Debt Dumpers - 2016

[bcwife76]

@stayhomemom77 that is so exciting!!!! I'm happy you guys have found a way to make it work for this year

 

[DnA2010]

We've talked about it and researched for HOURS and....


we've decided to pull the trigger.

BUT, we are going to drop the London portion and shorten the trip by two days. We'll do a separate UK trip (England/Scotland/Ireland in some combo) in three or four years.

Two weeks ago, I finally decided to mention my musing and wonderings to DH to get his perspective and he was all for trying to go this year. He suggested we drop the London portion and just do Paris for a week. I didn't think it was going to be that much cheaper but it actually was. We spent a few hours here and there figuring out what we wanted to do and how much money we would need in order to do it.

We haven't booked anything yet (and we can't until DH signs his new contract for work, which will be sometime this month). Once we know his employment will continue on after the end of June--well we know it will, but once we have that in writing--we'll get that sucker booked.

We are looking at flying out on August 21st (overnight flight so arriving in France around noon on the 22nd) and flying home again on the 28th. That gives us 6 full days plus at least half a day on the 22nd. Since we were originally expecting to do Paris in 5 days, we are pretty thrilled with the extra time. DH plans for us to spend most of it lounging at a cafe and watching the world go by.

We know what hotel we want and how much the museum passes will cost. After EXTENSIVE research, we've figured out the best option for our transportation needs (a mix of walking, metro and RER trains) and have figured out how much we will need for food and souvenirs.

If we get to book the hotel and flights at the prices we've recorded, we can go for $6000. That would cover everything. I have padded the budget to cover a possible increase in flight prices.

Everyone is terribly excited! I'm still waiting on one flipping receipt so I can file our taxes, but if we haven't received it by mid week next week I'm just going to file without it. I'm hoping to have our refund in our account by the end of the month. I need it to pay for the flights.

And we are looking at going to Disney during the first week of January 2017 so I can run the 5K during the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. Actually, I'm trying to talk the whole family into running it and a week at Disney is our reward. DH is in, DD is in but DS is reluctant. He doesn't mind running the race but has no interest in doing the couch to 5K training program again. We made them do it with us last spring to get them ready for all the walking we did on last summer's Caribbean cruise. He kinda hated it, so he has no wish to repeat the procedure. But I think I can get him talked 'round. I'm very persuasive.

I'm so freakin' excited!! Can't wait to get that puppy booked.

YAY!! That's great you are going to make it work whoop whoop! I know I'm always happier and motivated when I have a trip in the works (sigh) do you plan to do a couple of days at DLP? I'm still missing one of DHs RRSP forms- it's super annoying isn't it!

 

[momtosam]

I just have to say that this really is the best Dis thread. I'm so glad that everyone here supports without judgement. It only takes one instance of getting your head bit off by another poster to realize you're not on the Debt Dumpers thread anymore. You guys rock! (Some other people not so much.)

 

[bcwife76]

@momtosam I totally agree!! This thread is the best one on the Dis!!!


DH and I filed our taxes last Thursday (March 3) and our refund was deposited this morning! Holy quick turn around - way to go Canada Revenue Agency

 

[gracie1]

I just have to say that this really is the best Dis thread. I'm so glad that everyone here supports without judgement. It only takes one instance of getting your head bit off by another poster to realize you're not on the Debt Dumpers thread anymore. You guys rock! (Some other people not so much.)

I totally agree with you!! And to think that this is the third year (if I remember correctly) of the debt dumpers thread and no fighting on it! That may be disboards history! Lol

 

[DnA2010]

@momtosam I totally agree!! This thread is the best one on the Dis!!!


DH and I filed our taxes last Thursday (March 3) and our refund was deposited this morning! Holy quick turn around - way to go Canada Revenue Agency

That's very promising!

 

[Lady1988]

I am just back to the boards after years away and huge life changes. I made a new profile to match my fresh start I love this group! It is so nice to know that I am not alone in working to pay off debt and get things back on track. I'll keep reading and learning from you all.

 

[gracie1]

I am just back to the boards after years away and huge life changes. I made a new profile to match my fresh start I love this group! It is so nice to know that I am not alone in working to pay off debt and get things back on track. I'll keep reading and learning from you all.

Welcome!! Everyone on this thread is so nice and I'm sure once you read back through our previous threads you will see that! Feel free to post any ideas on here also that is helping you dump debt - it may help others. As you will see every success is worth posting on here as well as venting when things don't go as planned!! So glad to have you join us!

 

[stayhomemom77]

YAY!! That's great you are going to make it work whoop whoop! I know I'm always happier and motivated when I have a trip in the works (sigh) do you plan to do a couple of days at DLP? I'm still missing one of DHs RRSP forms- it's super annoying isn't it!

Hey! That's the form I'm missing... Annoying, isn't it?

We decided not to do DLP. DH had suggested it years ago but I wasn't interested. I know, I know. Shameful for a DISer not to take advantage of every opportunity to go to ANY Disney park but a) I didn't want to pay for it and b) there is so much to see and do in Paris proper, we aren't going to get to it all anyway, so going out of town to hit Disney seemed like a poor use of our time.

I might crunch the numbers anyway, just for fun...but I don't see us heading there at all...at least on this trip.

 

[Dentam]

I'm afraid I may be needing to get my new vehicle very soon. Sigh... going to have to redo my debt dumping plan to take into account the car payment. I tried to take my car in this morning to have them look at it but there was already a 1.5 hour wait. Welcome to Denver. Too many people and everything is crowded if you're not sitting there waiting for them to open (which the guy there told me was in fact what people were doing this morning)... in the meantime my car is getting worse and I'm a little afraid to drive it too much more. I couldn't wait in line because I had a lunch to get to. Can't go tomorrow since I work on Sundays. I'll try to get it in soon. At least the public transportation is okay here... Blargh.

 

[gracie1]

I'm afraid I may be needing to get my new vehicle very soon. Sigh... going to have to redo my debt dumping plan to take into account the car payment. I tried to take my car in this morning to have them look at it but there was already a 1.5 hour wait. Welcome to Denver. Too many people and everything is crowded if you're not sitting there waiting for them to open (which the guy there told me was in fact what people were doing this morning)... in the meantime my car is getting worse and I'm a little afraid to drive it too much more. I couldn't wait in line because I had a lunch to get to. Can't go tomorrow since I work on Sundays. I'll try to get it in soon. At least the public transportation is okay here... Blargh.

Hopefully it will be something simple and cheap to fix (ok - nothing on a car is really cheap to fix). But hopefully better news than your anticipating!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I'm afraid I may be needing to get my new vehicle very soon. Sigh... going to have to redo my debt dumping plan to take into account the car payment. I tried to take my car in this morning to have them look at it but there was already a 1.5 hour wait. Welcome to Denver. Too many people and everything is crowded if you're not sitting there waiting for them to open (which the guy there told me was in fact what people were doing this morning)... in the meantime my car is getting worse and I'm a little afraid to drive it too much more. I couldn't wait in line because I had a lunch to get to. Can't go tomorrow since I work on Sundays. I'll try to get it in soon. At least the public transportation is okay here... Blargh.

Don't they take appointments? Our car dealerships offer online appointment booking. It's so easy. Our Toyota dealer has an evening drop off area also. So I book a Saturday appointment, put keys in a special envelope outside their door, put them in the drop box thing on Friday night. They call me around noon Saturday and dh brings me there to pick up in the afternoon when it's ready. I try to do this when I don't have Sat. errands to run.

 

[Dentam]

Don't they take appointments? Our car dealerships offer online appointment booking. It's so easy. Our Toyota dealer has an evening drop off area also. So I book a Saturday appointment, put keys in a special envelope outside their door, put them in the drop box thing on Friday night. They call me around noon Saturday and dh brings me there to pick up in the afternoon when it's ready. I try to do this when I don't have Sat. errands to run.

I don't take it to a dealership. My coworker at my old job was married to a mechanic so he took care of it for me for years. Now it's hard to know who to trust in a new city. I don't have anyone to pick me up either so I either have to wait or try to take a bus home and then back to go pick it up.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

if anyone wants to feel better about their rent, I live in a tiny one-bedroom and pay $1500/month. all by myself. (obviously a major urban area and I consequently probably have a higher salary but STILL it's just flabbergasting how much rent has gone up in the 8 years I've lived here--$75/month rise in rent EVERY year I've been here)

speaking of, major setback today. the plan was that I was going to move into an apartment owned by my BF's dad, who was going to give me a super friends-and-family rate of $1000/month. he has suddenly changed his mind so he can do a major renovation, so.... there go all my hopes and dreams of having an extra $500/month to throw at debt. I am so upset.

Wow, that is a lot on one salary. I do feel your pain though. Our taxes are so high here, our escrow payment was $800/month (taxes and homeowners insurance)
I was finally able to not pay it through our mortgage company but still I need to set those funds aside for when the bill comes.
We laugh that by the time our mortgage is paid off, the taxes alone will be up to what our original monthly mortgage payment was.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I don't take it to a dealership. My coworker at my old job was married to a mechanic so he took care of it for me for years. Now it's hard to know who to trust in a new city. I don't have anyone to pick me up either so I either have to wait or try to take a bus home and then back to go pick it up.

We're not in a new city but still had no one to trust which is why we started using the car dealer. We don't often get a lot of major repairs done and routine maintenance things like brakes, tires & oil changes are priced very competitively with private shops here and mail out coupons. Our dealers offer a courtesy shuttle. Maybe yours does too?

 

[Dentam]

We're not in a new city but still had no one to trust which is why we started using the car dealer. We don't often get a lot of major repairs done and routine maintenance things like brakes, tires & oil changes are priced very competitively with private shops here and mail out coupons. Our dealers offer a courtesy shuttle. Maybe yours does too?

My car is 15 years old and they don't make it anymore. I guess I could look into a dealer but I've always been told that they are known for overcharging. We'll see. I won't have time to deal with it until my next day off, which is Friday. Luckily I can walk to work if needed. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Lady1988]

All this talk of car repair is so familiar. Just as I was able to pay a bit of my mounting debt I have had to by new tires and get minor repairs done on my car. My daughter also totaled her car and we had to get a new one for her. I was very blessed to have my parents offer to sell me (for almost nothing) their old car. It is in wonderful shape and they got it fully serviced for my daughter before they gave it to her. But because of the wreck her insurance has gone way up. (she is 20)
All this to say that one step forward and two steps back in all this debt dumping...but hope is there and we keep plugging along.

Has anyone else had trouble with debt after divorce? Any advice?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

My car is 15 years old and they don't make it anymore. I guess I could look into a dealer but I've always been told that they are known for overcharging. We'll see. I won't have time to deal with it until my next day off, which is Friday. Luckily I can walk to work if needed. Thanks for the tips!

I've been told that too but then the small shops scare me too for other reasons.

 

[gracie1]

I've been told that too but then the small shops scare me too for other reasons.

So true. The small shops around me charge about the same in labor as the dealer also

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Even with all this mess at our house, we are still dumping debt according to The Plan. Our state tax refund just arrived so another $365 toward debt before I even start pondering other possibilities for it.