to ...

add/create my emergency fund $500+ any left over from vacation or reimbursements from friends.

Any constructive thoughts?

Personally, I would count the Disney trip as a splurge and put the $200 for souvenirs toward a cc or to your mom. I haven't bought a souvenir in WDW since maybe our first or 2nd visit, ds17 was only 3. I consider the visits themselves my gift to me. Last time, ds17 and I both forgot our hats and it was so hot & sunny I couldn't stand it. So there goes $40 for hats.

The kids used to get a few things, especially when leaving Buzz Lightyear or PoC but they stopped asking for it once I told them they each get $50 and once it's spent, that's it, and they can keep what they didn't spend at the end of the trip. Funny how they suddenly say, "Wow, $30 for that!" Eventually it would all end up at the bottom of the toybox anyway.

 

[ceemys]

Hi Everyone!! I haven't posted but a few times since I moved. Shame on me. It really has been so busy. There is always something to do with the house and kids school and activities, teen age drama, etc. lol I put my new LR furniture and my daughters bed on 6 months zero interest in November and I am ready to pay it off tomorrow! for 2.5 months I had a CC with a $2300 balance to pay for and it was major stressing me out. I had zero debt for a year and I couldn't think of anything else except that bill coming in every month. I really could tell a difference in my stress level and my patience level with my kids. When I do my bills tomorrow morning, I will be back down to a zero debt (except for the mortgage).

Keep tug, tug, tugging along on your debt payment. You can do it!!

Happy Valentines Day!

P.S. I'm going to be better at chatting with y'all and staying up to date with your progress. That is my belated New Years resolution.

 

[roadtripper]

Paid off the car last month, and then put 624.00 in repairs into it this week. Luckily the emergency fund covered the repairs, but now the tax refund will just replace those costs instead of beefing up the emergency fund. Blech.

 

[Eureka]

I'm so tired of there always being "something", you know? Warning, here comes a vent!

We got a foot of snow yesterday and today the van won't start. Not sure if it's the weather or related to the issues we've had that they can't seem to pinpoint. Battery was tested a few weeks ago and was fine. DH and kids are home today and I am working from home but he wants to just leave it for the weekend and deal with it after since we might get more snow tomorrow. Of course, I need it Monday to take the kids to school and activities even though I'll be home, I'll be working (we don't get the holiday) and won't have time to deal with it then. And we'll need it the rest of the week. Maybe we'll end up having it towed tomorrow/later today and deal with it after all. I just don't have time to think about it now.

Paid bills today and our savings account is doing pretty well…..until we deal with car stuff, lol. Still need to do our taxes too, can I have a few more days to catch up on everything? Suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

Happy V-day and weekend, everyone

 

[ceemys]

Paid off the car last month, and then put 624.00 in repairs into it this week. Luckily the emergency fund covered the repairs, but now the tax refund will just replace those costs instead of beefing up the emergency fund. Blech.

Hugs. Glad you had the money to get it fixed. Just think you won't have a payment nor have to fix it next month. I had to replace my fuel pump a few years ago and it was that much.

I'm so tired of there always being "something", you know? Warning, here comes a vent!

We got a foot of snow yesterday and today the van won't start. Not sure if it's the weather or related to the issues we've had that they can't seem to pinpoint. Battery was tested a few weeks ago and was fine. DH and kids are home today and I am working from home but he wants to just leave it for the weekend and deal with it after since we might get more snow tomorrow. Of course, I need it Monday to take the kids to school and activities even though I'll be home, I'll be working (we don't get the holiday) and won't have time to deal with it then. And we'll need it the rest of the week. Maybe we'll end up having it towed tomorrow/later today and deal with it after all. I just don't have time to think about it now.

Paid bills today and our savings account is doing pretty well…..until we deal with car stuff, lol. Still need to do our taxes too, can I have a few more days to catch up on everything? Suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

Happy V-day and weekend, everyone

I hope you can get it fixed relitively cheap.

 

[dayvewc]

Personally, I would count the Disney trip as a splurge and put the $200 for souvenirs toward a cc or to your mom. I haven't bought a souvenir in WDW since maybe our first or 2nd visit, ds17 was only 3. I consider the visits themselves my gift to me. Last time, ds17 and I both forgot our hats and it was so hot & sunny I couldn't stand it. So there goes $40 for hats.

The kids used to get a few things, especially when leaving Buzz Lightyear or PoC but they stopped asking for it once I told them they each get $50 and once it's spent, that's it, and they can keep what they didn't spend at the end of the trip. Funny how they suddenly say, "Wow, $30 for that!" Eventually it would all end up at the bottom of the toybox anyway.

Yeah, I actually do really count the trip as the splurge. The souvenirs are partially next years Christmas presents, if they have what I'm after in the park. Mom has collected Nutcrackers for 25 years now, so I'm trying to get her the whole set. And other than the memorial beach towel, I don't plan on buying anything else, so it is entirely possible that I'll be bringing $170 of the $200 back home.

I could use it to go toward another CC, but mom will be paid off with the $500, so that is one less debt to deal with at least.

Yeah, I totally understand about kids and souvenirs. My rule of thumb for buying things for other people is 1) I can only guarantee that I will look for something if the list is weighted down with cash before I leave my house. and 2) if I happen to bring you something anyway, don't expect it to have cost me more than $2 and/or took more than 5 minutes of my time. :-D I figured out quickly that it wasn't worth trying to buy everyone else stuff when I travel, so I don't anymore. Luckily (or not) I don't have to deal with children on most trips, so it is just stuff that I decide to buy that I have to worry about. And I've found that if I start the trip with "I only have this much, and I only want to get this, this, or that" I hold my own pretty good against impulse. Not perfectly, but pretty good.

 

[LadyFaire88]

Only posted once last year but I'm too excited not to post now. I paid off 3 bills yesterday which frees up $175/month. I will be paying off another on Monday that will free up another $25/month. So excited to snowball that $200/month into other bills. 4 more bills after then one getting paid off Monday and then it's time to tackle the car loan.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I'm so tired of there always being "something", you know? Warning, here comes a vent!

We got a foot of snow yesterday and today the van won't start. Not sure if it's the weather or related to the issues we've had that they can't seem to pinpoint. Battery was tested a few weeks ago and was fine. DH and kids are home today and I am working from home but he wants to just leave it for the weekend and deal with it after since we might get more snow tomorrow. Of course, I need it Monday to take the kids to school and activities even though I'll be home, I'll be working (we don't get the holiday) and won't have time to deal with it then. And we'll need it the rest of the week. Maybe we'll end up having it towed tomorrow/later today and deal with it after all. I just don't have time to think about it now.

Paid bills today and our savings account is doing pretty well…..until we deal with car stuff, lol. Still need to do our taxes too, can I have a few more days to catch up on everything? Suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

Happy V-day and weekend, everyone

I feel your pain. DS17 was driving Wednesday and over shot the driveway pulling in and hit the snow bank. Smashed up a plastic piece on the underside of the bumper. Being an Audi I know it's going to be an expensive fix. I'm hoping to take it in next week and see if I can replace the piece myself and just order the part. I told DS17 he had to pay for part of it. I won't make him pay all of it because he is a new driver and he's used to using the AAA car (ford focus) for driving, my car is a lot bigger and the driveway is narrower due to the snow. Still, not an expense I planned on paying. And I'm not calling insurance on it, it's not worth the hassle.

 

[Colleen27]

I'm so tired of there always being "something", you know? Warning, here comes a vent!

We got a foot of snow yesterday and today the van won't start. Not sure if it's the weather or related to the issues we've had that they can't seem to pinpoint. Battery was tested a few weeks ago and was fine. DH and kids are home today and I am working from home but he wants to just leave it for the weekend and deal with it after since we might get more snow tomorrow. Of course, I need it Monday to take the kids to school and activities even though I'll be home, I'll be working (we don't get the holiday) and won't have time to deal with it then. And we'll need it the rest of the week. Maybe we'll end up having it towed tomorrow/later today and deal with it after all. I just don't have time to think about it now.

Do you have a battery charger? This weather can be hard even on a good battery; mine died during the last brutal cold snap even though it tested fine just a month or so earlier. We were able to revive it with the charger and it is once again testing just fine now. It just couldn't handle a couple days of being parked outdoors and not driving in this weather. I was SO relieved. We'd just put $1100 into DH's truck and I was having nightmares of needing to put that kind of money into mine as well.

I hope it turns out to be something relatively cheap and easy for you too.

Only posted once last year but I'm too excited not to post now. I paid off 3 bills yesterday which frees up $175/month. I will be paying off another on Monday that will free up another $25/month. So excited to snowball that $200/month into other bills. 4 more bills after then one getting paid off Monday and then it's time to tackle the car loan.

Great job!

 

[NemoMOm]

OK, I have been stalking so I feel like posting today. We just paid off small $490 credit card. Then paid off another $2,000 on another. So, we have 400 left on credit cards. Next comes the never ending medical bills. Autoimmune diseases totally suck our money away. But we are making some progress!