Debt Dumpers - 2016

[Ngwira]

We didn't get a Nespresso. We bought a Delonghi cappuccino machine because it had a lot more flexibility in what drinks you could make and you can use any coffee or espresso beans, which saves lots of money in the long run. We bought the machine for about $800 (after lots of discounts. It retailed for $1600), but we have cut down on Starbucks a lot. We have had it for 1.5 years and it has probably paid for itself already. Plus, the service on the machine is amazing. We registered it and Delonghi sent us 4 really cool cappuccino glasses plus we get a free care kit for cleaning and maintaining the machine every 6 months.

Cool. I have heard of that machine. Speaking of Starbucks, I'm addicted. It's dangerous..lol I have to say I feel better about my $40.00 Keurig purchase after hearing that you, one of my budget idols, has an $800.00 machine. I say that with the utmost respect

 

[Ngwira]

Murphy is lurking...Monday night we ended up in the ER..DH injured his leg. After 8 hours we found out it was a sprain but our insurance copay for ER not admitted is now $100! Last year it was $30. It's tripled in 1 year which is ridiculous. Also, I will be headed to urgent care shortly as DD decided to run and jump in flip flops and now she can't walk without pain in her right foot. Ugh! Never ends.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Murphy is lurking...Monday night we ended up in the ER..DH injured his leg. After 8 hours we found out it was a sprain but our insurance copay for ER not admitted is now $100! Last year it was $30. It's tripled in 1 year which is ridiculous. Also, I will be headed to urgent care shortly as DD decided to run and jump in flip flops and now she can't walk without pain in her right foot. Ugh! Never ends.

Gah!!!!!!!!! Hope everyone is OK.

 

[toystoryduo]

@DisneyMandC- I'm glad to hear that your FIL is doing much better! Continued prayers for him and your family.

@Dentam - Have a wonderful time in Shanghai! Safe travels!

@Ngwira- Sorry to hear about your DH and DD. Hope they both feel much better soon!


Well, not too much to report here. We're still working on building up our emergency fund to a level that we are comfortable with, and work is still kind of slow (but starting to pick up!) for my DH's businesses. We have our Florida trip almost completely paid for (which is a blessing!), and we are looking forward to getting away from home for a bit so we can regroup, relax, and enjoy our time in Florida together.

Once we get back from Florida, we will re-evaluate where we are at, where we are going, and what we would like our financial goals to be for the rest of the year.

Some good news: We have been de-cluttering and selling items on eBay, we've scrapped some things, and we are working on lowering some of our bills to leave more money in our pockets each month. I've picked up a few side jobs in the past week or so, and Swagbucks has been pretty good for me this month as well. Hoping and praying that this is the start of some really good things to come!

 

[Ngwira]

Turns out it was just pain from no arch support. Copay was "only" $25.00.

 

[DnA2010]

We didn't get a Nespresso. We bought a Delonghi cappuccino machine because it had a lot more flexibility in what drinks you could make and you can use any coffee or espresso beans, which saves lots of money in the long run. We bought the machine for about $800 (after lots of discounts. It retailed for $1600), but we have cut down on Starbucks a lot. We have had it for 1.5 years and it has probably paid for itself already. Plus, the service on the machine is amazing. We registered it and Delonghi sent us 4 really cool cappuccino glasses plus we get a free care kit for cleaning and maintaining the machine every 6 months.

Someday DH and I will invest in a good machine as we lurve coffee...for now reg brewed it us as unless I have a gift card, can't bring myself to spend $5 for a coffee

 

[lilysmommy]

Update- I have been taking a break for the boards lately as it was making me a little depressed. BUT - I am now employed making exactly what I was making a year ago. Somehow we managed NOT to touch our savings during the last year, We didn't put anything up but nothing had to come out either. We are almost done paying off the credit cards with only about 800 dollars left to go.

Now my spouse will get his end date for his job at the end of this month but we are already networking for him and we have been given a very nice retention bonus on top of serverance. If he can get hired in the next 3 months, we will come out ahead!

 

[Eureka]

Updates from earlier this week:
1. Dishwasher motor is what's making the terrible noise. Would cost almost $400 to replace the motor and the guy said as long as we "can bear the noise" it may still last us awhile yet. So, we will be in the market for a new dishwasher at some point. Cost $59 for him to tell me that.
2. Plumber came and was in and out in 10 minutes to clear the clog. Told me to stop putting potatoes and orange peels in the disposal and to run a tray of ice through it once in a while to clean/sharpen the blades. Cost $150 for him to tell me that.
3. Honda airbag recall part came in from being back ordered so have an appointment for next week. Will cost me $0.
4. Phone interview turned out to just be an HR screening to check legal status for hiring (I'm a US citizen, so yes, I can work anywhere in the country) and salary requirements, so I passed that part. Emailed over writing samples they requested and hope to move on to the real phone interview. They want to have someone in asap so hopefully I will hear about that before I go on vacation. Hopeful, but they said they only just started screening so it could take awhile and of course no guarantees at all. Had two more email rejections this week too
5. Got email from Bill.com that one of my freelance invoices is getting paid out tomorrow. Only $325 but better than nothing. Have been taking care of "life" this week so haven't worked, which means I can get UI next week. Sad that I find that exciting, but there you go.
6. Bought tickets for Niagara Falls that I'd been putting off. Put a dent in our checking account but glad it didn't go on a credit card. Cost about $195 USD.
7. DH gave me a GC to the salon/spa where I get my hair cut for the December holidays and the woman who does facials is back from maternity leave so I scheduled one for tomorrow afternoon. Feels so good and a true pampering. Should only cost me a few dollars for tip because the GC will cover the treatment and about half the tip.

 

[Eureka]

Murphy is lurking...Monday night we ended up in the ER..DH injured his leg. After 8 hours we found out it was a sprain but our insurance copay for ER not admitted is now $100! Last year it was $30. It's tripled in 1 year which is ridiculous. Also, I will be headed to urgent care shortly as DD decided to run and jump in flip flops and now she can't walk without pain in her right foot. Ugh! Never ends.

Oh no! 8 hours for one thing. And now back for another patient. Sigh...always something. Better watch out you don't hurt yourself too.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Updates from earlier this week:
1. Dishwasher motor is what's making the terrible noise. Would cost almost $400 to replace the motor and the guy said as long as we "can bear the noise" it may still last us awhile yet. So, we will be in the market for a new dishwasher at some point. Cost $59 for him to tell me that.
2. Plumber came and was in and out in 10 minutes to clear the clog. Told me to stop putting potatoes and orange peels in the disposal and to run a tray of ice through it once in a while to clean/sharpen the blades. Cost $150 for him to tell me that.
3. Honda airbag recall part came in from being back ordered so have an appointment for next week. Will cost me $0.
4. Phone interview turned out to just be an HR screening to check legal status for hiring (I'm a US citizen, so yes, I can work anywhere in the country) and salary requirements, so I passed that part. Emailed over writing samples they requested and hope to move on to the real phone interview. They want to have someone in asap so hopefully I will hear about that before I go on vacation. Hopeful, but they said they only just started screening so it could take awhile and of course no guarantees at all. Had two more email rejections this week too
5. Got email from Bill.com that one of my freelance invoices is getting paid out tomorrow. Only $325 but better than nothing. Have been taking care of "life" this week so haven't worked, which means I can get UI next week. Sad that I find that exciting, but there you go.
6. Bought tickets for Niagara Falls that I'd been putting off. Put a dent in our checking account but glad it didn't go on a credit card. Cost about $195 USD.
7. DH gave me a GC to the salon/spa where I get my hair cut for the December holidays and the woman who does facials is back from maternity leave so I scheduled one for tomorrow afternoon. Feels so good and a true pampering. Should only cost me a few dollars for tip because the GC will cover the treatment and about half the tip.

I have heard that too about putting ice cubes into the garbage disposal. It's so frustrating but any time you need to call in professional help, it ain't cheap! I would not be spending $400 on a dishwasher motor. If you're searching for a new dishwasher, I have to chime in that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our Bosch 3-rack dw. I love it so much I was actually relieved when the tree fell through to our kitchen that our beloved dw was not injured. lol. We were constantly replacing lower rack wheel assemblies on our old Kenmore. So often, that I finally stocked up on extras from Amazon.
That little 3rd rack on top is wonderful for so many things that take up a lot of space in either the utensil rack or top rack: spatulas, ice cream scoopers, veggie peeler, etc. Also the 3rd rack has grooves for securing long knives. We used to put them on the top shelf but then we'd forget it's there and pull out the rack and the knife would go flying out the front. No more of that.

Murphy is lurking...Monday night we ended up in the ER..DH injured his leg. After 8 hours we found out it was a sprain but our insurance copay for ER not admitted is now $100! Last year it was $30. It's tripled in 1 year which is ridiculous. Also, I will be headed to urgent care shortly as DD decided to run and jump in flip flops and now she can't walk without pain in her right foot. Ugh! Never ends.

I know what you mean about the ER copays. Ours went from $50 to $100 one year then up to $150 for the last 2 years.
I really try to avoid an ER whenever possible, not just because of the cost. I was raised to believe that if you think you broke a bone you should go to the ER. Once I started working in xray I realized how many people just visit their doctor if the injury is during daytime hours, and them come in for an outpatient xray. They still get referred to ortho, etc. without the long ER wait.
So the first 2 times ds19 suffered a wrist fracture, I xrayed him myself (with a doctor note of course, little job perk) and then went to ortho. Both of these times it was very subtle and he was able to still move it. The 3rd time it was displaced pretty bad (visually very disturbing to any parent) and he was howling over every little bump in the road til we got to the ER. They had to knock him out to set it. In that case, it was $$ well spent.

Turns out it was just pain from no arch support. Copay was "only" $25.00.

Well that's a relief!
Flip flops are so cute but when it comes to arch support they are evil. I spent one day at MK (mmmm....MK) in a pair which I never do but it was a 50% chance of rain and figured why get my sneakers soaked? omg. By the end of the night I was crippled. The fronts of my calves hurt so bad I could hardly walk. It was a trip just me and the kids and I had to pack to go home that night. The kids laughed at me because I was wearing a nightgown with sneakers to pack. Never again.
Hope they're both feeling well soon!

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Cool. I have heard of that machine. Speaking of Starbucks, I'm addicted. It's dangerous..lol I have to say I feel better about my $40.00 Keurig purchase after hearing that you, one of my budget idols, has an $800.00 machine. I say that with the utmost respect

I like to think that I am a savvy consumer. And this has honestly been one of the best purchases that we have made. We use the machine daily, usually several times a day. It has never had a problem over the past 1.5 years and DH loves it. To me budget doesn't have to mean cheap. I did a lot of research to make sure we got exactly what we wanted. We went to Sur La Table and tried out several machines. We actually tried the machine in 2 different stores to check for the consistency and quality of the machine. Then we saved up for months to buy the machine. I got Sur La Table gift cards at 20% discount, we put the machine on our wedding registry for a 10% discount and we applied a 20% off a single item coupon. It was all very well budgeted.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Murphy is lurking...Monday night we ended up in the ER..DH injured his leg. After 8 hours we found out it was a sprain but our insurance copay for ER not admitted is now $100! Last year it was $30. It's tripled in 1 year which is ridiculous. Also, I will be headed to urgent care shortly as DD decided to run and jump in flip flops and now she can't walk without pain in her right foot. Ugh! Never ends.

Hope everyone is alright. Sorry about your co-pay. This is exactly why I went to urgent care when I needed stitches in February. I didn't want to pay the $100 ER co-pay. Ugh!

 

[Ngwira]

I like to think that I am a savvy consumer. And this has honestly been one of the best purchases that we have made. We use the machine daily, usually several times a day. It has never had a problem over the past 1.5 years and DH loves it. To me budget doesn't have to mean cheap. I did a lot of research to make sure we got exactly what we wanted. We went to Sur La Table and tried out several machines. We actually tried the machine in 2 different stores to check for the consistency and quality of the machine. Then we saved up for months to buy the machine. I got Sur La Table gift cards at 20% discount, we put the machine on our wedding registry for a 10% discount and we applied a 20% off a single item coupon. It was all very well budgeted.

I agree 100%! Good for you for finding what you wanted at half off.

 

[Ngwira]

Won't be making much headway in the debt department this month. I did make a $1,000 payment for the windows. Balance is $6k 0 percent interest due August 2018. I did take 5k out of my checking to pay for the car. Balance is 6k 1.9 interest until July 2021. I am hoping not to add anymore to our debt situation. All extra money will go towards these two debts.
I found out yesterday that our taxes for half of 2016 and 2107 are going up...no surprise there. This is NJ and everything keeps climbing. When we bought the house in 2013, our taxes were $5400, now 3 short years later, we are approaching 6k..this is for a 1400 square feet home with no garage or basement. Our home is modest, but in a great neighborhood, so while I don't like it, I just have to deal with it.
I was able to use my FSA to pay the ER and urgent care copays so no money out of pocket! My goal for August is to pay as much debt as I can.

 

[Ngwira]

Hope everyone is alright. Sorry about your co-pay. This is exactly why I went to urgent care when I needed stitches in February. I didn't want to pay the $100 ER co-pay. Ugh!

Yeah, both DH and DD are doing fine Thanks everyone for the good thoughts!

 

[bcwife76]

When I used to have a Keurig, I had the reuseable basket for tea and it worked very well. DH always hated coffee from the Keurig, whether it was with the reuseable basket or a kcup. We got rid of it after I bought our fancy espresso machine. It heats water in addition to making espresso and heating/frothing milk, so no need for the Keurig anymore. But I think the reuseable basket is a good value.

We recently got rid of our Keurig (sold it for $25, better than nothing!) and bought a Ninja Coffee Bar. LOOOOOOOVE it!!!! But with our Keurig we had a reuseable filter as well.

 

[bcwife76]

I use ice and lemons in our garbage sink disposal as well. I hate that darn thing, but at least it's still working. Scares the bejeez out of me though

I had my 6 month cleaning at the dentist today (only owed $7.40!) but the bad news is that I need another root canal (already had two ten years ago). So I'm going back mid September. Quote for it is $1,067. I think insurance will cover upwards of 80% but the receptionist at the dental office thinks we will be covered 100% I'll find out in a couple of weeks when Manulife mails me their quote. That would certainly take the sting out of another root canal. I hate my teeth

 

[dayvewc]

Speaking of cars I wonder how dayvewc
is doing?
Hugs Mel

Where is Dave? How are you, my friend?

Well, i just got back with my car. Left Monday afternoon about 3 pm, stayed overnight in Elizabethtown KY. Drove in on Tuesday and barely made it to the shop before they closed. Turned in the rental (4000 miles in 16 days) and stayed back. Didn't get far, stopped at Washington PA for the night. Drove Wednesday to St. Louis and stayed there, and the rest of the way home today.

Total trip was about $1800 - $500 insurance deductible, $750 for the rental (already filed for the reimbursement) about $250 for gas, and $200 for 3 nights in hotels and $100 in food.

Car drives like new and looks good too. I'm just tired.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Well, i just got back with my car. Left Monday afternoon about 3 pm, stayed overnight in Elizabethtown KY. Drove in on Tuesday and barely made it to the shop before they closed. Turned in the rental (4000 miles in 16 days) and stayed back. Didn't get far, stopped at Washington PA for the night. Drove Wednesday to St. Louis and stayed there, and the rest of the way home today.

Total trip was about $1800 - $500 insurance deductible, $750 for the rental (already filed for the reimbursement) about $250 for gas, and $200 for 3 nights in hotels and $100 in food.

Car drives like new and looks good too. I'm just tired.

Glad you made it back safe!

 

[gracie1]

Well, i just got back with my car. Left Monday afternoon about 3 pm, stayed overnight in Elizabethtown KY. Drove in on Tuesday and barely made it to the shop before they closed. Turned in the rental (4000 miles in 16 days) and stayed back. Didn't get far, stopped at Washington PA for the night. Drove Wednesday to St. Louis and stayed there, and the rest of the way home today.

Total trip was about $1800 - $500 insurance deductible, $750 for the rental (already filed for the reimbursement) about $250 for gas, and $200 for 3 nights in hotels and $100 in food.

Car drives like new and looks good too. I'm just tired.

Will you be able to be refunded everything? Or just the rental car?