Debt Dumpers - 2016

[dayvewc]

Well, I have started the TR. I promise to have more up by Monday evening. You can read all about it here.

 

[bcwife76]

My kids' school had their annual fun fair this past Friday night. At the silent auction I bid on a prize to win a complete school supply package for next year for primary grades (K-3). I won! My winning bid was $28 and I happen to know that the grade 3 (grade my oldest is going into in Sept) complete school supply package is worth about $70! Sweet, already ahead for next school year (for one kid anyway!) ;-)

 

[stayhomemom77]

My kids' school had their annual fun fair this past Friday night. At the silent auction I bid on a prize to win a complete school supply package for next year for primary grades (K-3). I won! My winning bid was $28 and I happen to know that the grade 3 (grade my oldest is going into in Sept) complete school supply package is worth about $70! Sweet, already ahead for next school year (for one kid anyway!) ;-)

NICE!!

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

My kids' school had their annual fun fair this past Friday night. At the silent auction I bid on a prize to win a complete school supply package for next year for primary grades (K-3). I won! My winning bid was $28 and I happen to know that the grade 3 (grade my oldest is going into in Sept) complete school supply package is worth about $70! Sweet, already ahead for next school year (for one kid anyway!) ;-)

Such a smart buy!

 

[bcwife76]

Such a smart buy!

That's what I thought too And yet, mine was only the second name on the list! I put my bid in about 15-20 minutes before the auction ended. Odd. I looked at the other list (for supplies for grades 4-7) and no one had signed up. Huh? Yet people were bidding $18 for a $20 Tim Hortons card

So in future, I know what I'm going to be bidding on in the silent auction!

 

[DnA2010]

That's what I thought too And yet, mine was only the second name on the list! I put my bid in about 15-20 minutes before the auction ended. Odd. I looked at the other list (for supplies for grades 4-7) and no one had signed up. Huh? Yet people were bidding $18 for a $20 Tim Hortons card

So in future, I know what I'm going to be bidding on in the silent auction!

Super Score! I love silent auctions, especially for gems like this!

 

[Ngwira]

Ugh..annual escrow statement for our mortgage came yesterday. Our escrow was $970.00 short so guess who has to send a check to the bank

 

[Eureka]

Ugh..annual escrow statement for our mortgage came yesterday. Our escrow was $970.00 short so guess who has to send a check to the bank

Ugh! They don't give you the option of paying it out over the next year? We have had shortages before (never that much though) and usually just have to add a few dollars to our payment each month.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Ugh! They don't give you the option of paying it out over the next year? We have had shortages before (never that much though) and usually just have to add a few dollars to our payment each month.

This is what our mortgage company would do too. Since it's only going to the escrow account, it doesn't even save you any interest to pay the shortage up front

 

[Eureka]

First full week of unemployment. Starting to feel real now since we went away over the weekend (had a lot of fun; it was a good escape). Yesterday I talked to the HR guy, filed for unemployment, looks like I got accepted and will max out (not much but it's something) and made a list of all our monthly bills. Also started putting together a portfolio of writing samples. Need to work on my resume and find a free portfolio site (I'm thinking about Jobrary and pressfolio, anyone have feedback on those?).

Ironically, the night before I lost my job, I volunteered for a major position with our summer swim team and was a little nervous about having time for it. Looks like that won't be an issue anymore.

 

[MrsTurnerLovesDisney]

week of paying cash for a lot of stuff such as personal spending and groceries and so far it's going well. hope to keep it up!

 

[stayhomemom77]

A little late...but here are my goals and my monthly standing!

Goal #1
Saving up for down payment on house. Put aside as much as possible.

We have $2000 in the account right now. I expected to be further along by now, but it is what it is.

Goal #2
Save $2000 in Curveball account by the end of 2016.

We've had over $1000 in car repairs and other expenses that have eaten up a huge chunk of this money, but since that is what it's there for...I guess we are still on track. We currently have $320 in that account, but I know we have a broken shock on the car that will need fixing this summer. If we are short...we'll have less to go towards house savings, but we put some in this account each month, so I'm hoping we'll be able to cover it when the time comes. We are on track to achieve that $2000 revolving fund (which has pretty much all been necessary thus far) by the end of the year.

Goal #3
Put $4000 in an Emergency Fund and maintain it.

Done! This money is for extreme emergencies like job loss or serious medical stuff. Eventually we'll build it up further but this is sufficient at present.

So, doing okay overall but would love to actually maintain $1000 in the Curveball account and pad that House fund as quickly as possible.

Gonna go rework the budget now and see what I can do!

 

[Ngwira]

Ugh! They don't give you the option of paying it out over the next year? We have had shortages before (never that much though) and usually just have to add a few dollars to our payment each month.

They do. I sent the check already. We refied last year and our escrow was based on 2014 taxes. Of course this is NJ and everything goes up. So we have a shortage.

 

[Eureka]

Long post...thanks for reading...sigh.

I just transferred 25% of our emergency fund/nest egg to our checking account to be able to pay off our credit cards to free up cash flow while I'm out of work. I know that is what it's there for, but ugh. DH wants to be able to put it back, but it's a sizable amount and will take awhile once I'm working again (because then we will need to start back up with the college savings and retirement). I haven't gotten my severance yet (it's coming next week) and therefore it will be a couple weeks before I'll get unemployment to see how this is all going to go. Hopefully with the severance I can pay the rest of the month's bills, maybe with the exception of the mortgage.

At DH's request, I made a list of everything else for our end-of-summer vacation that we still need to pay (hotels, passes, etc) not counting food (which will not be insignificant) and it's a lot. Will probably end up using the CC again for that, although I have money set aside from when I got a bonus this spring that we can use for some of it. But we have already bought a lot of tickets etc, (not to mention passports) so we are not cancelling.

I've cut back to just the Sunday paper (plus unlimited digital access every day) for a fraction of what we were paying for every day. DH and the kids don't care, but I liked the paper-paper. Had to keep Sunday for the coupons and supplements. Called the cable company because our current promo is expiring in a month so needed options anyway. We will see how things go before I cut channels because it's not as much savings as I thought per month, so it may not help much.

Food is the big area to play with - not going out and cutting back on/out the expensive snacks I'd been buying bc we had the money so why not. But I have teenage boys that eat a ton so can only do so much. One isn't a big pasta fan so there is only so much of it I can "make" him eat. And they are both athletes that need protein. Sigh.

Signed up with the fed job listing service, have been working on my resume this week, and still my IBS and GERD are in full swing (tmi I'm sure, but this is what happens to me when I am stressed). So far, I am not enjoying my "time off" much. Although my volunteer job for swim team is keeping me busy as we head into time trials this weekend, that's a good distraction.

When will I not feel so down and nervous? I know it's only been a week...but I'm already over feeling like this.

 

[Shmily1]

Long post...thanks for reading...sigh.

I just transferred 25% of our emergency fund/nest egg to our checking account to be able to pay off our credit cards to free up cash flow while I'm out of work. I know that is what it's there for, but ugh. DH wants to be able to put it back, but it's a sizable amount and will take awhile once I'm working again (because then we will need to start back up with the college savings and retirement). I haven't gotten my severance yet (it's coming next week) and therefore it will be a couple weeks before I'll get unemployment to see how this is all going to go. Hopefully with the severance I can pay the rest of the month's bills, maybe with the exception of the mortgage.

At DH's request, I made a list of everything else for our end-of-summer vacation that we still need to pay (hotels, passes, etc) not counting food (which will not be insignificant) and it's a lot. Will probably end up using the CC again for that, although I have money set aside from when I got a bonus this spring that we can use for some of it. But we have already bought a lot of tickets etc, (not to mention passports) so we are not cancelling.

I've cut back to just the Sunday paper (plus unlimited digital access every day) for a fraction of what we were paying for every day. DH and the kids don't care, but I liked the paper-paper. Had to keep Sunday for the coupons and supplements. Called the cable company because our current promo is expiring in a month so needed options anyway. We will see how things go before I cut channels because it's not as much savings as I thought per month, so it may not help much.

Food is the big area to play with - not going out and cutting back on/out the expensive snacks I'd been buying bc we had the money so why not. But I have teenage boys that eat a ton so can only do so much. One isn't a big pasta fan so there is only so much of it I can "make" him eat. And they are both athletes that need protein. Sigh.

Signed up with the fed job listing service, have been working on my resume this week, and still my IBS is in full swing (tmi I'm sure, but this is what happens to me when I am stressed). So far, I am not enjoying my "time off" much. Although my volunteer job for swim team is keeping me busy as we head into time trials this weekend, that's a good distraction.

When will I not feel so down and nervous? I know it's only been a week...but I'm already over feeling like this.

Hang in there. You are doing all the right things. Maybe things will pick up soon and you can find another job. Have you looked at doing something like direct sales? That may be a way to earn some money while still having time for your volunteer work. Just a thought.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Hugs @Eureka! This is a big change to adjust to, so it's normal to feel down and nervous. And I know what you mean about taking $$ from your emergency fund, even though that's what it's there for. I feel the same way. I always stress about using money when we need it, but then I think back to when we used to have to put those expenses on a credit card without a plan for paying them off, and I feel a bit better. (Not much, but a bit.)

When I was pregnant with my son, my longtime boss and I agreed that it would be the perfect time for him to retire so he laid me off so I could collect unemployment while pregnant. Even though I knew it was coming and planned for it for months, I was still nervous about all of the things that could go wrong. After I had my son, and started interviewing, I was worried again when interviewers wouldn't call back, or things would go wrong, or things would go right and I realized that I am a worrier by nature. I tend to overthink every situation. For me it helps to imagine how I would overcome the worst case scenario, because anything else would be just a minor blip on the radar.

As far as food for your growing boys, eggs are a great protein source. DH boils up a dozen or so every other day so they're always available and our kids love them. Many grocery stores near us have them on sale for $.69 to $.99 a dozen, so we really stock up and use them often.

DH is home full time with our kids (and has been for the last 14 years), so we're able to coupon, watch grocery sales and shop around for the best prices on food. He cooks 95% of our food from scratch and we save a TON of money that way. Since you're home, you'll be able to cook more if you're so inclined and that should save a lot on food costs.

Hang in there. And try to relax and enjoy your time with your family and the swim team.

 

[Eureka]

Hugs @Eureka! This is a big change to adjust to, so it's normal to feel down and nervous. And I know what you mean about taking $$ from your emergency fund, even though that's what it's there for. I feel the same way. I always stress about using money when we need it, but then I think back to when we used to have to put those expenses on a credit card without a plan for paying them off, and I feel a bit better. (Not much, but a bit.)

When I was pregnant with my son, my longtime boss and I agreed that it would be the perfect time for him to retire so he laid me off so I could collect unemployment while pregnant. Even though I knew it was coming and planned for it for months, I was still nervous about all of the things that could go wrong. After I had my son, and started interviewing, I was worried again when interviewers wouldn't call back, or things would go wrong, or things would go right and I realized that I am a worrier by nature. I tend to overthink every situation. For me it helps to imagine how I would overcome the worst case scenario, because anything else would be just a minor blip on the radar.

As far as food for your growing boys, eggs are a great protein source. DH boils up a dozen or so every other day so they're always available and our kids love them. Many grocery stores near us have them on sale for $.69 to $.99 a dozen, so we really stock up and use them often.

DH is home full time with our kids (and has been for the last 14 years), so we're able to coupon, watch grocery sales and shop around for the best prices on food. He cooks 95% of our food from scratch and we save a TON of money that way. Since you're home, you'll be able to cook more if you're so inclined and that should save a lot on food costs.

Hang in there. And try to relax and enjoy your time with your family and the swim team.

@Gr8t Fan My guys do like eggs but in moderation, so I may plan some more "breakfast" dinners than we usually do...I love stuff like French toast for dinner. My menfolk, not so much, but too bad, lol.Our dozen eggs is about $2.49 right now.

As for the couponing and shopping sales etc., that is in my blood. My mom taught me and I used to be a lot more hardcore about it when I freelanced and had more time. But I still do it, so that won't change. The Perdue chicken I like to buy is half price this week but it was sold out when I went Monday so I have a raincheck, but also might try back before the sale runs out to see if they have restocked. Plus there's savingstar, ibotta, checkout51 and shopkick (which were not around when my kids were little) which helps.

@Shmily1 right now I am still trying to figure out what I want to do, and with the summer, I'm not sure how much time I will have to work anyway. I know that sounds weird bc if I hadn't been laid off, I'd still be working, but I had a great setup with telecommuting and very flexible hours. And I am not good with salesy kind of stuff...I can promote products well in writing but not in person.

 

[stayhomemom77]

@Gr8t Fan My guys do like eggs but in moderation, so I may plan some more "breakfast" dinners than we usually do...I love stuff like French toast for dinner. My menfolk, not so much, but too bad, lol.Our dozen eggs is about $2.49 right now.

As for the couponing and shopping sales etc., that is in my blood. My mom taught me and I used to be a lot more hardcore about it when I freelanced and had more time. But I still do it, so that won't change. The Perdue chicken I like to buy is half price this week but it was sold out when I went Monday so I have a raincheck, but also might try back before the sale runs out to see if they have restocked. Plus there's savingstar, ibotta, checkout51 and shopkick (which were not around when my kids were little) which helps.

@Shmily1 right now I am still trying to figure out what I want to do, and with the summer, I'm not sure how much time I will have to work anyway. I know that sounds weird bc if I hadn't been laid off, I'd still be working, but I had a great setup with telecommuting and very flexible hours. And I am not good with salesy kind of stuff...I can promote products well in writing but not in person.

Do you eat a lot of fiber rich food? Like beans, legumes, quinoa, rice and stuff? I find that making a lot of meals that have a good mix of protein and fiber rich foods fills us up and is easier on the pocket book. Also soups, stews and chilis. My crockpot is my best friend. I make a ton of food for a fraction of the cost now and it's good, filling WHOLE food, so it's cheap AND healthy. Win, win!

It might take a bit of time and effort to find some recipes that are home runs with your family but it will probably be worth it. Also...the much maligned potato...nutrient rich and one of the cheapest foods around. My hubs can destroy a couple of twice baked potatoes for dinner with a salad and some sort of lean protein and never complains of hunger afterward.

Good luck! Our thoughts and prayers are with you so you can have a good summer.

 

[Eureka]

Do you eat a lot of fiber rich food? Like beans, legumes, quinoa, rice and stuff? I find that making a lot of meals that have a good mix of protein and fiber rich foods fills us up and is easier on the pocket book. Also soups, stews and chilis. My crockpot is my best friend. I make a ton of food for a fraction of the cost now and it's good, filling WHOLE food, so it's cheap AND healthy. Win, win!

It might take a bit of time and effort to find some recipes that are home runs with your family but it will probably be worth it. Also...the much maligned potato...nutrient rich and one of the cheapest foods around. My hubs can destroy a couple of twice baked potatoes for dinner with a salad and some sort of lean protein and never complains of hunger afterward.

Good luck! Our thoughts and prayers are with you so you can have a good summer.

I love beans but the rest of my family is not a fan. My non-pasta eating kid also does not like rice. And I can't eat chili bc of the tomato sauce but I do make it for them sometimes. I do make meatballs in the crockpot for subs and then the second day we have them with pasta. Potatoes are a staple in my house, so that's something that won't change

 

[Ngwira]

Long post...thanks for reading...sigh.

I just transferred 25% of our emergency fund/nest egg to our checking account to be able to pay off our credit cards to free up cash flow while I'm out of work. I know that is what it's there for, but ugh. DH wants to be able to put it back, but it's a sizable amount and will take awhile once I'm working again (because then we will need to start back up with the college savings and retirement). I haven't gotten my severance yet (it's coming next week) and therefore it will be a couple weeks before I'll get unemployment to see how this is all going to go. Hopefully with the severance I can pay the rest of the month's bills, maybe with the exception of the mortgage.

At DH's request, I made a list of everything else for our end-of-summer vacation that we still need to pay (hotels, passes, etc) not counting food (which will not be insignificant) and it's a lot. Will probably end up using the CC again for that, although I have money set aside from when I got a bonus this spring that we can use for some of it. But we have already bought a lot of tickets etc, (not to mention passports) so we are not cancelling.

I've cut back to just the Sunday paper (plus unlimited digital access every day) for a fraction of what we were paying for every day. DH and the kids don't care, but I liked the paper-paper. Had to keep Sunday for the coupons and supplements. Called the cable company because our current promo is expiring in a month so needed options anyway. We will see how things go before I cut channels because it's not as much savings as I thought per month, so it may not help much.

Food is the big area to play with - not going out and cutting back on/out the expensive snacks I'd been buying bc we had the money so why not. But I have teenage boys that eat a ton so can only do so much. One isn't a big pasta fan so there is only so much of it I can "make" him eat. And they are both athletes that need protein. Sigh.

Signed up with the fed job listing service, have been working on my resume this week, and still my IBS and GERD are in full swing (tmi I'm sure, but this is what happens to me when I am stressed). So far, I am not enjoying my "time off" much. Although my volunteer job for swim team is keeping me busy as we head into time trials this weekend, that's a good distraction.

When will I not feel so down and nervous? I know it's only been a week...but I'm already over feeling like this.

Eureka, I wanted to let you know that you need to keep your head up. I was where you are back in 2011. Laid off and in emergency mode and feeling down about myself. The time off gave me the opportunity to make positive changes I had been putting off and as such, I lost 40 pounds, began learning a second language and spent quality time with my kiddos. I suggest you do the same.
You will land on your feet again, I promise. Use this time to do something positive for yourself that you had been putting off because of being busy at work.
You are cutting expenses which is very wise. In terms of controlling food costs, the best investment I made in that area was buying a chest freezer. I think it was less than $200.00 at Best Buy but it has saved us so much money because we can buy food(especially meat) in bulk when it is on sale. I freeze meats, fruits and veggies and leftovers. Pull it out and make meals during the week. It has cut down grocery shopping significantly. I buy food every other week because I have a "stash" of basics in my freezer. Before, I was buying food multiple times a week, not to mention purchasing outside meals because I never had any leftovers. I strongly suggest you look into purchasing one.
Can your sons pick up part time jobs? I don't know their ages, but any little bit will help. I don't know your timetable for getting back into the workforce, but networking is key. Reach out to all of your contacts and let them know you are looking. Someone will know a company who is hiring.
Good luck, we are all rooting for you.