Debt Dumpers 2021

[PrincessNelly]

Alright... I'm very late but I'm jumping in!

For what's left of 2021 Financial Goals:

• Pay off $1,400 of credit card debt.
• Save $2,000 toward emergency fund.
• Save $600 for Christmas 2021 fund
• Save $3,000 for vacation fund

2021 Personal Goals:

• Take better care of myself - mentally, emotionally, & physically

My BF lost his job in March and finally found employment last week. Now I can finally tackle some of the important financial things that have eluded me while trying to cover our living expenses.
I feel really confident I can cover all of my goals and then some in the next 3 months.

We booked a WDW birthday trip for myself at the end of January as a reward for crushing it throughout this stressful year. Its currently at $2,700 for 7 nights at Port Orleans FQ but I'm hoping for a discount so we can add 2 more days. I've already racked up $400 in gift cards through receipts scanning/cash back apps and have $250 in flights credits.
I should receive a really nice Christmas bonus this year too which will probably cover the trip & dining cost, so my income can focus on bills, saving, and paying down debts.

We lost so many close family members this year - my dad, grandmother, my sister's best friend, and 8 year old godson. On top of my mother getting sick. I have had to seriously learn to take care of myself more. I really hope everyone here gets some self love and care in this year too.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Alright... I'm very late but I'm jumping in!

For what's left of 2021 Financial Goals:

• Pay off $1,400 of credit card debt.
• Save $2,000 toward emergency fund.
• Save $600 for Christmas 2021 fund
• Save $3,000 for vacation fund

2021 Personal Goals:

• Take better care of myself - mentally, emotionally, & physically

My BF lost his job in March and finally found employment last week. Now I can finally tackle some of the important financial things that have eluded me while trying to cover our living expenses.
I feel really confident I can cover all of my goals and then some in the next 3 months.

We booked a WDW birthday trip for myself at the end of January as a reward for crushing it throughout this stressful year. Its currently at $2,700 for 7 nights at Port Orleans FQ but I'm hoping for a discount so we can add 2 more days. I've already racked up $400 in gift cards through receipts scanning/cash back apps and have $250 in flights credits.
I should receive a really nice Christmas bonus this year too which will probably cover the trip & dining cost, so my income can focus on bills, saving, and paying down debts.

We lost so many close family members this year - my dad, grandmother, and 8 year old godson. On top of my mother getting sick. I have had to seriously learn to take care of myself more. I really hope everyone here gets some self love and care in this year too.

I’m so sorry for your loses. That is a lot of heartache in such a short time. Hugs to you.

Glad you’re getting back on track financially.

 

[PrincessNelly]

I’m so sorry for your loses. That is a lot of heartache in such a short time. Hugs to you.

Glad you’re getting back on track financially.

Thank you. Sadly, I forgot to mention my sister's best friend also passed away a month ago and my father in law being diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. It's been an awful year to say the least but we're hanging in there.
Your post about paying of your mortgage is actually what led me to jump in.
What a wonderful accomplishment and so inspirational.
I feel like my goals are pretty small compared to others but if you guys can do it, so can I!

 

[StacyStrong]

Wow, I am just....all over the place. 2022 is going to be SO expensive.

Disney Budgeting Updates:

I mentioned previously that I am taking a Disney trip in February 2022. That trip is February 5th-12 in a 1bedroom BWV. 4 park days at Disney. 2 at Universal. The disney and universal tickets are already paid for in cash and I'm saving monthly to account for all other expenses. We are driving there and the room is free so it wasn't actually supposed to be that expensive.

BUT WAIT.

My nephew/godson turns 5 next year. We (mostly me) have been wanting to take him to Disney since birth practically. My family was raised on Disney with yearly trips and I was very excited at the possibility of introducing him to Disney. This trip will be...pricey. It'll be 5 nights with 3 day park hoppers plus 2 days at universal. We have a BUNCH of people going, but my sister is a single low income mom and I really wanted to make this happen, so I'm paying for my nephew's flight and park tickets (as his overpriced birthday and christmas gifts). Additionally, my S/O is (maybe? probably?) joining me on this trip. We have been together 10 years and I somehow have NEVER gotten him to join me at WDW. Not his cup of tea. Anywho...I was budgeting 5k for this trip.

BUT WAIT.

I run. Not fast, but I run. My friend and I FINALLY decided we wanted to run a marathon so....we are running the 2023 Disney marathon (assuming nothing crazy happens and it happens). So....that will be another week long trip. Luckily we can stay for free on her parents DVC points (for some reason they pay cash for their trips and just let us run through the points? weird, but I accept).

All this to say that I'll probably buy an AP in February because it'll be cheaper in the long run. I'll also probably buy a Universal AP for the same reason. As an out-of-stater, this will practically double my upfront costs in February. But yay! So many Disney trips!

----------

With respect to everything else, my budget is on track. No new debt. Still saving (though some months are higher than others). Trucking along slowly, but surely on my house down payment fund. Also, I'm up for a promotion at work. They are SO slow at making decisions though, so I have no idea when I will find out. My boss quit a month ago and my promotion to her role has been working its way through the ranks since. Every time I check in with leadership, it's going through another layer of people. I would be worried if it wasn't like this for EVERY hire and EVERY promotion at my company. It's just a snails pace process.

 

[afan]

Wow, I am just....all over the place. 2022 is going to be SO expensive.

Disney Budgeting Updates:

I mentioned previously that I am taking a Disney trip in February 2022. That trip is February 5th-12 in a 1bedroom BWV. 4 park days at Disney. 2 at Universal. The disney and universal tickets are already paid for in cash and I'm saving monthly to account for all other expenses. We are driving there and the room is free so it wasn't actually supposed to be that expensive.

BUT WAIT.

My nephew/godson turns 5 next year. We (mostly me) have been wanting to take him to Disney since birth practically. My family was raised on Disney with yearly trips and I was very excited at the possibility of introducing him to Disney. This trip will be...pricey. It'll be 5 nights with 3 day park hoppers plus 2 days at universal. We have a BUNCH of people going, but my sister is a single low income mom and I really wanted to make this happen, so I'm paying for my nephew's flight and park tickets (as his overpriced birthday and christmas gifts). Additionally, my S/O is (maybe? probably?) joining me on this trip. We have been together 10 years and I somehow have NEVER gotten him to join me at WDW. Not his cup of tea. Anywho...I was budgeting 5k for this trip.

BUT WAIT.

I run. Not fast, but I run. My friend and I FINALLY decided we wanted to run a marathon so....we are running the 2023 Disney marathon (assuming nothing crazy happens and it happens). So....that will be another week long trip. Luckily we can stay for free on her parents DVC points (for some reason they pay cash for their trips and just let us run through the points? weird, but I accept).

All this to say that I'll probably buy an AP in February because it'll be cheaper in the long run. I'll also probably buy a Universal AP for the same reason. As an out-of-stater, this will practically double my upfront costs in February. But yay! So many Disney trips!

----------

With respect to everything else, my budget is on track. No new debt. Still saving (though some months are higher than others). Trucking along slowly, but surely on my house down payment fund. Also, I'm up for a promotion at work. They are SO slow at making decisions though, so I have no idea when I will find out. My boss quit a month ago and my promotion to her role has been working its way through the ranks since. Every time I check in with leadership, it's going through another layer of people. I would be worried if it wasn't like this for EVERY hire and EVERY promotion at my company. It's just a snails pace process.

I would really do the math on that AP. By that I mean, look at the cost of the tickets you will need for the dates of each trip. With date based ticket prices now it sometimes makes it so it makes sense and other times it doesn't. With the old pricing a 9 day and a 5 day trip would have been a no brainer, with the dates of both of these trips it would have cost me an extra 70 on top of the tickets and memory maker just for an AP. Ok if I knew I could have gotten that much in discounts but easier to just not do the 2nd trip for me

 

[StacyStrong]

I would really do the math on that AP. By that I mean, look at the cost of the tickets you will need for the dates of each trip. With date based ticket prices now it sometimes makes it so it makes sense and other times it doesn't. With the old pricing a 9 day and a 5 day trip would have been a no brainer, with the dates of both of these trips it would have cost me an extra 70 on top of the tickets and memory maker just for an AP. Ok if I knew I could have gotten that much in discounts but easier to just not do the 2nd trip for me

Oh yeah, for sure!

I always buy hoppers so it's a little "easier" to hit.

My Feb tickets cost $556.
November trip will cost $478

I'd just need to spend $350 on tickets on marathon weekend, which I will. Plus discounts on rundisney + christmas party I'm sure I will be going to!

 

[crazycatstacy]

The appraisal is today and a water main broke and we have no water! UGH!!! Fingers crossed they get it done by tonight when the appraiser shows up!

Headed to Disney in December and we have always used deluxe dining. Made our dining reservations and guesstimated costs and it is going to be so much more than when we having a dining plan. Freaking out a little but I will figure it out.

My nephew is joining us at the beginning of the trip and he is building a droid and a lightsaber. I know both are expensive and probably excessive but he doesn't have the greatest home life and his parents suck so he deserves both.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Alright... I'm very late but I'm jumping in!

For what's left of 2021 Financial Goals:

• Pay off $1,400 of credit card debt.
• Save $2,000 toward emergency fund.
• Save $600 for Christmas 2021 fund
• Save $3,000 for vacation fund

2021 Personal Goals:

• Take better care of myself - mentally, emotionally, & physically

My BF lost his job in March and finally found employment last week. Now I can finally tackle some of the important financial things that have eluded me while trying to cover our living expenses.
I feel really confident I can cover all of my goals and then some in the next 3 months.

We booked a WDW birthday trip for myself at the end of January as a reward for crushing it throughout this stressful year. Its currently at $2,700 for 7 nights at Port Orleans FQ but I'm hoping for a discount so we can add 2 more days. I've already racked up $400 in gift cards through receipts scanning/cash back apps and have $250 in flights credits.
I should receive a really nice Christmas bonus this year too which will probably cover the trip & dining cost, so my income can focus on bills, saving, and paying down debts.

We lost so many close family members this year - my dad, grandmother, my sister's best friend, and 8 year old godson. On top of my mother getting sick. I have had to seriously learn to take care of myself more. I really hope everyone here gets some self love and care in this year too.

I just wanted to say I'm sorry for your losses. Your year sounds a lot like mine. I lost my dad and grandmother in a one week span. I feel like I've lived several years since June 1. Hang in there!

 

[crazycatstacy]

I mentioned previously that we were trying to do a fireworks cruise when we are at Disney. Spent 3 hours 45 minutes on hold on Sunday to only get disconnected once a person got on the line. I almost cried. Called back later and spent another 1 hour 30 minutes but none were available for our dates.

My mother-in-law is coming with us for the first time and initially, we wanted to do afternoon tea but since it isn't available my husband wants to do something special. Today I booked the Fairytale Fireworks Cruise where you are on the ferry boats and I booked the dessert party in Magic Kingdom. I will have my husband look at both to see what he wants to keep and will cancel the other one.

 

[barkley]

The appraisal is today and a water main broke and we have no water! UGH!!! Fingers crossed they get it done by tonight when the appraiser shows up!

Headed to Disney in December and we have always used deluxe dining. Made our dining reservations and guesstimated costs and it is going to be so much more than when we having a dining plan. Freaking out a little but I will figure it out.

My nephew is joining us at the beginning of the trip and he is building a droid and a lightsaber. I know both are expensive and probably excessive but he doesn't have the greatest home life and his parents suck so he deserves both.

how did the appraisal go? i remember getting everything looking 'just so' only to find that it was a pretty straight forward process of not much more than the person confirming measurements of rooms, ceiling heights, upgraded vs. builder grader aspects...in the end it was just confirming that our home/property was as stated, and that it wasn't greatly better or worse than whatever comps the appraiser was using (cuz then he might have had to find different comps).

 

[crazycatstacy]

how did the appraisal go? i remember getting everything looking 'just so' only to find that it was a pretty straight forward process of not much more than the person confirming measurements of rooms, ceiling heights, upgraded vs. builder grader aspects...in the end it was just confirming that our home/property was as stated, and that it wasn't greatly better or worse than whatever comps the appraiser was using (cuz then he might have had to find different comps).

I think it went okay. My mom is a realtor so she told me what to expect. She also looked up what the comps were and we should be right in them with no issue. He said the report would be ready tomorrow so fingers crossed we can close and get this all done soon!

 

[PrincessNelly]

I just wanted to say I'm sorry for your losses. Your year sounds a lot like mine. I lost my dad and grandmother in a one week span. I feel like I've lived several years since June 1. Hang in there!

Thank you. I'm sorry for your losses as well. *virtual hug*

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I'm done saving up for Christmas. Next goal is saving up $10,000 that we borrowed from dh's slush fund to pay off the mortgage. That needs to be returned asap. It's part of our safety net/emergency funds. With no mortgage payment, this should be done by mid January.
DCL ships call to me. Many sailings are reduced in price and we love that they're reduced in passenger numbers. We'll probably squeeze another one in before Christmas. We have American Airlines credits that will expire Dec 31.

 

[jen7233]

I'm done saving up for Christmas. Next goal is saving up $10,000 that we borrowed from dh's slush fund to pay off the mortgage. That needs to be returned asap. It's part of our safety net/emergency funds. With no mortgage payment, this should be done by mid January.
DCL ships call to me. Many sailings are reduced in price and we love that they're reduced in passenger numbers. We'll probably squeeze another one in before Christmas. We have American Airlines credits that will expire Dec 31.

I was planning Christmas and holiday break from school, but my sails are taken out of it already. I was going to invite DD and grandkid for Christmas to New Years week, and pay for the plane ticket to visit, but now she has too many issues to deal with over a traffic accident. Thankfully just involving a median divider and no other people. But finding out the insurance wasn't kept up, apparently also had lapsed registration, the license was not returned so I assume it was given to the DMV, until citations and $1700 payment on the moving violation and proof of insurance/proof of registration resolved, also mentions 5 hour driving school on looking up the case, and still owes 3 years on the car loan but the car is now damaged and can't be driven. Had no emergency funds either, not sure if getting a traffic lawyer would be of help or not. Has a huge mess to deal with now, has to take Lyft, so that's taking money from bills to be paid, likely rent not being paid is probably going to be next.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I was planning Christmas and holiday break from school, but my sails are taken out of it already. I was going to invite DD and grandkid for Christmas to New Years week, and pay for the plane ticket to visit, but now she has too many issues to deal with over a traffic accident. Thankfully just involving a median divider and no other people. But finding out the insurance wasn't kept up, apparently also had lapsed registration, the license was not returned so I assume it was given to the DMV, until citations and $1700 payment on the moving violation and proof of insurance/proof of registration resolved, also mentions 5 hour driving school on looking up the case, and still owes 3 years on the car loan but the car is now damaged and can't be driven. Had no emergency funds either, not sure if getting a traffic lawyer would be of help or not. Has a huge mess to deal with now, has to take Lyft, so that's taking money from bills to be paid, likely rent not being paid is probably going to be next.

That is a rough mess to deal with. One thing leads to another. At least no one was hurt. The rest can eventually be sorted out. Hugs to you.

 

[Tygerlilly]

I got a bunch of stocking stuffer type things for Christmas already for the kids and a few bigger things for the middle one, but I need to start really working on actual presents for the other 2. I want to get a Nintendo Switch for the family so I need to keep an eye on them and when I *finally* see one in stock, get it. Still debating on if I want to get the girls each a switch lite also. We do a lot of long car rides, especially the 20 hours to Disney in April we are doing and 23 hours to Philly in May.

Work has extended the $200/week show up and work your schedule bonus, so we're basically getting an extra $400 a check just for doing our jobs. Hubby had 90 hours on his check for working 8 days. Apparently my shift is already 27 hours into 2 days. I go back in 2 weeks, so soon I'll be piling on that extra money too. Going to dump all extra towards paying off our trip.

 

[crazycatstacy]

Appraisal has been submitted and hoping for a closing date this week or next. Fingers crossed we get one quick so we can get part of October's rent back.

Working towards PSLF with my student loans- not sure exactly how the changes impact me since I'm only halfway through but I submitted an employment form for my time before consolidation as I have heard that time might count now. I figured the worst they can say is no and if they say yes it will be a bonus.

 

[crazycatstacy]

Closing date of next Friday. Hallelujah. I am ready to be done.

Was waiting to Christmas shop until closer to Thanksgiving to see about sales but am checking today to see if I should just order now to ensure delivery.

 

[pblack]

Closing date of next Friday. Hallelujah. I am ready to be done.

 

[barkley]

Closing date of next Friday. Hallelujah. I am ready to be done.

Was waiting to Christmas shop until closer to Thanksgiving to see about sales but am checking today to see if I should just order now to ensure delivery.

so is this a house you are already living in? if so, how great not to have to do an actual physical move!!!

holiday shopping i am finding that so far of the online orders i've done (walmart, amazon and target) target is the CLEAR winner on shipping. we have an amazon fulfillment facility near us yet we are waiting so much longer for their items to arrive (weeks vs. days). walmart? they are using so many private vendors now that seem to just be taking orders, printing up shipping labels and charging cards-only to not ship for upwards of a month (if at all). i've had to be refunded on a number of never shown shipments (the shippers show they never received them). target on the other hand-did 7 separate orders during their 3 day sale this week (bundled by price to maximize value on buy 2/get 1 free) and i started getting shipment notices same day/deliveries in 2 days (i have 6 items out for delivery today). i'm going to try to get all my shopping done that i can before the end of this month (i have to hold out on video games cuz most will come through gamestop and their holiday return period is'nt in effect yet).