Debt Dumpers - 2015

[Angeejoe]

Glad to know I have a fellow shopper out there!!

Also getting this shopping done early helps with my "shopping fix," as I love finding deals. I'm trying to not buy stuff for me that way. Lol.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Waiting is the worst, isn't it? I'm SO impatient to really get going now that the first real paycheck is so close! DH hired in as the company was changing over from an outside maintenance company to handling it in house, so in his first week he was basically a temp with the old company and then from the second onward he was direct-hire with the company. So he's been working there since June 8 and has only been paid for the first week. Needless to say, things have been tight waiting for the first full check! We're not adding to the mess but the waiting is rough when we're so excited to start seeing progress.

I'm trying to channel my energy into decluttering. It is a never ending battle, it seems. I'm debating the merits of a garage sale this year but in the meantime I'm just listing things on a local Facebook swap group. I hate having garage sales so stuff that doesn't sell might just end up donated to my daughter's volleyball team fundraiser during the "garage sale trail" event in our area. I'd be giving up some cash in my pocket, but I wouldn't have the hassle of storage, pricing, set-up, and clean-up, and I wouldn't be the one sitting out in the sun waiting for customers. And DD gets credit towards her team fees (pay for play and equipment) for our donations and her hours worked, so there would still be some financial benefit.

So, as a distraction - Do any of you read any interesting debt-dumping forums, blogs, or websites to help stay motivated? Dave Ramsey is the only one I'm familiar with and I find him rather obnoxious, mostly because he's so insulting/condescending towards those with worldviews that differ from his own. There have to be more interesting financial types out there, right? Do you have any great recommendations to share?

I signed up for the daily newsletter from here
https://www.readyforzero.com/ I don't use their tools because I didn't find them until I was very close to paying my cc's off but I like having something to read to keep my focus on debt reduction.

I do like the tools at http://debtmd.com/calculator/
I found it amazing that if I stayed on the same plan we're on now, our mortgage and everything would be paid off in less than 6 yrs. This shows us how month by month. While that sounds awesome, I really need to get some savings in the bank and have more than our little $1000 emergency fund. Sometimes I feel like I've been walking on the edge of a canyon and if I lost my balance I'd fall over the edge. The older I get the more I feel like I need more financial security.
Keep in mind it doesn't know if you already made this month's payment on any bills so this is most accurate on the first of the month.

 

[PrincessKymm]

Sounds like you have a good son!! That is great that he has been able to pay for schooling so far without taking loans.
I have started my Christmas shopping to get a jump start. I have my list made and as things have been on sale I've been picking them up. I was actually able to even get a 5 pc comforter set for myself for $38 shipped from Macy's and bought some tops from target online for about $8.50 a piece! Then I was browsing on jcpenney and ordered my parents a quilt for their bed for $39. I'll hold off on the gift cards for now and will get them once we near Christmas but would like to have the actual presents bought. My closet will soon look like a shipping department!
So am I the only crazy one who has started shopping??

I would love to start my shopping but I don't dare yet. DS will be 13 in November and I'm sure what he wants and his sizes between now and then will change. The only item i am seriously considering is an ornament from Hallmark. They have Darth Vader in a Christmas sweater and I know DS would get a kick out of that. His feet have gone from a 9 1/2 in men's in August of last year to an 11 currently! They are slightly too big but he says it doesn't bother him. They were gifted to us and practically brand new so he's wearing them until he can't. I'm sure he will grow into them in a week or two. He's grown in height as well. Last summer he was 4' 10" and now he's 5' 2". I'm afraid to buy him new school clothes! It's about time to clean out his closet again but I'm afraid to see what he's outgrown the couple of months. We gave away 4 garbage bags of clothes in May. Most of those were gifted to us (thank heavens!) but still, that's a lot of clothes! I'm looking forward to October when I will buy my Christmas Cards and get DS's Portraits done.

 

[Gena001]

Glad to know I have a fellow shopper out there!!

Count me in, too! I think I purchased my first gift in February. I saw TONS of bargains that would have made great gifts for this Xmas, but I just didn't have the spare money yet. Bummer.

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[Angeejoe]

Count me in, too! I think I purchased my first gift in February. I saw TONS of bargains that would have made great gifts for this Xmas, but I just didn't have the spare money yet. Bummer.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I like how you think!!

 

[UDFlyer12]

Joining in a little more than halfway through the year but it is much needed! Finally paying "big girl bills" as I like to call them and it is a struggle to say the least. Finally moved out of my parents house so between rent, student loans, and the slight credit card debt I have acquired, I will need as much advice on saving money and getting rid of some debt as possible since I am so new to it. I am trying the free trial at YNAB to see how I like it before deciding how to proceed. In college I got into a bit of trouble with store credit cards so my plan is to pay off all store credit cards by the end of the year. That totals about $1000. It may be a stretch but it is definitely more attainable than the $140,000 I owe in student loans that makes me feel like this = I look forward to the advice and moral support!

 

[PrincessKymm]

Joining in a little more than halfway through the year but it is much needed! Finally paying "big girl bills" as I like to call them and it is a struggle to say the least. Finally moved out of my parents house so between rent, student loans, and the slight credit card debt I have acquired, I will need as much advice on saving money and getting rid of some debt as possible since I am so new to it. I am trying the free trial at YNAB to see how I like it before deciding how to proceed. In college I got into a bit of trouble with store credit cards so my plan is to pay off all store credit cards by the end of the year. That totals about $1000. It may be a stretch but it is definitely more attainable than the $140,000 I owe in student loans that makes me feel like this = I look forward to the advice and moral support!

You will get there. I find this thread incredibly helpful. Don't spend what you don't have. Live within your means. Your loans will be there so concentrate on the smaller debt and don't accumulate anymore. Easier said than done.

Track your spending and follow your budget! Again, easier said than done. To get there, you need to prioritize your goals and budget.

For instance, if you need a new pair of shoes, figure out what you are willing to spend, shop for the best deal, and stick to your budget! If you get the shoes for less, what will you do with the difference? If you can't find something, are you willing to spend more? Where will that money come from? Can you wait until you can save more money?

I ask myself these questions each time I need to purchase something. It helps but sometimes I tell that voice to go away and that I'll deal with it later. DONT DO THAT!

 

[Colleen27]

Count me in, too! I think I purchased my first gift in February. I saw TONS of bargains that would have made great gifts for this Xmas, but I just didn't have the spare money yet. Bummer.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I wish I had that shopping gene. I despise shopping and invariably end up spending more than I intend either because I've left things to the last minute or am trying to do everything online to avoid actual, in-person shopping. My usual goal is to start Christmas shopping on Black Friday and finish on Cyber Monday.

 

[Dentam]

Had one of those days today and ended up buying a $1 lottery ticket at the market on a whim. I never buy these but sometimes it's nice to dream about all of life's financial stresses being wiped away with the right combo of winning numbers.

 

[Colleen27]

Had a good/bad day... I got a few more things listed on the FB garage sale group. Hopefully some will sell soon and bring in a few bucks while getting rid of a little clutter. And I resisted the temptation to take my daughter to McDs to play even though the weather was crappy and I had/have homework to do. We went to the library instead and I got the peace and quiet I needed while she played for free.

Then came trouble in the form of a really good deal that landed in my inbox - half off tickets to the Michigan Renaissance Festival, which DD13 had been asking to go to (and take a friend) instead of a party for her birthday this year. So of course I ordered them. It was a great deal - $65 for 7 tickets, instead of $135 at face value (there are lesser discounts available, though; we'd most likely have spent right around $100 if I hadn't seen the half off deal). I got a pretty good deal on a room for the night, too - $218 for connecting rooms at a hotel with an indoor pool and hot breakfast. It isn't going to be a cheap weekend but I've certainly spent more on birthday parties in the past, and it has been three years since we made it out to the festival because money and schedules have been so unpredictable. So there's my first counterproductive indulgence of my personal journey, and I can't say with any confidence that it'll be the last - I have a very hard time saying no to experiences and going places with the kids, and as a consequence summer always ends up being more expensive than I intend.

 

[gracie1]

Had a good/bad day... I got a few more things listed on the FB garage sale group. Hopefully some will sell soon and bring in a few bucks while getting rid of a little clutter. And I resisted the temptation to take my daughter to McDs to play even though the weather was crappy and I had/have homework to do. We went to the library instead and I got the peace and quiet I needed while she played for free.

Then came trouble in the form of a really good deal that landed in my inbox - half off tickets to the Michigan Renaissance Festival, which DD13 had been asking to go to (and take a friend) instead of a party for her birthday this year. So of course I ordered them. It was a great deal - $65 for 7 tickets, instead of $135 at face value (there are lesser discounts available, though; we'd most likely have spent right around $100 if I hadn't seen the half off deal). I got a pretty good deal on a room for the night, too - $218 for connecting rooms at a hotel with an indoor pool and hot breakfast. It isn't going to be a cheap weekend but I've certainly spent more on birthday parties in the past, and it has been three years since we made it out to the festival because money and schedules have been so unpredictable. So there's my first counterproductive indulgence of my personal journey, and I can't say with any confidence that it'll be the last - I have a very hard time saying no to experiences and going places with the kids, and as a consequence summer always ends up being more expensive than I intend.

That sounds like too good of a deal to pass up!! Have you told her that you got the tickets? I would rather go somewhere as well instead of a party!

 

[Gena001]

Had a good/bad day... I got a few more things listed on the FB garage sale group. Hopefully some will sell soon and bring in a few bucks while getting rid of a little clutter. And I resisted the temptation to take my daughter to McDs to play even though the weather was crappy and I had/have homework to do. We went to the library instead and I got the peace and quiet I needed while she played for free.

Then came trouble in the form of a really good deal that landed in my inbox - half off tickets to the Michigan Renaissance Festival, which DD13 had been asking to go to (and take a friend) instead of a party for her birthday this year. So of course I ordered them. It was a great deal - $65 for 7 tickets, instead of $135 at face value (there are lesser discounts available, though; we'd most likely have spent right around $100 if I hadn't seen the half off deal). I got a pretty good deal on a room for the night, too - $218 for connecting rooms at a hotel with an indoor pool and hot breakfast. It isn't going to be a cheap weekend but I've certainly spent more on birthday parties in the past, and it has been three years since we made it out to the festival because money and schedules have been so unpredictable. So there's my first counterproductive indulgence of my personal journey, and I can't say with any confidence that it'll be the last - I have a very hard time saying no to experiences and going places with the kids, and as a consequence summer always ends up being more expensive than I intend.

We love going to the Kansas City Ren Faire in the fall. It's a little road trip for us and makes a nice family weekend.

 

[dayvewc]

Had one of those days today and ended up buying a $1 lottery ticket at the market on a whim. I never buy these but sometimes it's nice to dream about all of life's financial stresses being wiped away with the right combo of winning numbers.

LOL. I buy a lottery ticket every now and then. I have that same dream of winning and having all my financial stress go away. Of course, I'm a tad OCD, so after I buy the ticket I build an Excel spreadsheet on exactly how I'd receive the payout (lump sum vs. annual payments), how much I'd devote to "retirement" (cause even with annual payments, they'll end eventually), how much I'd need to expect to pay in taxes, how to divide the money so it lasts all year long, the order I'd pay off all my bills so I'd have spending money each month, etc., etc., etc. I have a lot of fun playing with the "dream", works well as stress relief.

 

[Angeejoe]

Joining in a little more than halfway through the year but it is much needed! Finally paying "big girl bills" as I like to call them and it is a struggle to say the least. Finally moved out of my parents house so between rent, student loans, and the slight credit card debt I have acquired, I will need as much advice on saving money and getting rid of some debt as possible since I am so new to it. I am trying the free trial at YNAB to see how I like it before deciding how to proceed. In college I got into a bit of trouble with store credit cards so my plan is to pay off all store credit cards by the end of the year. That totals about $1000. It may be a stretch but it is definitely more attainable than the $140,000 I owe in student loans that makes me feel like this = I look forward to the advice and moral support!

 

[Colleen27]

That sounds like too good of a deal to pass up!! Have you told her that you got the tickets? I would rather go somewhere as well instead of a party!

I did. We drive the friend she wants to bring home from volleyball conditioning on Tuesdays so I've already spoken to the friend's mom so DD could officially extend the invite. It should be a nice weekend. DD loves when we can do trips/concerts/events instead of a more typical party. Only my 6yo still has big "friend" birthday parties (8 little girls sleeping over for the town fireworks, which just happen to fall on DD6's birthday this year ). The older two would rather take one or two close friends to do something special than have a whole bunch over to the house for a party.

 

[PrincessKymm]

I received my bonus this morning. I have eliminated 2 whole credit cards! I will also pay my quarterly city taxes this week. I had half the money saved so I transferred it to my checking and will write the check once I get my new checks in the mail.

I have to figure out how much will hit my savings. Ohio is doing their first tax free holiday the weekend of August 7th so I want to get DS's school supplies and some new clothes.

I have a situation to deal with as well. My mother is disabled and relies on everyone to take care of her. Everyone but me and my grandpa have quit helping her because she won't help herself. I'm to that quitting point though. I go to a therapist a few times a month and she is the main topic of conversation lately. I know I need to make boundaries and all but not sure how to. She still has cable so I told her to get rid of it but of course every excuse in the book why she can't. I'm just sitting in the corner crying and rocking and wanting to scream "you don't work! Why do you have cable if you don't work?!?! I work hard and barely afford cable!!!!" I can't talk to my parents like that as the guilt would eat at me and I can't calmly rationalize with my mother as she thinks whenever someone says no it's because they don't love her so I agreed to buy her a TiVo and pay for Hulu and Netflix and an MLB subscription and an antenna so she can get regular tv too because she just has to have her shows. I already pay for Netflix but the rest will add up. I'm just so exasperated. I so badly want a trip to just escape from this mess. Why does my hard earned money just seem to leak out? I'm tracking how much I'm spending so hopefully I will see how much I actually spend on my mom. I've been avoiding her so its only $35 this month. I just don't want to pay for her luxuries. If she needs something I don't mind as much. I guess I need to find my big girl pants and pull them on!

 

[Angeejoe]

I received my bonus this morning. I have eliminated 2 whole credit cards! I will also pay my quarterly city taxes this week. I had half the money saved so I transferred it to my checking and will write the check once I get my new checks in the mail.

I have to figure out how much will hit my savings. Ohio is doing their first tax free holiday the weekend of August 7th so I want to get DS's school supplies and some new clothes.

I have a situation to deal with as well. My mother is disabled and relies on everyone to take care of her. Everyone but me and my grandpa have quit helping her because she won't help herself. I'm to that quitting point though. I go to a therapist a few times a month and she is the main topic of conversation lately. I know I need to make boundaries and all but not sure how to. She still has cable so I told her to get rid of it but of course every excuse in the book why she can't. I'm just sitting in the corner crying and rocking and wanting to scream "you don't work! Why do you have cable if you don't work?!?! I work hard and barely afford cable!!!!" I can't talk to my parents like that as the guilt would eat at me and I can't calmly rationalize with my mother as she thinks whenever someone says no it's because they don't love her so I agreed to buy her a TiVo and pay for Hulu and Netflix and an MLB subscription and an antenna so she can get regular tv too because she just has to have her shows. I already pay for Netflix but the rest will add up. I'm just so exasperated. I so badly want a trip to just escape from this mess. Why does my hard earned money just seem to leak out? I'm tracking how much I'm spending so hopefully I will see how much I actually spend on my mom. I've been avoiding her so its only $35 this month. I just don't want to pay for her luxuries. If she needs something I don't mind as much. I guess I need to find my big girl pants and pull them on!

Awesome job paying off 2 credit cards!!!

I live in ohio & have never heard of this tax free holiday. What is it? Do you have a link to it?

Sorry to hear the pressures your mom is putting you under, what a difficult position you must be in. Hugs to you

 

[PrincessKymm]

Awesome job paying off 2 credit cards!!!

I live in ohio & have never heard of this tax free holiday. What is it? Do you have a link to it?

Sorry to hear the pressures your mom is putting you under, what a difficult position you must be in. Hugs to you

I can't link but if you go to the state of Ohio tax website the info is there. Just google "tax free weekend Ohio 2015" and the info will pop up.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Joining in a little more than halfway through the year but it is much needed! Finally paying "big girl bills" as I like to call them and it is a struggle to say the least. Finally moved out of my parents house so between rent, student loans, and the slight credit card debt I have acquired, I will need as much advice on saving money and getting rid of some debt as possible since I am so new to it. I am trying the free trial at YNAB to see how I like it before deciding how to proceed. In college I got into a bit of trouble with store credit cards so my plan is to pay off all store credit cards by the end of the year. That totals about $1000. It may be a stretch but it is definitely more attainable than the $140,000 I owe in student loans that makes me feel like this = I look forward to the advice and moral support!

Welcome!
I agree with the pp to start out with the small bills and don't add to them. Is there anyway you can stand to live with your parents for a few more years to power-pay-down some student loans? Life only gets more complicated as you get older (marriage, homeownership, & children, etc.) so pay down as much as you can while your young and single!

 

[Angeejoe]

I can't link but if you go to the state of Ohio tax website the info is there. Just google "tax free weekend Ohio 2015" and the info will pop up.

Thank you, I found it! It seems to really to be for back to school shopping, very limited to 3 groups:

• Clothing priced at $75 per item or less;
• School supplies priced at $20 per item or less; and
• School instructional material priced at $20 per item or less.
  
  This will be a great deal for your back to school shopping, but not so much for me. I'm needing to buy a new grille after the tree smashed mine, it's a large purchase so tax free would've been awesome...lol!
  
  I wonder how stores know not to tax?