10 posts tagged “money”

I continue to be so grateful that I started working on my debt/credit when I did. This week I've received a fab pay-off. I'm refinancing my house. The loan officer locked in 4.5% for me today. The new payment for my 15-year note is less than my current 30-year note.

I am holding tight to the tourniquet to hopefully staunch the bleeding . . . from my wallet. March is turning into an expensive month!

I paid off the $5890 for the trip (now to pay that back), plus $263 for my share of the single supplement. Travel insurance was $258.

I had my car in for the 75,000 mile check-up last week at the tune of $379. And now my Escrow shortage of $455 is due by March 31.

Can you say poor? Yes, that’s just over $7200 that has passed through my account this month. And it's only the 10th!!!

Sunday morning usually means a trip to Starbucks. I'm kind of lost deciding what to do instead (oh, and there are lots of options around this house, let me tell you). I've had a small breakfast of fruit, a granola bar and oj, but something is definitely missing.

And this afternoon I'm going to see "Milk" with The Movie Club, and, you know, what's a movie without snacks? I am going to smuggle in a diet pepsi.

It's funny how once you can't have something, it's all you can think about!

I just filled my running-on-fumes tank for less than $20. A New Year's miracle indeed!

Last year I made a commitment to myself to pay off all my credit card debt. I was tired of lying in bed at night chiding myself for letting it get to be so much. On five or six different cards (I don’t remember now).

I started by enrolling in Financial Peace University, a 12-week course "led" by Dave Ramsey.

For the class I had to actually tally up what I owed. When you live in the land of denial, you never do such things. I swore I would never tell anyone how much it was. I was (am) too embarrassed that I let myself get that far into the hole. Let’s just say it had five figures ($00,000) and is probably more than you think.

I buckled down and followed the rules. Got my $1,000 emergency fund set. Did the Debt Snowball. And in November I made my last credit card payment. It is so lovely to see the last balance finally at $0.00!

It took 20 months. At first the projections of when I would be done were five and six years out. A lifetime away. It was very discouraging. Instead of letting it get me down, I just became more determined to not let it take that long.

I set a strict budget for myself (which I’d never done before). Post bills, every last cent from my paycheck went towards the debt. As did every extra dollar that came my way. By the wayside went trips to the bookstore. The Hallmark store. Target (cause you can find everything there!). Basically all shopping outside the grocery store.

I scrabbled together enough to take two weekend trips during that 20 months. Me, who used to take five – six – seven trips a year! It’s been a struggle, for sure.

But, something inside of me pushed myself to get it all under control. With the economy the way it is today, I feel less worried now. If something happened tomorrow, I don’t need to go to Africa. I could get a job at B&N and still pay all my bills. That’s a burden lifted too.

I should be starting Step 3, but instead I am paying for my trip to Tanzania (approximately $10,000). I plan to have that paid off by August.

Then on to Stages 3 and 4. And I don’t need to worry about Stage 5 . . . whoot! I’m nearly there. And that feels great!

A cool website: How I Spent My Stimulus

In January, Congress approved $152 billion in economic stimulus checks for millions of American households, intended to boost the economy and avert a recession. Just how this money will be spent remains to be seen. We hope this website helps shed some light on where the stimulus money is going.

Mine came today. Originally it was earmarked towards credit card debt, but instead is being used for some necessities:

67,500 mile check-up for my car ($88)
Pest Control visit ($65)
License renewal ($54.30)
Summer Spanish class ($95)
New dusk to dawn light ($250)

Turns out the stimulus came in the nick of time!

"Oooooo, Momma, can we get some milk?"

"No, mi hija, it's too expensive."

WTF has this world come to?

I got my "salary increase" today!  It was the second biggest increase during my 15 years here and a very pleasant surprise for a post-vacation Monday.

If a waiter stopped by right now to take your order, what cocktail or drink are you having?

I could so use an ice cold Miller Lite about now. Or maybe a Tanqueray and Tonic (I have the gin, not the tonic). With extra lime. Ooo, or a mojito. Yum.

I have a water leak from the ceiling fan in my second bedroom. It's not been raining today and that's where the ac unit is. I called an hour ago. They gave me a four hour wait time. Yeah. A strange male coming into my house at 10:30pm.

I did crawl up there and poke around. Couldn't figure out where it is coming from (drip pan is dry).

Wouldn't you know I spent a little money this week on the elliptical and now this. It seems ac stuff is never cheap. *sigh*

I need to make some changes in my life. I'm trying to think of a slogan for 2007. Like . . .

2007: The year I get my ass in gear

Okay, that's not it. Unfortunately, not much ryhmes with seven. But you know what I mean. I need a little something to say to myself whenever I need a little kick-in-the-ass reminder.

There are three areas of my life I need to pay more attention to: my house, my finances and my health.

My house is a mess.

Problem: Seriously, even my dustbunnies are starting to bitch about the mess.

Solution: I've been thinking I just need to take a week from work and spend some time cleaning, throwing stuff away, gathering stuff for a yard sale, opening boxes that haven't been opened since I moved in nearly five years ago.

My finances are a mess.

Problem: I am not in trouble, but I have too much credit card debit for my own peace of mind. Sometimes it keeps me awake at night. I need to learn to tell myself "NO." That I do not need to live in a world of immediate gratification. That I can work for it. Save for it. Pay cash for it. I need to get over my affluenza.

Solution: I've signed up for Financial Peace University at a local church through Dave Ramsey. It is a 13-week course that starts February 6.

My health is a mess.

Problem: I weigh too much. I am not aerobically fit.

Part of my issue is Celexa. I gained 22 lbs when I started taking it. So we added Wellbutrin XL, which stopped the weight gain, but hasn't helped with the weight loss. Needless to say, I plan on taking Celexa for the rest of my life, but I have got to figure something out.

Solution: First I have an appointment with my doctor on February 2 (bloodwork is being done this week). I guess I'm waiting for my cholesterol numbers to shock me into action. 

Maybe I can get a bike. I really want to run, but I don't think that's going to be possible.

Overall, I just want to live a simplier life. With less stuff.