Debt Dumpers 2020

[RamblingMad]

Same! Our old TV was purchased in 2007, and while it was a higher end one at the time with excellent picture quality (was a Samsung), the OLED is just in a completely different ballpark.

Now we are wanting to upgrade our Soundbar. We have a Vizio that was like $150 from Wal Mart 9 years ago (consistently rated one of the best in the value category). Lately, though, the subwoofer cuts in and out and its getting annoying. There are so many soundbars on the market now and I don't know which one to get. Our great room setup with somewhat high ceilings isn't conducive to a true surround system (nowhere to mount side or rear speakers) and no wall on the sides for sound to bounce off of. I've been looking but they Ll seem to have caveats based on the size and shape of a room.

I’m looking to upgrade from a Vizio too. But everything I’m finding that’s good is nearly $2k.

 

[jen7233]

Well, I went to get on the lawnmower this morning and the engine blew. Like, cracked down the side and oil leaking out. We got it used (for free!) 5 years ago so it's been worth what we paid haha. We really need either a wider mower deck or a zero turn mower though, so it looks like we'll be shelling out about $3000 for a new one.

Yikes! Not a way to start the morning!

 

[WeatherLights]

Ugh. Tomorrow we are replacing our two air conditioning units. We had a technician out to repair one that was not cooling as well as it should and asked him to look at the other one as well. Both are in bad shape. The cost of repairs will be about 3500. Two new units will be about $10,000. They're both at the end of their expected lifespan so we decided to replace instead of repair. But, dang, that's a lot of money out the door in one fell swoop!

 

[barkley]

Ugh. Tomorrow we are replacing our two air conditioning units. We had a technician out to repair one that was not cooling as well as it should and asked him to look at the other one as well. Both are in bad shape. The cost of repairs will be about 3500. Two new units will be about $10,000. They're both at the end of their expected lifespan so we decided to replace instead of repair. But, dang, that's a lot of money out the door in one fell swoop!

ouch! but on the bright side you may see a savings long term on your utility bill. we had an issue going on w/ours a year or so ago that we hadn't realized had been going on for so long (just thought it was so hot the a/c was having a hard time keeping up with it), once resolved we saw our utility bill take a nice drop during the summer months.

 

[disney-inspired]

I meant to join this thread earlier this year but then this *gestures at everything going on* happened.

This year has been a doozie - a cancer diagnosis and it's associated medical bills really derailed my financial plans. Thankfully I didn't incur any new debt because of it (yay health insurance!)

Financial Goals for the rest of 2020

• Pay off Paypal Mastercard
• Pay of Apple credit card
• Pay off the two smallest federal student loans, taking advantage of the zero % interest
• Save a total of $7,000 by 12/31

Personal Goals

• Surviving cancer was my only goal this year and thank God, I'm still here

 

[imbatman]

Personal Goals

• Surviving cancer was my only goal this year and thank God, I'm still here

I'm there next to you! I'm going in for preventative mastectomies at the end of this month! I'm so glad you've decided to join our merry band! We all agree that 2020 has been pretty much a blender on high with no lid on. Excellent financial goals! And I am so grateful you're here to post.

 

[disney-inspired]

I'm there next to you! I'm going in for preventative mastectomies at the end of this month! I'm so glad you've decided to join our merry band! We all agree that 2020 has been pretty much a blender on high with no lid on. Excellent financial goals! And I am so grateful you're here to post.

Thank you! Prayers out for you
I had a hysterectomy in March and thankfully the cancer was fully contained and wasn't in the lymph nodes.

 

[barkley]

I'm there next to you! I'm going in for preventative mastectomies at the end of this month! I'm so glad you've decided to join our merry band! We all agree that 2020 has been pretty much a blender on high with no lid on. Excellent financial goals! And I am so grateful you're here to post.

just as a means of encouragement-a family member had this done in the early 2000's after some early signs of problems. despite being pregnant at the time and unable to do the entire regiment of post op treatments she is now nearing 15 years with an absolutely clean bill of health.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I'm there next to you! I'm going in for preventative mastectomies at the end of this month! I'm so glad you've decided to join our merry band! We all agree that 2020 has been pretty much a blender on high with no lid on. Excellent financial goals! And I am so grateful you're here to post.

Wishing you the very best. Not preventative for me.. but necessary. You got this!!

 

[imbatman]

Thank you! Prayers out for you
I had a hysterectomy in March and thankfully the cancer was fully contained and wasn't in the lymph nodes.

just as a means of encouragement-a family member had this done in the early 2000's after some early signs of problems. despite being pregnant at the time and unable to do the entire regiment of post op treatments she is now nearing 15 years with an absolutely clean bill of health.

Thanks! I'm nervous, but glad that I get the chance to outrun this. Inherited the gene from my dad, who's had multiple types of cancer and is now living with a stage 4 metastasis.

In financial news: I'm 5 payments away from CC1 being paid off! It's actually 2.5, but I split the two payments into two, in case there's a medical necessity purchase that pops up. October, I'm coming for you!

 

[DisneyMandC]

We went out and bought our new lawnmower yesterday! Spent right at $3000, which is what I was expecting, but I'm happy with what we got. The mower deck is a whole foot wider than what we had before so it should cut down on our mowing time significantly.

I'm seeing news this morning that even though Trump's executive order on student loan forbearance for the remainder of the year did not explicitly include PSLF payments, it will now be included! That's another almost $1200 saved for me, not to mention the PSLF "payments."

 

[jen7233]

We went out and bought our new lawnmower yesterday! Spent right at $3000, which is what I was expecting, but I'm happy with what we got. The mower deck is a whole foot wider than what we had before so it should cut down on our mowing time significantly.

I'm seeing news this morning that even though Trump's executive order on student loan forbearance for the remainder of the year did not explicitly include PSLF payments, it will now be included! That's another almost $1200 saved for me, not to mention the PSLF "payments."

Sounds good, and that the purchase went well, and cut down that lawnmowing time! I don't mow ours here, DH does that and just have the pushmower but the yard is beasty, complicated. When we lived in flat yard areas, I used to do our mowing and loved it. If we had the space, I might find riding on a mower slightly a good time!

Not following too much on the student loan in news, but good news for you.

 

[jen7233]

Trader Joe's shoppers: what is something you love to get there and recommend? I've only been once, heading there today.

 

[StacyStrong]

Welp, saved about $350. Our washer kept getting the uneven load error so we called a repair service. They wanted to charge us $400 for the fix. At that point we might as well have gotten a new washer. So, we found the part on eBay for about $35 and my boyfriend watched a YouTube video and installed it himself. Washer is now working like a champ.

 

[dina444444]

Trader Joe's shoppers: what is something you love to get there and recommend? I've only been once, heading there today.

I love their artichoke antipasto dip (it's where the canned goods are in my store). I also love these 3 types of pasta they have in the freezer aisle: linguine with pesto and tomatoes, fettuccine with mushrooms, and penne arrabbiata, as well as the chicken taquitos.

 

[cmrdgrs]

Ugh. Tomorrow we are replacing our two air conditioning units. We had a technician out to repair one that was not cooling as well as it should and asked him to look at the other one as well. Both are in bad shape. The cost of repairs will be about 3500. Two new units will be about $10,000. They're both at the end of their expected lifespan so we decided to replace instead of repair. But, dang, that's a lot of money out the door in one fell swoop!

Did the compressors fail on your A/Cs?

 

[cmrdgrs]

Welp, saved about $350. Our washer kept getting the uneven load error so we called a repair service. They wanted to charge us $400 for the fix. At that point we might as well have gotten a new washer. So, we found the part on eBay for about $35 and my boyfriend watched a YouTube video and installed it himself. Washer is now working like a champ.

Super awesome! What was the issue? My DH has replaced the bearings in our front load machine twice now and has extended the life of our washing machine several years now. The next time the bearings go we've decided we'll get a new machine, but this washer/dryer set is from 2004 or 2005. I'm hoping to get 18 years out of them. 20 would be nice, but I think that's not going to happen.

 

[StacyStrong]

Super awesome! What was the issue? My DH has replaced the bearings in our front load machine twice now and has extended the life of our washing machine several years now. The next time the bearings go we've decided we'll get a new machine, but this washer/dryer set is from 2004 or 2005. I'm hoping to get 18 years out of them. 20 would be nice, but I think that's not going to happen.

It’s a top load washer. The 4 long springy things needed to be replaced. Suspension rods? Big poles with suspension on them? Lol I’m not entirely sure what they are actually called....I just used to the part number to find it online.

 

[StacyStrong]

Trader Joe's shoppers: what is something you love to get there and recommend? I've only been once, heading there today.

The macarons! Although I make them now instead of buying

 

[pblack]

Trader Joe's shoppers: what is something you love to get there and recommend? I've only been once, heading there today.

I love their frozen mashed potatoes and the creamy vodka sauce for pasta. Also their mini chocolate chip cookies.