My Personal Finance Progress Report

determined not to fall back into old habits

2006-01-23T22:08:00.000-05:00

Right now, money is tight, as we get accustomed to paying rent and utility bills. I put a little away in savings each pay period, and when I mean little, I mean $20 to each savings account. It helps, every little bit does. More than ever I don't want to fall into the cycle of using credit to pay for life's necessities to have extra cash on hand - but I see why and how many people do that. I know poor is a relative term but this sure isn't fun. Oh well.

Nick and I decided to wait another year to get married. We got excited and would love to have it this year - but the smart thing, from every angle, whether it be financially or time-wise, is to wait. So October 2007 will be our time. I am relieved actually. I was getting a bit nervous anyway, wasn't sure if we'd be able to do it, and even if we could, why strap ourselves? Well, I'm off to work out - this goal is proving to be much more difficult than my financial goals ever were. I am still motivated and working out 5-6 days a week, and when I say I am being good, I am being GOOD. Healthy meals all the way, eating small portions, every couple hours - I am following all the rules. Not to mention I've drastically cut down on soda, almost to the point of elmination. But I've only lost 3 pounds. I know better than anyone not to base your progress by the numbers on the scale, and I also know slow weight loss is the best, but STILL. It would be nice! Grrr. :)

wedding planning. Oh what fun!

2006-01-08T21:38:00.000-05:00

Thank you for all the well wishes =) Nick and I both want a fall wedding, and to us, getting engaged means you want to get married, not wait 5 years to do so. We originally figured fall of this year, if not, spring or fall next year. That's pretty loose though, and we did some talking and are now planning for October 21st of this year. My brother just happened to propose a day after we got engaged to his girlfriend, and they are planning to be married in March of '07. I didn't want to wait until next year, didn't want to have it in the same timeframe as my brother, and really want a fall wedding. So 10 months. We have alot of the details hashed out, I reserved the church, have pre-cana classes scheduled - but I did not expect the joys that have popped up along the way. Meaning family. And budgets, yes, budgets people! That is fun stuff. With all the financial preparation I put myself through last year, boy am I getting a challenge when it comes to planning a wedding on a budget. Even before I became 'born-again' financially, I always believed it was outright stupid to drop 40 grand on a wedding. Yes it is a special day, but the people are what make it special. That being said, I certainly don't have 40 grand at my fingertips anyway (although I am guessing you knew that), but Nick and I did figure $18k would get us what we wanted, to enjoy our day with the people we want with us. We are both receiving settlements in the near future, and are going to use some of this money to help with deposits and things of that sort. Most of that budget is figured by the cost of the reception halls we have around here, although we are continuing our research to see if we can find something we like for a little cheaper. The plus side is that the places we're looking into provide everything, and alcohol is included in the cost. I have a dress I found online that I LOVE, costs about $649. Which I believe is not too shabby. My grandmother most likely will be buying that for me anyhow. However, I have found something more fun than budgets in my, oh, what? 3 weeks of being engaged? Family. Oh yeah, family is FUN when you're planning a wedding. I have never encountered so many politic-driven things in my life, what is traditional and not. I am about ready to pull my hair out. Another reason I am glad we chose an early date - the less I prolong the torture. lol. On the bright side, I should start posting in my diet journal, because I have been a VERY good girl - working out on a regular basis (I broke down with the engagement and realization I have 10 months to look like the bride I envision and bought the treadmill I've wanted) and while the scale is denying me the joy of even a pound lost, I feel considerably better about myself (not to mention quite solid). I'm going to try to update more often because with all the checklists and to do's, I have a feeling this will be one of the bigger financial challenges of my life!

Happy Holidays!

2005-12-23T13:55:00.000-05:00

My holiday of celebration is Merry Christmas, and I will be celebrating it very happily this year, as I am now an engaged woman. Nick proposed last night, and I've never felt lighter on my feet. Happy Holidays to all, and a safe and healthy 2006!

checking in

2005-12-01T22:03:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts! I should actually be blogging in my diet journal - I have been distracted because I have been focusing all of my attention in that arena. I will not be posting as often, not until something big comes up, etc. I have my financial goals listed for 2006 already, so I am working towards that - but my health is playing a bigger role right now and this upcoming year. In the meantime, be sure to have a great holiday season - this is my favorite time of year, I am so excited. Happy Holidays!

what a week

2005-11-12T18:32:00.000-05:00

I have been sick nearly all week, and been in and out of work. I only worked one day this week at the 2nd job, and even that was pushing it. I hate calling out sick, I could be on my deathbed and feel as though I am lying. I also really don't have any time left to use, due to the time that was eaten up before I went out of work for my surgery (which also makes me feel guilty for being out at all). I think I have a stomach virus. I went to the doctor yesterday and he wants to see me in a week if the symptoms haven't gone away.

I am starting to think about Christmas shopping and how unprepared I feel. I did have money in one of my ING categories for this purpose, but I used it towards moving expenses. I have about $500 back in my EF right now, but not for shopping. I think I am going to start looking around online and see what is out there. I am probably going to give my oldest niece money, it's always appreciated and she is at the point where she wants to pick her own stuff out. My parents have no cares about what they get for Christmas, which makes it even more difficult to get them something. I don't exchange w.my brother and sister, we agreed that it's just another gift to buy and we're really just spending unnecessary money. My sister does buy for me, which makes me uncomfortable, but she says because I buy for her kids. So I just have my parents, grandmother, 4 nieces and 1 nephew, and Nick. I am aiming to spend around $300 probably, nothing big.

I received my Citi card, and used it to purchase groceries this past Wednesday. I then transferred that amount into my Emigrant account until I am able to pay the bill online. I am going to keep doing this to earn the rewards each month. I am trying to use the credit I have to my benefit from now on, as much as possible.

also, with the holidays coming up...

2005-11-06T15:16:00.000-05:00

I wanted to urge you to check out this article from About.com. It discusses why you should AVOID (like the plague) putting holiday spending on your credit cards. Please, please, PLEASE don't use credit for holiday shopping. It's a vicious cycle!

Holiday Hangover: Avoid Credit Card Debt during the Holidays

If you want some great, cheap gift ideas, check out OrganizedChristmas.com. It will help with your holiday planning!

time to reassess and plan for the next goal

2005-11-06T14:43:00.000-05:00

I am in a really good, happy place right now. I met my goal, ahead of time (although still a little beyond what I had planned on), and now I need to reassess my progress made thus far, as well as set new goals for myself, for the next year. Here is what I accomplished this year, as well as what I think I need to work on:

*Starting in late February, I decided I needed to make this the year that I got rid of all my credit card debt. It was only bringing me down and I wasn't ever going to get ahead if I kept floating on the river of denial. I created a spreadsheet that listed all my credit accounts, including car loans and the computer, and how much my minimum payments were. Taking this information, I began at the top of the list (lowest debts were listed the highest) and started whittling away, by sending as much money as possible to each debt, each pay period. In roughly 9 months (first payment toward this effort was made in March, and it's early November right now) I have eliminated 9 debts. The total of these debts was around 7-8k. I had a few additional debts that I eliminated previous to my concentrated effort.

What I need to work on: eliminating frivilous spending, wasting food (I rarely eat leftovers), limiting number of times we eat out, cutting back on electricity and heat consumption. Try to get Nick to quit smoking for good. Me - try to 'quit' soda, it's just as bad a habit as his. In addition, this was 'The Year of Debt Reduction', but 2006 is the 'Year of Weight Reduction.' I am saving up for a treadmill as we speak.

So what are my financial goals for 2006? Well, I am taking a running start obviously, and not waiting until then. It may be tough with the holidays right around the corner, but I'll see what I can do.

2006 Goals

* Put at least $350 in savings each month. (*Update - I am not going to do this until the Grand Am loan is eliminated. Seems dumb to do it otherwise, because also when I pay off the Grand Am, I can drop it from my insurance, saving about $1100 a year. I will continue to put the $20 every pay day in ING, Emigrant, and now HSBC also until that time.)

* Eliminate the car loan for the Grand Am (this may be an easy goal if Barry somehow figures it all out and gets a loan to pay mine off). I am around $5300 right now.

* Reduce the Mustang loan by at least 8k. This seems like a big goal, I know, but I am actually shorting myself here. I am due a settlement that will be at least $6k and originally, I was going to put it in savings and leave it there. I've changed my mind, that is a dumb thing to do when I can be reducing debt. So for right now I am leaving this be - but I may adjust at that time to see if i can do anything additional.

* Seriously look into refinancing both vehicles. My credit has gotten better and I am definitely due a better rate than I currently have (about 12% on both).

* Right now I am contributing 10% to my 401k. I am going to leave that alone until I pay off the Grand Am, and then re-evaluate, maybe bump up just a bit more. I am also STILL waiting on paperwork from my financial advisor in regards to opening a Roth IRA. Maybe the mail wench has it?

* I had talked about moving within a year, buying a place of my own. That is not possible. Well, it might be, but it would be smarter for me to work on the debt I have now before I increase it with a mortgage payment. I am unfortunately not gaining any equity with my rent payments, but I am buying time. Nick's mother is a real estate agent, and she said in 2 years the market will probably cool down, as it has already started to.

*Increase my net worth by as much as possible. I really am leaving this open ended, because I know it will occur as I pay off this debt, but also I am not really sure if I should/can focus on that right now, until I meet the above goals.

These are my standing goals as of right now. Tweaking will probably occur along the way, as I grow and learn more in the pf world, but for now, these are it. If you have some good advice, I'd love to hear it.

Have a great day!

I guess the powers that be don't like too much happiness

2005-11-05T12:55:00.000-05:00

I guess God has issues with me being too happy or something? Because this is what he did to my car. Deer are all over the place here. And one chose to run in front of my car last week... missed it. Yesterday? caught the corner of it when Nick went out for cigarettes... he was gone for a long time and I called him... he said we had to talk when he got home.. and when he came home he was crying... told me what happened. I hugged him because I know it's not his fault, knew he felt really bad.. stupid deer are all over the place... but then I walked outside and I just cried. And I know it could be a lot worse, it actually isn't that bad considering, like I said he just caught the corner.. but it's still my car :( Only plus is if we find the right mechanic to work with us, we might be able to get a different bumper, etc. Aftermarket is often cheaper than the stock, true Ford parts (my hood for example is cheaper than a regular hood like I had originally). So he called his insurance and got the claim started...

It may be a stroke of luck, but I am going to meet my goal!

2005-11-04T21:08:00.000-05:00

I am so excited I can barely contain myself to type the words. I had a meeting for work yesterday and today in Atlantic City (NJ) at the Borgata. Nick came along for the ride, even though we didn't have money to gamble with. I figured, get out of the house, don't have to drive down alone, stay in a nice hotel, etc. We had a really nice time last night, and then today when my meeting broke for lunch, I tried getting in touch with him, to invite him to join us all (my co-worker's husband did, so I thought, why not). I was having difficulty reaching him and was getting frustrated, when he calls me back... tells me he is playing on a Wheel of Fortune machine and is up to $900 something dollars from $20 he used to gamble... well, I am surprised and very happy! We get off the phone, him promising that he won't go below $700 should he start to lose. Okay, cool. Go back to my meeting, some interesting stuff so I actually wasn't focusing on the money he won. When we had our afternoon break, I called him and he said he'd come meet me really quick. I'm standing at the top of the escalator on the convention floor, and he comes up and hands me a ticket that reads $156.35. I say "What is this?" with extreme caution, because inside I am thinking, "If you went from $900 to $156 I am going to kill you," and he smiles the biggest smile I have seen in a long time. He opens up his wallet and whispers, "I won $3,000." I said "WhAT?!" (trying to illustrate my shriek of disbelief). He explained that he had kept on gambling on the one machine for awhile and cashed out, then proceeded to move on to another machine where he won the 3k... I am so happy at this point in the story that I am fighting the urge to jump up and down. "So I can pay off my Discover, right? Right? Right?" and he just laughed.... I had to go back to my meeting, which thankfully was almost over at this point, because I had trouble focusing after the good news I just received. So fast forward: meeting is over and I call him, figure he can meet me where I am and we can just leave (I am wiped). So he says uh no, can't meet you... come meet me... and gives me directions to some lucky dollar poker machine... where we left about a 1/2 hour later with another $503 in his (our, lol) pocket. $3500 roughly. I am still in utter shock. All from $20!!!!!!!!! Which is even more unbelievable. And yes, we are paying off my Discover, I am SO EXCITED! So although it's nothing more than a stroke of luck, I am so thrilled that I'll be meeting my goal and paying off all my credit cards this year. I had actually just resigned myself to accepting that it may not happen. With rent, my other bills, and Nick not working right now, I can't exactly afford to be throwing $500 every pay period at my bills.

I am even happier to know my credit score should be going up even more. I just recently applied for a Citi Platinum Dividends Reward Card and American Express Blue (both approved) to increase my available credit (and thus, my score - I did the math on this using Citi's Credit Analyzer). I was originally going to use the Citi Card to transfer my balance from Discover, since it offers 0% for 12 months on balance transfers, but woohoo, no need for that now! And just with opening the cards alone (even having the Discover balance) my score was estimated to raise 7 points. So again can sock some money away into savings again, and probably double up payments on the Grand Am (Nick's brother is shopping for personal loans to try to take it out of my name, that would be welcome news).

So, I'm off to celebrate ~ God, it feels good to meet this goal :)

ChexSystems took it off!

2005-10-30T12:29:00.000-05:00

I was about to will myself to write another letter to ChexSystems this weekend, when I received a letter informing me they had done an investigation on my file, and had deleted the item from WaMu! Woohoo! :) Now I have to believe WaMu helped in this, because I don't remember if I filled out a request for them to investigate it? I hadn't wanted to do so since technically the item was valid. Instead, I wrote a letter to WaMu, requesting to consider removing the item. So right now, I am incredibly grateful to WaMu. Now I can go ahead and open other savings accounts if I wish, get the bonuses, etc.

Not much else going on - feeling poor at the moment. Rent for November was just paid... and now some part on my car broke (mass airflow sensor), which could set me back $199-$599 apparently... which I do not have at the moment. Nick rigged it up so it's okay for the time being, but should that break, my car won't run. *sigh*

I just completed a focus group with LiveWire, it was an online message board that asked a series of questions yesterday and today... for that I will receive a check for $30 in a few weeks. I am thinking I may keep the Citi Credit Monitoring Service... I really like being able to access my information at any time, not to mention the alerts I receive whenever something changes. In the day and age of id theft, $10 a month is probably worth it.

no wonder good credit is such a desired thing...

2005-10-24T19:56:00.000-04:00

You have to work hard to get it and stay there. I ordered a free trial of Citi Credit Monitoring Services, mostly because I was interested in my score and also whether the collections item was removed as requested (it was, except for Equifax, so I contacted them). My Equifax score is 632 (this is with the collections item still listed so it may be slightly higher), and the other 2 were 654 and 656. I believe I am 4 points away from 'Good' credit (mine is Fair). My score was hurt when I was unemployed in 2002 (as I mentioned previously in my shopaholic phase), and although I remember it being quite a rough time, I was reported 4 times as being late, all once on different accounts. I never was past 30 days. To be honest I am positive it had to be more. I was very disorganized and remember being late more than that. Unfortunate that it's still affecting me. Anyhow, although this is the information I was after, here's what I found very interesting (and kind of made me depressed/upset too):

I used the Credit Analyzer tool, which will tell you how your score will be affected, depending on what you do (pay off x amount of debt, close out accounts, be late with a payment, etc.). So, I created the scenario in which I pay all my bills on time for a year, and completely pay off both the Grand Am and Discover cc, in addition to cutting $5k off the Mustang loan. All in all, a pretty chunk of change (for me, anyhow). What will the credit gods reward me with? 15 measly points. 15 points! Which would technically still leave me in the 'Fair' category! But wait, now I was REALLY curious. Let's see what would happen if I were late with just ONE monthly payment, and, let's keep it to just one account. Just want to measure the difference. Take heed, fellow budgeters and penny pinchers: it told me my score could decrease by as much as 54 points... FIFTY-FOUR POINTS - for ONE late payment. Doesn't seem fair, does it? Nope. It must be based off the same system that life is, huh?

moving, mail tampering and aggravation

2005-10-22T15:08:00.000-04:00

Well, one week ago today I was just starting to pack up all our belongings onto a Uhaul truck (by the way, Uhaul sucks, don't ever use them unless absolutely necessary - they tried to convince us to take a truck that they were jumping in front of our faces, unbelievable. After an hour of arguing we finally got a working truck). Like I said, I am very happy, despite all the additional costs now commanding my life. I have had aggravation of another kind, including mail tampering, etc. of which I just submitted paperwork for investigation. This is Nick's ex boss... I am guessing you can understand without explanation what a vicious, vindictive human being she is (and why I really hated him working there). Apparently she has very little to amuse her in life, because even after we have vacated the building, and essentially her life, she is still poking around for something to b*tch about. It started with me emailing her the address to forward the checks he is owed to, and she responded that the apartment is not vacant (it had a wooden shelf in it, I told her feel free to dispose of it), that she hasn't received the keys to the building/mailbox (I assured her we would return them promptly as soon as we were assured all our mail was being received, I just didn't trust her and apparently rightly so, will talk about THAT in a second), and then she went on to say she needs to speak to Nick about a power sprayer they purchased for a particular job, that she cannot find it. Never responded to my inquiry about his checks, but instead is creating a reason on which to hold them. Oh no, don't think so. I cautioned her that indicating that we took this item is extremely unprofessional, and I also warned her against doing so, as we already are in the process of filing a complaint with the Labor Board against her. Later that afternoon, Nick emails me that he received a phone call from a guy that still works there - she is going to pop the lock on our mailbox and keep our mail. He didn't want us to do anything because he is afraid of her. Oh no. Adrenaline rushed through my body. How dare she, is her life really that miserable? We aren't even there and she can't let go (not to mention, what was DONE to HER? Nick was basically forced out because of his injured knee!) I contacted the President and Vice President of the company (which, by the way, is faith-based and the company's motto is "Helping people in need." Suffice it to say that they got an earful (computer screen wise) on their employee) and the entire situation. She has been so careless that it amazes me, basically every step she's taken has been illegal. There will be more on this to come - but this is what my life has been for the past week. In addition to the mail investigation paperwork, we are completing paperwork regarding his checks, which should have been received by now.

So - other than that, doing well. I have to work on my budget, change it since I haven't touched it since before we moved. I still have only Discover to pay off, which I just noticed on my account raised my limit from $1200 to $1700 - I never requested it, but I am guessing my credit score increased or something? I am okay with the raise because this is my only card, and also it pushes me further away from showing as almost maxed out. My balance is $1020 (had to use it for some moving expenses) so gotta work on it. Since my big basis for having emergency cash on hand was in the event of getting an apartment, need for security deposit, I can relax on that one and concentrate on paying off the cc. I still have $40 every 2 weeks going into my ING and Emigrant accounts so I'll leave that alone. I just want to make sure I meet my goal before the end of the year - after all, it's almost November already. I am also glad I made the switch to get 5% back on gas purchases - in one month my cashback went from $4.65 to over $10. Crazy. I can take that money and put it in my ING account, once it reaches $25. I also received a refund from Comcast, all the way back from when I was living in Princeton. Apparently I didn't need to pay the last bill in full, so I got $55 back. Nice :) Also am loving BzzAgent, currently bzzing L'Oreal hair products. Expecting another check from Pinecone, and that's about it. Hopefully (how many times have I said this?) all will be well from now on.

I didn't fall off the face of the earth...

2005-10-18T20:34:00.000-04:00

But I did move - yep, that quickly. Suffice it to say that it was worth the peace of mind for me to move it up to this past weekend. So I am now amongst those paying rent - and despite knowing I will be paying $900 plus every month, really going towards nothing equity-wise, I am really happy. I love my apartment, I love the area, I love it all. And it is mine, not related to Nick's job, so unless I do not pay, they can't tell me to leave. It is my home. So, was it worth it? Yes. Absolutely. I am also happy Nick is out of that place, I hated him working there. I am just checking in, but I'll be back later - possibly not until later this week, work is so busy! But just wanted to update quickly. :O)

Mr. Murphy! Come on in!

2005-10-12T12:09:00.000-04:00

Really, did I extend an invitation that I was unaware of?

No, just life happening again. Because it's exhausting and repetitive, I will say without too many details that many illegal and underhanded things are/have happened with Nick's job, and we are being pressured to be out by Saturday. It may not be an issue, as I took off from both jobs yesterday and we went apartment hunting. Found a nice one in a nice area, great price! Cats are allowed, but it's $20 a month rent for them. Oh well. Also is spacious and has a fireplace in the living room...nice! On top of that, the leasing consultant informed Nick there is a job opening for a maintenance tech - and if he takes it, it's a 20% discount on rent, but if he were to suddenly quit one day, it's not like we'd have to move, just have to pay full price. Not a problem! So he is considering it, because it sounds good but still not sure if he should take a job still related to the same field. We shall see. In the meantime, we did a lot of speaking with the Labor Board and his lawyer yesterday... what a day.

So - keep your fingers crossed for me about this apartment. I really like it and am excited!

Carnival of Debt Reduction, 4th edition

2005-10-09T22:13:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the 4th edition of the Carnival of Debt Reduction! Below you will find a mix of informative posts from various authors. We have some great submissions this week - thanks to all that participated! Now, let's get started:

Don't Save, Pay off Debt!

Jim says, "Don't Save, Pay Off Debt!" is a simple reminder to people who are in debt but still putting (non-emergency fund) savings into an interest bearing account. He provides a simple strategy to figure out which path your money should be taking. Seems like a no-brainer!

The Two Dumbest Ways to Pay Down Your Credit Card Debt

Paying down your credit cards? Great - but wait. Are you doing it the right way? See what FMF has to say about it.

9 Ways To Find Extra Money To Pay Off Your Debts

Need extra cash? Having trouble making ends meet? Cathy provides nine ways to 'find' money you may not even realize you have.

Buy Nothing Day

Dawn challenges you to hold off on immediate gratification and buy nothing for at least a day, and try to set a record for yourself with the number of consecutive days you haven't bought anything.

The Missed Fortune 101 Debate Continues

MBH has quite a debate going on over at his blog, regarding acceleration of mortgage payments (Be sure to check out the original post in the submission, where this all stemmed from!) and whether your money would be better invested elsewhere.

New "Keep The Change" Program

Jeffrey discusses the new promotion that Bank of America is coming out with to help you kickstart your savings plan. For those that have a hard time setting aside money for savings, this plan may be just what the doctor ordered...but as with anything else, read the fine print!

Online Financial Calculators Galore

The title describes it perfectly; Nickel shares a helpful link to every type of financial calculator you could dream of. Enjoy!

Journey...Greatest Hits

Nope, this isn't about Steve Perry & Co. NCN reflects back on his amazing journey from April of this year until now - he has eliminated a whopping 70% of his debt during these few months - wow! If ever you needed a motivational story to prod you in the debt reduction direction, this is it. Congratulations NCN!

Getting Out of Debt Takes Patience

Why is it that we always have to make mistakes before we learn? Hmmm. Ostrauder discusses how much more satisfying it is to purchase items in cash...and how he wishes he'd had the patience to do so all along.

Mr. Wendal

I liked this post so much that I asked Lauren, a.k.a. lpkitten, if I could share it here on the Carnival. While listening to an older, but favorite song, she identifies with the lyrics and what the whole meaning of simplicity means to her. A very insightful post, indeed.

Hosed Out at the Gas Pump by your Debit Card?

If you're not familiar with my blog, take a look around. I detail my personal goals and obstacles, and share information I think may be informative. This is one such article from MSN.com.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit! Be sure to visit Frugal Underground for next week's edition. Interested in hosting/submitting a post? Check out the schedule and guidelines here.

Have a great week!

I know it's early, but...

2005-10-09T22:08:00.000-04:00

...I am going to bed soon, and won't have time to put the Carnival up tomorrow until noonish, so I am instead going to post it now. So if you're up late tonight, you get a sneak peek at the goodies we've got for you this week!

what a nightmare

2005-10-08T15:33:00.000-04:00

Yesterday after lunch, a coworker came to tell me excitedly how she had bought this great top and belt to go with it at Express, an old favorite of mine back in my shopaholic days. Immediately my brain analyzed her words and I figured she probably spent at least $40 or more for those 2 items. I also thought how much I'd love to be able to fit in those clothes again! She also filled me in on her plans for the weekend. I admit, I was a little envious. Sometimes I listen to others talk, and see them in new clothes almost every week and it taps on my envy nerve. I also sometimes hate that my brain automatically calculates how much I'll spend if I go out somewhere, and that is usually my deciding factor on whether I do (that's what I did as she listed off plans for each day). Frugal burnout? Sometimes. I just usually give myself a little pep talk that I was once like that, and am in a better place now. Well, yesterday my envy must've stuck with me.

I had a dream that Nick and I went out shopping (at the mall no less) and I went into - Express! Go figure. I walked in and the colors jumped out at me. Three salesgirls came to my aide and began showing off the latest fashion must haves. I was elated and excited and oh-so-happy. I had to have these clothes. I was thinking that I didn't have any money in my budget, but I had just paid off $100 on my Discover, so I could always use that (and Nick didn't need to know about it; he had somehow disappeared and went off somewhere else). I was busy rationalizing why I needed these clothes, when all of a sudden, the dream shifted. This wasn't one of those complimentary dreams where you are 20 pounds lighter and look great. Nope, just the opposite. I was bigger than I really am. So big, that I couldn't walk through aisles without bumping into people, making them angry at me. The salesgirls were suddenly snickering behind my back, why I had the audacity to even enter the store. Then, another girl came over to me and commented that she thought the salespeople were being rude to her, and I casually told her it was because she was fat, like me. She didn't appreciate the information, and told me that in no way was she as horrendously fat as I was. Now, let me just say I found the fat part of the dream pretty amusing, because it was so blown out of proportion, it was funny. The dream showcases my obvious issues - money and weight. But the dream scared me because of how much I wanted to shop, and even without the means to do it, I was making excuses. Yikes. I guess I am lucky my relapse occurred while I was sleeping!

chaos as usual

2005-10-05T12:29:00.000-04:00

Nick's knee blew up Monday - had to go to the ER. He can barely walk, has a note to be out of work, but is working so he won't get fired. I am so upset he is doing that, but I understand. It will take a month or so to reopen his case and get regular paychecks. So, have been browsing apartments online, seeing what's out there. Preparing myself for the next step, that which I know very well by now: we will be moving, sooner or later. I have also been thinking a lot about the 2nd job, because I am really dead tired during the week, and it's not something I think I'll be able to stick with long-term, I am not sure. I plan to keep it at least until the end of this year (when Discover should be gone), but I know that if we will be paying rent, I'll need/want to keep it if I want to keep saving as much as I have in the past. But is my lack of energy/sometimes sour mood worth $1k net a month? What do you think? I am interested in other's opinions.

Remember that the next Carnival of Debt Reduction goes up this Monday - so don't forget to send me your submission! Send them to kar3881 at yahoo.com.

ING doesn't need you. they don't need anyone...

2005-10-03T20:43:00.000-04:00

Today I read that ING Direct 'fires' 3-4% of customers each month that they deem too high maintenance. Interesting. I am honestly surprised that they have no qualms about admitting that publicly, and part of me applauds them, because anyone that has ever dealt with the public can think of that person that has kept you on the phone for 45 minutes asking a question that is so simple that they must be doing it to torture you...there is no other reason. I think of the ING customer service rep 'recommending' an unruly customer to be excommunicated... hehe. How good that must feel! No wonder the company is doing so well...

On a very cool note, go check out Dawn's recent post about the free courses Barnes & Noble is offering at Frugal For Life, one of which is regarding Women & Money Management. I am extremely interested in the free, 4-week course, but there isn't too much detail and since I work evenings, I am thinking it's not an option. I did want to mention it so you could all check it out though :)

Carnival of Debt Reduction is up at FMF

2005-10-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

...so go check it out! Here's the link!

I'll be hosting the Carnival next week, so be sure to send me your submissions. E-mail me at kar3881 at yahoo.com. Submissions are due by 5 p.m. Sunday night. Have a great day!

frugal burnout?

2005-10-02T18:23:00.000-04:00

I've heard of the term before, I know I have experienced it, too. At the moment I feel kind of peaceful with what I have accomplished to date, but also excited (that's a good way to feel about paying off debt, isn't it!) because I have a new challenge ahead. Actually, two challenges. I mostly discuss my credit card debt here, but the main source of all my debt at the moment is my car payment(s). We're still trying to work on things with Nick's brother, we want him to get a loan and buy the car off of us (Grand Am). We're trying to exercise a little patience since he is currently on Worker's Comp. and the car also recently required a new battery and alternator, but sometimes I don't feel so sympathetic. After all, if I were to call up my auto financing company and explain my problems, do you think they'd care? No. But we are family, so as long as he continues making payments, even if he breaks them up (as he has been doing), I won't have a problem.

The challenges that lie ahead are the Mustang and saving for a house. I am going to be tackling both of these goals in 2006, and since I owe about $19k on the stang, it's much more than the credit cards ever were. Don't get me wrong, debt is debt, no matter how you look at it. I am not as stressed by my debt for my car, since the car is worth more from what I have done to it (plus it's a 40th Anniversary edition), I enjoy it, and I plan on keeping it a LONG time. I want to keep it and baby it. I don't drive it regularly, I drive Nick's car more, so I see it as an investment more than anything ( I hear the tongues wagging out there, some people HATE to hear that people think of their cars that way). But, it's a Mustang, a beautiful car in and out, and a piece of American history. Not saying it's going to be worth $100k one day, but if I can hand it down to one of my kids, etc. that is good enough for me. I don't know what the future holds, as far as what my living arrangements will be next year, but if I am still living rent-free, I will probably pay the car down $1k a month. This is also assuming I still have the 2nd job. I will work on socking away money for a down payment for a house as well. The fact that both Nick and I are receiving settlements will help that endeavor. I am just looking forward to what lies ahead.

Today I tackled the task of writing WaMu about my ChexSystems issue... I can't say I feel very optimistic. They don't owe me anything, they aren't required to do anything; but still, I hope they acknowledge my points and honor my request. I also copied ChexSystems, and created a new statement to be included in my file (the last one couldn't be included since it was over 100 words and included specific company names - do you know how hard it is to complain in less than 100 words? lol). I also drafted Nick's letter to the company that charged us for some fake insurance they claim he bought in February, and copied the local BBB. I have otherwise just been relaxing and catching up on my favorite blogs/forums, a great weekend overall :)

article: hosed out at the gas pump - by your debit card

2005-10-01T16:52:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share this article from msn.com. Basically when you use your credit or debit card at the pump, a hold charge of up to $75 could be put on your card, and while most will disappear within a day or so, some can stay for as long as a week. Obviously this can wreak financial havoc for those that operate on a strict budget, and use their debit card to purchase gas. My friend sent this to me earlier this week, and luckily I haven't experienced this (I frequently use Exxon/Mobil to fill up since I get money back from Upromise, they only put a hold on $1), but it burned me up. She said she thinks it HAS happened to her.

Even worse - a bank representative in the article stating that you may or may not recover the fees that you will incur, at no fault of your own. I guess it depends if they are in a good mood that day?

Read the article here.

October Goals

2005-10-01T14:49:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day of October, and all I can think of is that I KNOW Christmas is going to be here before I blink my eyes. Another year, almost gone! Here are my goals for the month:

1. Deposit as much as possible into my savings accounts.

2. Despite doing this, still manage to pay down (pay off?) Discover...this month? I'd like to split my money between #1 & #2. Since I'd like to set a goal, I'll say $300 at least off the Discover.

3. Research opening a Roth IRA - possibly do so this month.

4. Stay focused on my health, keep exercising and be sure I eat nutrition-filled food. Within a week of letting this slip, I felt the difference.

5. Keep communication going with ChexSystems to dispute the WaMu item - even if they repeatedly tell me no. I am also going to copy WaMu on my letter to them (or vice versa?) I don't pay for postage so I will continue to fight what I feel is unjustly bringing me down.

6. Have to also fight the $59 charge I mentioned in my previous post - plan to do so this weekend.

7. Maybe start Christmas shopping.

8. Try to meet my grocery goal of $250 (we were almost $50 over in September).

just exhausted lately

2005-09-29T20:34:00.000-04:00

Wow, I am surprised I managed to find time to even come on here tonight. I have been super busy, and of course am extremely tired as a result. I don't have much time left before I go home, and when I get there I plan on relaxing and watching one of the movies from my free trial with Blockbuster Online, so here goes:

- today I deposited $525 in ING, $20 in EmigrantDirect.
- $150 was paid to Discover.
- a full 10% was contributed to my Simple IRA this pay period. I lucked out because since I got 3 checks this month, I didn't get any money deducted for medical or dental this time.
- I spoke with my rep for my IRA (he called to make sure the extra $ was taken out, everything was okay) and he's sending me information on a Roth IRA - I was under the impression I had only until December, but apparently I have until April 2006 to meet the yearly amount, so I will go ahead and open one ASAP.
- still haven't written my response to ChexSystems - it's pretty exhausting when someone basically says no, and I am tired enough already. I plan to do it this weekend.
- Nick traded in the Jeep for a 96 Neon, 4 cylinder. Has only 60k miles, everything works, runs well, etc. He has to do buy here, pay here for a few months but overall thinks it'll be better off, especially due to gas prices. I am going to be taking this to work (once I learn how to drive stick! ugh)
- Nick is wishy-washy about leaving his job now. He isn't sure he can deal with what most likely will be a pay cut, in addition with paying rent. My first concern is him and his health, but if it's what he wants I will not argue. I would prefer a nicer neighborhood but I can deal for now.
- I got another Kiplinger's in the mail yesterday, back issues must've been going to the old address. I now have 3 magazines to read this weekend.
- paid the cell phone bill, Comcast, my car insurance, and am waiting for my car payment bill to send out.
- the confrontations never end - some medical plan Nick had looked into before he had insurance at the last job, charged our account $59. Even if we did buy it, this is from February. Late much??!! It's pending right now, so we can't go to the bank yet to complete a dispute, and the company says we need to write a letter and state we never had the insurance and never gave authorization. But they will not reverse the charge. I am continually amazed at the lack of power consumers apparently have over their money. You'd think that me saying, "It's my money, this isn't authorized" would be enough. *sigh*

Signs I am getting old: found gray hairs this past weekend, forgot to tell. What's up with that? I am only 24, not too happy. There were only a few, but still. That and I have a swollen lymph node right on my jaw. I rubbed lotion on my face and felt this thing under the surface, moving. Gross. Got a little freaked, went to the doctor on lunch yesterday (it hurts a little, not much). He asked if my throat is sore, and if I drink a lot... lol. I NEVER drink. I just am not one of those people that enjoys the taste of alcohol. I also cannot handle my liquor. He told me to wait a month and hopefully the swelling will go down - if not to come back, I have to go to a ear, eyes, nose & throat doctor. He threw out some large medical term, last word was ancoma. Didn't get into what it was or what the end result was, but he did mention a needle, a biopsy, and drooling out the side of my face due to the needle. He also stated that this condition is frequently found in middle-aged men that drink a lot. lol. Hopefully I won't have to worry. It feels a little larger today. Luckily you can't see it, then it would REALLY bother me.

Well I am about to leave, so goodnight! I hope to catch up on all my blogs this weekend. Thank GOD tomorrow is Friday...

living in freebie heaven

2005-09-27T12:40:00.000-04:00

I guess no one has advice about the ChexSystems issue? :( I guess I'll go ahead and plan on writing the bank, as well as the statement for my file at ChexSystems.

I arrived home yesterday to find Budget Living and Kiplinger's magazine sitting on my counter - talk about elated. That free magazine site really does work :) And boy am I glad that I got refunded for my BL subscription. Unfortunately, I was much too tired to concentrate on reading either of them - I hope to dig in tonight, but I wouldn't be surprised if they end up being weekend reading.

Nick and I have been discussing his/our future a little more in depth, most of all being our current residence. Neither of us are happy living there, it is really bringing us down. Even the free rent isn't enough to make it worth it. The neighborhood is bad news - gangs apparently are located right down the road from us, etc. We obviously found this out subsequent to moving in. That is one aspect - second being that I don't want Nick to be a superintendent anymore. I want him to find a job, any job, and maybe go to school. His knee is messed up, it will hurt him for the rest of his life. Every doctor has told him to find another line of work. It would be stupid to ignore that message any longer. I honestly just see him hurting himself again, and it's not worth it. On top of it all, as I mentioned once before, this building is a mess - there are currently 20 leaks in that building alone (he is responsible for 4-5 other buildings, and I get the impression ours is one of the better buildings, scary to think about). When we go to sleep at night, we hear drip, drip, drip behind our bedroom wall. The place is falling apart, they have no money to fix the problems, and then it's Nick's responsibility (when he doesn't have the budget). It's so not worth it. We are going to start looking around for apartments in the surrounding area (nicer cities like Princeton, where we were before) and I have about $1k put away, will have to put all the $$ from the 2nd job to the security deposit, Discover will still get paid a good amount, but not as much as I planned. I know I can pay it off by year end, it's the only one left. We'll see what happens :)

I need advice

2005-09-24T20:38:00.000-04:00

I received a response from ChexSystems. They aren't going to be as easy as my credit report (in a sense I am glad it's off my credit report instead, if I have to choose). They stated that the item IS shown as paid on their record, but the institution that reported it is under no obligation to remove a legit report. So, what do I do now? I was going to write another letter to ChexSystems again (I have to anyway, they also said they couldn't include my correspondence in my file because it was over 100 words and also named the institution... ugh give me a break!) but I don't think I can ask them to reinvestigate the report, because it's not false (I don't think the process was conducted the right way, but I was also a little more naive in the finance department a year ago than where I am today). So what is my next step? Does anyone have any clues? If so, please let me know because this is not right. I feel like the guy in jail that maintains he is innocent with everyone rolling their eyes, thinking "Sure you are." I am wondering if I can write a letter to my old bank, asking them nicely if they would consider removing it - I was with the same bank from 15 years old - 23 (although a few merges occurred before settling on WaMu). I am just thinking if I nicely explain my situation, maybe that person reading it will be in the giving mood and help me out? I did pay the debt afterall. I don't even know if I CAN contact the bank about it. Please help!

Nick has some kind of lucky streak going on... he won $400 on a scratch-off. We might take some of that and take the Jeep to the mechanic (someone wants it for $1500, but it is wishy-washy and doesn't start sometimes. Nick thinks it's something with the electrical system, or whatever. The guy that wants it is someone Nick knows so that's why he cares). I scheduled some payments for next week, and my savings account will be happy: $600 in all is being deposited. I was going to send $375 of that to Discover, but I trimmed it down to $150 instead so I can build up my EF to $1k (this will do it, plus $100). Then the rest of the money will again be directed towards debt.

Today I was thinking about all the money I earn/save now in various ways: just this past week we got $25 & $50 from the ShareBuilder promotions, $10 from Pinecone Research (we were holding on to the first check since I knew another was on the way), a total of $4 from SurveyDirect, and I am being sent free items that I would normally use to try out from BzzAgent (I don't think I ever mentioned that I joined this - I am waiting on my items, but it seems to be an excellent group) as well as cat food from another group I signed up with, and I'll just have to give them my opinions later on. Between the small cash incentives and sample items (sometimes full size!) I have really been saving A LOT. I just completed a survey today in which I'll receive a $10 Amex gift card. And I signed up for a trial month with Blockbuster so I'll get some free movie watching in. So adding this on to my budgeted plan for debt repayment really makes a difference, because it helps my wallet out in a different way.

tgi...t?

2005-09-22T20:15:00.000-04:00

It feels like it should be Friday. The week caught up with me today - I was exhausted when I woke up. Funny enough, I had gone to bed about a 1/2 hour earlier, and also slept in a little later. I was driving into work, yawning so much that my eyes were tearing. I was thinking, this isn't a good way to start the day! Especially as I was supposed to be in user training for our system conversion (enough to put you to sleep on any given day). Lucky for me, the training got cancelled.

Today both Nick and myself received notices that our Sharebuilder promotions were available - so I transferred $75 total out of our accounts (unfortunately I had signed up with a $25 bonus before I knew of the $50) and most likely will put it in ING - I have to take a look at our budget because we are getting low on groceries, so we'll need to order some.

Also have to talk to Nick - he's frustrated with his job. It's one of those 'fixer upper' positions, as I like to think of them. A company hires someone and wants them to fix all their problems (of which there are MANY), and yet has no real concept of what needs to be done. But, they are 'management.' That's how it works. There are constant problems because it seems everything was mended so it worked at the moment, but of course taking the cheap way out causes bigger problems later. He has a certain work ethic and he can't stand when people take the easy way out - he wants to do it right, otherwise why bother? It'll cost more in the end so cough it up. On top of that, he had fired his maintenance technician, due to extreme laziness. I couldn't even believe how lazy the guy was - he constantly called Nick and had to have his hand held. He finally was let go after he was told to hand out notices and didn't...wanted to wait another day. He was given the option to do it right then or leave...and he left! Unbelievable. But even with the minimal work the guy was doing, I guess Nick had someone to help him. Now everything is his problem.

Today Nick called me at work and explained that an inspector came to the building and needed to see an example of a 2 bedroom apartment, and his boss suggested they just look at ours ~ Nick said okay. They did so, and when she saw the cat (the other 2 were hiding) and the ferret, she got upset, as she didn't know about them. Nick explained that she never said pets were not allowed, and since her concern seemed to be about possible damage, he indicated we had lived in a building previously where animals weren't allowed and did not have any issues. So what it comes down to is that she wants to charge us an annual fee of $200 per animal - which Nick has a big problem with altogether, but especially for the ferret as it is a caged animal. She only comes out when I move everything (she messes with EVERYTHING) and stays confined to the computer room. So he was all upset about it. I am glad it's not an ultimatum, because I'll tell you right now, I'd be moving. I would never give up my cats. I don't want to pay this fee, because if they are going to ruin anything it will be our property (i.e. our couch that they love to claw, try to do behind our backs). However, unless Nick got another superintendent position w.free apartment, we'd pay more than that in rent. So, I have to talk to him about all of this. I don't think he's going to be happy here long-term, and honestly while I do not want to pay rent, having control of where I live would bring a peace of mind. I also don't particularly want him to get another superintendent job again - this should be it. His knee takes a beating all the more because of what he does. Also, yesterday when I got home, Nick was filling out an application for AutoZone, he apparently wants a second job there. It gives a discount and he might be able to get Assistant Mgr. since he is a supervisor now. I mentioned to him that I thought he'd push himself too hard (I get tired doing both and I sit down almost all day, and his knee problems? Forget it). but should he do it, it might be a good transition out of his current job/career as a super. He agreed. We'll see what happens -

I was planning on paying $400 to Discover when I get paid next week, but now am thinking $100 instead, and $300 to ING (on top of the $275 I already had budgeted there), because I still don't have as much of an EF as we'd need. It would be stupid for me to commit the same mistake twice, should we need to move, yet again. I hate the thought of moving but have to admit I am not at all fond of our neighborhood. The sooner we're out, the better.

it's already halfway through the week

2005-09-21T20:28:00.000-04:00

I swear, each day melts into another at the pace I'm going. That is both a good and bad thing, I guess. Anyhow ~ how excited am I that Emigrant raised their interest rates yet again. And again, I tap my foot impatiently and think, "Hello ING! Meet higher interest rate. Higher interest rate, meet ING." We'll see what happens I guess. I still am doing well in the survey department, got $2 from SurveyDirect today. There was a survey from the Brand Institute yesterday for $15, and I sooo wanted to qualify, but other than flat out lying (and some research as I did the survey), there was no way I could've answered the questions they asked. I just waved the white flag and figured my time would come.

Yesterday (hold your breath!) our bank FINALLY credited us the $30.... wow, only took since September 1st....... Commerce customers take heed. I am not switching because frankly who knows if I can, with the whole ChexSystems thing (doubtful). I am still waiting for their reply.

Nick went to the doctor to get the results on bloodwork he got done (the boy has amazing amounts of issues for 25 years old) because he, unlike me, has been dropping weight like it's going out of style. We don't really know what is going on because he does eat - every so often he'll feel sick and can't eat for fear of not keeping it down (which is obviously also not normal). I joke that I'll trade with him but I really don't want all the problems he has. Apparently there is something up with his red blood cell count, and the doctor thinks he has a nerve issue...(back to his knee here) and will need to get shots in his spine..........um, OUCH! They still needed more information, so he has to go back on Friday. I hope they figure this all out.

happy monday

2005-09-19T20:27:00.000-04:00

I actually really like Mondays. My supervisor has a 4 day workweek (Mondays she is off), so I get to ease into Mondays gently. She is nice, but it's always nice to do your work at a more relaxed pace.

Hope you had a chance to check out the Carnival(s) today, at Optimized Living and MightyBargainHunter's blogs. Looks like some really good posts. I don't have too much to report in the way of financial news. I actually scheduled my Sears payment for today, so it's back to $0 (from when I used it to buy clothes for work 2 weeks ago). I have certain payments scheduled in Quicken, quite a few, that we haven't even received the bill for yet, so since I am getting paid on Thursday I knew it was no biggie.

Last night I found a link of top survey/market research sites. I have seen these links before and they are usually not too helpful, but this one actually was: http://www.freepaidsurveys.net/usaDir.php. I sorted by user rating and signed up for the ones I hadn't already (also, I only signed up for the sites that had 'C' in the Rewards column - I am not interested in being entered into probably non-existent sweepstakes!). Of course, Pinecone was #1. As with all the other things I have done to 'see what happens', I signed up not expecting anything. I actually received FIVE offers to participate in surveys today, all ranging from $3-$5 per survey. Unfortunately, almost all were filled by time I got to them (hey, I work! lol I can't sit online waiting for the surveys). Oh well - it gave me some hope though. Brand Institute was one of the firms that contacted me (multiple times actually). The research firm I mentioned previously was also listed on this page. I am thinking Nick didn't qualify because we haven't heard anything :( Oh well, worth a shot, right? I am guessing there will be more chances in the future, it actually says on the website above that most of the studies DoNowResearch does are based in NY/NJ area.

I have about a half hour to go home - I was done SUPER early tonight, at 7 p.m. I am only blogging now because I have already read all my emails, read all my blogs, forums, etc. Saves me from wasting time when I get home ;) I really should go do some filing though - something I hate to do. I'll keep updating on the surveys and if I get any more offers. Too bad I didn't qualify for every single one today - I'd have literally made $20 plus (I got a survey from SurveyDirect before for $5 too).

Carnival of Debt Reduction goes up tomorrow!

2005-09-18T22:30:00.000-04:00

Almost forgot - remember to check out the first-ever Carnival of Debt Reduction over at MightyBargainHunter's blog tomorrow! I have a post that will be featured, and also will be hosting on October 10th.

Interested in posting/hosting? Check out the guidelines and schedule here.

untitled

2005-09-18T21:58:00.000-04:00

Sorry to be a little off-topic, finances wise...but...

Did you ever hear the song (which I believe is relatively new) by Sum 41, called 'Untitled'? It's a really good song, and probably fits exactly how my sister feels right now. After I posted yesterday, I received a call from her, she had gone to my parents' house for the night. They even had to pick her up - her wonderful husband apparently told her to clean out her minivan because he sold it, and proceeded to take her keys and leave. (A little background on this is when they went to buy the van, she couldn't find her license - therefore the van was put in his name. In a later fight he told her he did this on purpose so if she left him she wouldn't have a vehicle. Nice, right?) This is a perfect example of how he is trying to stop her from bettering herself - this behavior starts whenever she does try. Selling her car? Perfect way to stop her from going to school, since she can't get there! Apparently he really did not sell it, but still an idiotic gesture (not that I expect more of him).

She stayed at my parents' house last night to cool down, and will be contacting a lawyer to see what her options are (she wants a divorce obviously). This guy is as smart as a fox - everything that is paid is in his name, any debt is in hers. I can't even talk to my sister, because Mr. Paranoid tapes conversations... monitors her email... the list goes on. She told me last night she gave my father money, and he is going to set up an account for her. She went back home today, because her kids were understandably upset that she was gone, and said she will try to remain civil for the time being, until she knows what she can do. She has quite a rough road ahead of her: finding a job, securing daycare, getting a vehicle if idiot plays games with the van again, which he will, finding somewhere to live, all while dealing with the hell we know he'll put her through. I know my parents will help her as much as possible, but they live on a fixed income now since my father retired. I told her I set up an account for her as well, and I think at least half, if not more, of my second income will be going to her. It's so worth it though, if she will be happy. I really hope anyone out there with doubts about their relationship will see this post and think twice about kids and marriage with that person. Love isn't enough sometimes, and even that wears away when you have to deal with things like this.

*SIGH*

The rest of the weekend was okay, just went by so fast. Sorry to say with everything going on, we missed the carnival from work. Nick's knee also was bothering him, so he wasn't exactly in the mood to go anywhere, let alone walk around. I felt the same. We went shopping to that clothing store, Dots, yesterday and I got 5 shirts and a pair of pants for $81! What a difference, and they are really nice clothes. We also stopped by the AJ Wright next door, and Nick got a pair of jeans (which just happen to be Guess, and really nice) for $20, as well as sneakers, which he needed since he currently had none. Those were $35. Afterwards we stopped by Wendy's (my request, since we hadn't had it in quite awhile) and I got the chicken strips salad, so yes I stayed healthy (by Wendy's standards anyhow!) I also worked out last night. Not going to work out tonight since I am really sore, but I am encouraged because it looks like I dropped another pound. I just scheduled payment for the Sears card to be paid in full on Thursday, and transferred $7 to my Money Earned account in ING ($5 from Pinecone Research and $2 from SurveyDirect). So far I have about $130 in there. I haven't transferred all the money though, I still 'owe' my account. I keep a spreadsheet to track what I earn and if I deposited it into savings yet.

I think I mentioned previously that I am loosening up as far as the weekly spending - we try not to spend money as it is, and as much as I analyze it, it's not going to prevent necessary spending. If we were going out and buying big-screen TV's every week, okay then, I'd have a reason to cut back and criticize, but I think we're doing okay, on the right track. We're still good on the groceries we bought 2 weeks ago, although we're going to have to get a few items soon. Anyway, time for me to get off my butt and do some cleaning, and make my lunch/dinner for tomorrow. Already Monday again (groan).

I have a new goal

2005-09-17T19:52:00.000-04:00

My sister has recently signed up for a nursing program in which she pays the first year of tuition, and they cover the rest after that point (nurses are in demand). After the first year they will also place her to start off as something of a medical assistant, but she'll still be attending classes as well. She had actually gone to school back in the day for nursing, but there was one class she continually had problems with, and she eventually gave up. She has always been interested in the field, and this is a really good opportunity. She isn't sure whether she wants to be a LPN or RN, but either way, it will secure her a good future.

Without going into too much detail, let me say that I do not like my brother-in-law. When you think he cannot possibly sink any lower, he does. It's ridiculous, pathetic, and a shame, all the things he does. I think my sister is getting to the point (if she isn't there already) that she is void of emotion, at least on the surface. He has just done too much. My family is worried he will try to ruin this for her, because again, without details, he tries to prevent her from bettering herself, or doing anything that he would think would be of benefit to her should she leave him. I really hope he doesn't succeed. Anyhow, I have added an account to my ING savings, earmarked for my sister. Whatever I save most likely won't pay for a divorce, but one day maybe it'll serve as a downpayment for an apartment or help her buy a car she needs, anything. I just want to help her remove herself and my nieces and nephew from this situation. She isn't working right now (she stays home with the kids) and even if she was, I know he'd find a way to take her money. So, this has become a really big goal for me. Grrrr :(

who would've thought...

2005-09-15T20:14:00.000-04:00

...that cigarettes might bring in money? Remember I said that Nick quit awhile back? He did - and did well. Then he stupidly picked up one (not in my presence, lol) and it started all over again. I wasn't happy and he said he still really wanted to quit. He's been slowing down on how many he smokes per day, so it's better. Anyway, today I received a notice for a research study - two, actually - one being for smokers in NJ and the other for young women. I'd do the second study, but it's in Manhattan (hour plus away from me now, my mom and friends are close, so I sent it to them) and it would be at night, causing me to miss the 2nd job - the pay is $200 and I figure I'd still make money on it, but it's probably not worth the gas, mileage, request for time off, etc. Hopefully Nick will qualify for the smoker study. If you are from NJ and interested, leave me a comment and I'll forward it on. The rest of you might be interested in signing up with the company as well - it operates across the US.

www.donowresearch.com

We were pleasantly surprised to receive another check from Nick's disability - we had thought he was short a check, and he was - they sent it to the old address, so we have $400 more than expected in the bank. And yes, Best Buy is finito. :O) Nick also got some moisturizing lotion from L'Oreal for Men in the mail - he's probably not as thrilled as I am when I get samples though, hehe.

I felt more comfortable today at work - getting used to everything again. Oh, and everything worked, what a surprise! I actually was able to do something today. I had a good conversation with one of the temps at my job (hopefully she'll be going permanent if everything works out, and I really like her) and we seem so alike. She will be 25 next week and described to me her plan to eliminate debt, save up money, and get her act together financially. All I really could do is agree with everything she said - she literally was approaching everything just as I am - and her life seems to parallel mine in many ways. Weird, huh? I also noticed our web services guy (also 25) had "The Millionaire Next Door" on his desk. Besides the blogs I have seen, this is definitely proof to me that people my age are very interested in their finances. Always a good thing.

I am really glad tomorrow is Friday, I am craving the sleep. I went to bed earlier last night, but still felt really tired this morning. I am tired right now too, but since I am done with the work I had and just relaxing, shoes kicked off, blogging, with my Yahoo! Launch radio playing, I can't complain. Only a half hour (and another day) to get through before the weekend!

*I got home and Nick told me he won $75 on a scratch off. And someone wants to buy the Jeep truck we have for $1500. I decided to get on the scale today, and if it's not the Tae Bo, it's the healthy eating, cuz I am 4 pounds lighter! Not a bad day! Oh, and I got a sample from Mary Kay :)

what a long day!

2005-09-14T20:32:00.000-04:00

At the second job, again. I was busier tonight and expected not to finish early, but I did, which is nice because I can relax before I go home. Today I made it to work on time, did fine getting up. I also did my Tae Bo :) I must say, I just feel better, energy-wise, and just knowing I am actually doing it. But work was ridiculous, the entire server was down all day, so I had nothing to do. Very frustrating - I like to be kept busy, it helps the time pass. I heard murmurs among certain people that this may last for the rest of the week. It better not - seriously, what is the purpose in being there then? Oh well, not my choice.

Guess what tomorrow is... the day Best Buy gets paid off! I love counting down to payday. Checking an account and seeing a $0.00 balance sure does feel good. (Not in the instance of a bank account though, lol)

Nick ordered pizza and chicken & penne vodka for me from this FANTASTIC pizzeria by us. I can't wait to go home and eat, I'm starving. I noticed that whenever we spend money, I feel guilty and think how it's not in my budget. I really need to stop that - we rarely go out, and are very much into saving and paying off debt, so I need to chill with the guilty feelings. Furthermore, I tend to feel that way if our weekly spending report is over the $105. Overall, I'd say we do really good - we are usually always within reach of the $105. I am going to loosen up slightly - almost all my debt is gone, I bring in enough income to buy some things I want. This dinner, is one of them :) Oh, and I'm planning on buying more work clothes at that store I mentioned previously, this weekend. In my case, it's not even a matter of wanting, I really need new clothing. I have skimped on many things, and this is one of those areas. Creating a professional appearance is important and is part of what helps me bring in the money to pay off debt and save - so I deserve it.

back to reality

2005-09-13T20:14:00.000-04:00

I'm at my second job right now, and I have about 45 minutes to kill, so I thought, why not blog? :) Tonight there was more stuff to do, but still a light night. As easy as this job is, it can get pretty busy. Good news is, the company is having a picnic this Sunday, and it's basically the equivalent of a town fair/mini carnival. My supervisor generously gave me 2 tickets to go, because it's free - EVERYTHING is free. They all are excited about it here. Unlimited food, drinks, ice cream (they said it's every kid's dream - a Haagan Daz ice cream truck is there and you can get whatever you want - as much as you want - FREE). There's rock climbing, paintball, face painting, family portrait pictures, I could go on and on. Lots of stuff, and of course I am drawn because it's not costing me anything. Can't beat free entertainment!

Today started out rough - guess I was really tired, because I slept right through my alarm, and I never sleep through that. So Nick wakes me up at 7:30 (luckily he did wake up at all, or I'd STILL be sleeping) and tells me what time it is, which is coincidentally the exact time I should be at work. Ugh. I really hate being late - and it's my second day back. Waking up and rushing always sours my day. I managed to get there at 8:05, and it was okay ~ but can't let that happen again. It was another slow day, because I don't have tons to do, most of my contacts don't know I am back, and also have been contacting my coworker Sarah in my absence. It's going to take some time. Most of my day was spent trying to find my Outlook subfolders - with the computer switch they're all gone. I had really important info in there for all of my committees, accounts, etc., etc. They are full of 2 years of work, neatly organized so everything is easy to find. I was upset, but then I realized I saved these off the server, so we found them on my old computer - but they are password protected, and for some reason, none of the passwords I know I'd use are working. So - the IT guy is going to try to hack into it. LOL. Ugh. I just feel lost without that information. Plus I have tons of articles I had in a subfolder for inclusion in the newsletter I publish, so all these were 'lost' and so are the contacts I made! Grrr. I still didn't get much done today and I really need to step it up a bit - I didn't get to work until 10 (catching up with boss who wasn't in yesterday), lunch from 12-12:45, then I leave at 4. Time always flew at that place and nothing has changed.

Ooh, I almost forgot. I got an invite to the exclusive Pinecone Research, and did my first survey today! Woohoo :) It said to expect a welcome packet and my first compensation voucher soon! I have heard only good things about them, and the fact that you can't join without an invite says it's for real. Other than that, my day has been uneventful. I am definitely looking forward to going home and relaxing.

I made it!

2005-09-12T20:52:00.000-04:00

Just barely, but I made it through the day. Actually, my day wasn't bad at all, which is surprising since I never fell asleep last night. I was so wired and although I got tired here and there, I was very awake for some reason. But it hit me as soon as I got home (I was lucky, since it was my first night back at the 2nd job it was slow (I was only just re-added to the email distribution lists, etc.) so I left by 7:30. I heated up chicken and rice, and when I sat down, I realized how much my body ached and how tired I am (and it's also sore because I did Tae Bo this morning! yay me!) I decided to get up earlier and work out Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. My thinking is that Mondays I always have energy from the weekend leftover, Fridays it's almost the weekend so no excuses, and Wednesday sucks a little but it's hump day - week's almost over. Then I just have to work out on Saturday and Sunday too. Considering how healthy I have been eating (seriously), I am hoping this makes a difference. Once I pay off Discover, I am thinking of using it to buy a fairly cheap treadmill (like $300 or so) to get the cashback bonus, and just pay it off. I want a treadmill to achieve my other goal (losing weight) because I love to run, and it just takes the weight right off me. More on that later ~

Today was fun, it was not really work but mostly bsing with people. I also got a nice new computer with flat screen monitor, so I was like "Um, this IS my office still, right?" They all laughed at me, but I was a little serious. I felt kind of bad, because only a few people have these computers and here I am out for 3 months and they give it to me. I also had to meet like 4 new people that have started there since I've been out! It's crazy. I did a little work but the easy stuff just seemed so hard to even concentrate on, I am just not used to working, lol. I know it'll get better, and it has to, because at the rate of speed I was going today, nothing will ever get done. Okay I am going to go make lunch and dinner for tomorrow, and maybe watch tv (I am so tired I could just go to sleep right now). Goodnight!

oh yeah, weekly spending.

2005-09-11T19:47:00.000-04:00

Almost forgot to review this. We didn't do as well as last week (not a big surprise), but not that bad.

Amount & Description

$4.80 - Rite Aid, 9/6
$28.80 - Auto Zone, 9/6 (work expense for Nick, will be reimbursed)
$11.20 - Vizzoni's Pharmacy, 9/7
$21.90 - Napa Auto Parts, 9/7
$40.19 - Nick - doctor's visit and 2 prescriptions, 9/8
$10.60 - Trentini's Pizza (mmm this one was my fault, so good), 9/8
$12.70 - Rite Aid, 9/9
$20.00 - Exxon, 9/11
$6.04 - ShopRite, 9/11
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$156.23 total

Not bad. $127.43 is more like the actual total, since Nick will get reimbursed for the $28.80. Also, half the items listed were for Nick's medical/dental care. He recently had a wisdom tooth pulled, and it was a dry socket? Which apparently got infected, so he had to pick up antibiotic. He also sees a pain management doctor for his knees (nope, surgery didn't help - they told him he is the type of person that easily builds painful scar tissue.. lucky him) to try and cope, because apparently surgery won't help. So again, I am happy with our overall spending for the week.

I forgot to mention that we ordered our groceries online again this past week - and our total was $102.36, so we have $42.03 left for the remainder of the month to spend on groceries. I don't think it should be a problem - I will be preparing all my meals during the week ahead of time, and we truly have tons of food in this house. Full cabinets, fridge, everything, so it will just be things like fruit and lunchmeat that we'll have to get.

counting down my hours of freedom

2005-09-11T18:49:00.000-04:00

I hope I sleep tonight. I meant to wake up earlier today, and overslept. Nick and I went to Sears today, and I got some pants, shoes, and a top for work. I figured I didn't buy any clothes for work for the summer (since I was home) so my work wardrobe needed something. I guess that is a plus, I never spent money on summer clothes, or on gas, but in the same token I lost out on income from the second job. Oh well.

The clothes are nice, needed, but boy are they expensive. Funny I have that opinion since I used to frequent the mall, but in my opinion, most of the stuff there was ugly and nothing special - a button up shirt was $40. I just couldn't justify it. The other items I bought were all on sale, including the shoes (which I really like), but I still spent $90 for 2 pairs of pants, a top, and shoes. HELLO. I realize some people may read that and think, "Yeah, so? That isn't that bad." or maybe even "$90?! That is nothing compared to what I spend on clothes!" Well I used to think and be the same way. But now I am of the mindset, if it's a white button up shirt, why would I pay $40 when I could go to Wal-Mart and get it for $20 or less??? And nothing for nothing, it's Sears, not Bloomingdales (why are their prices so high?). I only went to Sears because I have specific amounts budgeted for everything, and the money left in the bank is gas money - so I used my cc, and will pay it off when I get my paycheck from the 2nd job next week. I still need to do some more shopping, but it will be at this little store I like, called Dots. They tend to have some nice, cheap stuff.

We stopped by ShopRite and used the $5 rebate check to pick up apples, bananas, some chocolate stuff for Nick and grapes. Also picked up the free 2 liter of Coca Cola Zero. Total came to $12.04, we paid $6.04. Wish I always had rebate checks. We stopped and got gas on the way home, and I noticed prices have dropped somewhat, at some stations (others seem to keep the higher prices, seeing if you're dumb enough to pay it) because we paid $3.39. I wish it would drop down to the $2.59 I remember. Isn't that horrible? Ugh. Nick called the bank to check if the branch manager was in (she wasn't), so he has to stop by there tomorrow at 10 a.m. Hopefully this gets resolved.

I have to clean, generally get ready for tomorrow (got my outfit all picked out, feels like back to school lol), and there is a special on tonight about 9/11, the families of Flight 93 that we want to watch. I can't believe it's been 4 years. I don't have any words to properly sum up everything I think and feel lately, with all the horrors going on in the world, but I just pray for everyone - the victims, the families, everyone. This whole world needs it. I don't think any of us will ever forget the things we've seen and heard.

tgif

2005-09-09T21:19:00.000-04:00

Only 2 days until I go back to work. I think it'll be easy, at least at first, because I have to ease back into it, but I am definitely nervous. More nervous to see how tired I am going to feel, because I am going back to the second job as well. Sooo my day will begin when I wake up around 6, and won't end until 9 p.m. (really 9:30ish, by time I get home). Since I no longer live around the corner from my job () I'll have to make lunch (and dinner, for the other job) when I get home. Did I mention I want to lose weight too? So yeah, any exercise I want to do has to be done when I get home. Trust me - better chance it will happen at night then when I wake up in the morning!

Today I received my $5 rebate check from Coca Cola - awhile back, ShopRite had fridge packs on sale, 4 for $8. This was a savings of $6, then I sent in for the rebate, so that's another $5, plus a coupon for a free 2 liter of Coca Cola Zero. Oh, and did I mention that I also got credit from Upromise - for the full priced amount?! So the whole thing cost me less than $3. Woohoo, I love me some rebates.

I contacted my financial advisor for my Simple IRA the other day (by email). I requested that he raise my employee contribution to 7%. I currently am only at 3% (the same amount my employer matches). Since I am close to paying off debt, I figured now's a good time to raise it... put it at 10% total. I still haven't heard back though and I'm wondering what the deal is.

OH. Grrrr (time to vent). A week and a half ago, Nick went to the bank and made a cash deposit of $30. Sometimes our bank (Commerce) takes a day or so to show deposits or whatever. I didnt see it, so I gave it an extra day. Nothing. So he stopped by the bank, they said it was their mistake, they'd correct the problem. Fine. Still nothing a few days later. So I email customer service, they look into it, say that the local branch is looking into it, and I'll hear back from them within 3-5 business days on what the outcome is. Still nothing. I am really pissed. Furthermore, I don't know what rights I have, what can I do, if they come back and don't put MY $30 in my account. Thank God it's not more is what I am thinking, that point being both a pro and con at the same time. I mean, what IF it was more - but yet, why did this happen? I mean, $30 would buy me some gas, $30 could be used for alot, it's not chump change. Grrrr I plan on going to the branch tomorrow to fight with them if I have to - and if they don't credit my account, I am going to threaten to write the BBB. I don't know what else I can do. It sucks. And no, I don't have the receipt for the transaction (I know, I know - trust me, we are saving them all until I see the cash in my account from now on!) Nick gave it to me and I shredded it, just like I have done every other time.

the first step is admitting you have a problem...

2005-09-08T12:12:00.000-04:00

"Hello, my name is Karen. I am a shop-a-holic..."

I write that jokingly, but it's completely true of myself, about 3+ years ago. At the time, I had no bills to speak of, was still at home with Mom & Dad, and made enough money that it could be frittered away on junk without looking back. I had no savings to speak of, nor a savings plan in mind. I was seriously addicted to shopping, particularly when it involved clothes. I would go shopping at least once a week, and especially when I felt depressed. Oh, and it had to be name brand, of course. After all, the boost I felt in my mood, walking through the mall with all those bags, was so worth it. Or so I thought. Friends were envious of me, thinking I had all this money (besides the fact that I had a great wardrobe). I didn't - I just had a lot of material things. I would go into stores and would pick up every item off the racks that interested me - and if I didn't have enough cash on hand, I'd just use my credit card. No big deal.

It wasn't technically - until I got laid off from my job, and continued my bad habit as if nothing had happened. After all, I had credit cards - no problem. I remember the day that my mother said to me (after about the 4th day in a row of the UPS truck pulling up to the house with shipments) "You do realize you're unemployed, right?" I just brushed her off at the time, but it started to catch up with me. Once you start spending on credit, it's hard to stop. I soon maxed out all my cards (did I mention I had 14? Yup - and one for every store I frequented) and it became difficult to simply pay my car insurance, gas, and the credit card bills. Which is very scary, since it's so little responsibility in the realm of things. So began the downward spiral where late payments continually occurred, creditors called the house, etc. Such an ugly mess, that I will never let myself go through again.

So what was my salvation? My current relationship. When I decided to move in with my boyfriend Nick 2 years ago, it was a big adjustment for me. Mom & Dad were still there, but I realized they weren't always going to save me. This realization made me grow up a little. I was now an hour away from my old job, so I decided I'd relocate to where I lived. Since it took about a month until I started my new job, Nick helped me pay my bills during that time (what a brave guy - I knew then he really must love me!). He was amazed at the mess I'd gotten myself into, which around that time amounted to somewhere around $10k of debt, I'd estimate, not counting my car loan as well. My problem was that I had so many credit cards, I couldn't keep up with the minimum payments, and I was very disorganized, leading to late fee upon late fee. I had no budget to speak of, I didn't even balance my checkbook or anything - I just had a guesstimate in my head of what was in my bank account. I'll never forget the day that Nick left for work, wishing me luck on my job search - and asking me to have each debt, total amount due, interest rate, and due dates written down, so we could review it together later that evening. He wanted to help me break this cycle. I will never forget how I felt after I did that, I was so depressed. I was shocked at how far I'd been living beyond my means, and honestly don't know how I had any money (or paid any bills) at all! I felt silly, because I hadn't even had any clue as to how bad my situation was before then.

I have come a long way since that point. I soaked up all the information I could on debt reduction, and formulated my own repayment plan. I am now down to 2 credit cards, soon to be one after the next pay period. I can't remember what 14 credit cards feels like. I have a budget, a savings plan, and goals for the future. I still continue to learn more and more about debt reduction, and am amazed at how naive I once was. I am extremely thankful that I changed my way of thinking, but am also grateful that I have the background to remind me of what damage debt can do. I have learned my lesson!

well said!

2005-09-08T00:53:00.000-04:00

Wenchypoo's take on the Relief Efforts, etc.

I want to share this well written post with you for 2 reasons: if you already haven't figured it out, now is the time to start figuring out how you'd respond and take care of yourself in a similar situation, and to vent a little. If you are opposed to personal feelings on the relief efforts, please ignore the post beyond this point. I am not looking to argue, but I need to get some things off my chest.

Many people have different opinions on the relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina. I definitely have my own opinions, but mostly decided to keep them to myself as I am not in the mood to argue with anyone over politics or whatever else they complain about. I was upset by the Kanye West comment, that the evacuation efforts were a racial issue. I have watched a good amount of coverage on CNN and read a few articles here and there, and while unfortunate, it boils down to what I felt in my gut: hurricanes don't profile, and while racism exists in this world, it wasn't the basis for this disaster, and wasn't the reason why people weren't evacuated. There were tons of reasons, and if it's the blame game you want to play, there are tons of people and agencies to point fingers at. Kanye had made the comment that he hates how the media portrays 'us' - specifically regarding the coverage of black people looting. My understanding is that 67% of New Orleans is black, which was the group of people left behind. So, of course most of the people we see on TV are black! BUT - I did see white people too. Of the video shown, there are tons of people shown trying to get food and diapers for their babies - I remember seeing only 2 shots of black people stealing electronic goods and other goods. I didn't make an assumption or racial comment when I saw this - I thought, what stupid, ignorant PEOPLE to do so in the middle of a crisis... same for whoever shot at the people trying to bring aide to the community. Ignorance is ignorance, whether you are white, black, whatever! And that is my beef in this whole thing, race is NOT a factor, and I wish people would stop bringing the race card into things and using it as an excuse. To be honest, I think white people are largely discriminated against in the fact that many black people immediately assume we are against them. I am not denying there are ignorant people out there that hate anyone that doesn't share the same skin color, but the majority of us are open-minded, caring people, and regardless of your skin color, we all cried tears when we saw the distress on your face and watched as you lost everything dear to you. Love transcends prejudice, especially in such a horrible disaster.

back to work!

2005-09-07T16:39:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday was my last doctor's appointment, and I will be returning to work on Monday. I am excited to be getting back to a routine, but nervous. Tomorrow marks 3 months that I have been out of work. I will also be returning to the 2nd job on Monday, so it's going to be quite a week of adjustment. Once I start getting weekly paychecks again, it will be nice. My debt repayment plan is sure going to speed up. Best Buy is being paid off on the 15th (that was actually planned without the second income, so there will be cash leftover), and then it's on to Discover. I converted it so that I get the full 5% back on gas purchases, and it's registered with Upromise, so 6% back in all. Once that has been eliminated, I think I am going to simultaneously work at increasing the amount of my EF and paying off the Grand Am. Nick's brother is still trying to find a way to pay the car off so he can take it over, but until then, I will pay it down, reap the profit from his payment, and if we're still in the same position down the road, cancel the insurance and save $1100 a year (not that I am paying for it, but again, more profit in my pocket).

This blog has really helped me to focus on my goals, and it feels really good to be in the homestretch of this first goal. My financial goals will continue on, but this is the biggest step I needed to take. I really enjoy reading the other PF blogs that document their struggles, what keeps them motivated, and what their best advice is. I probably will not post as frequently during the week once I return to work, because frankly, I had no time before, so I will probably be in that same spot. I also will be sticking more to my own personal experiences, since other bloggers cover the important facts and articles they come across. If I see something of interest, and it hasn't already been discussed 5 times, I'll be sure to post about it though :O)

Today I received a $14.97 credit from Gem Avenue, a shop on Amazon.com where we had purchased a wallet for Nick. It was a cheap wallet in price, but looked nice. Well, one of the inside pockets where credit cards are kept started to rip 3 days after we received it, and Nick's wallet is not at all overloaded. We never did anything about it unfortunately, with moving and everything else going on, it just slipped our minds. Well, I received a survey from Amazon about a week or so ago, asking how the service was, etc. and to rate the seller. I explained my problem, and didn't expect anything in return honestly. I was contacted directly by the seller, and they said they wanted to make me happy with their service, so they refunded the full price! I am happy ~ we essentially got a free wallet!

Still waiting on ChexSystems about whether or not they will remove the negative item from my record - here's hoping. I would imagine if it's being removed from my credit report it would be the same for CS. Also, I believe I read somewhere that if the item has been paid, they are obligated to do so, but I may have some incorrect information, not sure. I am factoring charity donations into my budget from here on out, not only to the Red Cross for Hurricane Relief, but also for animal friendly charities. I use MyCheckFree.com to pay some of my bills online, and they have a search engine for any type of charity, any location. I plan on doing so when I get paid on the 15th. I had donated $25, and had used my Discover since I was short on cash (I use it all to pay the bills and put in savings! lol), but plan to continue giving.

On a side note, I submitted my book review of The Breaking Point to DivaTribe, one of my fave sites. If you're interested in reading it, click here - it's on the home page.

check out Mighty Bargain Hunter's blog...

2005-09-05T22:15:00.000-04:00

...as he has the idea of starting up a Carnival of Debt Reduction. Not a bad idea. I'm going to come back to this later on, but be sure to check out his post here.

weekly spending, 8/30-9/4

2005-09-04T15:29:00.000-04:00

Wow, this was a great week in spending. I didn't even think we did this well. At the same time, I am not looking forward to upcoming weeks, as I will return to work. Since I no longer live right around the corner from work, not only am I going to have to drag my butt out of bed earlier, but I will also be spending more on gas. The 2nd job isn't far so it's definitely worth it, it can help me afford to go to work. ;O) Just kidding. Kind of. I can afford it technically, but do I want to spend it? No, of course not. Neither does anyone else, it's life I guess. Anyway, here is the breakdown (yes, it's very short):

Item/Description:

$21.33 ~ Rite-Aid Pharmacy on 8/30 (prescription and misc. items)
$7.62 ~ CVS on 8/31 (misc. items)
$16.72 ~ Amazon.com on 9/2 (stamps for Nick's job, will be reimbursed!)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
$45.67 Total Weekly Spending

+105.61 Grocery Spending
-----------------------------------------------
$151.28 - All spending for the week

Now I'd say that's pretty good. The amount is low, and we managed to have a few no spend days thrown in there. This week Nick's job gave him the gas card to fill up his tank, so no gas expenses were incurred. That will not be the story for other weeks unfortunately. I still am keeping the grocery and weekly spending separate, so I have $144.39 left to spend on groceries for the remainder of the month ($250 monthly grocery budget).

September

2005-09-03T16:02:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it is already September, the year is already drawing to a close. Time seems to go so fast. Me being so consumed by my goals has also moved things along, because I live paycheck to paycheck - not in the way most people say it, but just waiting for the next check so I can send off some more money to my debt. When I decided to make this the year to eliminate my credit card debt, I never gave a specific date, it just had to be that by the time New Year's Eve rolls around, I won't have to worry about it. I don't see that it should be a problem, but even so I feel like it's creeping up, and I'm a little anxious to get it over with. If I didn't have the second job to fall back on when I return to work, I would be a little more worried. We'll see how I do :O)

The other day I asked Nick what he thought about ordering groceries online at acmemarkets.com. At first I was going to just place the order and pick it up in-store, but there is a charge for that also, only $5 less than delivery, and considering the store is not right around the corner, and gas prices, it was absolutely worth the $9.95 delivery charge. It was brought right to my door, separated (frozen, produce, etc.) and I was able to sort by price on the website. I also got 2 free items with my order, Kellogg's cereal and butterscotch krimpets (at least Nick likes those). I got everything I needed for $105, delivery and tax included in that figure. Looks like we'll be going that route from now on.

I don't think we did too bad with spending this week, but I do have to re-evaluate the weekly budget I had set previously - and separate grocery budget from regular expenses. In addition, I am going to have to separate gas expenses, because Nick has to pay for all his gas here upfront (and he does TONS of driving), and then he gets reimbursed - at the end of each month (grrr). I think I am going to set the grocery budget at $250 a month, and regular expenses can stay at $105 each week, but I'll just have to separate the gas for work that is used.

*MyPoints members, remember that you can donate points you've earned to the Red Cross for Hurricane Relief. I just donated 3,500 points.

Katrina

2005-08-31T17:16:00.000-04:00

I think it goes without saying that our hearts go out to all those suffering from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. I can't watch the coverage without tears welling up in my eyes, because I cannot imagine how it must feel. It's overwhelming. Let's hope the government steps up and helps. I am going to re-work my budget and see how much I can donate to the Red Cross - please, if you can manage something, anything, do the same. Let's pray this tragedy is resolved, in as timely a manner as possible, for the sake of the victims.

gas prices are out of control...and it's only going to get worse.

2005-08-31T15:16:00.000-04:00

Gas prices rose from $2.89 a gallon to $3.10 for super unleaded, here in the Princeton area. Sadly, this is not that bad. People are now taking pictures of the highest gas prices and submitting them to different sites, and I saw $3.69 was the high in upstate NY. Worse yet, CNN reports that gas prices will at least hit $4 a gallon:

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Consumers can expect retail gas prices to rise to $4 a gallon soon but whether they stay there depends on the long-term damage to oil facilities from Hurricane Katrina, oil and gas analysts said Wednesday.

"There's no question gas will hit $4 a gallon," Ben Brockwell, director of pricing at the Oil Price Information Service, said. "The question is how high will it go and how long will it last?"
OPIS tracks wholesale and retail oil prices and provides pricing information for AAA's daily reports on fuel prices.

Brockwell said with gasoline prices now exceeding $3 a gallon before even reaching the wholesale level, it "doesn't take a genius" to expect retail prices to hit $4 a gallon soon.
"Consumers haven't seen the worst of it yet," Brockwell said.

He expects consumers in the Southeast and Northeast to be pinched first, following the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast region.

Katrina pressures gas supplies
Katrina forced operators to close more than a tenth of the country's refining capacity and a quarter of its oil production, which sent gasoline prices surging.

Two major pipelines that supply gasoline to key terminals and distribution centers along the Eastern U.S. were shut down due to power outages caused by the storm. (Video of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman discussing U.S. plans to tap strategic oil reserve to help refiners -- 4:16. Click here to watch).

Colonial Pipeline said it hopes to be back in partial operation soon, while the date of Plantation Pipeline's restart is not clear. Each day the pipelines are closed, supplies get backlogged and distribution centers must rely on reserves.

"With this kind of hiccup in refinery capacity, in stretched markets like California, you could see over $4 a gallon in gas," Evan Smith, an analyst at U.S. Global Investors, told CNN/Money.
While it's still too early to fully assess the damage caused by Katrina, efforts to build up inventories of crude oil, natural gas and other products like gasoline will be set back by the storm, according to Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at Global Insight.

In a research note, Behravesh laid out a worst-case scenario that puts average prices for regular unleaded gasoline at about $3.50 a gallon for the next four to six months.

"The impact on consumer spending in such a scenario would be very dramatic, cutting the growth rate by as much as 3 percent and pushing real GDP growth in the fourth quarter closer to zero," he wrote.

In a best-case scenario, he forecast retail pump prices to peak at $3 a gallon for a couple of months, but then fall back to around $2.50 by year-end.

The nationwide average price for a gallon of regular unleaded hit a fresh high of $2.619 Wednesday, according to AAA, the largest U.S. motorist organization, formerly known as the American Automobile Association.

Average gasoline prices have gained 40 percent in the last year. Prices for crude oil are also up sharply and are currently hovering near record highs just under $70 a barrel.

See full article here.

Update @ 7 p.m.: gas prices rose again, and met the upstate NY price of $3.69 a gallon. Ugh!

special offers

2005-08-30T18:50:00.000-04:00

Lysol currently has a few different sweepstakes offers that I think most people would benefit from. You can take your pick, or enter all three:

1. Win a new computer for your child.
2. Win $25,000 for your child's college education.
3. Win $250,000 to help pay off your mortgage.

I thought many of you might be interested in these offers, so here's the link.

angry

2005-08-30T18:08:00.000-04:00

I mentioned previously that I needed to sit down and write a letter of dispute to ChexSystems, about the same account that had plagued me on my credit report. Today I got the fire lit under me, because my account was denied for the VirtualBank application I had completed, because of this fact. I am angry that it had an effect on this, but also cannot comprehend why a savings account would deem this information important, as it doesn't operate in the ways that a checking account would. Anyhow ~ the letter is off and sent. I am hoping it will be resolved quickly so I can contact VB and have them reassess my application. We'll see. If you have a similar situation, here is the link on how to contact ChexSystems and file a dispute:

ChexSystems Contact Information for filing a dispute.

we wish you a merry christmas...

2005-08-30T01:03:00.000-04:00

Are you ready (or getting ready) for Christmas? It's not that far away. Start putting money away now to prepare yourself and be sure not to overspend on your xmas budget (you do have one, right?). If not, sit down and start planning what you'll spend on each person (don't overdo it), how much you'll need to spend on decorations, holiday parties, clothes for the parties, etc. Planning ahead will help you stay organized and within budget (and, if you do it right, you won't run up any holiday debt this season).

Check out this neat site to help in your planning, thanks to the girls at Women's Finance: organizedchristmas.com. It has all kinds of goodies, including homemade gifts. I really like the "We Whisk you a Merry Christmas!"

get your free credit reports!

2005-08-29T23:25:00.000-04:00

Thanks to My Money Blog, I headed on over to www.AnnualCreditReport.com a few days ago and printed out my copies from all 3 bureaus. The East Coast had to wait a little longer, and the reports were supposed to be available as of September 1st, but they apparently opened up access to those that are really interested in taking advantage of this. Be sure you do it if you haven't already - you never know what information could be incorrectly listed that is harming you. Be advised that you get a printout of all credit information, minus your score (you have to pay extra for this).

Other news? I started using Sharebuilder. I was originally going to wait until I paid off all my cc debt, but set up a monthly plan that won't hurt my repayment plan. I also applied for a VirtualBank online savings account today, and once the whole verification process is completed, I will earn $20 for being referred :) Once again, thanks to My Money Blog! Here's his post on juggling different accounts, which is how I decided to open this new account. You need $100 to open the account, but it doesn't have a minimum balance requirement after a set period of time, and it pays 3.40% up to $49k. I don't have 49k to put in a savings account, so I guess I don't have to worry about the drop in interest to 3.30%. :)~

PTC

2005-08-29T23:14:00.000-04:00

I started testing out the PTC (paid to click) waters a little over a month ago, to see if they were really any good, and just to experiment. (Click here for original post.) Email Pays U gives a $10 bonus to open an account, but the payout amount required is $30 or so (might be $35). That means it will take awhile to ever see any real money. In addition, all these programs require that you hit this amount in personal earnings - meaning if you refer someone and get points for it, it doesn't count, since you aren't clicking for it. Don't get me wrong, I never expected to get rich off of these programs, or even make money, really, at least not for awhile. Some are better than others, those being GainMail and NickelsbyEmail. I have a $2.00 balance at both, and GainMail is a $3 payout. I don't think many people would be into this though, you get a good number of emails from some programs and have to sit there and click and click... but, not bad either. If you are going to do it, don't join too many because you'll go click crazy!

article: 13 ways to reduce your gas costs

2005-08-29T22:45:00.000-04:00

The cost of commuting, running errands, or vacationing by car has risen sharply with higher gasoline prices, but you can significantly lower your driving costs with these gas-saving tips:

*Don't drive a gas guzzler. Do you really need that SUV? Six cylinders instead of four? How about that big pickup truck?

*Keep your car properly maintained and tuned. A poorly tuned car can use more than 25% more gas.

*Use steel-belted radial tires. They increase gas mileage up to 10%.

*Don't use high octane gas unless your car is pinging and knocking or you have a high-performance engine and the manufacturer recommends premium gas.

*Check your tire pressure weekly. For every pound of underinflation, you can lose up to six percent in gas mileage, so if your tires are five pounds underinflated, you'll use up to 30% more gas.

*Don't top off your tank when pumping gas. On a warm day, gasoline expands and can overflow.

*Don't warm your car up by letting it idle. The engine warms up faster when driving than it does when idling, and idling wastes about a quart of gas every 15 minutes.

*Save fuel by combining errands into one trip and avoid backtracking whenever possible.
Wasteful driving habits can double your fuel consumption. Develop gas-saving habits, such as:

*Always accelerate gently.

*Watch traffic ahead of you so you can anticipate slow-downs and avoid stops.

*Coast up to traffic jams by lifting your foot off the gas pedal instead of approaching at full speed and slamming on the brakes. It takes 20% more gas to accelerate to normal speed from a full stop than it does from four or five miles per hour.

*Don't drive too fast or too slow. It takes 20% to 30% more gas to drive at 70 mph than 50 mph.

*Maintain a steady speed on the highway. Avoid getting stuck behind slow cars where you have to slow down to their pace and then speed up to pass.

see full article here.

money worth spending

2005-08-26T20:35:00.000-04:00

I meant to post my plan for the rest of my debt repayment, but I got caught up in a little ball of fur with big, innocent eyes. The picture here doesn't even show how small she really is (she fits in one hand). Nick went to the pet store to get cat food and litter for the other two furballs we have, and he (just like me), is a sucker when it comes to animals...especially when you hold them and they seem to not want to let you go. Seeing animals in a cage in some store always kills me. Anyhow ~ our new addition cost $60. Some people don't like when others buy from a pet store, that they should adopt instead. I have done both, and in my eyes there is no difference - I paid a fee when I adopted as well. If I am helping an animal that is all that matters to me. We named her Sierra for now, unless we find a name we like better.

As for my debt, I am roughly at $1600 left to repay(cc debt only). I estimate that by the middle of October, all my debt should be eliminated, but I will need to be aggressive. Having the second job again should help in achieving that. Other then that, I will be working on my ING/Emigrant savings plans, particularly the Christmas Club account (can you believe how close it is getting?!). I received the letter from ER Solutions today, regarding the paid collection account being removed from my credit report. My next step is to complain to ChexSystems, because although I have no plans to open a new checking account, it would also effect my being able to do so at other banks.

I have something of an expensive weekend coming up = a BBQ at a friend's tomorrow and a birthday party for a friend (and former coworker) on Sunday. I say this will be expensive because of gas prices. The birthday party in particular is a good 2 hours away from where I live, so that's going to hurt my wallet. Tomorrow will be a combined 2 hours of travel, and Sunday will be 4 hours. Gas is averaging $2.86 a gallon for super (what we use in Nick's car, as well as mine). If I don't manage to post, have a great weekend! I have to prepare myself for the frugal week ahead as I start tracking our spending again.

bringin home the bacon!

2005-08-23T16:28:00.000-04:00

Crazy Aunt Purl is one of my favorite non-financial blogs. Imagine my delight when Purl shared her tips on how she is overcoming her debt and realizing the power associated with doing so. The tips are what the more experienced PF bloggers and readers already know, but as I love Purl and the way she relays facts and tales, I just had to share this with you.

getting back to normal

2005-08-23T14:07:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day in almost 2 weeks that I've had internet access. What fun it was to dig through a thousand plus emails! We moved to the new apartment 2 weekends ago, and are finally getting settled. I have not been tracking our spending as closely as before, but we stuck with the same idea of not spending money unless it was needed. As with any move, money was spent - the moving truck, grocery shopping, miscellaneous odds and ends that you realize you need. My hand is feeling much better, although sometimes I forget it's still healing and end up hurting myself. I expected to be back to work by the 29th, but my next doctor's appointment is September 6th. I am going to ask to be sent back to work at that point, as I have been out for 3 months. I will post more later in regards to my schedule for the remainder of my credit card debt, because I want to go visit my favorite sites that I have been missing out on! :)

ouch

2005-08-11T20:41:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the well wishes :) I'm doing ok, but currently typing with only my left hand, which takes waayyy too long to do. So, I just wanted to share a link to AmericaSaves.org's summer issue of their newsletter.

http://www.americasaves.org/back_page/Summer2005.pdf

I'll be back soon, when it doesn't hurt to use my right hand.

surgery & stuff

2005-08-06T02:38:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I am off to my cousin's bridal shower, and the rest of the weekend will be spent packing and cleaning, in preparation for moving. Monday morning I am having surgery on my right wrist, so I am sure I'll be away from the computer for awhile. I just wanted to highlight a recent post over at MyMoneyBlog, re: Sharebuilder. Apparently there is a $50 promotion that I missed out on, but I have decided to follow his advice/example, detailed in the comments. I signed Nick up and am following the experiment in his name. Gotta love free money. Anyway, check it out here.

good news

2005-08-05T22:03:00.000-04:00

Today I received an email from my supervisor at my old second job, the one I gave up voluntarily when I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel and realized I'd be unable to work for awhile. She was offering me the position again if I wanted it, as they had just gotten a college student to cover for the summer. She said if I am interested I can have it :) I am very happy, I really thought they were changing the staffing plan all around and my position wouldn't even exist anymore ~ woohoo! This job is so easy, the people are nice, and the hours are 4:30-9. It brings home an extra $250 for a 22.5 hour work week, after taxes. She said she realizes I may not have an estimated date of return, but just to keep her updated. I am thrilled, I can't even express it, because this will help me so much more in my overall plan.

This whole experience with Nick and his job has left a sour taste in my mouth. His job is of great benefit due to the fact that we do not pay rent or utilities. The (obvious) downside is that we are out of a home should he lose his job. This is not something he wants to do long-term, but he feels kind of stuck right now - the easy quick fix is for him to get another superintendent job (like he has done), so we continue to live rent-free. Nick is also still trying to figure out what he does want to do, because his interests tend to lean toward things he physically cannot do due to his knee: police officer, firefighter, etc. His dream? To own an autobody/customization shop. It is difficult to make certain things reality, but we'll see what can be done about that one day.

Anyhow, my whole point is that I have my after-debt goal: I am buying a townhouse/condo. Not a house, they are really expensive in NJ, and the above fits our needs and budget. Also, I think it would be smart to start out that way, as we can build equity and have something to our names when we do go for a real house one day. My goal is to have a down payment by this time next year. I planned on doing this without the second job, so I am delighted because this is an easy extra grand a month right into my account. I will get rid of all the debt first and then all that money will be directly deposited. Another benefit is that I will be receiving a settlement because of my surgery, between $6-10k I was told by my lawyer. Nick also has a larger settlement due to him for his knee surgeries. Now, we may not go right out and buy a house by this time next year, but I want to know that if we need/want to, we can.

rest & relaxation is important, too!

2005-08-04T21:48:00.000-04:00

If you like being pampered every once in awhile, there are tons of spas out there calling your name. There are many different services that day spas offer, like facials, massages, and usually some type of seaweed wraps :) For most of us, this is not a necessary item on our expense list - but man, it sure does feel good to reward yourself after the completion of that stressful project at work. So how to do so for less? Check out these resources from SmartMoney.com.

helpful link from msn.com

2005-08-04T01:20:00.000-04:00

Here is a link on msn.com that indexes the financial articles by topic - very useful.

4 success stories

2005-08-02T21:19:00.000-04:00

Okay, after the last post I needed to find something a little inspiring to offset the negative. An article from msn.com highlights how 4 people climbed their way out of debt.

Read it here!

*Interestingly enough, there was the college student that amassed a large amount of debt by receiving a free t-shirt in this article...just like the other article talked about.

generation broke

2005-08-02T20:49:00.000-04:00

You've heard of Generation X, Generation Me.

What about Generation Broke?

I did a little searching today on the relation between youth and debt. I did this because I have noticed a little pattern in many of the PF blogs I read. I noticed that most of the authors are young ~ early 20's - 30's, and I also noticed many (not all) are located on the East Coast (specifically NJ & NY). I was curious if there was any information out there claiming that youth is taking a more proactive approach towards their finances, because it seems we all are! While I didn't search for hours, it seems I am mistaken, because all the articles highlight the mistakes we all have made - and only then is it that we rebound (if we're lucky) and clean up our act. There's too many to list, but this article is a good sample.

Here's the facts that stood out:

*Saddled with record-high college loans and credit-card debts at a time when wages are stagnant and the job market is tight, 'they' may be the most indebted generation of young Americans ever.

*The average graduate in 2002 owed $18,900 in student loans.

*Rents and housing prices have increased faster than inflation during the past decade.

*Young adults are more likely to hold temporary positions and jobs that don't offer healthcare benefits.

*While young people incur considerable debt just to pay for basics, they also get into the hole because of impulse spending.

*Americans between 25 and 34 have the second highest rate of bankruptcy, after those in the 35-to-44 age group.

*The average indebted adult between 25 and 34 spends nearly 25 cents of every dollar earned on debt payments.

Ouch. Guess I was a little too optimistic (and naive) to think things really aren't as bad as they seem.

sharebuilder

2005-08-02T03:08:00.000-04:00

I mentioned before that I was interested in 'playing' on sharebuilder, so when I got a promo offer, I took advantage of it. I didn't purchase anything yet, I luckily have a large window of time to take advantage of the offer. If you're interested, here's the promo information:

Thank you for opening your ShareBuilder Account. To receive the Bizrate $25 promotion, all you need to do is make sure you've set up your ShareBuilder Plan and have a transaction before 02/04/2006. If you haven't set up your ShareBuilder Plan yet, go to Plan Setup today!
Promo Code: BIZRATE25

I just played with my budget and planned out when Best Buy will be paid in full (assuming things go as planned, 9/15). I will then aggressively pay off my Discover and match that payment into ING. Once I have more debt paid off, and more money in savings so that I feel comfortable, this is going to be my next venture. I am really excited to start, so that's actually a motivator in paying off my debt (not as though I can speed that up though).

what I have received for free

2005-08-01T19:22:00.000-04:00

So, I started hunting down freebies and samples (those that are of use/interest to me). I expect a pile of samples to come in at the same time, but so far here's what I've received, from mid July up until today:

Tide Coldwater detergent sample
2 packets of Olay Regenerist Serum
Dove Deodorant
Fancy Feast dry cat food
Coupon for free car wash at local car wash
Coupon for $2 off thermapatch
Free dvd for Walt Disney World vacation
paid $1 for trial at Greatfunonline.com and got free $20 Exxon gas card
free tshirt from FMF blog
free book from JustFrugal.com
$6 off Swiffer coupon for Sweep and Vac
$10 gc for a local restaurant. Never eaten there before so have to decide if this is worth it, or one of those things that trick you into spending money you never would've spent.

Steve is hosting the Carnival of Personal Finance this week. I really love this series because it highlights valuable information in one spot, and also has introduced some PF blogs that are new to me - such as Hello, Dollar! Dawn also pointed out an interesting blog, which documents one person's earnings since 1998 - by picking up change she finds! Check out Change Is Good here.

helpful links

2005-08-01T15:11:00.000-04:00

Credit & Debt How-To Helpers

don't waste money on furniture

2005-08-01T02:23:00.000-04:00

Jose makes an excellent point that furniture is a category in which many of us have a large amount of expenses to list. I have to agree, because I find furniture to be ridiculously overpriced. Finding deals isn't so difficult, either. I consider my best deal of this year to be the gorgeous solid oak dining room table and chairs that I grabbed for $20. My job was replacing their kitchen table with more appropriate lunchroom style seating, and offered the table out for bidding. I was the only one, and they didn't set a minimum. The table is easily worth a few hundred bucks.

Check out Jose's post here.

weekly spending...reality is harsh!

2005-08-01T01:12:00.000-04:00

You can probably tell from the title of my post that it hasn't been a good week.

As much as I'd love to tell you I spent $85 this week, or even exactly the $105 I budget for, it isn't so. Probably part of what makes it worse is that I knowingly didn't stick to my budget. You have to listen to my excu...reasons first.

* We are moving shortly, so we didn't feel it would make sense to go food shopping really (not that eating out makes more sense, but...oh well.)
*We went in search of some items that would be good to sell at the local flea market/eBay, and Nick purchased a set of items online that cost $75, but according to him, will be worth it. We'll see. I'll let you know how that goes. He did provide some online proof of how well the item has done... so we'll see.

These are really the only reasons I have. Basically eating out so much did us in. It doesn't even matter that we had 2 no spend days, because we more than made up for it!

Amount & Description

$18.05 ~ Circle K convenience store
$13.28 ~ Wine.com - bar item for bridal shower gift
$47.74 ~ Exxon gasoline
$13.80 ~ Wendy's
$32.06 ~ Pizza
$25.77 ~ Walmart
$42.00 ~ Money taken out of ATM
$10.00 ~ CVS Pharmacy
$24.21 ~ Denny's
$27.52 ~ Goodwill
$2.84 ~ Lowe's
$76.96 ~ HSN.com
------------------------------------------------------------------
$334.23 Total

= $229.23 over budget

I have to say it was nice to order out. We haven't really done that in a long time. It wasn't worth the extra money that was spent, but I am okay with it. Every once in awhile, I think it's okay to splurge. I think I have made some progress in converting Nick, because when I showed him the weekly spending, he got angry at us for not being smarter about the eating out.
I think I have pointed out that even when mistakes are made, usually good things come of it. Plus, some of the money we spent is supposedly going to make us money too ~ but like I said, I'm not holding my breath. Nick is excited so I don't want to take that away from him. I will watch and see what happens. This is his thing, his idea, and he's been talking more about making/saving money, so I think he's got my fever.

Off that subject, check out this really cool freebie!

joining the ebay game..

2005-07-31T22:56:00.000-04:00

Posted a bunch of items today on eBay, all books. Listed my Vermont teddy bears previously, and Nick is selling the hood off his car(he's considering selling his car ~ he said he'd be happy with a $1200 car he can play with as well as the benefit of decreased payments), as well as some of his collectible model cars. We'll see how all that does - here are the items we're selling, if you're interested.

Also plan to go down to the local flea market on Thursday, see how we do there. We have a lot of stuff that we just don't want to drag with us to the new apartment, and pretty sure someone must want it if we did!

article: do you really need premium gas?

2005-07-30T17:33:00.000-04:00

Buying premium gas is like taking vitamins — you can't always feel the difference and yet you know it's the right thing to do. But as gas prices climb, paying the extra dime per gallon for premium is like adding insult to injury. Eventually, the thought is bound to jump into your head: do I really need to pop for premium?

Until about 15 years ago, if a car called for premium gas and you pumped in regular, the car began to knock and ping and even vibrate. But that was before they essentially put a laptop under the hood of the automobile, said Dr. Loren Beard, senior manager of Environmental and Energy Planning, for Daimler Chrysler. Now, sensors take readings and tune the engine as you drive by adjusting the timing for whatever fuel you put in the tank.

The result is that a car that calls for the midgrade gasoline will usually run on regular without knocking, Beard said. However, its performance will suffer slightly. How much? It will be perhaps a half-second slower going from zero to 60 mph...

Read the full article here.

My next $20 of gas is free - received my gas gift card from greatfunonline.com today!

what kind of financial diva are you?

2005-07-30T17:27:00.000-04:00

Supposedly I know my stuff...but I think that I mostly am good at memorizing helpful info and tips from other sites ;) I've got the plan, just have to keep on keeping on.

Ultimate Financial Diva!

You are one smart cookie with your finances. You have a plan and know how and when to implement it... which means that you can go ahead and splurge on that Coach purse or those Manolo Blahniks because you know how to not only budget, but have a plan of action for your future. You are the envy of all your ramen-munching friends who can only afford regular coffees, not the grande lattes like you. You are the ultimate financial diva! You go girl!

Find
out what kind of finacial diva you are! at Womens-Finance.com

Take more quizzes courtesy of Womens-Finance!

life or something like it

2005-07-28T19:35:00.000-04:00

Slightly off subject matter, but related nonetheless...

I don't know how to live without electricity.

I realized this yesterday, as our power went out for a few hours during a bad thunderstorm. There was no air conditioning, no computer, no television, no music... nothing. I didn't know what to do with myself, and realized what a spoiled princess I am (and most of us are). I never particularly gave myself the title of frugality queen or anything like that, but I was deceiving myself to think I was frugal by any means. I must say, those that regularly live without these everyday 'necessities' are strong, strong people. I am humbled even more by the fact that many people often do not have a choice in that matter.

It's mind boggling to even think what society would be like without the common and expected technologies that we take for granted everyday. I realize technology has opened up many doors, but in the process, I think some people would argue it has closed them as well. In making that statement, I think of the stories I read where mothers proclaim that their children 'don't know how to play...' Now, I am only 24 years old, I wouldn't consider myself (or claim to be) ancient by any means... but when I see younger children and hear them speak, trust me when I say we are a world apart. They already know things I do not, whether it be on a social, educational, or technological level. It's amazing.

Some of my greatest memories are of playing outside, running through the woods and riding my bike all summer long (that particular memory, baffles me because I have no clue how I managed to stay outside in excruciating heat such as NJ is now experiencing, but I digress). Yesterday's storm made me think about many things, and that was one of the main thoughts/discussions I had with myself.

I hope that when I have children, they will 'know how to play.' After all, money, material things, and technology mean nothing unless you have real memories to reflect back on during your life. I certainly won't be thinking of all the time I spend on the computer/thinking about money as a fond memory. I think I need to ease up just a bit.

All it took was a thunderstorm to open my eyes.

USAToday: Bankruptcy filings rising

2005-07-27T16:16:00.000-04:00

Bankruptcy Filings on the Rise as Deadline Nears

I can only imagine the rush that will occur before October, when the new laws come into effect. My hope is that these reformed laws will cause the consumer to assume more responsibility ~ after all, it is quite easy to accumulate debt and shirk the responsibility of paying for it. My fear is for those people that aren't trying to screw the system, but are genuinely drowning - even with extensions and whatnot, some people may never get out from under the burden of debts such as medical bills. It's unfortunate.

article: bad habits that steal your money

2005-07-27T16:07:00.000-04:00

We often undermine our own best efforts to control our money and its use by allowing bad habits to take over certain areas of our lives. Life can be hectic and one of the ways we learn to cope with it is by putting off things until we have a less trying day or more time or feel better, or whatever. Unfortunately, our "coping skills" can cost us money and contentment.

If you find yourself paying late charges on video rentals or library books, realize that it's just a bad habit to not get things returned in time. Habits can be changed. When you borrow or rent something, mark it on a calendar that you'll see often, and change to the frugal habit of getting it back on time, or even ahead of time.

Making a payment late and incurring charges for it can't always be helped, but is it a habit for you? How much have you paid in late charges over the last six months? That's real money we're talking about! Work hard on making it a frugal habit to pay bills far enough ahead of time so they don't have a chance to charge you "late fees." A simple notebook is invaluable for this.

List all your bills, arranging them according to their due date and make a second column with the exact date in it. Make another column on the same page and every time you pay a bill, put a checkmark in this third column, along with any notes you might need to make. You can then tell at a glance what is due when and how many bills you have left to pay that month. A list like this will help you remember each bill ahead of time. It's a good frugal habit to get into!

If you have credit card debt, you probably won't appreciate me pointing this out as unnecessary expenditure, but paying someone for the privilege of owing them hardly makes sense, does it? We pay enough interest on credit cards to keep some humungous companies making a profit at our expense. That doesn't make sense either, does it? If you have the habit of using a credit card, make it a frugal habit to pay it off each month. (If you're deeper in debt to a credit card company, make it a priority to get rid of that debt. Even paying fifty cents worth of interest should be unacceptable to you. Keep the money yourself. You'll be better off with it than without it.)

Parking tickets and traffic violations help support your local government, but if you're feeling that patriotic, why not just donate at your leisure, instead of being forced to pay up? In other words, get into the frugal habit of following parking and traffic laws. Not doing so is expensive, considering how little you get out of it. I would never pay fifty dollars for the privilege of parking in a no parking zone... would you?
The human mind is teachable, and we can teach our own minds to be frugal out of habit. It might take some effort, but frugal habits make life easier because you don't have to think about doing the "right" thing - and you don't have to pay for doing the wrong thing!

Read full article here.

have $500? you can now afford a Cadillac...

2005-07-27T15:10:00.000-04:00

Bicycle, that is.

You read it right: Cadillac is now expanding to a line of luxury bikes. This article over at CNN Money makes me laugh at the marketing strategies companies will use to attract (insert demographic here) buyers. In this case, it's younger consumers, which to me is confusing. From what I was aware, Escalades are pretty popular with kids, and half the music industry owns one (in addition to their Hummers).

Cadillac hopes the bikes will encourage consumers to purchase one of their luxury models. I'm not sure a bike would make me want a car - after all, if I can get the brand for less, and if a bike meets my needs for transportation, I think I'd be happy with that (also, I'd probably buy a cheaper bike). It would also help, considering the expensive speeding tickets that NJ State Troopers are happily giving away to lucky drivers.

various offers

2005-07-26T18:59:00.000-04:00

Free Rebate Log

Various Target rebates

various offers from P&G

buy $100 worth of Kimberly Clark & Unilever products and get a $50 rebate

Buy any LeapPad book and have a book donated to your child's school

Chef Boyardee free movie ticket offer

Free Beauty Tote from Dove

Free Sesame Street video

Gillette M3 Power Razor Guarantee (refund up to $11.99)

Hershey's Free Vintage T-Shirts

Lexmark Z605 Color Jet Photo Printer ONLY $19.95!

Buy any elf cosmetic product at Target (Trial N' Travel Section) and send UPC, receipt and NAZ to:
Attn: Target / Bag Offer
1350 Broadway Suite 1715
New York, NY 10018
Limited Quanities; Limit One per Household.

free magazines

2005-07-25T19:18:00.000-04:00

all-freemagazines.com

Here is that link that I was talking about, in regards to getting a free subscription to Budget Living Magazine. I just filled out the form, and from my understanding, you have to 'qualify' in order to get it free, but I am taking my chances. If not, I happened to see that My Money Blog offers discounted subscriptions on a few different mags- including Budget Living for $4! So looks like even if I have to pay, if I truly want the magazine (which I do), I'll still have saved myself $10.95.

feeling productive

2005-07-25T15:47:00.000-04:00

Today has been a very productive day for me.

I woke up, cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes, threw in a load of laundry while checking my email, and made my doctor's appointment for pre-surgery bloodwork. I then called Discover, as Nick had mistakenly used the card a week or two ago, and we incurred a $35 overlimit fee (he got an earful for that one - luckily, Discover took the charge off this time). I did (and am doing) more laundry, and Nick went off to get the paperwork issues taken care of for his new job. Before he left, I questioned him ~ he is sure that everything is fine and that he definitely has it, he has the offer of employment letter, etc. So I transferred money out of ING and paid off the Sears card that we used to purchase his sister's present, and also paid off Dell :)

Only 2 more to go! Best Buy & Discover, here I come...

I felt that familiar feeling of elation when I scheduled those payments. I haven't felt that in quite a few months. I then decided to do a little 'credit cleaning' - I closed out inactive credit card accounts, those being Macy's, Express, and Wal-mart. I think technically you aren't supposed to close accounts all at the same time, who knows, but I don't plan on making any inquiries and just wanted it done and over with. I had left a bunch of accounts open because I had heard you shouldn't close accounts, but I still think the high number of open accounts is hurting me, even if the balance is zero. Most of them also have low limits, which I believe is another negative factor. I can't keep track of all the credit report rules anymore :)

My big success of the day? Remember that I had complained about the collection agency situation that was affecting my credit? Today I decided to do something about it. I looked up ER Solutions (the collection agency) on the web, and sent them an email, describing the situation, and while I didn't complain in my email about the situation like I did in my post, I did mention the circumstances and how it had come to the point that my debt even came to them - it wasn't like I purposely went into debt on that situation. I asked them if this could be removed from my credit report, as I contacted them immediately and never had caused any problems in paying them. I must say, they have pretty good customer service, because not even 2 hours later, as I started to write this exact post, I received a call from Kathleen at ERS. She told me she had processed my request both electronically and that I would also receive a letter, and she had notified all three credit bureaus...I am happy, and impressed.

Again, I have learned that sometimes all I have to do is ask.

A sidenote - apparently NJ is trying to ban smokers from smoking in cars. I am happy with this, only because I think smoking is unhealthy and debilitating to your finances, but I imagine someone telling me I can't drink a Coke in my car...and that isn't cool. Not sure how I really feel about this, but thought it was interesting.

what would you do with $1000?

2005-07-25T01:44:00.000-04:00

Kiplinger.com is hosting a contest, asking what you'd do with $1000. All you have to do is explain what you'd do with the money, and the 15 top ideas will be published I believe, although only one wins the money. Why not give it a try?

Enter Here!

article: are you in debt denial?

2005-07-25T00:10:00.000-04:00

Many within our society try to borrow their way out of debt. It is possible that this is a form of debt denial. If you borrow money in an equity loan, it could be debt denial. If you borrow money in consolidation, it could be debt denial. Borrow money for any reason often times boils down to what the IRS has aptly labeled, "Gotta have it now syndrome". It may also be debt denial...

Read the full article here.

About.com is a great website that offers advice on anything and everything, whether it's money and debt, or gardening and family. This site also offers various e-mail courses for free ~ they call it "About U." Thought I would highlight the credit and debt courses they have, in case anyone was interested.

freebies, etc.

2005-07-24T22:42:00.000-04:00

$10 credit free at Overstock.com

Free Starbucks coffee card (must follow instructions to receive)

Free Schick Quattro razor for women

Free Top-to-Toe Skincare booklet

Free Arm & Hammer coupon booklet

Free sample of Ensure

Free NY Rangers hockey tickets to first 1,000

Great Molson Glass Giveaway

Free Sample Lambert Kay Pet Odor Remover

Free Pantene Pro-V Sample

Free Kodak Professional Inkjet Paper

Whiskas $2 off coupon

weekly spending

2005-07-24T21:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Nick's sister's Sweet 16 party ~ was nice to get out and enjoy the company of others, also had a great meal (and leftovers to bring home, always a plus!) Unfortunately we used the credit card to buy her present, only because I wanted to be careful until I am 100% sure of this new job offer. After I know for sure, which I am guessing should be tomorrow, I will pay it off, as well as Dell (I'm ITCHING to get rid of that one). I also will be 'making' $14.95; I had ordered a subscription to Budget Living Magazine a few months back, but I received a postcard indicating I wouldn't receive my first issue until October. The postcard stated that if this wasn't satisfactory, to simply return the postage paid card and I would receive a refund. I filled it out today, and will deposit the money in my special ING account when received. I have seen links for free magazines, and that subscription was on the list, so I may just do that (after placing the order, and seeing the free offer, I was kicking myself).

I just added up our weekly spending, from 7/18 through 7/24, and although I went over the allotted weekly amount, I am pleased. I'll explain why after I do the breakdown of this week's spending...

Amount & Description

$30.46 ~ CVS Pharmacy
$31.21 ~ UPS shipping charges
$8.19 ~ Circle K Convenience store
$54.87 ~ total amount spent on gasoline/soda from store
$46.90 ~ Target, bridal shower gift
$1.00 ~ Greatfun.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------
$172.63 total

I didn't include the birthday present in that total, since I plan on paying it off and it would change my totals around so much. Now here are the reasons I am happy about the spending:

1) the shipping charges technically don't count against our spending, because Nick sold some car items to members of a car forum he is involved with, we made over $300 on the 2 sales.

2) The bridal shower gift was budgeted for already, and I saved $4.26 by using an online coupon code (and that $4.26 has been transferred into my ING 'Money Earned' account). Because of this and #1, I figured that my 'actual' cost this week was $93.52 - still under the $105 budget!

3) GreatFun.com is a website I was referred to from SavingAdvice.com. It's similar to the Entertainment Book, but all I had to do is sign up for a trial for $1, and even if I cancel I get a free $20 gas card to Exxon/Mobil. Considering the price of gas, thought it was worth it.

4) Last but not least, I believe this is the fourth week or so that I have been staying within or around the budget I set for myself, of $105 a week. While I haven't always stayed within that exact number, I also haven't gone terribly over either. Also, this is not just a grocery budget, this is an everything budget - gas, food, miscellaneous expenses. So I am most happy for this reason, because some people simply make this a grocery goal. According to my calculations, we spent $528.20 in the past 4 weeks, on all expenses. Even if you include the $150 we spent on a present for Nick's sister, the numbers are still good (btw - I used the actual amounts vs. the amounts where I subtracted costs since we made a profit, etc.). I know I can improve these results in time, but I am still very happy.

potential good news

2005-07-24T00:11:00.000-04:00

Nick had a job interview yesterday in a neighboring town for another superintendent position. He got it - but has to provide a copy of his birth certificate and driver's license. He turned 25 this year, which is when you have to renew your license (in Jersey anyway) and you need 6 forms of ID to do so. To be honest, I have to imagine lots of legit people are driving w.expired licenses, because it's so hard to prove who you are! lol. He ordered his birth certificate but the state has taken it's time (didn't even cash the check yet, going to call on that) so he couldn't go for his license. Considering his surgery and that we stay home, it wasn't the top thing on our/his list. So the place he went to loved him, actually had him come back to meet the director of the place after he had come home, and they offered him the job. But he has to show these forms of ID to get the ball rolling, so we're going on Monday to the state building to get it all done. We should be able to move in shortly. He said it's smaller than where we are now, but it's 2 bedrooms, and free. The neighborhood isn't as nice as Princeton, but it's free. The thought that I can put tackling debt back at the top of my list thrills me. We'll have to park on the street though, and I am not so happy about that - don't want my car messed with or stolen. The only good thing (at least) is that I have GAP insurance. Oh well... I'll be able to tackle my bills again like I wanted, not to mention I have a small stash of cash built up now. But I have learned not to count my chickens before they hatch, so I am still waiting until he gets all his ID to this place.

Slightly bad news is that disability sent him some extra paperwork to fill out, which apparently takes an additional 14 days to review... so grrr... to be honest some of that cash put away might not be there, might be going to bills to cover us until then. However, this experience has taught me a lesson: be better prepared. So I'll look to have at least $3k in savings at all times. That should be enough in the event of an emergency - but my EF goal is $10k. This will be worked on once all credit card debt, and the car loan for the Grand Am is paid off.

store vs. name brand

2005-07-22T23:05:00.000-04:00

Not convinced that Wal-Mart's Chocolate Nuggets tastes the same (or better) than Cocoa Pebbles? See what ConsumerReports.org has to say about it here.

I personally buy as much store brand as possible, since I learned how much it can save me per shopping trip. I also have noticed that I don't taste much of a difference (although Nick complains, but earplugs come in handy. Just kidding!)

newsflash!

2005-07-22T18:04:00.000-04:00

EmigrantDirect raised their rates to 3.50% - woohoo :) C'mon, ING...

article: people who lose weight may gain wealth

2005-07-22T17:13:00.000-04:00

I found this article on Yahoo! Finance and found it particularly interesting, considering these are my top 2 priorities...

still stuck on the Capital One scam...

2005-07-22T02:40:00.000-04:00

I think Capital One should hear how angry I am at how they misled me, and many others.

I really am not sure what can be done, if anything can be done, to 'out' them on their faux pas, but knowing my complaint was sent will make me feel better. It'll make me feel even better if you do it too. Here's the link on how to contact Capital One, whether by e-mail, phone, or written correspondence.

If you don't feel like scrolling down for the background on this, check out my original post here.

article: confessions of a compulsive shopper

2005-07-22T01:53:00.000-04:00

Going hand in hand with the previous post, yes, kids CAN be expensive...if their moms are compulsive shoppers! This is seriously an article that scares me when I read it.

CNN Money interviewed a 36 year-old woman that has run up about $50k in debt...over Gymboree brand clothing for her daughter! The entire story is frightening, but for some reason it scares me even more to think she spent THAT MUCH on kids' clothing...

Check out the article here.

are kids too expensive?

2005-07-22T01:29:00.000-04:00

I am not a mother yet, don't plan to assume that title for a few more years, but I couldn't help but get that warm fuzzy feeling and picture Hallmark-card images dancing through my head when I read this over at Mighty Bargain Hunter's blog. Enjoy!

take this quiz to see...

2005-07-21T20:49:00.000-04:00

..how cheap you are! (I'm a 65, cheaper than I thought!)

payday

2005-07-21T18:26:00.000-04:00

Well, today was payday. That is a good thing, but I of course already have all the money allocated for certain expenses, and most of what is left over is going straight into ING. I am happy their interest rate increased, but I do wish they had matched Emigrant. Today was the first installment of the $20 to each account on a biweekly basis. I also put an additional $260 into ING, paid $50 to Dell, Discover, and Best Buy, and the rest is for a car payment, car insurance, cell phone bill, a bridal shower present for my cousin's fiancee, and little left over to make it by. These days I am being as frugal as possible because I have to. I also noticed that I received an additional $14.21 in my check, since I met the withholding requirements for one of the state categories - it's either unemployment, worker's comp., etc. so while I still have to pay a portion out, it's not as much as before. I transferred that additional money into ING as well, but decided not to put it in the new 'Money Earned' category. I am putting it in the Christmas Club subcategory I have.

Nick sent out his resume last night, and got a call today for a place nearby. He is going for an interview tomorrow. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that, because it's still close to my job and we actually lived in that town previous to being here. Also, if he can find another job as a super, it would be a huge help. Free apartments, or even discounted, make such a difference. Being as that I have never paid rent, I just hate to think about throwing away $1100 plus a month - ugh! All for nothing, you get nothing in return at the end. No equity, nothing. I would rather do it this way, and 'hit the gas' on my House Fund, save up more money. My ING account is currently at $1400, all of which I have accumulated in the last 2 pay periods. It will be $2100 after the next pay period, and that isn't even counting Nick's disability check that should be coming soon (or so I pray, should be a month retroactive, $3k or so). I am praying for that check, because he has to pay his car payment, his registration, cancellation bill from Nextel, and the Comcast bill, which just decided they are going to start billing me in advance, so it's double. Also, Nick mentioned he thinks they hired someone else here, he saw someone driving around in his old truck. It's laughable but not. NJ really should change their laws and recognize when obvious discrimination is going on - that is the only reason this is even happening.

*I called Comcast and had them remove the HBO from our plan - we never watch it, if we do, it's a movie we've seen already. Can't say it's been worth it. This is reducing the bill by $20.95 a month. Also shopped online at Target.com and got my cousin and his fiancee this. It was one of the items on their registry. I also have to get some type of bar item for the wishing well. My price was $46.90 thanks to a coupon from edealsetc.com that gave me 10% off. $4 is $4 (and it's going into the 'Money Earned' account!). My budget was $50 for this. I'll also get 2% back from Upromise on that purchase...every little bit counts.

Capital One Customers: Beware

2005-07-21T14:54:00.000-04:00

Recently, when I was considering refinancing my auto loan, I used LowerMyBills.com and received offers from various companies, including Capital One. I hadn't had the best experience with Capital One through my credit cards, but they offered me the best deal, and I had planned to go with them. However, I let the paperwork sit too long, had to have it notarized, and that caused me to again re-think the situation (it would be best to wait and see what happens as far as Nick's job, etc.). Anyhow, today I found this post over at Wenchypoo's Warehouse of Frugal Wisdom... and I am angry.

This exact situation happened to me, at the beginning of this year. I hadn't used my Capital One credit card and was just paying it down. Then I noticed a $4 charge on my statement. I called immediately and was informed that I was sent a letter one or two months ago, and it informed me of the new monthly member charge. If I had a problem with that, I would've had to answer at the time I received the letter. Now I was really frustrated and upset. So it's not okay that I am not alright with this fee right now, but it would've been okay back then? Made no sense to me. I was told (even after speaking to a supervisor) that they had no authority to waive this fee permanently, but they'd waive the fee for that particular month. I was on the phone for 45 minutes plus and got absolutely nowhere, even after threatening that I'd pay off the card immediately and cancel. Capital One did not care ~ they took my bluff, and I followed through with my promise. So now I am angry on behalf of all the other customers, that maybe don't have the ability to do as I did and get rid of the card. Ugh. Another point of frustration for me was that it was obvious that I was speaking to a rep directly from India ~ and it was extremely difficult to comprehend what she was saying.

If you are a Capital One customer, beware. I have also heard many horror stories from close friends and family.

*BTW ~ When I asked the CO rep why the fee was established, her response was "for all the services we provide to you, the customer." By this time I was pretty angry, so I admit I was snotty. I asked her to enlighten me to what those services were, since I wasn't aware. Apparently being able to contact them on the phone, access their website, and access your account 24/7 is something that NO OTHER credit cards offer....

overdraft protection plans

2005-07-21T02:15:00.000-04:00

The Pros & Cons of Overdraft Protection

article: get your mornings off to a good frugal start

2005-07-21T01:50:00.000-04:00

Get your mornings off to a good frugal start.

Oh, it's not so frugal? Do you run late every morning, then have to "make up" time by stopping for a fast food breakfast? Gotta get coffee on the go to keep going? Do your kids and spouse rush out the door with five dollar bills in their hands instead of home made lunches?

Welcome to reality.

But how to stop it and get on the frugal band wagon? Try these methods:

Go to bed earlier. I know... that movie is just so good and those friends are so much fun. Go to bed earlier. You can't wake up with enough energy to meet the morning chores if you don't get enough sleep.

Prepare what you can the night before. Fix the coffeepot and set the timer to start before you get up. Make lunches in advance. If you need to make sandwiches fresh each morning, put all the ingredients, sliced, chopped or divided, in one place.

Make your own convenient breakfast foods and have them at hand in the freezer. Breakfast burritos freeze well, so do muffins with or without bacon and scrambled eggs. So do waffles, pancakes and french toast.

Organize. Put everything you need for the coming day in a plastic bag. If you include your car keys or purse, you won't forget anything. Do the same (or have them do their own) for your spouse and children.

Take your vitamins. If you don't feel well, you won't be energetic enough to get around in the morning. Be sure you eat a balanced, healthy diet.

Get your exercise. Good physical exercise ensures a better night's sleep as well as making you feel better all over. Your head will be clearer, your goals more sensible - no matter what time of day or night.

Pay attention. The next time you wake up feeling lazy and groggy, pay attention to what you did to make yourself that way. Then don't do it again, if you can help it. Yes, there are things that are simply unavoidable, that's life. But avoid the things that you can.

Change your habits. You can do it. Make it a habit to get up, get dressed and get moving without having to talk yourself into it. It's harder to break old habits than it is to form new ones, so just overwrite the ones you have now.

Spend a few dollars to save a lot. Buy a travel mug (Second hand is fine!) so you can take that second cup of coffee from home instead of from a drive through restaurant. It's better to buy convenience foods for breakfast if you haven't made any; they're still cheaper than fast food.

And if all else fails, stop and add up all the money you and your family are wasting on fast food breakfasts, buying lunches and coffee out. Seriously - add it all up and decide if you don't mind throwing that money away, or if you'd rather use it wisely.

It takes less effort to prepare for a good frugal morning than it does to work to pay for a nonfrugal one!

Read full article at About.com.

ING Direct rate now 3.15%

2005-07-21T01:27:00.000-04:00

I am probably slow, but I just logged into my account and happened to notice that my savings rate went up from 3% to 3.15%. This is good news for me ~ every little bit counts. I'm kind of surprised they didn't match EmigrantDirect's already-established 3.25% though. Perhaps they feel they don't have to - ING is well known and the favored of the two.

NetworthIQ.com

2005-07-20T16:48:00.000-04:00

Today I signed up for a free account over at NetworthIQ.com. It is a good tool to calculate your assets and debts and see where you come out in it all. I honestly wasn't sure on how to go about this before, thus the reason I haven't discussed it.

I was scared.

I am relatively new to this game and I honestly didn't think I had ANY net worth. After all, before I got so into saving and paying off debts, I had bought my car - a 2004 Mustang GT, 40th Anniversary Edition. I also bought a 1999 Grand Am GT at a time when I thought I'd be commuting a great deal (I didn't want to put a lot of mileage on the Mustang, not to mention it isn't ideal for winter weather or rain). Needless to say, as much as I want to say I'd have done it differently, I probably wouldn't have. At that time, if I had the mindset I do now, definitely. I would've bought a reliable car to get me from point A to point B. And the Grand Am is a great car, probably would've been happy with that. But the Mustang really makes me happy. I love driving it, I love the look of it, I love it. (Can you tell that I love my car?) Anyhow, when we ended up moving less than one mile from my job, it seemed silly to have 3 cars for 2 people (Nick has his own car, 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, Comp G package, we are car people.) and Nick's brother needed a car. So, he pays me monthly, which covers the payment as well as insurance. I plan on paying this car off early and dropping the insurance, which will save me $$$. If he wants to buy the car from me, that is fine. But for now, it is mine and I am letting him use it. According to prices we've seen for both cars around this area (as well as the fact that a great deal of modifications have been done on the 'stang), the combined value of those assets are about $28k.

I also included the value of Nick's model car collection into the mix, since we have accumulated that together. I listed it at $3k, but according to him it's worth more. The second bedroom in our apartment is shelf upon shelf of cars and memorabilia...quite a sight to see. Anyhow, my net worth came in around $7k. Very low, I know. Although I have all these other goals, I must admit I'd never factored my net worth into the equation, and I definitely should. I am going to take a look at my debts, my timeline, etc. and come up with my goal for year ending 2006. More to come on that...

In the meantime, if you're interested in checking out my profile, click here.

* I updated the 'Other Assets' to $3305...I forgot I have a 529 plan in Upromise that I started a little while ago. Not a big difference, but everything counts, right?

Article: 5 Tips for Savvy Use of Your HELOC Loan

2005-07-20T16:31:00.000-04:00

I thought this seemed like a helpful article for all you homeowners out there:

"Tapping your home's equity to pay college expenses, consolidate credit card debt or even to buy a new car or boat is common place. Many economists attribute the additional buying power afforded consumers through home equity debt as a primary reason the nation's economy has been able to emerge from the recent recession. Yet, aside from simply allowing consumers to spendmore, the flexibility and efficiency of a home equity line of credit (HELOC) can provide the financially savvy person with the means to save money, make money or simply take advantageof opportune situations he or she might otherwise miss out on. Here are five HELOC tips to show you how:

HELOC Tip 1: Take Advantage of Higher Insurance Deductibles! You probably know that raising deductibles on auto and homeowners insurance policies can mean big savings on insurance premiums. If you increase the deductible on a homeowner's policy from $500 to $1,000, you'll cut your premium by as much as 25%! Yet many people don't do this because they fear they may not have the necessary cash available in the event of a loss. With low-interest cash readily available through a home equity line of credit you'll have the security and confidence you need to raise your deductibles and reap the savings!

HELOC Tip 2: Lock In Big Savings! Credit card companies (e.g. the GM card) frequently have shopping programs with names like "Main Street Savings" on a 30-day free trial basis. These programs allow you to buy discounted gift cards (20% discount) for major national retailers like Target, Sears, and Home Depot. The flexibility afforded by a home equity line of credit can allow you to purchase (during the free trial period) a large amount of discounted gift cards for major retailers you frequent. Then use these cards instead of cash or credit when you purchase everyday items (The cash you would have spent can be used to pay down the HELOC loan). Although you pay low interest on the home equity credit line, you receive a front-end discount of 20% on everything bought. When combined with store coupons and sales, you can realize total savings of 70% or more! In short, a HELOC loan provides the low interest cash availability to take advantage of bargains like this that you might otherwise have to pass on.

HELOC Tip 3: Take Advantage of 0% Balance Transfer Offers! We've all seen no-fee credit card offering "0% APR" on balance transfers for 6, 12, and even 18 months. If you have a balance on your HELOC loan, you may be able to take advantage of these offers. Here's an example of how: last year I accepted such an offer and promptly transferred $10,000 from my home equity credit line balance (which had a 4.25% rate). Then I cut up the card! For the next eleven months, I paid the monthly minimum credit card payment (3% of the outstanding balance) by writing a check from my home equity line of credit. In the twelfth month, prior to the expiration of the 0% offer, I paid off the remaining balance with another home equity credit line check. During the 12 months, I also made sure to continue my regular payment towards the HELOC at the same level, meaning that more of each went to pay down principal and less went to interest. Net result: interest savings of over $350.00, lower principal balance on my HELOC loan, and a positive addition to my credit repayment history!

HELOC Tip 4: First Pay With a Rewards Credit Card! If you're contemplating using your HELOC loan for a major purchase, you should consider whether or not the merchant your dealing with accepts credit cards. Why? Because it makes a great deal of sense to pay first with a rewards credit card and then pay off the card with your HELOC check. On a recent $14,000 bathroom remodel, I was able to charge plumbing services, cabinets, and almost everything else to my Fidelity/MBNA 529 College Rewards Mastercard. This card pays you back by putting 2% of everything charged into a 529 college savings plan. Result: $280.00 in college savings that would have been missed if I paid the bills directly with home equity credit line checks! Whatever rewards credit card you favor, it's sensible to pay first with the card whenever possible. Keep in mind, though, you must promptly pay off the balance and not incur finance charges.

HELOC Tip 5: Replace Your 1st Mortgage with a HELOC Loan! According to Money Magazine, if you have more equity than debt and plan to stay in your home for 3 years or less, you should consider replacing your first mortgage with a home equity line of credit. HELOC loans are currently available around the country at rates of 4.5% or lower. Even if rates increase a full percentage point each year, they'll still be low when you pay off the loan. Best of all, there are no closing costs with most HELOC loans so you won't have to worry about recouping them through interest savings as you do with a traditional mortgage refinance. A savvy person - using tip 3 in conjunction with tip 5 - might even move a portion of his mortgage to a 0% credit card thanks to the flexibility of a home equity line of credit. "

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do you need reasons on why you should get out of debt?

2005-07-20T15:51:00.000-04:00

I love keeping this blog. It helps me track my own progress and also see how others are doing on their own path to financial freedom. I wrote yesterday how a budget will help you to get out of debt, and commented that many find this process very disheartening, if not downright boring. There are many reasons not to get yourself into debt, but I thought I'd let No Credit Needed tell you about it here.

If this doesn't motivate you, I don't know what will.

banks may be creating a debit score for you.

2005-07-19T22:06:00.000-04:00

Considering my recent setbacks with my bank, this particular post caught my interest over at Free Money Finance. Banks may be monitoring your 'behavior' with them - how many times your account uses the overdraft protection, whether you owe money to the bank, etc. Not only that, but you are not able to see this 'score' they have created and are sharing. I am, of course, against this, and at the very least, consumers should have the right to view any information being held against them. What do you think?

why you need a budget

2005-07-19T20:40:00.000-04:00

When I decided to get my financial act together, I knew where I needed to start: I needed to create a budget. So, I began the dreaded task of tallying my bills, expenses, etc. and tried to create some kind of format that would help me get organized. This whole process took me quite a while - more than a weekend. I tweaked and played with the numbers, the formats, the formulas. I know that this in itself is enough to make people want to throw in the towel and continue in their ignorant bliss of overspending and using plastic.

But I was ready, I really wanted to change and make my life easier. After all, that is what a budget does help you to do, even if that outcome isn't immediate.

I am really glad I took that step, because although I haven't reached my end goal yet, my life is definitely better. Less bills coming in and more money in savings does contribute to that factor, but to be honest, I feel better just knowing I changed the way I think about money.

If you are ready to take this step, but don't know where to start, check out YouNeedABudget.com. Jesse Mecham has created a unique system for helping you to organize your financial life. The system operates according to 4 basic rules of cash flow management:

1. It's all about timing
2. Operate zero-based
3. Here comes that rainy day...
4. Mistakes happen ~ pay yourself back

Jesse provides a great service that will save you time, and of course, money. If you want to get organized and make a real change, a budget is the first major step. Regardless of whether you use paper and pencil or Excel spreadsheets to track your income and expenses, just be sure you do it! Create a goal, a debt repayment plan, and stick to it.

You won't be sorry.