Debt Dumpers 2025

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

I really don't go out of my bubble outside of work. I might drive through DFW Airport 2-3 times per year. That was just the last time I did. I had to run down to Arlington for work, so tolls were paid for by my company (well they come out of my toll account then are reimbursed). That's the only reason I went through there and not way out of the way. But overall, we try and avoid tolls (I do anyway, DW has to drive on them to get to work). We also will use PGBT instead of 635 for obvious reasons if we're going out east toward home. But other than those rare occasions and DW going to work, we try and not to use tolls. I don't have to use them on a daily basis, thank goodness.

Yes, it does make sense. It's accomplishing exactly what their goal is. They do not want people using the road as a pass through highway and causing additional traffic. There are multiple routes around the airport that don't charge tolls.

People who are using the airport for it's intended purpose - driving to or from a terminal for a flight - pay less.

No offense, but I think the act of using the expensive toll road rather than an alternative around the airport is consistent with your broader financial challenges others have noted. It's a mindset about money. I drive in the vicinity of the airport weekly, and I never pass through (I think only 1-2 times over 15 years in very extreme circumstances). It's frankly not even faster to drive through the airport, especially with all the construction.

 

[sandam1]

For those who have streaming subscriptions, I'm found that Black Friday is one of the best times of the year to score awesome deals on them. The past two years, I've gotten Peacock for $20 for the year and Disney+ with the Hulu add-on (or maybe it was the other way around) for a total of $5 per month. Yes, for Disney, I need to be a "new subscriber," but that just required switching to a different email address. To keep from forgetting to cancel before the promotional period expires, I just have a post-it note on my calendar to remind me a couple of weeks in advance.

I haven't heard of any deals so far for this year, but I'm going to be keeping my eyes pealed. And if they don't have them, I can totally live without one or both of them for a while.

 

[OlliePop27]

For those who have streaming subscriptions, I'm found that Black Friday is one of the best times of the year to score awesome deals on them. The past two years, I've gotten Peacock for $20 for the year and Disney+ with the Hulu add-on (or maybe it was the other way around) for a total of $5 per month. Yes, for Disney, I need to be a "new subscriber," but that just required switching to a different email address. To keep from forgetting to cancel before the promotional period expires, I just have a post-it note on my calendar to remind me a couple of weeks in advance.

I haven't heard of any deals so far for this year, but I'm going to be keeping my eyes pealed. And if they don't have them, I can totally live without one or both of them for a while.

I saw a deal posted today for a Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) bundle with purchase of a full-year subscription. I believe this is on the Hulu site, or will be later this week.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

I went on there to do it. I was going to subscribe, and I created a new username. But when it showed me prices, it was $12.99/month. Still not bad. But I also wanted to do that one with no ads cause DW hates ads, but I didn't find one.

I saw a deal posted today for a Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) bundle with purchase of a full-year subscription. I believe this is on the Hulu site, or will be later this week.

I saw a deal posted today for a Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) bundle with purchase of a full-year subscription. I believe this is on the Hulu site, or will be later this week.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

Just canceled our storage unit. That'll save $90/month. Will figure out what to do with it. Might put it toward the EF, a little extra on the car payment, pay more on the CC (can now have CC1 paid off in 2 months maybe vs. 9 months if I put all $90 toward CC1) or something. Maybe toward our grocery budget. Who knows. But it helps. Also lowered our internet from $100 to $40, and that will kick in this month.

 

[afan]

Just canceled our storage unit. That'll save $90/month. Will figure out what to do with it. Might put it toward the EF, a little extra on the car payment, pay more on the CC (can now have CC1 paid off in 2 months maybe vs. 9 months if I put all $90 toward CC1) or something. Maybe toward our grocery budget. Who knows. But it helps. Also lowered our internet from $100 to $40, and that will kick in this month.

The savings from storage and internet go to your debt. Once your debt is gone, then you can increase your grocery bill. The whole point of cutting out unnecessary expenses is to get rid of debt, not have more fun money.

 

[sandam1]

I was going to subscribe, and I created a new username. But when it showed me prices, it was $12.99/month. Still not bad.

Usually the deal is through a special link, which can easily be found through Google.

But I also wanted to do that one with no ads cause DW hates ads,

I'm going to say this as nicely as possible - she doesn't get a choice. Watching throughout ads is a luxury (actually any streaming subscription is a luxury, but moving on...). If she doesn't want to watch ads, she has to give up something else to make up the difference between the ad price and the non-ad price. Once you're out of debt and have a fully funded emergency fund, then you can start spending on luxuries.

 

[barkley]

For those who have streaming subscriptions, I'm found that Black Friday is one of the best times of the year to score awesome deals on them. The past two years, I've gotten Peacock for $20 for the year and Disney+ with the Hulu add-on (or maybe it was the other way around) for a total of $5 per month. Yes, for Disney, I need to be a "new subscriber," but that just required switching to a different email address. To keep from forgetting to cancel before the promotional period expires, I just have a post-it note on my calendar to remind me a couple of weeks in advance.

I haven't heard of any deals so far for this year, but I'm going to be keeping my eyes pealed. And if they don't have them, I can totally live without one or both of them for a while.

if you've got an American Express card (even the no annual fee like mine) check to see what offers they have going on using their card for auto billing or payment in full ON TOP of whatever Black Friday streaming deals you can find-i believe they currently have offers for statement credits on hbo max, peacock and discovery. I also noticed that Walmart is having a promotion for 50% off on walmart+ for a year (so $49) and it includes your choice of paramount+ or peacock for a year (and you can change between the 2 every 3 months).

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

Yes. The only reason I said to go on our grocery budget is we're always going over our grocery budget and having to draw from our EF. So that's why I said that. But obviously the wise move would be to put it toward either the $505 car payment (and make it $600/month) or toward CC1 (I can have it paid off in 2 months by paying $90 instead of the $30 I already pay).

The savings from storage and internet go to your debt. Once your debt is gone, then you can increase your grocery bill. The whole point of cutting out unnecessary expenses is to get rid of debt, not have more fun money.

 

[afan]

Yes. The only reason I said to go on our grocery budget is we're always going over our grocery budget and having to draw from our EF. So that's why I said that. But obviously the wise move would be to put it toward either the $505 car payment (and make it $600/month) or toward CC1 (I can have it paid off in 2 months by paying $90 instead of the $30 I already pay).

You need to sort out your grocery budget not give it more money. It's the mind shift. If you want the debt gone and can see how quickly one card can be paid off and then that payment added to another's debt then that's what you do period, end of story

You buy less food, buy generic, change what you eat etc. You don't increase a budget for two that's already high at $600/ month.

I buy most of the groceries for a household of 2 adults, and don't spend anywhere near $600. I don't buy meat so that helps but a lot of stuff I don't buy if it's not on sale.

Tuna pouches aren't bought unless they are a dollar or less and then I stock up, why because their are good for at least 2 years and we eat it a lot.

The only things we buy regardless of sales is milk, bread, eggs (though I put my foot down when they got expensive), lettuce, bananas and yogurt. Anything else has to be on sale or we don't need it.

To be able to do this, as others here do, I buy when stuff is on sale to last me to the next time or we just don't eat it. This is why you've got to start shopping outside of walmart.

 

[Willow Ufgood]

Just canceled our storage unit. That'll save $90/month. Will figure out what to do with it. Might put it toward the EF, a little extra on the car payment, pay more on the CC (can now have CC1 paid off in 2 months maybe vs. 9 months if I put all $90 toward CC1) or something. Maybe toward our grocery budget. Who knows. But it helps. Also lowered our internet from $100 to $40, and that will kick in this month.

Great work!

Ideally, you take $30 you were paying monthly on CC1 and add the $140 to it every month until it is paid off. All the while you pay the minimum on your other debts. Then you take that $170 and add it to what you have been paying on CC2. Then you apply that every month to CC2 until it is paid off.

You don't substitute your newly reduced payments for what you've been paying. You add it to what you have been paying.

Regarding the grocery budget, it's not a budget if you consistently go over. If your budget is $600 or $700 per month (it seems to vary from one thread to another), then that's all you spend. Going over on the groceries is not an emergency so stop raiding the emergency fund to make up the deficit. Cut back on what you're buying to meet your budgeted amount.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

Thank you. We're trying to figure out ways to make it cheaper. But remember I'm on dietary restrictions (no processed, no fried, no sweets, high protein and I'm allergic to corn and fragrances). I eat tuna a couple of days a week for lunch. I will buy the little pack with the tuna, mayo, relish and crackers that are $1.98 each, and my doc wants me eating 2 of those a time. DW doesn't eat veggies, and we don't freeze any kind of meats. Also, all our paper products and laundry detergent (basically anything we buy on our trips to Walmart) goes into our grocery budget. That said, I'm still trying to find ways to cut it back. Like tonight we're making chicken salad sandwiches ( won't eat the sandwich, I'll just eat the chicken salad and some fruit probably) because we bought 4 cans of low sodium (at my doctor's request) chicken. So that will feed us tonight and tomorrow lunch.

You need to sort out your grocery budget not give it more money. It's the mind shift. If you want the debt gone and can see how quickly one card can be paid off and then that payment added to another's debt then that's what you do period, end of story

You buy less food, buy generic, change what you eat etc. You don't increase a budget for two that's already high at $600/ month.

I buy most of the groceries for a household of 2 adults, and don't spend anywhere near $600. I don't buy meat so that helps but a lot of stuff I don't buy if it's not on sale.

Tuna pouches aren't bought unless they are a dollar or less and then I stock up, why because their are good for at least 2 years and we eat it a lot.

The only things we buy regardless of sales is milk, bread, eggs (though I put my foot down when they got expensive), lettuce, bananas and yogurt. Anything else has to be on sale or we don't need it.

To be able to do this, as others here do, I buy when stuff is on sale to last me to the next time or we just don't eat it. This is why you've got to start shopping outside of walmart.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

It would be $30 plus the $90 from the storage unit, so $120/month. I owe $280 on it, so that's just about 2 months if I can find a few more dollars to throw at it. Then we put $150/month towards CC2 after that. Or I can put the $90 on top of the $505 for the car payment. That's the biggest issue.

Great work!

Ideally, you take $30 you were paying monthly on CC1 and add the $140 to it every month until it is paid off. All the while you pay the minimum on your other debts. Then you take that $170 and add it to what you have been paying on CC2. Then you apply that every month to CC2 until it is paid off.

You don't substitute your newly reduced payments for what you've been paying. You add it to what you have been paying.

Regarding the grocery budget, it's not a budget if you consistently go over. If your budget is $600 or $700 per month (it seems to vary from one thread to another), then that's all you spend. Going over on the groceries is not an emergency so stop raiding the emergency fund to make up the deficit. Cut back on what you're buying to meet your budgeted amount.

 

[afan]

I will buy the little pack with the tuna, mayo, relish and crackers that are $1.98 each, and my doc wants me eating 2 of those a time

You can do this much cheaper if you bought everything separately. You could get better for you crackers too. That's an item of convenience not of savings.