Debt Dumpers - 2015

[stayhomemom77]

Angeejoe, I'd be happy to tell you everything about my food storage obsession!! I can even post pictures of each week's haul!

All the public sector unions here are getting raises of like 2%-5% over 5 or 6 years so 15% is amazing! Albeit, my hubby works in a private sector union, not public but still fairly confident 15% is most generous. We were holding our breaths before it passed, not just because it was a decent contract but on the off chance some people voted no and the contract didn't go through. Luckily that didn't happen.

Hooray!! So happy to hear it was accepted. 15% is amazing!! That should definitely help out your finances.

DH gets between 3 and 5 percent annually (generally) but he took a pay cut ($9000--ouch!) when we left Windsor, ON for Kamloops, BC. He then had to take ANOTHER pay cut when we came back to Ontario 2 years ago (bringing us up to $12000 below what he was making 4 years ago in Windsor) but the annual raises here have been decent, so he's recovered half of that deficit so far. I am sooooo grateful he's been able to stay employed and that we've been able to get out of debt and learn to live on less during all of this.

 

[Eureka]

Um....I'm confused lol Did you mean to post this in a different thread?

Nope, that was for Angeejoe....it just didn't quote right. But I meant to do it here. Sorry, we were having a little bit of an off topic convo.

 

[Angeejoe]

Angeejoe, I'd be happy to tell you everything about my food storage obsession!! I can even post pictures of each week's haul!.

Yes, I'd love that. I bet it would be a cool thread on the budget board, you could post your haul!! If you make a new thread, post the link here. I'm ready to be inspired ! I try to do a bit of stocking up on staples on sale.

 

[Angeejoe]

Nope, that was for Angeejoe....it just didn't quote right. But I meant to do it here. Sorry, we were having a little bit of an off topic convo.

It's not too off topic, we're staying in & watching movies instead of spending....

 

[mrsabbott]

So, thank you everyone for the encouragement and letting me vent! I know that this is just temporary.. but goodness I just want to be able to pay off some of this debt! I just keep telling myself.. come February (tax time) I am paying off a large chunk and freeing up a lot of money each month.. it's just hanging on until we get there.. *sigh*

Someone mentioned Christmas.. Not quite sure what we are going to do this year. Kids all still ask Santa for a gift. I think that, this year, I am going to get them each new pajamas and then a joint gift in a zoo membership. Everyone else is going to get baked goods.

 

[stayhomemom77]

http://www.disboards.com/threads/ten-bucks-a-week.3458374/

Here ya go Angeejoe! I have only done the introduction thus far but I'll get right to work on the posts with photos of the weeks I have done in this challenge so far!!

 

[bcwife76]

Nope, that was for Angeejoe....it just didn't quote right. But I meant to do it here. Sorry, we were having a little bit of an off topic convo.

Haha, and then I went and chimed in about what we're watching on Netflix, too! Sorry!

 

[Angeejoe]

http://www.disboards.com/threads/ten-bucks-a-week.3458374/

Here ya go Angeejoe! I have only done the introduction thus far but I'll get right to work on the posts with photos of the weeks I have done in this challenge so far!!

Woohoo!!!

 

[Angeejoe]

http://www.disboards.com/threads/ten-bucks-a-week.3458374/

Here ya go Angeejoe! I have only done the introduction thus far but I'll get right to work on the posts with photos of the weeks I have done in this challenge so far!!

Just read over this new thread, it's great! You guys should check it out....

 

[Mickfarland4]

I hope you get caught up soon. It's so hard when it feels like everyone wants a piece of you. Maybe if you can pay each cc every other month so not any one account in particular gets very far behind.
Dh has been laid off work several times before we were married and after. Once was just 2 weeks after we bought our house and ds18 was only 10 days old. So we lived on unemployment and disability for a few months. We postponed all that we could and eventually got back on our feet again. Then it happened again 2.5 years later. Dh was laid off for the last 6 months of my pregnancy with ds15. Somehow things work out and return to normal.
We weren't trying to pay down debt back then and who knows if I even knew of the total back then. It's no joke when they say ignorance is bliss.

Hang in there!

Well, we aren't dumping much debt. Hubs' checks continue to be VERY small. For the amount of hours he works, this is disheartening. I have paid the essential bills for the month (mortgage, insurance, loans) as well as a few of the credit cards. We downsized our grocery budget again and have been "making do", although we were blessed with some free food from family. We aren't going hungry. I have bill collectors calling me because we are late. Nothing to be done, I'm afraid. We have to pay for our plates and stuff for our vehicles this month. Sigh.. I get my first full time paycheck next week. Hope that it is enough to get caught up on a few things.

Please don't pay your cc every other month. They will hit you with fees and make it nearly impossible to get back on your feet. I've been there. Your minimum will skyrocket from those fees. If anything, I can tell you that I was able to pick and choose whether to pay the electric, cable, or gas monthly for quite a while with nothing getting shut off. I am not proud of this, but, we were struggling really, really hard back in the day. Things are better now, but, I am still not good with money. Working on getting rid of our debt in the next year, minus our mortgage and probably some medical bills, but, I want to pay off those darn cc!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Please don't pay your cc every other month. They will hit you with fees and make it nearly impossible to get back on your feet. I've been there. Your minimum will skyrocket from those fees. If anything, I can tell you that I was able to pick and choose whether to pay the electric, cable, or gas monthly for quite a while with nothing getting shut off. I am not proud of this, but, we were struggling really, really hard back in the day. Things are better now, but, I am still not good with money. Working on getting rid of our debt in the next year, minus our mortgage and probably some medical bills, but, I want to pay off those darn cc!

Sorry, you're right. I really shouldn't be giving advice when I don't know from experience. We've been broke where we can't do anything except pay our bills but we've never been at a point where we had to skip one bill to pay another.
Maybe call the cc company, explain your situation and work out something that is doable for you.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

So, thank you everyone for the encouragement and letting me vent! I know that this is just temporary.. but goodness I just want to be able to pay off some of this debt! I just keep telling myself.. come February (tax time) I am paying off a large chunk and freeing up a lot of money each month.. it's just hanging on until we get there.. *sigh*

Someone mentioned Christmas.. Not quite sure what we are going to do this year. Kids all still ask Santa for a gift. I think that, this year, I am going to get them each new pajamas and then a joint gift in a zoo membership. Everyone else is going to get baked goods.

My sister started doing this the year she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Even with working in a big teaching hospital with great health insurance, all the copays for visits for 2nd & 3rd opinions and chemo, breast surgeon, plastic surgeon for reconstruction, etc. The total was well over $10K.
Well guess what? She makes the most incredible cookies! She also has always been artistically talented she decorated them so well! She got the whole kit from a pro bakery type company so the reindeer cookies have antlers & red nose. Santa has blue eyes. Really so amazing I feel guilty to snap Rudolph's head off and eat it. Just for a second.

Anyway, don't feel guilty. Homemade gifts are way more special than many store bought things like gift cards.

 

[dayvewc]

Talking of baked goods, I make "Christmas mice" every year. They are super easy, and you can decorate as much or as little as you want.

Get maraschino cherries with the stem, hershey kisses, almond slices, and baking chocolate.
Melt the chocolate, and dip the cherry in it
Attach the kiss to the bottom of the cherry
Put 2 almond slices between the kiss and cherry and let sit til chocolate dries

Then, if you want to get creative, get icing and add eyes and nose, or use the icing to attach redhots for the nose.

Plus, some years I can find melting chocolate in different colors, and/or will use hugs instead of just plain kisses. It makes for some really interesting mice. Zebra heads with green bodies.

I do these every year for all those last minute people that I wouldn't normally get a gift for. I just keep a couple of ziplock storage containers full so I can "grab and go" when I realize I don't have something for them.

 

[Dentam]

Those are so cute, @dayvewc ! Very creative.

 

[AlohaNow]

I'd love to have an airline confirmation in my stocking for Christmas!!! So if you want to add an Angela stocking on your fireplace, I'd gladly appreciate it.........

I’m sending you a virtual airline confirmation now so you can put it in your stocking on Christmas morning. OK….attaching file……clicking send…….transmission failed…..ok, attaching again…..annnnnnnd clicking send again. Ok, it went through! Did you get it? (I’ll send one to whoever else on the board wants one too! I’m generous like that!)

 

[dayvewc]

Those are so cute, @dayvewc ! Very creative.

I actually stole the idea from my sister. I don't know if she came up with them or got it somewhere else, but I have gotten more enterprising with them than she did. ;-)

I also have a recipe for a drop cookie that's basically chocolate covered peanuts made in a crockpot. I call them "Reindeer poop" lol and they are my other Christmas staple to make. I don't remember it off hand like I do the mice, but it is also super easy to make. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll dig up the recipe and share it.

 

[Dentam]

I also have a recipe for a drop cookie that's basically chocolate covered peanuts made in a crockpot. I call them "Reindeer poop" lol and they are my other Christmas staple to make. I don't remember it off hand like I do the mice, but it is also super easy to make. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll dig up the recipe and share it.

Oh, I'd love the recipe for those! They sound good and anything that can be made in a crockpot is a win in my book!

 

[dayvewc]

Oh, I'd love the recipe for those! They sound good and anything that can be made in a crockpot is a win in my book!

Since you asked for it ... ;-)

1 jar (16 oz) dry roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 jar (16 oz) dry roasted, salted peanuts
1 package (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 oz sweetened german chocolate broken into pieces
3 lb (two 24 oz pkgs) almond bark. my recipe says white almond bark, but I have used dark as well and it turned out fine.

Directions:
Put ingredients into a 4 or 5-quart crockpot in EXACT order as listed. Cover and cook on LOWEST setting [on your appliance] for 3 hours. DO NOT remove lid! Turn off and allow to cool slightly. Mixture will not be melted but will be soft. Mix thoroughly (I find it best to use a wooden spoon) and drop by teaspoon size cookie dropper or a teaspoon onto wax paper. Let cool thoroughly. Makes approximately 150 - 170 pieces, depending, of course, on how large you make the pieces.

The only thing I would warn of, is sometimes my crockpot will get too hot and burn the chocolate. Hasn't happened often, but it has happened. And, it always happened in my 3-qt crockpot, so that might be why.

 

[Dentam]

Since you asked for it ... ;-)

1 jar (16 oz) dry roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 jar (16 oz) dry roasted, salted peanuts
1 package (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 oz sweetened german chocolate broken into pieces
3 lb (two 24 oz pkgs) almond bark. my recipe says white almond bark, but I have used dark as well and it turned out fine.

Directions:
Put ingredients into a 4 or 5-quart crockpot in EXACT order as listed. Cover and cook on LOWEST setting [on your appliance] for 3 hours. DO NOT remove lid! Turn off and allow to cool slightly. Mixture will not be melted but will be soft. Mix thoroughly (I find it best to use a wooden spoon) and drop by teaspoon size cookie dropper or a teaspoon onto wax paper. Let cool thoroughly. Makes approximately 150 - 170 pieces, depending, of course, on how large you make the pieces.

The only thing I would warn of, is sometimes my crockpot will get too hot and burn the chocolate. Hasn't happened often, but it has happened. And, it always happened in my 3-qt crockpot, so that might be why.

Thank you!! I am going to make these and bring them to our work holiday party in December! I have a large crockpot so fingers crossed that I don't burn them!

 

[Angeejoe]

I’m sending you a virtual airline confirmation now so you can put it in your stocking on Christmas morning. OK….attaching file……clicking send…….transmission failed…..ok, attaching again…..annnnnnnd clicking send again. Ok, it went through! Did you get it? (I’ll send one to whoever else on the board wants one too! I’m generous like that!)

Ummmmmm, it has still not arrived.... Maybe you need to call IT to check on your computer error.. I will wait