Debt Dumpers - 2016

[Ngwira]

Sitting at car dealership now..warning light came on in my new car..thankfully, I bought it certified used so everything is covered! They are working on it now. Car came with a complimentary 3 service maintenance plan and 1 year warranty.I'm pretty sure the 1,000 mile drive from Florida had something to do with it..smh..

 

[Ngwira]

In general budget news, I've been able to put back 2k of the 3.5k that I took out of savings to pay for the car.
The window loan has $5,900 left on it. I did the math and need to pay about $300 a month to pay it off by August 2018 to incur no interest. Will make a payment on September 10th and the 10th of every month, thereafter. Thankfully, this amount won't be too much of a hardship on the monthly budget.

 

[PrincessKymm]

I started using every dollar for my budget and I'm having some success. It's still new but I'm making it a habit to log any spending from the previous day each morning.

With any luck and extreme hard work I can have my next credit card paid off in a month. I'm still looking for new places to live but think I'm going to tough out another year at my current apartment.

DS turns 14 in November so I'm also saving for his birthday and of course for Christmas. Thinking if I don't move I can have a bunch of stuff paid off and time to actually enjoy the holiday season since I won't be working every weekend Oct-Dec. that leaves me in a good spot for 2017!

 

[DisneyMandC]

I started using every dollar for my budget and I'm having some success. It's still new but I'm making it a habit to log any spending from the previous day each morning.

With any luck and extreme hard work I can have my next credit card paid off in a month. I'm still looking for new places to live but think I'm going to tough out another year at my current apartment.

DS turns 14 in November so I'm also saving for his birthday and of course for Christmas. Thinking if I don't move I can have a bunch of stuff paid off and time to actually enjoy the holiday season since I won't be working every weekend Oct-Dec. that leaves me in a good spot for 2017!

How is your son's health? Has everything calmed down for you a little bit?

 

[Ngwira]

Eureka, how is the new job coming along? Jen and Ashwin, does hubby like his new job?

 

[Eureka]

Eureka, how is the new job coming along? Jen and Ashwin, does hubby like his new job?

I start on Monday. This week I have gone to the doctor, dentist, had the pest guy in, done tons of laundry, cleaned out the garage, and splurged on a pedicure DH has changed his schedule so he can finish up his day at home to get the boys from/to their activities because my schedule won't be flexible for awhile. We've also talked about how to put money back into our nest egg once we start getting paychecks again. (We took some out to pay off credit cards right after I was laid off) So, now I just need to start and hope the drive doesn't kill me. Lol.

 

[PrincessKymm]

How is your son's health? Has everything calmed down for you a little bit?

We are in a holding pattern. He will need surgery when the loop recorder dies so he can get a new one but until he passes out again we don't know anything different.

He started at the high school which doesn't have AC and he's segregated in the upstairs for 80% of his day. It's been so hot I've been worried he will pass out so I bought him a fan that can plug into his MacBook. kinda hoping he does but def would not like that! I want answers but not at the expense of his health.

Thanks for asking! I've been stalking the boards daily to keep my motivation up.

 

[DisneyMandC]

We are in a holding pattern. He will need surgery when the loop recorder dies so he can get a new one but until he passes out again we don't know anything different.

He started at the high school which doesn't have AC and he's segregated in the upstairs for 80% of his day. It's been so hot I've been worried he will pass out so I bought him a fan that can plug into his MacBook. kinda hoping he does but def would not like that! I want answers but not at the expense of his health.

Thanks for asking! I've been stalking the boards daily to keep my motivation up.

How frustrating. I understand what you mean about wanting answers but not at the expense of his health. Praying that you can safely get some answers for him!

 

[DisneyMandC]

So irritated right now.

I submitted my PSLF paperwork to my student loan provider over a month ago. My payments eligible for PSLF hadn't updated since then, so I called today to find out what the deal was. He informed me there was no begin date for my employment at my new job on the paperwork. I pulled out my copy of the application and read the date off of it to him. He then said "oh, well the date doesn't match what we have in the system." Apparently they were trying to match my beginning work date to when I previously worked for the same organization back in 2014. The guy could not understand that I had worked here for a year and submitted all my paperwork for that time period, taken another job elsewhere and submitted all my paperwork for that, and then came back to the same organization and started a different job. I had to explain it three times before he finally understood. So apparently he's putting a note on my file and it will be reviewed again and they'll let me know within 10 business days. I'm going to be HOT if they don't get it straight! Don't play with my PSLF!!

 

[dayvewc]

I haven't been here much lately. So, thought I'd update while I could.

Dad had his first round of chemo. He did well with it, was a bit nauseated after the 2nd day, but never really got sick. His blood count was really good when they did the check-up after, so things are looking decent. He starts his 2nd round of chemo on Monday, so we will see how that goes next week.

Been holding steady on the debt dumping. Making small gains, but not as much as I'd like. Had to spend money I didn't have budgeted for mower repairs and washer/dryer issues. Here's hoping that all lasts for multiple years (instead of weeks like the last problems).

I've had a respiratory infection since the first of August, which has kept me really kind of down and exhausted. Been to the doctor 4 times and they don't know what the problem it. It looks like strep (feels like it too, for that matter), but isn't responding to antibiotics and is causing me difficulty in eating and breathing. Good news - I'm losing weight, just wish it wasn't this way.

That's about it.

 

[Dentam]

Good luck! It's tough these days. I used to sell there a lot, especially my kids' outgrown clothing (10-12 yrs ago) but then I got busier with work, life, etc. and stopped. Now I sell maybe 2-4 things a year that I know should sell, like professional sports team jerseys and swim jammers (competition swim suits) when the kids are done with them. Even then sometimes they don't sell or don't sell well.

Are you talking about clothing or household items? First I would say do your homework...look up your item on eBay to see how it usually sells, what keywords sellers are using in the titles, what they are pricing them at. If your items have design or line names, make sure you know those - Google helps for that; there are tons of sites for just this purpose. I always liked to price a little lower to get some watchers; you can always put a buy-it-now option for a price you'd really love to get (this way, the buyer can choose to just buy it immediately rather than let the auction play out).

Be very detailed in your descriptions and make sure to list (and take pics of) anything/everything you would even remotely perceive as a flaw. Some buyers are very picky and if they think you are trying to cheat them, they will demand a refund. (This has only happened twice for me ever, but it's a pain). I like to set a flat shipping price because I don't have a postal scale and learned the hard way by charging too little in the early days and then it would eat info my profits. Take plenty of pictures in good light and at all angles.

Hope that helps. It's all I can think of right now.

Thanks for the tips! I have a point and shoot camera that has barely been used, still have the box and everything it came with. That will be my test subject and if I have good luck with it I'll add some other items.

@dayvewc - I'm glad your dad did well with chemo! As for your illness, it sounds a lot like what I got last fall at the end of our WDW vacation. It lasted for six weeks, felt like strep or tonsillitis, and did not respond to antibiotics. I hope yours hits the road soon!

 

[PrincessKymm]

I haven't been here much lately. So, thought I'd update while I could.

Dad had his first round of chemo. He did well with it, was a bit nauseated after the 2nd day, but never really got sick. His blood count was really good when they did the check-up after, so things are looking decent. He starts his 2nd round of chemo on Monday, so we will see how that goes next week.

Been holding steady on the debt dumping. Making small gains, but not as much as I'd like. Had to spend money I didn't have budgeted for mower repairs and washer/dryer issues. Here's hoping that all lasts for multiple years (instead of weeks like the last problems).

I've had a respiratory infection since the first of August, which has kept me really kind of down and exhausted. Been to the doctor 4 times and they don't know what the problem it. It looks like strep (feels like it too, for that matter), but isn't responding to antibiotics and is causing me difficulty in eating and breathing. Good news - I'm losing weight, just wish it wasn't this way.

That's about it.

Feel better Dave! Also glad your dad is responding well

 

[PrincessKymm]

So I'm in a conundrum...apartments. To leave or not to leave?

Financially speaking...
I currently pay $845 for rent, it's going up to $855. This includes heat (gas only), water/sewer, trash and one spot in a shared garage. My only utilities are my electric (between $30 and $130 a month) and my internet, we also have central air. We are 1.2 miles from DS's school which he will be at until graduation in 2021. I pay about $60 a month for laundry. There is a minor bug problem here (probably from my crappy neighbor's) but overall it's quiet and a large 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment with a walk in closet in my room.

The new apartment is across the street from DS' school. It's an upstairs in a duplex. It's a decent sized 3 bedroom 1 bathroom. It's $750 a month but I pay all utilities including water and sewer but I only pay what I use. I already met the Downstairs neighbor and she's got 3 small kids, she also said the neighbor's upstairs claim
They can hear everything she does. I would have an extra bedroom, lots of closet storage (6 total in the house) plus a basement with my own washer and dryer the landlord is providing. No dishwasher tho. I will also need to hire movers as I've moved too many times to tap into friends and family.

What would you do? It's just me and DS and my rent is 27% of my income each month. I was hoping to lower that and put the money saved towards my debts. If I stay 5 years I will be debt free no later than May 2019 and will have 2 years of being debt free to get DS through high school and get him off to college. This also means no vacations until 2019. I plan on traveling pretty consistently when DS is away at college as I will only be 37 when he leaves. My 20's were spent raising him and I want to go see the world before I retire. I will need a new (to me) car in the next couple of years also as DS will be able to drive. I plan on giving him my current car to use (I'm the original owner and in 2 years it will have approx 85-90k miles on it). If we stay put he can drive to school as soon as he turns 16, so only 2 years of paying someone else to do it or having him walk. We live in NE Ohio so winters can get brutal.

Please help!!!

 

[Dentam]

So I'm in a conundrum...apartments. To leave or not to leave?

Financially speaking...
I currently pay $845 for rent, it's going up to $855. This includes heat (gas only), water/sewer, trash and one spot in a shared garage. My only utilities are my electric (between $30 and $130 a month) and my internet, we also have central air. We are 1.2 miles from DS's school which he will be at until graduation in 2021. I pay about $60 a month for laundry. There is a minor bug problem here (probably from my crappy neighbor's) but overall it's quiet and a large 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment with a walk in closet in my room.

The new apartment is across the street from DS' school. It's an upstairs in a duplex. It's a decent sized 3 bedroom 1 bathroom. It's $750 a month but I pay all utilities including water and sewer but I only pay what I use. I already met the Downstairs neighbor and she's got 3 small kids, she also said the neighbor's upstairs claim
They can hear everything she does. I would have an extra bedroom, lots of closet storage (6 total in the house) plus a basement with my own washer and dryer the landlord is providing. No dishwasher tho. I will also need to hire movers as I've moved too many times to tap into friends and family.

What would you do? It's just me and DS and my rent is 27% of my income each month. I was hoping to lower that and put the money saved towards my debts. If I stay 5 years I will be debt free no later than May 2019 and will have 2 years of being debt free to get DS through high school and get him off to college. This also means no vacations until 2019. I plan on traveling pretty consistently when DS is away at college as I will only be 37 when he leaves. My 20's were spent raising him and I want to go see the world before I retire. I will need a new (to me) car in the next couple of years also as DS will be able to drive. I plan on giving him my current car to use (I'm the original owner and in 2 years it will have approx 85-90k miles on it). If we stay put he can drive to school as soon as he turns 16, so only 2 years of paying someone else to do it or having him walk. We live in NE Ohio so winters can get brutal.

Please help!!!

I think I would stay put given the fact that you would have to pay for all of your utilities, which could add up to quite a bit especially when heating in the winter - plus noisy neighbors are no fun to deal with.

 

[Eureka]

I think I would stay put given the fact that you would have to pay for all of your utilities, which could add up to quite a bit especially when heating in the winter - plus noisy neighbors are no fun to deal with.

Exactly what I was thinking. You're talking about less than $100 difference in rent but your utilities are currently covered.

 

[BrerRabbit66]

Good luck with the promotion interview @arlinar!

It's been awhile since I've posted, but I've been making progress and just paid off one credit card. Planning to transfer a higher interest balance to a 0% offer I just received and then continue snowball payment to the next card.
Murphy has been annoying this summer. $1,800 in car repairs, refrigerator had to be replaced $2,200 (grrrr) but payments are 0% for 24months...just ate into the snowball.

DH signed up to receive Soc. Sec. since he's reached full retirement but will continue to work. The good news is they pay retro-active for 6 months so he got a lump sum payment and we've already covered the tax that we'll have to pay at tax time. Now I just have to get over the paranoia of using that money to retire debt and stop worrying about what Murphy is going to throw at us next.

Ugh....can't we please pack Murphy on a rocket ship to Mars? For the second time in 3 weeks my jeep broke down on the interstate in Ohio while visiting family. The good: I have AAA Plus so I didn't have to pay for a tow to a local dealer and they were there to help in about an hour. The bad: The first breakdown cost $1,000 to replace a power-train computer and cover the rental car. Now the second breakdown appears to be the same problem. They replaced the fuel injector fuse, put in another power-train computer (which has also failed) and now they are stumped. Five days later, I'm racking up rental fees, parts and labor costs. So, last night I purchased a certified used car and now have to pay someone to retrieve the carcass of my jeep from Ohio.

While I was planning to get a newer vehicle next June, we had planned for DH to keep the jeep once he retires and gives up his State issued vehicle. Not thrilled with having a car payment again, but really annoyed at the thought of having payments on two vehicles.

 

[BrerRabbit66]

So I'm in a conundrum...apartments. To leave or not to leave?

Financially speaking...
I currently pay $845 for rent, it's going up to $855. This includes heat (gas only), water/sewer, trash and one spot in a shared garage. My only utilities are my electric (between $30 and $130 a month) and my internet, we also have central air. We are 1.2 miles from DS's school which he will be at until graduation in 2021. I pay about $60 a month for laundry. There is a minor bug problem here (probably from my crappy neighbor's) but overall it's quiet and a large 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment with a walk in closet in my room.

The new apartment is across the street from DS' school. It's an upstairs in a duplex. It's a decent sized 3 bedroom 1 bathroom. It's $750 a month but I pay all utilities including water and sewer but I only pay what I use. I already met the Downstairs neighbor and she's got 3 small kids, she also said the neighbor's upstairs claim
They can hear everything she does. I would have an extra bedroom, lots of closet storage (6 total in the house) plus a basement with my own washer and dryer the landlord is providing. No dishwasher tho. I will also need to hire movers as I've moved too many times to tap into friends and family.

What would you do? It's just me and DS and my rent is 27% of my income each month. I was hoping to lower that and put the money saved towards my debts. If I stay 5 years I will be debt free no later than May 2019 and will have 2 years of being debt free to get DS through high school and get him off to college. This also means no vacations until 2019. I plan on traveling pretty consistently when DS is away at college as I will only be 37 when he leaves. My 20's were spent raising him and I want to go see the world before I retire. I will need a new (to me) car in the next couple of years also as DS will be able to drive. I plan on giving him my current car to use (I'm the original owner and in 2 years it will have approx 85-90k miles on it). If we stay put he can drive to school as soon as he turns 16, so only 2 years of paying someone else to do it or having him walk. We live in NE Ohio so winters can get brutal.

Please help!!!

I would keep the current apartment. The rent would only be $100 less at the new apartment, but you would have to pay more for utilities and incur the cost of paying movers. So no real savings. Also, you may get one more bedroom but losing a bathroom can be a challenge as your DS gets older.

 

[arlinar]

I haven't been here much lately. So, thought I'd update while I could.

Dad had his first round of chemo. He did well with it, was a bit nauseated after the 2nd day, but never really got sick. His blood count was really good when they did the check-up after, so things are looking decent. He starts his 2nd round of chemo on Monday, so we will see how that goes next week.

Been holding steady on the debt dumping. Making small gains, but not as much as I'd like. Had to spend money I didn't have budgeted for mower repairs and washer/dryer issues. Here's hoping that all lasts for multiple years (instead of weeks like the last problems).

I've had a respiratory infection since the first of August, which has kept me really kind of down and exhausted. Been to the doctor 4 times and they don't know what the problem it. It looks like strep (feels like it too, for that matter), but isn't responding to antibiotics and is causing me difficulty in eating and breathing. Good news - I'm losing weight, just wish it wasn't this way.

That's about it.

Hope you feel better soon! And good to see your dad did well with the first round.

Going to an apartment searcher today. Contacted them earlier to have them look for some places around Phoenix for us to move into asap so that we can get out of the hotel.

2 collections were removed from credit report which is awesome. State of Arizona refuses to pay for a appeal case that the judge ruled in my favor. That's an extra $800 towards a place I could of used the funds for.

 

[bcwife76]

I haven't been here much lately. So, thought I'd update while I could.

Dad had his first round of chemo. He did well with it, was a bit nauseated after the 2nd day, but never really got sick. His blood count was really good when they did the check-up after, so things are looking decent. He starts his 2nd round of chemo on Monday, so we will see how that goes next week.

Been holding steady on the debt dumping. Making small gains, but not as much as I'd like. Had to spend money I didn't have budgeted for mower repairs and washer/dryer issues. Here's hoping that all lasts for multiple years (instead of weeks like the last problems).

I've had a respiratory infection since the first of August, which has kept me really kind of down and exhausted. Been to the doctor 4 times and they don't know what the problem it. It looks like strep (feels like it too, for that matter), but isn't responding to antibiotics and is causing me difficulty in eating and breathing. Good news - I'm losing weight, just wish it wasn't this way.

That's about it.

Happy to hear your dad is responding well so far to treatment, fingers crossed for a good outcome this next round too!

Sorry to hear of your own health problems

 

[PrincessKymm]

DS passed out at school today,
First time it's ever happened outside of water. So he had an ambulance ride from school to the hospital, a couple of EKGs,
Blood work, a monitor reading and several calls to his cardiologist and we are not done. I'm grateful DS is ok, he was released and I can't really take off work tomorrow so he's going to school then his cousin is coming to hang out with him until I get home. His dad didn't show up (thank goodness!) but he did at least text me when he heard from his mom. I didn't even have his phone number until today.

I am grateful I have my emergency fund and I'm grateful DS has already reached his deductible. So now we wait for results, consultations, and the medical bills to roll in.