PCC Todd.0 or BUST! My adventure in climbing out of debt! 10/13 T-Minus 29 hours!

[natale1980]

68.8% PAID OFF!!!

Did you get your refund back yet? Or are you at 68.8% before even getting your refund??? Your amazing! Keep up the great work!

-nat

 

[A.Mickey]

It really depends on where you end up at Kidani as to how far the buses are. We were really close, so the walk was very short - and when we went over to Jambo, it seemed like the walk was forever up to the lobby. Both have looooooooong hallways, so if you want Nana close to the lobby for a shorter walk to the buses, make sure to note it on your ressie. We told them it was a medical need-which it was-for my FIL. We got an EXCELLENT spot at Kidani.

The zero entry is at Jambo, the only zero entry at Kidani is the wee little kiddy pool.

Hmmm....I am going to have to think about staying at Jambo then when we are there for sure! I want a zero entry pool! And yeah I should note on the ressie close to lobby! Thanks for the tips!

68.8% PAID OFF!!!

Did you get your refund back yet? Or are you at 68.8% before even getting your refund??? Your amazing! Keep up the great work!

-nat

Well, I jumped the gun and subtracted the money I will be getting back from the refund, since it is going straight to credit cards! Should be getting it any day now! I am getting anxious! Thanks!!

 

[A.Mickey]

As some of you might be aware, well the two of you that are reading! I started writing my best price list a few months ago, after reading Brook's blog. Brook's blog inspired me to compare MN prices with that in IL, so by looking at what she considers good deals, I figured what my good deals are and I just started becoming more and more aware of the lowest price I see something for and jot it in my growing list!
Brook's Blog (I hope you don't mind that I am doing this, but because of you, you opened up a whole world of savings for me and I am indebted to you!
http://savingmynickels.blogspot.com/

Brook's Blog lead me to other blog sites, I don't even remember how now...but a few weeks ago I discovered Duncan's Deals, she basically does what Brook does, but she does it for the Chicagoland area.
http://www.duncansdeals.net/

A few other ones that I have stumbled across that I really enjoy!

Savings Addiction
www.savingsaddiction.com I really like these guys, even though they do some Michigan groceries too. These guys do a weekly video of how they donate $5 of goods to local charities and they try to get the most bang for their buck!

www.hip2save.com this girl is amazing!!! I <3 it!! She makes really cute videos too! She makes me crack up!

and my fave for Chicagoan's is http://www.jillcataldo.com/
she matches up store ads and coupons in the chicagoland area to get the most bang for your buck! I went to Jewel today and got 2 packages of cheddar crackers for Aaron for free!! From her blog....ontinuing from previous weeks, if you're a fan of Jewel's Wild Harvest line of organics, here's your chance to take some home FREE! Numerous Wild Harvest snacks are on clearance for $1 at many stores (look for herbed saltines, "Endangered Species" kids' crackers [cheddar shapes, like Goldfish] and a few others. Print this $1 off any Wild Harvest coupon (you can print 2!) and these will be FREE!

Saving money is an obsession....but I think I am getting a wee too many razors and shower gel this week

I hope I can help someone else out with sharing these blogs! This is my 1st real month of couponing hardcore and I cannot put anything else in our freezer or cabinets!! We are stocked up!!! I am only buying things now if I can get them for under a $1 or free or those lovely things called moneymakers!!

 

[brookelizabeth]

love it! And no, I don't mind a bit of you sharing my blog! I'm so glad I was an inspiration to help you get started, that is my goal!!

And ROCK ON about finding ones for your area. There are NONE that do our area....except me! (at least that I know of...) A couple in Minneapolis, but their stores are different than ours-even different prices.

It does become an obsession... a couple weeks ago I had ZERO coupons with me due to life craziness I hadn't done the match-ups or prepare, and we had to get some basics for the house, I cringed at the total! Ick. I went straight home and got my act together with my coupons!

Look at your rockin' pay off. Makes it worth the extra work, doesn't it? Pretty soon you'll be able to say "I'M DEBT FREE!" it feels sooooo good.

 

[A.Mickey]

love it! And no, I don't mind a bit of you sharing my blog! I'm so glad I was an inspiration to help you get started, that is my goal!!

And ROCK ON about finding ones for your area. There are NONE that do our area....except me! (at least that I know of...) A couple in Minneapolis, but their stores are different than ours-even different prices.

It does become an obsession... a couple weeks ago I had ZERO coupons with me due to life craziness I hadn't done the match-ups or prepare, and we had to get some basics for the house, I cringed at the total! Ick. I went straight home and got my act together with my coupons!

Look at your rockin' pay off. Makes it worth the extra work, doesn't it? Pretty soon you'll be able to say "I'M DEBT FREE!" it feels sooooo good.

You definitely were my inspiration! I am so glad I discovered this world of getting things for free!!

That is awesome that you help out the people that are local to you! I know I love the three that I found that are local to me! They are my go to girls for matchups!

Eek! I couldn't imagine buying things without coupons now! I usually have a coupon for every item I buy. Now that I am all stocked up it is much easier to do. I just go for the free stuff or moneymakers or penny stuff now that I have a good size stock pile.

Yepper! My tax refund helped alot! I will still have my DVC to pay after I am out of the CC debt in my ticker, and technically I have another 3,000 in CC debt after the ticker, but I have a very high minimum payment on that card...around $200 a month and my interest rate is only 5% until the balance is paid off. So, needless to say that card is going down fast!! Just gotta worry about the Discovercard now!

 

[A.Mickey]

More good news! We have two working cars now! My mom said she would help fix one of our cars that has been out of commission since May of last year! I wanted to wait until I was out of CC debt to get the car fixed, but my mom helped out and I only had to pitch in $200 to get it fixed! It sure will be nice to have two cars so when I am at work Jason and Aaron can actually get out of the house and do things! They are planning on going to the Zoo tomorrow.

I have been saving away...I took a pic of all the things I got for free last week!

On top of that I got another Sobe Life Water and an Olay body wash for free!

 

[A.Mickey]

We are very un-traditional when it comes to hallmark holidays like Valentine's Day. We found out that Chinese New Year was the same day as V-day this year. So, I suggested we go down to Chinatown and ring in the New Year! Jason had never been and I hadn't been since I was in High School.

We took the blue line down and transferred to the red line. We were there in no time!

We went into some cute shops and bought some Rice Candy and other fun things. I love how cheap the shops are in Chinatown!

Soon enough it was time for the parade.

The Year of the Tiger!

These guys were interesting.

Cool Puppet show troupe!

Aaron loving every second of the parade.

(I think I need a haircut!)

And the parade wouldn't be complete without a Chinese dragon!!

After the parade we went and found a restaurant to eat a late lunch in...we found a very ummy restaurant called the Dragon Court. They had a fish tank in the front of the restaurant stocked with crabs, eel, and lobster and in the back of the restaurant they had a fish tank stocked with Tilapia, catfish and another type of fish (Aaron got to sit next to it)! It was very neat because halfway through our meal someone ordered a Tilapia and they had a net and had to go in and fish one out!

Aaron trying to figure out how to use chopsticks

Our food!

Heading back to the train.

Wanted to get a good pic with the Sears...I mean Willis Tower in the background..

A very fun Valentine's Day! I can't wait to go back to Chinatown when it is less crowded!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Eek! I couldn't imagine buying things without coupons now! I usually have a coupon for every item I buy. Now that I am all stocked up it is much easier to do. I just go for the free stuff or moneymakers or penny stuff now that I have a good size stock pile.

I'm the same way - and if I don't have a coupon it's something we NEED, or a crazy good sale/clearance. Today I got Henry some suckers from Valetine's day for 50cents. No coupon, but a good deal that brought a smile to his face!

I had such a stockpile going I barely shopped for a couple weeks and we just ate out of our pantry. It was great using that money for something else!

I have been saving away...I took a pic of all the things I got for free last week!

On top of that I got another Sobe Life Water and an Olay body wash for free!

Love it! I got a free Olay and 2 free Sobe's last week too! Have you signed up for Vocalpoint and Kraft First Taste already?

Wanted to get a good pic with the Sears...I mean Willis Tower in the background..

I love the way you celebrated the holiday! That's what it is about to me - being together, doing something fun, with those you love. Since Henry was still meh on Sunday we celebrated on Monday and ate at PF Changs. Drool.

When did they re-name the tower? I remember seeing that before and I was like "HUH?!" I had no idea. It will always be the Sears Tower to me! And who is Willis?

 

[MomlvsGoofy]

Hi Shanan! I am here too! Love reading your TR's they are so full of fun information. You have such a way with telling your stories.

 

[A.Mickey]

I'm the same way - and if I don't have a coupon it's something we NEED, or a crazy good sale/clearance. Today I got Henry some suckers from Valetine's day for 50cents. No coupon, but a good deal that brought a smile to his face!

I had such a stockpile going I barely shopped for a couple weeks and we just ate out of our pantry. It was great using that money for something else!



Love it! I got a free Olay and 2 free Sobe's last week too! Have you signed up for Vocalpoint and Kraft First Taste already?



I love the way you celebrated the holiday! That's what it is about to me - being together, doing something fun, with those you love. Since Henry was still meh on Sunday we celebrated on Monday and ate at PF Changs. Drool.

When did they re-name the tower? I remember seeing that before and I was like "HUH?!" I had no idea. It will always be the Sears Tower to me! And who is Willis?

I love filling up our pantry, although it is almost over flowing! I am lucky though because a local store-called Jewel (albertson's) has an awesome promo called yourbucks and I am getting an unbelieveable amount of things for free and moneymakers! Suave shampoo for instance is .89 and you get $2 back every single time you buy it! So needless to say I am shopping constantly and making money shopping.

Yep, I am pretty sure I have signed up for both!

We had a great time celebrating the holiday Aaron still talks about it! It sure left an impression! Yum PF Chang's!

I think they officially renamed it last year, but no one is calling it Willis that is for sure. It is some company based out of England that owns the building now?

Hi Shanan! I am here too! Love reading your TR's they are so full of fun information. You have such a way with telling your stories.

Hi!
Thanks for being here! Thanks for the compliments!!

 

[A.Mickey]

I have been thinking that I really want to do this to help lower our cost of our AP when we get one in October. So many questions run through my mind. Will there still be any tickets left in October, should I buy an AP voucher through DVC services when I get my voucher for my ticket.

Oh....wait I still have to sign up and volunteer.

So I went to the site a few weeks ago, scanning through the tons of things to do in the Chicago area and I was interested in quite a few things. I signed Jason and I up for a good dozen at least and three wrote me back. One was working a full 8 hours at an elderly home serving food and making food in the caf. Two was walking dogs. And three was volunteering for May Days...I guess taking money from cars that want a flower or something. Well, I decided that I/we would really like to walk the dogs. So I wrote her back and she tells me that the shelter will be closed the whole month of March, and that they are no longer participating in the program?

This confused me so much. With all the talk of Disney running out of tickets, I thought at the time that Disney had discontinued the program already at the beginning of March! Turns out the dog shelter is just not participating anymore...phew! So the May Day people wrote me an email back and said they had a 5K run close to our apartment on a Saturday in April that they need help with. I wrote her back and said that Jason and I can help anywhere we are needed. That was Monday and now it is Friday...I hope this comes through! I feel like I need to find something fast!

Have any of you signed up and did your service yet?

 

[A.Mickey]

After going back and forth with the volunteer group for my Give a Day, Get a Day and finally figuring everything out...the day it closes is the day they finally tell me what to do to sign up! Oh well, at least I have been saving a ton of money on groceries now that I am super couponing! This will make up the $150 that I will be losing out for not being able to participate in the Disney Give a Day, Get a Day.

On other news...we have decided to book at OKW for sure for our trip in October for my cousins wedding. We are at 7 months out on Monday! Wish us luck!

 

[TyRy]

Good luck with OKW on Monday...my guess is you should be good. So you, Jaime, and us will now all be at WDW at the same time? Today would have been my seven months out date!

And I noticed your signature - WOW - you're almost competely done! Congratulations!!!!

Care to share any secrets of your super couponing?

DH and I were trying to find something to sign up with and then they announced the end of the promotion. I'm guessing Disney still had a good idea as they planted a seed and we still want to volunteer, but now may do so with an organization they were not involved with, or made it difficult to do so and get the ticket (such as Gilda's Club) during the promotion.

 

[brookelizabeth]

I wanted to do the Give a Day Get a Day, but it just never happened. I didn't realize the program already closed. Wow, that went quick! But, that's good, means a lot of people are volunteering.

That deal at Jewel sounds AWESOME! $0.89 shampoo/conditioner and then they give you $2 back?! Ya, I would have Suave coming out of my EARS. Our stores aren't as generous with the programs unfortunately.

Your debt ticker is looking REALLY good!

 

[A.Mickey]

Good luck with OKW on Monday...my guess is you should be good. So you, Jaime, and us will now all be at WDW at the same time? Today would have been my seven months out date!

And I noticed your signature - WOW - you're almost competely done! Congratulations!!!!

Care to share any secrets of your super couponing?

DH and I were trying to find something to sign up with and then they announced the end of the promotion. I'm guessing Disney still had a good idea as they planted a seed and we still want to volunteer, but now may do so with an organization they were not involved with, or made it difficult to do so and get the ticket (such as Gilda's Club) during the promotion.

Wow, cool! Where are you staying and what are your dates in October?

My secrets are:
and my fave for Chicagoan's is http://www.jillcataldo.com/
she matches up store ads and coupons in the chicagoland area to get the most bang for your buck!
Duncan's Deals, MashupMom, and Bargain is the New Black. They are all local! If you need anymore help I will be happy to help you!

I have been posting alot on my FB page about my deals too. Friend Me! Shanan Westover Osinski

That is so awesome that Disney planted a seed and you are still volunteering! I really would love to go volunteer too! Just must stop couponing for a second...I really gotta finish my TR too, before it gets closed again...if it hasn't yet.

I wanted to do the Give a Day Get a Day, but it just never happened. I didn't realize the program already closed. Wow, that went quick! But, that's good, means a lot of people are volunteering.

That deal at Jewel sounds AWESOME! $0.89 shampoo/conditioner and then they give you $2 back?! Ya, I would have Suave coming out of my EARS. Our stores aren't as generous with the programs unfortunately.

Your debt ticker is looking REALLY good!

I know! It went really quick . I was surprised when the ended it so soon, after having the big shin dig with Joe Jonas and Demi Levato.

Yes the deal at Jewel is awesome...unfortunately, they are on to us shoppers and Ragu and Suave are no longer moneymakers...it was fun while it lasted. I didn't get too much of it.

Made progress on my TR got all the Donald Duck pictures done and photoshopped tonight! I hope to get the TR finally finished this week! Will post here when complete, I have a goal!!

 

[A.Mickey]

We are booked October 15th-22nd at OKW!

This trip will just be Jason, Aaron and I. Our first trip just the three of us. Nana is staying home.

Where are we going to EAT!?!?!

We are renting a car this trip too, since my cousin will be getting married in Tampa. Gotta start looking for deals and have to find a good hotel in Tampa for the night of the 22nd and 23rd. Wonder if we should fly into Tampa or Orlando? I guess that could wait as we now Southwest and we can't book any October flights for another 2 months.

As far as my debt goes I am almost done with the CC's! Okay..well not exactly...My discovercard is almost done...and that is the one that has the interest...after my discover..I just have about 2,500 on a card that is at 5% interest until paid off....my DVC loan on the otherhand is at 14% sooo I think I will be paying off my DVC after Discovercard is done!

Also good news...I just got a credit line increase on my discover...and a balance transfer offer on another credit card, haven't looked into the details of the offer yet..but if it is good, maybe I could just transfer over my DVC loan to my credit card? Would this be smart?

 

[TyRy]

Thanks Shanan...I've just started checking out those sites and they are amazing. Never knew about half the promotions. I may need some of your help.

We are staying at BCV the first couple of nights and then moving over to AKV for the rest of the trip. We are also trying to decide where to eat. All I know is we'd like to hang at the BC/BW area the first couple of days.

 

[aaronmckie]

Well it's not a place I want to take Aaron but I really want to try blue zoo sometime. 'Ohana is a good choice to repeat, Biergarten and Sci-Fi Drive in (for lunch) as well, and I'd love to do Trail's End Buffet again too.
As far as new restaurants to try... maybe Hollywood & Vine and Mama Melrose to finish off all the ones at DHS?

 

[A.Mickey]

Thanks Shanan...I've just started checking out those sites and they are amazing. Never knew about half the promotions. I may need some of your help.

We are staying at BCV the first couple of nights and then moving over to AKV for the rest of the trip. We are also trying to decide where to eat. All I know is we'd like to hang at the BC/BW area the first couple of days.

I know, isn't it awesome! I have saved over $1000 dollars this month from coupons and sales! Sure thing, any help you need, I am here!!

What a great time to stay at BCV! I love me some Food and Wine Festival!!

Well it's not a place I want to take Aaron but I really want to try blue zoo sometime. 'Ohana is a good choice to repeat, Biergarten and Sci-Fi Drive in (for lunch) as well, and I'd love to do Trail's End Buffet again too.
As far as new restaurants to try... maybe Hollywood & Vine and Mama Melrose to finish off all the ones at DHS?

I would love to go to all of those!

 

[A.Mickey]

So I think our October trip I am going to start typing details in this color for the color of leaves/fall
And our December trip I will start typing in blue for the ocean!

We bought our plane tickets for our flight for October! Still have to look into renting a car, and what hotel to stay at in Treasure Island, FL for my cousins wedding.

As far as the money front goes, I am jumping the gun a week early with my ticker, because next week I will be paying $1000 to my Discovercard! Then I will have one more large payment and I will be done with that card. Then it will be time to tackle our DVC loan!