Debt Dumpers - 2017

[ruadisneyfan2]

Yes the op stated the driver was elderly. I didn't say 61 was old. I'm not far from it

Dh is not far from it either. When I picture an "elderly driver", I'm thinking 85+, when overall, vision is diminished and reaction time increases. Of course, this is not a hard rule that every 86 yr old has these issues but overall, it is more common.
By no means did I say all retired people are bad drivers and yes, young people cause more accidents than any age group because of inexperience and lack of fear, the "it won't happen to ME" attitude.
My father is 75 and drives fine and is not afraid to get on an interstate highway.
My grandmother OTOH, stopped getting on interstates long before 80, then became afraid to drive on state roads during rush hour, then afraid at any time, then was afraid to drive on any road after dark because her night vision was poor and glare from oncoming headlights would blind her. By the time she was 80, she would only drive around the corner to CVS or a little further down a local road to her doctor's office. On a clear day and not during rush hour.
Not everyone has the sense to curtail their driving and admit they are not safe on the road or just admit that they've become afraid to drive.
61 is not old but your parents are!

 

[Ngwira]

I can't believe I forgot to mention the best budget news the other day... we FINALLY found out how much DH's raise is for his promotion! He got 15%, which his boss said it's basically unheard of getting that much! I am very happy for him, not just because it's more money for us but because he does work really hard. Funnily enough, this raise puts us exactly back at the annual salary we were bringing home when I was working in my old (miserable) job before I took a paycut for my new (wonderful) job last year. So, less than a year later, everything has worked out to bring us exactly back to where we were.

We did have to cancel our horse show today due to rain, but the good news is we were able to move the date to two weeks from now for a make-up date. Hopefully we will have good weather then and can recoup our money.

We did go shopping today, but I was happy with our purchases. I've become a lot more mindful the older I've gotten on what I'm realistically going to wear. DH loves to shop for me and is always picking up stuff he wants to see me try on, but 90% of it I tell him "no" on because I know it's not something I'll wear often or be comfortable in. DH did find me a fantastic heavy jacket today for only $30 though. Not real leather, but a very warm jacket that will be great when it gets cold again.

Congrats to your DH!

 

[Dentam]

http://www.9news.com/money/major-changes-coming-to-how-your-credit-score-is-calculated/433511126

Well, it looks like Vantage Score will be the industry standard credit scoring method soon. Not good for me since the score given by them is about 90 points lower than my FICO score. I think maybe the key will be closing cc's as I pay them off rather than keeping them open which was always recommended before.

 

[Aurora_Australis]

Back from our US trip on Saturday and need to get cracking with sorting the bills now. Trip planned and booked last year and the series of events meant we were without a large amount of expected cash. Flights were no refunds though so we would havevlost too much $$$ if we'd cancelled. Should have it paid off by the end of the year, once we factor in saving for SIL's (also totally unexpected when we booked our trip) wedding in Fiji.

 

[momtosam]

http://www.9news.com/money/major-changes-coming-to-how-your-credit-score-is-calculated/433511126

Well, it looks like Vantage Score will be the industry standard credit scoring method soon. Not good for me since the score given by them is about 90 points lower than my FICO score. I think maybe the key will be closing cc's as I pay them off rather than keeping them open which was always recommended before.

I read an article about this too today. My vantage is awful compared to my fico. What concerns me is I think that for sometime use of the two scores will vary from Place to place, so I find I closeout accounts to boost my vantage I'll damage my fico which still might be used.

 

[Dentam]

I read an article about this too today. My vantage is awful compared to my fico. What concerns me is I think that for sometime use of the two scores will vary from Place to place, so I find I closeout accounts to boost my vantage I'll damage my fico which still might be used.

Yeah, I'm not going to close any cc's for awhile - maybe next year when I'll hopefully be ready to replace my car and I figure out what to do to improve my score using this new system.

 

[momtosam]

Yeah, I'm not going to close any cc's for awhile - maybe next year when I'll hopefully be ready to replace my car and I figure out what to do to improve my score using this new system.

This is exactly my conundrum. We will most likely get a car within the next year.

 

[Eureka]

I am also not a big spender on clothes, but I just bought some maternity work pants. I am not quite needing them yet, since I am still not really showing, but I have a bunch of work travel coming up in the next 1-2 months where I need to look presentable. Good thing Old Navy sells pants for just $20. I got black and light grey, which should carry me through most conferences/meetings without issue. I am trying to keep the maternity wear purchases to a minimum and only buy items that are truly necessary. We will see what that means going forward.

Just wait til the end when even maternity pants are tight! Lol. Back in my day, there were fewer cute choices and you couldn't shop online as much. I found a pair of pants I liked and bought them in every color. I think I ended up with 5 pants and a bunch of tops, and one dress because my cousin got married when I was seven months pregnant. I could wear business casual to work.

You're smart to start getting a few things now. Most women have a time when all of a sudden like overnight they pop out and can't fit into their regular clothes anymore.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Just wait til the end when even maternity pants are tight! Lol. Back in my day, there were fewer cute choices and you couldn't shop online as much. I found a pair of pants I liked and bought them in every color. I think I ended up with 5 pants and a bunch of tops, and one dress because my cousin got married when I was seven months pregnant. I could wear business casual to work.

You're smart to start getting a few things now. Most women have a time when all of a sudden like overnight they pop out and can't fit into their regular clothes anymore.

I am lucky in the fact that I work from home 2-3 days per week, which means that I will need less work appropriate clothing in my wardrobe than if I went in 5x per week. I leave on my cruise in 3 weeks and am not sure if I will need to buy anything between now and then. Since we will be doing mostly hiking excursions, I bought some elastic waisted hiking pants from Eddie Bauer to take with me that should be alright even though they aren't specifically maternity pants. And I think that my existing tops will still work alright for the trip. I am thinking that for dinners on the cruise I will take some long jersey knit skirts and nice blouses since they will look decent and be very comfortable. I just don't want to spend a ton of money on clothing that I will use for such a short amount of time.

 

[Tygerlilly]

I just don't want to spend a ton of money on clothing that I will use for such a short amount of time.

One plus side to maternity clothes is that they have great resale value. I spent about $100 on mine and just sold everything for $60. I also wore a lot of Jersey knit skirts in a size bigger. They were great when I was pregnant during the summer of 2015.

 

[pblack]

I don't have much in the way of a debt update, but the hubby did just accept a new position with a different company. This position will come with a slight raise, but since he will now have to commute the raise is a wash. Just hoping that he is happier at the new job then he is at this old job. (I can't handle him complaining anymore ) Him and I both get paid on Friday (I get paid once a month, him every 2 weeks) and i'm hoping to be able to pay off the next smaller credit card on my list. This new job does mean we won't be able to take our Disneyland trip in August ,but we're hopeful we'll still be able to go in October like we planned.

Have a great week!

 

[disneyduonj]

Ugh, this month has been a pretty bad spending month. I am still trying to figure out how bad...definitely used all my "savings" from last month and for next month too.
Here's hoping I can get back in the saddle asap!!!

 

[Tygerlilly]

I have to laugh so I dont cry. I just got the hospital bills for me and baby Hailey. Insurance hasn't taken their part out of it yet (I don't owe anything out of pocket yet at this point), but the statement balance for me was $11,800 and Hailey's was $3,850. I'm hoping insurance takes care of most of it, so I'm anxiously waiting the updated bills.

On another note, I was able to pay a tiny bit extra to one personal loan which brought the balance down to where I can knock it out in 3 more payments instead of 5. We also only have 3 payments left on one furniture lease, so being able to knock those out by July gives me a good 3 months worth of payments ($750 total) that I can put towards our October vacation.

My mom got the girls a Disney gift card to buy a prize and also said if we would like gift cards for our birthdays as an early gift (mine and Piper's birthdays are both a couple weeks after our trip) that she would be happy to do that. And since neither of us need more "stuff" I happily agreed. Hello food and wine money!

Other than that, I go back to work on May 1st. I only go back for one day before my scheduled 4 off, but I like that I can have an easy transition back into it and it gives daddy one day with both girls before throwing him to the wolves for the full 3 days I do work. Lol.

 

[Tygerlilly]

Also, I'm eternally thankful I have a hubby who is into cars. Our breaks pretty much went out the other day. I called a couple shops and the estimates were $400-$600. Since I'm not working, hubby took yesterday to dismantle the front breaks and put new break pads on. Total was $26 for new pads and about an hour and a half of his time.

 

[Eureka]

One plus side to maternity clothes is that they have great resale value. I spent about $100 on mine and just sold everything for $60. I also wore a lot of Jersey knit skirts in a size bigger. They were great when I was pregnant during the summer of 2015.

Definitely. I wore my stuff through two pregnancies and then sold it all on eBay in a big lot. This was years ago so I forgot the price but I know it did very well.

 

[Eureka]

Having a tough day. Have been on a work trip for four days. Going home tomorrow morning but I am just exhausted and over being social, you know? Came back to my hotel room after some morning sessions to finish a few things on my laptop and found out one of my high school classmates died of a rare cancer only about a month after diagnosis. We were not close, but still it feels bad, she was always cheerful back in those day and from what I understand, that was her adult personality as well. She has two elementary aged kids. Then I texted my kids once I knew they would be home from school and they said DH got a flat tire and they had to get a ride with a friend (that part is fine, glad it worked out). So then I worried about DH, hope it happened before he left and not while on the Beltway. And of course that might be another expense too if we need a new tire. Apparently he'll be home soon, so he's taken care of whatever needed doing. Sigh. Sorry guys. It's just been a day. I'm taking Wed off since I worked all weekend, so I can sleep and get into a better frame of mind.

Edited to add that DH came out of work to see a nail in the tire and was able to get to a nearby place to get a new one. So that's good news. We've had a highway blowout before and that what I worried about. Talking to him made me feel a little better too. I'm just ready to be home.

 

[DLgal]

I just don't want to spend a ton of money on clothing that I will use for such a short amount of time.

You will wear the pants, at least, for a LONG time after you give birth. Especially if you plan to have more kids...buy good quality pants now and wear the heck out of them. The ones with the 4" or so stretchy band are the BEST. My youngest is 9 years old and I still wear pants that have that feature. Hides the belly pooch that will never go away...

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Having a tough day. Have been on a work trip for four days. Going home tomorrow morning but I am just exhausted and over being social, you know? Came back to my hotel room after some morning sessions to finish a few things on my laptop and found out one of my high school classmates died of a rare cancer only about a month after diagnosis. We were not close, but still it feels bad, she was always cheerful back in those day and from what I understand, that was her adult personality as well. She has two elementary aged kids. Then I texted my kids once I knew they would be home from school and they said DH got a flat tire and they had to get a ride with a friend (that part is fine, glad it worked out). So then I worried about DH, hope it happened before he left and not while on the Beltway. And of course that might be another expense too if we need a new tire. Apparently he'll be home soon, so he's taken care of whatever needed doing. Sigh. Sorry guys. It's just been a day. I'm taking Wed off since I worked all weekend, so I can sleep and get into a better frame of mind.

Edited to add that DH came out of work to see a nail in the tire and was able to get to a nearby place to get a new one. So that's good news. We've had a highway blowout before and that what I worried about. Talking to him made me feel a little better too. I'm just ready to be home.

Glad everything turned out OK with the tire. Blowouts on the highway are traumatic, so I understand your concern. Enjoy your Wednesday off. Hope you get some much-needed rest.

 

[DawnM]

We have had a year of draining the accounts. It is positive though.

We have paid off almost all of our HELOC. We paid off a car. We paid off my son's surgery, and we put $5K down on a $16K car.

We are moving in the summer of 2018 if all goes as planned. And we will have 2 kids in college. This next school year 100% of my salary is going into an account to cover college for the boys.

We have already told the boys we are cutting expenses.

I thought me going back to work would free up money, instead we are just as tight! But we are digging ourselves out of a hole and will be good on the other side.

 

[Ngwira]

Having a tough day. Have been on a work trip for four days. Going home tomorrow morning but I am just exhausted and over being social, you know? Came back to my hotel room after some morning sessions to finish a few things on my laptop and found out one of my high school classmates died of a rare cancer only about a month after diagnosis. We were not close, but still it feels bad, she was always cheerful back in those day and from what I understand, that was her adult personality as well. She has two elementary aged kids. Then I texted my kids once I knew they would be home from school and they said DH got a flat tire and they had to get a ride with a friend (that part is fine, glad it worked out). So then I worried about DH, hope it happened before he left and not while on the Beltway. And of course that might be another expense too if we need a new tire. Apparently he'll be home soon, so he's taken care of whatever needed doing. Sigh. Sorry guys. It's just been a day. I'm taking Wed off since I worked all weekend, so I can sleep and get into a better frame of mind.

Edited to add that DH came out of work to see a nail in the tire and was able to get to a nearby place to get a new one. So that's good news. We've had a highway blowout before and that what I worried about. Talking to him made me feel a little better too. I'm just ready to be home.

Hugs for you!