Debt Dumpers 2023

[barkley]

on insurance-look for every discount you might qualify for. we get them for bundling all products through the same company, paying in full when renewal occurs (vs. monthly on car/home), driving under a certain number of miles per year (when we drove more we just did this on one of the cars so at least it qualified for a discount). when we had a younger driver on our policy we made sure the g.p.a. discount was met/applied and also had the kid do some kind of safe driver online course (took like 30 minutes) that qualified for another discount.

 

[bababear_50]

I Just cut the nieces and nephews and sister & brothers from the Christmas list...
this was hard for me but it just seems to make sense.
I will be sticking with my immediate family (3 sons and 1 Granddaughter).
Having some emergency savings seemed more important.

Oh and my Condo fee just went up,, my private health Ins. just went up and everything food seems to have gone up,, almost double..
When planning for retirement I didn't think food inflation would be a factor ,,I was wrong.
Thank God I paid off my mortgage.





Hugs Mel

 

[disney-inspired]

I Just cut the nieces and nephews and sister & brothers from the Christmas list...
this was hard for me but it just seems to make sense.
I will be sticking with my immediate family (3 sons and 1 Granddaughter).
Having some emergency savings seemed more important.

Oh and my Condo fee just went up,, my private health Ins. just went up and everything food seems to have gone up.
When planning for retirement I didn't think food inflation would be a factor ,,I was wrong.




Hugs Mel

I've removed pretty much all adults with jobs from my list. Exceptions are my immediate family (mom, dad, sister & BIL).

 

[bababear_50]

I've removed pretty much all adults with jobs from my list. Exceptions are my immediate family (mom, dad, sister & BIL).

Well done re organizing your list.


Hugs Mel

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

We decided not to do presents this year. We were going to do gift cards, but DW and I came down with Covid this past week. So we're not even going to be able to go home for Christmas. It was going to be such a short trip (3 hours each way to spend about 24 hours total at home) that we decided it's better to stay put and maybe go home the next weekend when we have an additional day.

That said, we decided gift cards for a couple of reasons. My parents are both in their 70s, have been married 51 years and need nothing. They eat out sometimes and go to Lowe's (my dad does) just about every other day. My nieces are both in college, and neither of them need anything more than money. My sister and her husband are the same way.

So that's why we decided to do a gift card swap. I mean, we don't need anything. And we spend money on groceries, eating out, buying gas, etc. So we're all helping each other do that. Same thing with DW's parents. They've been married more than 40 years, so we're giving them gift cards to go eat out. The only exception is our newborn nephew, who is a 3-1/2 weeks old. We're buying stuff for him.

 

[Nettlelondon]

Just to preface this with the info that I am in the UK.

Car insurance rates have gone through the roof here as well - apparently it is because parts are more expensive making claims higher/cars are more sophisticated making repairs more difficult making claims higher/wages have gone up making repairs more expensive making claims higher. Pick whichever fits the insurance industry spokesperson's agenda that day - because it is never that the execs want bigger bonuses or the shareholders want bigger profits. Some may say I am cynical. We have just bought a new car and the first company I contacted quoted £5,500 for the year ($7,000). A bit of shopping around got it down to £1,200.

We don't buy presents for many people but with my sister-in-law and her husband we always have a challenge - and a price limit. We might specify the gift has to come from a particular store, or from thrift stores/the equivalent of Goodwill, or be home made. This year the items had to come from an auction - be it a local physical auction house or eBay. This has proved to be great fun - and the only bit we have done so far is the shopping! My SIL is also notoriously clumsy so we bought a random box of about 80 assorted wine glasses for about £20 / $25 including fees. Hopefully we will get through the festive season with some intact but if we don't it won't have cost much. One year the Christmas presents had to come from a camping supplies shop and she got a collection of unbreakable glasses.

 

[goofytinkerbell]

1

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Our car insurance has ballooned to over $325 per month. That's for 2 cards. It was less than $175 just a year ago. So what are we doing wrong? We have the same amount of coverage as a year ago. Right now, we have Progressive. They started out this past summer at $220. Now it's over $100 more per month. I'm thinking about calling and figuring out why as that doesn't make any sense. Not sure how to check around to see if something is cheaper. Any help?

I would definitely shop around. Dig up your policy and turn to the Declarations page. That lists all the details/coverages in your policy and cost for each. Unless you intentionally want to lower coverage or increase deductibles, you will want to get estimates for the same coverage so you're comparing apples to apples. Sometimes insurance companies lowball you with super low coverage to lure you in, then late you realize it's not the same coverage you had before. JMHO but good coverage is important and not something to skimp on. There are trucks and SUVs out there that cost >$100k. I wouldn't want to be in an accident with one and be underinsured.
Our policy with AAA went up over $1000k per year when our firstborn got his learner's permit. So we switched to GEICO and saved hundreds. (Lol, I sound like a commercial.) Anyway, I agree with barkley who mentioned keeping all insurance with the same company to get multi-policy discounts. Ask them what other discounts they offer that you might qualify for. I get a pretty good discount on our cell phone service because of where I work, it just happens that ATT offers it to employees who work at my hospital.
Also, dh and I both take an online defensive driving course for the discount. Not all states allow it but the discount is applied for 3 years and our insurance company lets us know when the discount is about to expire so we take it again.
I also had our kids take it when they were younger. They pay their own bills now so if they want to be hardheads and pay more for car insurance, that's on them.

https://www3.safetyserve.com/courses/insurance/geico/

https://www3.safetyserve.com/insurance-select-a-state/


Once you start paying off some debt and building up a snowball, it will get easier to budget for car insurance in advance so that when the bill comes, it's not stressful, just transfer from our car insurance savings fund and pay it. I pay $100 biweekly to the car insurance fund by direct deposit. It took a looooong time before ever getting to the point that I could do that, like it took years. Baby steps.
Paying the bill in the fewest payments possible is usually cheapest.

Good luck! HTH

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

@pblack
Thinking of you and your dad and wishing him good progress in his journey to hopefully a full recovery. Sending you hugs.

 

[jen7233]

I haven't been on the boards or checked in for a while. I have been busy with work and outside of work has as well. I am in the opposite direction of debt dumping this year, so I likely don't have anything productive to input. My credit cards are on fire, so that's what I'll be working on next year. DH and I both have small and much needed raises coming in January with each of our jobs in the new year.

I hope all is well with the group and wish you all a happy holiday season.

 

[wdwpluto]

I'm self-employed and my health insurance is through the Marketplace and went up just shy of $100/month. And the coverage is not great. (I make too much to qualify for any assistance, which is a good thing, but ugh) I shopped for alternate plans and I could have gotten a slightly cheaper plan but I'd lose all of my doctors and one of my two prescriptions would no longer be covered, so it doesn't make sense.

Car insurance has gone up and continues to go up every 6-month renewal. My homeowner's insurance company is pulling out of Florida, so when my policy is up I'll need to find a new carrier for my hard to insure because it was built in 1950 house. I imagine that'll come at an increased cost as well.

 

[CinderEmma94]

End of the year check in! My last post was in June (life got away from me but I have been watching this thread and cheering everyone on!)

1. Pay off the birth **done
2. Pay off two of our 3 credit cards (approx $13,000). **First card is paid off! We currently owe $6,650.
2.5 Pay off third credit card (approx $14,000). **Currently owe $11,900.
3. Start husband’s 403B (he works for a non-profit) and contribute to match (5% of our income). **Set up and have been steadily contributing since the first paycheck of July! This was set and forget - I check it occasionally to update our net worth tracker but since it is long term investing we don't stress about it.
4. Grow emergency savings to $13,000 by the end of 2023. **7,270/13,000 -- didn't reach this goal, but all 3 kids' savings were bumped up as well as investing. It is a priority for next year.

Personal goals:
1. Continue making moving my body a priority (4/7 days a week) **The past month has been the best month for me in 2023. We finally got a Peloton bike (we have been thinking about it for 3 years and finally were able to cash flow it). I have been doing something active daily, whether that is going to Disney with the kids, riding the bike, strength classes or just stretching. I have added stretching into my daily routine and I feel like a new person (that sounds a little dramatic but it is true).
2. Read 12 books this year **250/12 books read this year! I met my goal in June and just kept going. When I made the goal this time last year I wasn't really reading at all anymore, but I have always been a reader. Kids and life got in the way of that but I finally gave myself permission to be my own person and follow my interests and I learned that it doesn't make me a bad mom, I actually became a better mom for my kids this year because I made my mental health a priority.

 

[pblack]

Merry Christmas eve (or day, depending on where you are)! I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing holiday. And if you don't celebrate? I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing day!

 

[Tygerlilly]

Kids and life got in the way of that but I finally gave myself permission to be my own person and follow my interests and I learned that it doesn't make me a bad mom, I actually became a better mom for my kids this year because I made my mental health a priority.

This was 100% my biggest accomplishment this year. I started working on my mental health, followed by my physical health and I'm such a better mom and wife for it. I use to put myself last and I was exhausted in so many ways until I finally gave myself permission to start enjoying the things that made me "me" again.

 

[goofytinkerbell]

1

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[Tygerlilly]

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[dayvewc]

I have not been here for, well, longer than I want to have to think about.

I have WAY too much to list everything that has happened in the past several many months, so I will just touch on the highlights (in no particular order).

• In the past year, I have lost my mother, my sister, an aunt, a couple of cousins ( some closer than others), a cousin of my dad's that was 105, and a couple of close friends.
• I have been in a stressful situation at work this fall, with a new administration at the school district. We are under a new mandate that the "students must learn, or we will be shut down!" I keep thinking, if it were just that easy, why wouldn't we have been doing it all these years already?
  • We finished the first semester, and the supplies that I requested (and ordered from the funds that were distributed to each teacher for the purpose of ordering the supplies we needed to teach our classes this year) still have not been delivered or even purchased.
• On the plus side, I finally got my settlement from my car wreck in April of 2022, the last week, which made my Christmas a nice one as I am:
  • Debt Free on
    • Capital One
    • Sam's Club Credit Card
    • DVC Loan
    • Hilton Grand Vacations
    • Holiday Inn Club Vacations
  • With a fair Nest Egg Left
  • I still have
    • Car Payment on Olaf
    • Mortgage Payment on my House
      • that is under contract to sell to another person, through a rent to own process that pays the mortgage and a small profit to me each month

Anyway. Looks like this year is ending better than it began.

Wanted to drop in and wish everyone here a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy New Year. Or whatever Holy Day you observe and however you hold it dear.

 

[happily single]

Just to preface this with the info that I am in the UK.

Car insurance rates have gone through the roof here as well - apparently it is because parts are more expensive making claims higher/cars are more sophisticated making repairs more difficult making claims higher/wages have gone up making repairs more expensive making claims higher. Pick whichever fits the insurance industry spokesperson's agenda that day - because it is never that the execs want bigger bonuses or the shareholders want bigger profits. Some may say I am cynical. We have just bought a new car and the first company I contacted quoted £5,500 for the year ($7,000). A bit of shopping around got it down to £1,200.

We don't buy presents for many people but with my sister-in-law and her husband we always have a challenge - and a price limit. We might specify the gift has to come from a particular store, or from thrift stores/the equivalent of Goodwill, or be home made. This year the items had to come from an auction - be it a local physical auction house or eBay. This has proved to be great fun - and the only bit we have done so far is the shopping! My SIL is also notoriously clumsy so we bought a random box of about 80 assorted wine glasses for about £20 / $25 including fees. Hopefully we will get through the festive season with some intact but if we don't it won't have cost much. One year the Christmas presents had to come from a camping supplies shop and she got a collection of unbreakable glasses.

How fun!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I have not been here for, well, longer than I want to have to think about.

I have WAY too much to list everything that has happened in the past several many months, so I will just touch on the highlights (in no particular order).

• In the past year, I have lost my mother, my sister, an aunt, a couple of cousins ( some closer than others), a cousin of my dad's that was 105, and a couple of close friends.
• I have been in a stressful situation at work this fall, with a new administration at the school district. We are under a new mandate that the "students must learn, or we will be shut down!" I keep thinking, if it were just that easy, why wouldn't we have been doing it all these years already?
  • We finished the first semester, and the supplies that I requested (and ordered from the funds that were distributed to each teacher for the purpose of ordering the supplies we needed to teach our classes this year) still have not been delivered or even purchased.
• On the plus side, I finallygot my settlement from my car wreck in April of 2022, the last week, which made my Christmas a nice one as I am:
  • Debt Free on
    • Capital One
    • Sam's Club Credit Card
    • DVC Loan
    • Hilton Grand Vacations
    • Holiday Inn Club Vacations
  • With a fair Nest Egg Left
  • I still have
    • Car Payment on Olaf
    • Mortgage Payment on my House
      • that is under contract to sell to another person, through a rent to own process that pays the mortgage and a small profit to me each month

Anyway. Looks like this year is ending better than it began.

Wanted to drop in and wish everyone here a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy New Year. Or whatever Holy Day you observe and however you hold it dear.

I’m sorry for your many losses of loved ones. That’s a lot of grief on a heart.
Glad to hear you paid off a lot of debt. That must be a big weight lifted off of you.
Where will you live if you sell your home?

Geez, is it any wonder so many teachers want to retire early or just leave the field?