Savvy Budget

Day 191- Gotta Go, Gotta GO, Gotta Go

2007-06-21T04:33:00.000-07:00

Today's focus: Be productive!!! I am getting dressed in a couple of minutes and heading straight out the door, stopping in the office long enought set a couple of appointments and I am OUT the door seeing patients/racking up mileage. THEN I am coming back into the office and completing my timesheet- zoom out the door and heading home. I have to get back home. I am working on organizing and cleaning. I have more merchandise coming in. The better organized I am the more productive I can be.

My goals are to be debt free by the end of the year, recover my out of pocket medical espenses and lay foundation for accumulating wealth.

Day 190

2007-06-20T00:33:00.000-07:00

Biopsy done- everything was ok
Had a heart attack scare- stay in hospital, missed a week of work- Dr. says nothing wrong with me but a non-alcholic fatty liver ( due to fatty everything else lol) I feel better physically than I have in a while but personally I feel like a loser :(

No use whining- I need to kick my butt in gear. I keep saying that and I keep sucking at it. sigh

2007-04-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

I finally found someone to drive me home from my biopsy- sheeze, I feel like NO ONE loves me.
I had to break down and call a gentleman I went out with last year. The bright side is, I will hear his amazing Scottish accent when he picks me up.

I would have liked him to take me and sit with me during the process. I did not feel it was appropriate. I decided to just ask him to pick and drop me off at my front door. No need push my luck or ask him do anything he would be uncomfortable doing. I figure if he wanted to spend time with me, he would still be dating me. LOL

I was napping today, I dreamed I went for the biopsy and everyone else had someone with them but me. One of the nurses came up to me and said. " I'm sorry no one cares abou you." I woke up crying.

Day 119- VERY Frustrated

2007-04-10T16:37:00.000-07:00

I have yet to have my biopsy due to no one to drive me home from the hospital even after local anesthetic.

The medical bills are beginning to pile up. I now have to have new mammograms done because the quality was poor on the first two sets. UGH all of that will be out of pocket!!

My Stupid Debt is a little closrer to being taken care of but not much. my focus this week and next to is to get all of that completed.

I am trying to lose weight. Nothing drastic at the moment. Just cutting out junk and adding healthier choices.

All of these medical expenses are adding up to about $2500 out of pocket so far. I was scheduled to be debt free by the 4th of July. I can kiss that good-bye. I f I work my butt off, I might be debt free by the end of the year. 9 Kissing butt good-bye-- Cuz, I WILL be debt free by the end of the year.) I just need to get a POA in place.

Day 98- STRESS and Updates

2007-03-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

I am almost at a loss for words to describe what has been going on in my life. ALMOST :)

I had my first mammogram with scary findings. This is still being worked out. I have an appintment with a surgeon next week.

I have about $1000 in deductibles already after having several procedures done.

My goal to be debt free by the 4th of July is looking KAPOOT!

I took a serious look at myself and realized I need to get in shape. I am pathetic.

This week there was a departmental meeting:
Seems one person has been a complete pain in the ass. This same person went and filed a grievous complaint against the nicest person in the department. Same pain in the ass, also saw two other coworkers writing a note back and forth during a seminar. When one person was gone to the restroom, pain in the ass went into her purse and took the note, then claimed she found it in her goody bag. Same pain in the ass is a pathological liar. Luckily I was not involved in any of this mayhem. Heck the note was not even all that bad. It was pretty nuetral.
Come meeting time, PITA was skewered. The one who had her purse invaded turned on me and accused me of trying to run her off and had been talking behind her back.. WHAT?????? I liked and respected her right up to that point. I even made a sincere public apology for unintentionally causing her pain and suffering. I acknowledged that she had a right to her feelings and I was sincerely sorry that my actions had caused them, even unintentionally. I also told her that the only things said behind her back were that we felt she carried her self well, she was very professional and had brought a lot to the table. ( how mean spirited are any of those statements??) She repeatedly spewed venom at me.

Turns out she has a major issue with me. When she personally attacked me for the third time I sat back feeling like a heel. After the meeting when I had time to digest and reflect on the situation, I realized she has a screw loose and I need to watch my back with her. She interprets every action on my part as directly or passive aggressively directed at her.

The following day when she was in our office, I apologized and said that sometimes I am a total bonehead. I explained that one of her grievances ( that I had sent her to the office party ahead of me) was because I knew she started AFTER we drew for secret santa and I needed to stop at the store and find a nice gift because I was trying to make sure she felt included. I had not identified myself because I did not want her to feel obligated to me or think I was kissing up. I just wanted to make sure she was included. She very coldly stated, " I appreciate that." She was very insincere.

She has never apologized for her venomous and personal attack during the meeting. And this was after her giving us a lecture that she had never worked with such unprofessional people and had expected better, that she felt she deserved better and the law dictated she should be treated better. I really thought better of her. I truly expected her to come to me and apologize for her actions. N-o-p-e. I was truly shocked but I have not said a word. I accepted full responsibility and it appears I have been given it deserved or not.

When I am the sanest person in the bunch we are all in serious trouble. LOL

Day 65- Pondering a Change

2007-02-17T10:07:00.000-08:00

I have not received a new lease for my apartment. It appears the new owners are putting everyone on a month to month. That also raises our rent. I have been looking around. I have seen cheaper rent but in questionable areas. They are not too bad but definately could be better. I may go with one nearby for a year. It would allow me to save more money during the next year. I need to investigate more.

I now have 126/2000 qtrs. That is not bad for having to spend the first month of the challenge catching up on the end of the year challenge.

The shoe challenge is going ok. One pair appears ready to bite the dust. I am going to try to keep them going another month or two. Another pair is showing some damage from washing them in bleach. There are some spots wear the color faded. Luckily these are all black and I can touch them up with a permanant marker. We dress pretty casual at work so they are not really noticed. This challenge is actually kind of fun. I like seeing what I can do to stretch a dollar.

This time last year I was throwing one pair of shoes away each month. I can also remember this time last year, I went shopping and bought about 14 pairs of shoes, most of which were sets of identical shoes. Now I realize I can make those shoes last longer. I have at least 50 pairs of shoes in my closet right now. If I handle them right they may last until my 40th birthday in three years. That is some big savings.

The Nickle Challenge is still slow, but I am focusing more. I keep reminding myself that this is the only way I will get a new computer so I have to get moving. It helps me to get more chores done and be productive. That piggy bank is fattening up.

The Kneehigh Challenge is going ok. There are starting to be a few falling to the wayside but all in all they are doing well. I have dusted off a pair of sneakers and I have started wearing them at least once a week. That has me wearing my old socks out as well. more savings

The Cookbook Challenge is getting started. I have 6 recipes in the book so far. I have been finding several that look good but call for a crockpot. Seems I will have to put that on the wish list. Useful gifts are very appreciated in my house.

The Pantry Challenge is humming along. I am getting better at pulling stuff out the pantry and cooking it. I just need to be more focused on eating it and not cooking too much at one time.

The Summer CC Payoff Challenge is sloooow. I really need to kick it up a few notches. I need to continue to lower expenses and really start bringing in more money to add to the payoff. As it stands, I am paying $500 toward the principle each month. I am still $1500 short of meeting my deadline. One thing I need to do is be more focused on my mileage and job performance. Keeping my job, is number one.

Day 56

2007-02-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

Not much going on here at the frugal homefront.

Challenge updates:

Qtr Challenge: I have 79/2000- I need to be over 200 by the end of the month to stay on track.

Kneehighs- going strong-

nickles- slow, very slow- I am lazy!

Pantry Cleaning Challenge- slow, but steady

Shoe Challenge- Going ok- I need to spiff up a couple pair- this weekend is shoe
washing weekend.

The cookbook chllenge needs some work too. it's still early in the year.

I have a new challenge lol- I and a group of friends have set financial challenges for the summer. I am challenging myself to pay off my credit card by the 4th of July.

The sale we had this last weekend did ok. I spent some of the proceeds on MORE groceries. I know, I know... But these items were to fill out menues from other items in my pantry. I spent less than $10 at the bent and dent store.

.25- green chillies x's 2 ( for chilli)
.25- canned peas ( extend tuna salad)
.50 -big box of pasta
.25 -Swanson's beef broth x's 6
1.50 -10 count microwave popcorn
.25- lg can bean sprouts
1.00 canned cherry pie filling-- hey it's for a treat that will actually save me money. {I need to do something nice for a gentleman ;) }

I also picked up 5 mystery shops for the week. That will be an extra $100!

Day 43- Still Working the Plan

2007-01-25T20:37:00.000-08:00

Challenge updates:
nickel challenge- slowed down- I need to pick it back up- Computer, computer, computer
Qtr challenge- 12/2000 I AM SO STOKED TO BE ON IT!!
Knee high Challenge- going ok
Decluttering Challenge- I need to get busier on this one
Shoe challenge- going ok- One of the 7 pair may have bit the dust- I am trying to salvage them, We will see. - rember I am trying to make 7 pair last all year, when I normally go through at least one pair a month. These 7 are also left over from last year, so this is going to be interesting. It could also be a significant saving.

I am cooking tonight, so that I and a coworker can eat tomorrow without eating out. I'll save her and me money.

I need to box up a few more boxes. I am going to my sister's house this weekend and I want to take a full car load to store and then sell. Plans for the weekend include going through another storage area and sort for using, selling and dumping. I am hoping to get through 10 more boxes this weekend. We are also going to start loading her van for the following weekends sale.

I funded 3 of my 4 weekly envelopes for gas. Tomorrow is payday and I will fund the rest of the envelopes. I will be set for February. I am going to stick to my envelope system. I will NOT spend out of my gas envelopes for anything but gas. Anything left over will go in the debt repayment fund. I am going to be debt free by the 4th of July.

I have two other envelopes. One is groceries ( $25) and the other is blow money ($25). I know $25 is ridiculously low. I have a FULL and overflowing pantry. I am dedicated to emptying this pantry. The plan is to save as much money as possible eating from the pantry and only buying essential items to fill out meals. Then when I am debt free and the pantry is empty, I will up my grocery allowance and start restocking the pantry from sales, coupons and bargain hunting.

I have also started a cookbook with frugal but tasty recipes. This will also help me accumulate a list of frugal items to stock up my pantry. By this time next year, I will have a great repretiore of tasty frugal recipes, meal plans and a full pantry. My savings for groceries next year is also expected to be significant.

I am considering developing a full month of menues that can be repeated each month. There will be allowances for varience but on the whole, all meals will be planned. I can see several benifits to the plan. I will already have healthy meals planned. I will know what items I need to stock up on when I can get the best price. I will also eliminate a lot of stupid purchases that never get used. I will also know which items are best bought in bulk. I like the idea of streamlining my grocery shopping and meal planning while saving money. Keep in mind that grocery spending is one of the most expensive but also the most controlable expense in your everyday life.

2007-01-24T16:27:00.000-08:00

So far I have 9/2000 qtrs. I am glad to be started with this project!!

I need to run. For some reason my car does not want to start. I think it may be the battery. I HOPE it is the battery. Alternator would be mega bucks.

OK, I am back. I am woman hear me roar! I fixed the car all by myself. The ground cable was broken. I bought a new cable AND grounded all on my own. I GO GIRL!

I think I have dome enought today. cioa

2007-01-22T19:35:00.000-08:00

2006 End of the year qtr challenge -should be done by this time tomorrow.

I am reallllly looking forward to this new challenge starting up, even if it is 23 days late. You better believe I am going to be intense about this challenge.

Here is the review:
365 days- 23=342
342 days= 1.50 a day

1.50 a day breaks down to 6 qtrs or 6 ways I HAVE to save money each day.
Given savings opportunities=

3 times I can make my own food, each day
Using my work computer vs buying a new one
Filling up at the least expensive station vs when I am out and what is handy
not turning on heat or air ( Of course it will be used when needed- but good planning can go a long way- an addition to the challenge would spur me to bundle up or open windows)
drinking generic soda

I'll add more as they come to mind. Right there are 6 qtrs without any other sacrifices or changes. And there are other opportunities that come up periodically. I am confident that big 'ol canister will be full by the end of the year. It will definitely be interesting to see how fast I meet the challenge and how far I can blow past the goal of $500.

Wouldn't it be cool to surprise myself by adding an entire month of expenses to my LTEF. Ok, I am really getting ahead of my self and setting myself up for failure. I mean could I really save a $1- 6000 times in one year??? LOL or is it??? We shall see. Anyway the first goal is $500 and that equates to 2000 savings opportunities I have to identify and accomplish.

Kneehigh challenge- Going strong. I found two more pair to add to the mix. I am considering dividing the kneehighs up and allowing myself so many pairs per month. Hmm with 36 pairs, that would only be 3 pairs per month. Maybe I can see if I don't lose anymore than 3 pairs per month. That might be more reasonable. Oh, the silly games I play with myself.

2007- 1000 item decluttering challenge- I am only at 23 items- oh well as sale season starts up that will pick up for sure.

Nickel Challenge- Since yesterday, I have been evaluating this challenge. In the spirit of self improvement, I have decided the money is DEFINITELY going toward a new computer. If I was starting from scratch and expecting to find a really good computer for $500 on sale, that would require 10,000 times I will have to resist procrastinating to earn my computer.

This seems like a worthy challenge. Hey after 10,000 times of resisting the temptation to put something off, I should be building some pretty strong and positive habits.

Fun breakdowns: I would have to not procrastinate 30 times a day to get my new computer by the end of the year. I can tell you right now, this is going to be a very long challenge.

I also broke down what the old computer cost me to own. SHEEZE, after getting ripped of on the rebates, I ended up paying over $1 a day just for the computer itself. That is pretty sad. My first computer lasted 5 years and even after paying $1200 cost me les than .65 a day. Neither of these figures count in ISP or interest for charging those computers.

This is real motivation to keep my current job. For those who have been reading a while, you know I also purchased this laptop for work. The big catch is that when I leave it stays with the company. I was replacing one that was loaned by the company but stolen from my car. The cost of computing just keeps going UP and UP. I just ran the numbers and it has cost me 1.25 a day to compute and this is before financing, ink or ISP cost. It is eyeopening but depressing. I have got to find a way to get these computer cost down. That will be another project.

Of course, I am still hoping for an amazing deal on a used computer at the annual church yardsale. All I need is a new tower. I have everything else, including two repair guys that can evaluate them. ::: crossing fingers and wishing on stars::: ( cuz this is an expensive item to be budgeting right now)

I big shout out to me!!! I found enough ways to save $1 ( hey, I write this crap and do chores or stuff at the same time-) and already did them to finalize my 2006 End Of the year challenge. I can now start the 2007 $500 challenge. This just makes my night!!!

I am going to be swimming in change by the end of the year. Maybe I should change the title to "Making Change" LOL

I am most excited about all the positive impact each of those pieces of change represent in my life.

Day 32- Working the Plan

2007-01-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

I have done ok lately. Not stupendous but not bad. I keep reminding myself, " baby steps."

here is some of my progress:

2006 end of the year qtr challenge. I am on the last $10. I should be finished by the end of the week, if not sooner. YEAH When I make the deposit, I will have $500 in my LTEF.

I am so ready to start the 2007 $500 Qtr Challenge. I have a little notebook all numbered from 1-2000. I want to record all the ways I saved at least $1. By the end of the year, I will have at least $1000 in my LTEF.

2007 1000 ITEM Decluttering challenge- so far I have 25 items. I am also boxing up stuff and adding it to my sale items. They will be recorded when I actually sell each item.

Nickle Challenge- I put a nickle in the pig every time I spend 15 minutes cleaning or complete a task I am procrastinating about. So far the pig is two years old and a little over half full. I am picking up speed on the progress though. I know I put over a $1 in there this weekend alone. I even had to pick up another roll of nickles. The plan is that when I finish filling both pigs, I will open them up, roll the change and buy myself something I have been wanting but is not in the budget.

Since the change for the Qtr challenge and the nickle challenge come out of my blow money ( and change I get back from purchases), I won't feel guilty at all. I am torn between an I-pod and a computer. Since the computer is a much larger purchase, I am thinking I will just put the two pigs on a shelf and start an additional container. LOL- it will probably take both pigs and a 6 pack of 2 liter bottles to save for the computer.

Then again, I can't use the I-pod until I have a computer of my own. I am currently using a laptop from work ( with permission). Another reason to do well at this job. My two year old computer is fried and there is no budget for replacement. I am hoping to find a cheap replacement this summer at the church's yardsale. It is on my shopping list for that event. I'll be praying about that one.

2007 kneehigh challenge- looking pretty good. While cleaning I found another 4 pair. I am handwashing them now. Currently I have about 30 pair of kneehighs. This breaks down to approximately 8 wears from each pair. This is not counting that in the summer, I will be wearing socks and sneakers or sandles to work. If this works out, I will still have 15 pairs left unopened for 2008. I would like to be able to salvage at least 10 pair from this years challenge to add to next year. It is all about the long haul.

Pantry Challenge: I only went to the store for one needed household item. They had frozen pizza on sale for 2.50 I resisted as hard as it was. That earned me another qtr in the LTEF jar. For what I did buy, I also used a coupon for 1.50 off. Yep, another qtr in the jar. I packed my lunches for the next two days. That will be a good savings and add to my LTEF.

A sickening note: while cleaning today, I found even more checks that I did not cash and have expired. I really need to prioritize getting those replaced. it can't hurt to try.

I sorted laundry today. I have a fair bit and I want to make the most of my loads. Even though I have the cost WAY down, every little bit helps.

I also found a big ziplock bag of miniture size bath washes. I am currently using those for handwashing delicate items. I would have put it in the shower to use but I have at least two years of soap and one year of shampoo left. I felt it was a better use for handwashing items to extend their life. It also gets some more clutter out of my house sooner.

I am also considering hanging more clothes to dry. I don't pay to use a dryer currently. We have free washer and dryers in the laundry room of my apartment building. I have other motivation. I keep reading that the dryer puts a lot of wear and tear on your clothes. Look at the lint filter for evidence.

I want to make what I have last, since my wardrobe budget is nonexistant until I become debt free. It would also help me by not setting stains and keeping the clothes looking nicer so I can resell them when I outgrow them. They won't bring much but it will help. I seem to have a good spot to sell my outgrown clothes, so I am taking advantage of it.

2007-01-18T19:10:00.000-08:00

I did well at work again today. I also did not buy anything. I ate a homemade breakfast. I had a free lunch at work. I am eating dinner at home from my pantry. I was able to add a $1.25 to my EF jar. I finished another roll of quarters- just need to find a wrapper. I started on the last roll I need to fill before I can start the the 2007 qtr challenge.

I am stoked about The 2007 qtr challenge. I am dissapointed in myself. I could completed the end f the year challenge on time. As it stands now, I need to save 44.50 each month in qtrs. That is 180 incidences of saving a minimum of $1.

When I break it down to daily, it breaks down to 5 times a day. That is doable but tight. I plan to be intense finishing the 2006 End of the year challenge. Then I am really kicking butt on the 2007 Challenge. for 6 qtrs daily- that includes 3 meals a day ( yes, I know, There will be days when I will buy something to eat). That leaves a minumum of 3 more ways I will have to save money daily.

Some of the ways I can save money:
not turn on the heat- when it is bearable
not turn on AC- when it is bearable
mend clothes, instead of buying new or new to me
buy gas at the cheaper gas stations that are nearby
make my own laundry detergent
be more agressive selling things from my home
cut down and then cut out cigarettes
making my currently large supply of shoes last even longer by cleaning them agressively
do my own repairs at my house
SELL THAT HOUSE
bring home free food when possible
put off buying computer
continue having productive days at work
increase my mileage from work- also untaxed
continue skipping haircuts ( locks of love)
make my shampoo supply last ( should be good for the year)
make my soap last ( should have enough for the year)
turn lights out when not in use
use GCs when I need to buy groceries
make gifts when possible- use gift stash also
make do with what is in my closet- no clothes for special occassions
completing surveys for cash and GC's

Day 35- Did Good

2007-01-18T03:46:00.000-08:00

Wednesday at work, I did HUGE! One of my patients needed the city so take care of a situation. From the Mayor's office to the city council, i was told. " Not our problem." I can't go into details but it was definately a situation that put my patient in imminent danger. I even called the state attorney generqals office. Just when I was about to give up hope, I prayed. 5 minutes later the Mayor's office called. They were going to take care of the situation. I asked about the time frame. The said. "TODAY." YEAH!!! Maybe my bosses will appreciate me a little more because basicaly, I accomplished the impossible.... correction, I asked God to accomplish the impossible and HE delivered ASAP.

I also did well on my budget today. I did not eat out or buy anything outside of gas for my car. I even got the gas at the discount gas station YEAH ME!!! I was able to add $1.50 to my qtr challenge EF jar. hopefully by the end of the month I will be able to begin the $500 qtr challenge for 2007.

I need to get back to my paperwork- gotta protect my most lucrative asset (job).

Day 34- muddled

2007-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

I am ashamed to admit I broke my meal plan for the week. I went to the grocery store and spent $20 on crap for dinner. I have plenty of sufficient food in the house but I am feeling down and I let it get me off track.

I did do one productive thing last night. I pulled my bank for dimes- Gallon sized, cat shaped. cat food container :). Anyway, I have been saving dimes for a few years. Just the ones that come in my change. I have a grand total of 214.50. Judging from how much room these dimes took up, It seems the contaner will hold about $1000in dimes. I've written down the amount, put it in a plastic sleeve and I"ll track my progress. it originally started out as garage sale money for a HUGE yardsale held every two years. Then I changed it to my new clothes fund. I'm open right now as to where it will go.

I am seriously thinking about finishing up my nickle motivation banks and then stepping it up to a dime at a time to motivate me to do chores and other things I tend to procratinate about. That is a bit in the future though. I have two plastic pigggy banks. One is 60 % full and the other just has less than an inch full. I will finish off the first one and then go to the less full one. When they are both full, my plan is to cut them open and roll the money. I want to buy an i-pod, but I am making myself earn it by not being lazy.

Day 33- CC Milestone

2007-01-16T02:47:00.000-08:00

Today my $1550 payment is credited to my CC. $50 covers last months interest and then some. The $1500 is directly off the principle. YEAH!! My balance is now $4000 ( a little less). After this months auto pay, the monthly payment is set at $550.

Work is still very touchy at this minute. I am seriously considering looking elsewhere for employment. I have checked the want ads and while my job is not listed, I am keeping options open. I do not want to find myself in such deep doo doo that I have NO job or have to take a serious cut in pay.

Another thing on my mind is the fact that my lease is coming up for renewal. The building also recently sold to new owners. I knew exactly how much my rent was going up before the sale ( 5%). Now the whole thing is up in the air. My rent was scheduled to go up to $617. Now, I have no idea how much to plan for my rent budget. I will probably only get a 30 day notice of the change , if that long. That will not give me long to find a new place if they are ridiculous in the increase. Right now, I am on a wait and see situation.

Day 29- One Direction or the Other

2007-01-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

I am either going backwards or forwards. Hmmm... I choose forward. It has been a week from heck. I am in trouble at work and I just found out my apartment building sold but no one told me about it. Everyone else received a notice of propert management change.... EXCEPT ME!

I had some trouble with the lanlord a little while back due to that drunk chic who hit my car. He acted psycho and I remained calm. It appears he may have decided to have me outed from the building. CRAP!! Just what I need moving right now. My lease is up for renewal in March. The new lease is supposed to start in March. Maybe it was just a clerical error. I'll be on the lookout for a new place just in case. maybe a new move would be good for me.

I feel bad

2007-01-11T23:39:00.000-08:00

I did receive the punitive damages today. i am on a 60 day probabtion. Shoot. I have no one to blame but myself. I am back on my zoloft because I am stressed to the max. I went back yesterday because I knew I needed to turn my depression around. WHAT?? You did not know? Cuz I try to hide it even from myself. Every one sees a happy confident but not too serious woman. Inside? I am dieing.

The absolute worst part is that I really like my bosses. I hate that they are dissapointed in me. I am dissapointed in me. I feel like I am being sucked under.

Day 27- Reaching for my potential

2007-01-11T03:17:00.000-08:00

I get so discouraged and dissapointed in myself at times.

The meeting with my boss went, "ok." At this point I am not in serious trouble. I am at the point where there is potential for trouble though. I was honest and upfront. I laid out where I am and what I had planned to correct it. I also laid out the plan I had in place to add accountability and ensure this is issue does not come up again. He is a great guy. He stayed firm and serious but he did not give me any punitive measures. I think he is aware that I am not bad, just a little overwhelmed. God, help me, I even admitted out loud, " I have trouble asking for help."

Budget watch: I did fair. I only purchased 2 $1 burgers when I went out to check on a client ( on my way home) last night. sigh.... I had food, I just needed comfort food. It is an improvement over my past. I would have gotten a full combo and a milkshake.

A bad note: I did not accumulate any mileage today. I was grounded to the office to work on files. I will be grounded again today. My plan is to get in this morning and knock out the last bit and get moving to clients. I could possibly finish up the ones I was planning to see Wedesday and the ones I planned on visiting today. I would be caught up with a minimum of mileage loss.

I need all the mileage I can honestly get. I use what is left over after auto expenses to pay on my CC.

I did get a good night's sleep last night, it should help.

Day 25- SCREECH!!!

2007-01-09T15:58:00.001-08:00

Ok, I admit I have done stupid. I let paperwork slide at work and today I got BUSTED. I owned up to it. I have a strategy and a plan to add accountability to my work. I also have to meet with one of the owners in the morning. At least it is the calm one.

I deposited a check from Best Buy today. It is the refund from the crappy computer I purchased and then returned. It did not even have enough memory to run WIndows, for crying out loud! That should have never been sitting on the shelf.

I have not called Visa and upped this month's payment to $1550. I need to get on that now........... Ok, I am back. That is now done

I am still stoked because I noted June has 3 paydays. That is an extra $1000 for paying off my credit card. According to my paperwork that still leaves an addition $1000 I need to make materialize outside of my regularly scheduled payments from wages/mileage and the extra $1000 I am throwing at it this month from my checking account. This is starting to look doable before the end of July

Budget Watch
I packed my lunch and was doing well until I got busted today. Luckily my out of budget bounds spending was less than $4. I had a soda and a beef jerky. ughhhhh

Baby Steps Monday

2007-01-08T22:31:00.000-08:00

Today went ok, I hit my mileage goal for the day. I aim for 100 miles a day or better. I ate out one time. I forgot my lunch bag and had to grab a bite. Not only that but I skipped breakfast. I was starving. I spent a little over $3. That was three dollars I could have sent to debt :( I did refrain from eating anything else until I got home.

I did make it to the bank. I cashed three checks for a total of $1296. $800 came out right away to refund my BEF. $300 came out to pay my car insurance in full in April. I have $196. That will cover gas and cigarettes for the next two weeks. Actually, 2 1/2 weeks. I am just going to make it fit. Sacrifices can be good for the soul.

While I was at the bank, I checked my deposit. It appears I have enough to send an extra $1000 to my CC balance. After depositing my check this Friday. I may even be able to make that $1500. That would be a nice chunk out that debt. It would also free up money that was covering interest so that it can be applied to principle. SWEEEET!

I finally received my refund from Best Buy. Have I mentioned, lately, That I hate that place. Tuesday I need to stop by the bank and deposit that check. Hmmmm.... After depositing that check, I could absolutely handle a one time draft of $1500 from my checking account to put toward my cc bill.

Confession time: I was signed up for an ice skating class that was scheduled to begin 1/8/07. Total cost after ice time, tuition and gas was right at $300. I decided last minute to forgo the class. I am focused gazelle intense on paying this debt off by 4th of July.

I also rescheduled a doctor's appintment. I am going to research further exactly how much out of pocket expense I will have and how to best maximize whatI do have to spend out of pocket.

Day 22- baby steps

2007-01-07T20:26:00.000-08:00

Ok, here we go again. I have a $1200 check in my purse plus 2 $40 checks from bank shops. I get paid again on Friday, but I will have a lower mileage check this pay period. :( I am also waiting on a nearly $400 from Best Buy- hate that place!!

With the 1200 uncashed paycheck, I will re-fund my baby EF. That will only take $800. the additional $400 will cover this month's car fuel and maintenance. The $80 will be deposited for cc debt payment.

Fasy forward to Friday January the 12th. That is the next payday. $900 in wages will be put toward budgeted bills. Mileage will be set aside toward car insurance due in April. Ins is $300, mileage is almost $200. That will go toward April insurance. I want to have it in hand because I get a discount for paying in full. I also do not have to remember to pay monthly payments and that is a good thing.

THEN January 28th, I get paid again. That will finish off January's budget and give me Auto expenses for February. Any extra mileage funds will finish off April's insurance bill. If there is any left, the rest goes towrd CC bill.

I am currently decluttering the apartment. Anything I think I can sell is going in boxes to take to my sister's house this weekend. She is working toward a $1500 dental repair she wants completed. I am am getting Gazelle on paying off my CC. I will be debt free by the 4th of July 2007.

We are looking into several venues to hold yardsales. Every little bit helps. I also need to look into completing a few more Mystery shops that pay. I also plan to get serous about doing online surveys. I need to replace my computer and it is NOT in the budget.

After paying off my cc, I will be focusing on two things. A) A fully funded emergency fund- I want a minimum of 3 months in that account. B) All mileage after Auto expenses is to be put in a new to me car fund. Both of my cars are over 10 years old. I am going to need a replacement in the next 1-3 years. Preferably later than sooner. I am on the 100% down payment plan for the next car.

I put a few more quarters in the 2006 $100 goal jar. I am still short ( I have $80 I need $20 more) and whittling away before I start the 2007 $500 qutr challenge. LOL- I am soooo going to fish the 2007 challenge on time. Even if I have to eat 4 cases of Ramen over the year.

I took a little notebook and I am in the process of numbering the lines 1-2000. I want to see all the ways I saved $500 a qtr at a time.

What did I do frugal today?
I worked on laundry- so I will have clothes for work. The more I wear the current ones I have, the less I will feel the need to buy new clothes for a while.
I used less than half the reccomended amount of detergent. I just let them soak a little and they come out just as clean.
I cooked danish ribs I bought on discount. That should be enough meat for the week.
I need to freeze a pork roast for next week's meat. It was also bough on discount.
I packed a lunch bag with snacks for this week at work.
I am soaking rice to eat with the ribs and to make into a stirfry later this week.
I need to make tea. These sodas are killing the budget.

Anyway, I need to go work on 80 more ways to save money this month so I can finish off the 2006 challenge. sigh- will I ever learn???

Day 22- Getting on track

2007-01-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, I did not reach my 2006 goals. I did make progress. That's good. I could have done better than I did but at least I did better than I have before.

I am still $30 shy of my EF goal for 2006. I am going to keep on umtil I reach it and then start my 2007- $500 in quarters goal.

My computer died a terrible death. :::a moment of silence:::
I bought the cheapest one they had at Best Buy. it did not even have enough memory to run Windows. That is a damn shame. I took it back and I am waiting on a refund check now.

When that check arrives it is going back in the bank. I am making do with my work laptop. My employer allows us to use our work laptops for personal use outside of work. I am working on a way to save up for a new computer without touching my savings or my budget. I think I will hold out as long as possible.

I blew my Baby EF on daily expenses because I did not take the time to cash my paycheck- lost my license too. I know it is here somewhere. I just have to find it.

So this week I am cashing my last paycheck and stashing the $800 BACK IN WITH THE $200 i DID NOT BLOW. I'll take the rest for this month's expenses and go forward with my next paycheck on Friday.

I am still aiming to be debt free by this 4th of July. I have started dating again and found I was not focusing on MY PRIORITIES. No more of that. Debt free is my priority and will continue to be so. I will manage with what I have or just do with out or forgo an activity that is not in my budget.

New Day 4

2006-12-20T05:04:00.000-08:00

What's new? ME, that's what's new. I am taking a structured class beginning next year. I am also beginning an independent study class.

Finacially, Well, this week is important because even though I have a budget completed for next year, I need to review and finalize some specifics. I am also dedicating my self more to an outside project that will bring in more money. The plan is still to have all debt paid off by July.

Side note: I soooo want a nano I-Pod. I went out with a man who had one and now I am in love. With the Ipod of course.

Big set back- New Day one

2006-12-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

My computer fried and I just bought a new one. That was too much money for my taste but I bit the bullet. I am miserable without one. I also made some serious decisions.

Yes, I know, I seem to keep getting serious and letting things slide only to get serious again. Why is this time any different. Well the big reason is going to have to be for me only to know at this time. Suffice it to say, It was either make some serious changes or sit on my couch and eat ice cream. For those who do not know, I have a white couch and that just will not do at all.

Let's just call this day one.

Day 117- Sheeze- What Have I Been Doing?

2006-11-26T14:24:00.000-08:00

WHOAH- I have been MIA again. That is not so good.

After being sick for about a week, I had to catch up with work and take care of Holiday obligations.

There have been some positive developments. One is that I have been getting agressive about decluttering the homefront.

My sister spent the night with me Thursday. She is always a great motivator when it comes to getting rid of things.I have even added the decluttering goal into my EF jar situation. For every brown paper handled bag I toss, donate or move from my home in some way, I will add a quarter to my EF jar.

Another developement is that I have 232 of the needed 400 quarters. hmm. Looks like I need to get more gazelle intense.

And on a little more pesonal note.... I have started seing a very nice gentleman. shhhh.. let's just keep that between the two of us.

Day 109- Back From The Dead

2006-11-16T06:15:00.000-08:00

Nice to be back. I was s-i-c-k last week. But here I am.

No Credit Needed Network has my achievement posted along with my interview. :)

Another update:I have 202 of 400 quarters needed. In consideration of the fact that I have 6 weeks left on this challenge, I think I am right on the mark

What Else Am I Doing Today

2006-11-10T18:14:00.000-08:00

Mostly sitting here on the computer reading. I am also listening to Dave Ramsey. LOVE THAT GUY!! I got a call from a person helping one of my clients/patients. I accidently called him Dave and explained that I was listening to DR. LOL- He was listening to it also. We had a fun talk

Day 104- Following Up on SD Resolution

2006-11-10T14:59:00.000-08:00

I stated I would wait until October 31st to follow up on my SD handler and I did. I sent off an email regarding the issue. I heard NADA. I emailed her again yesterday. I received my email back as " no such email". That Pissed me off!

I got on the phone today and got the royal run-around. I was promised a phone call by the end of the day. NADA! I call the oversight department and notified them of my ventures in NADA-LAND. I hope somebody gets a fire lit under them. I have the funds and NO statements to send in with my payments. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh!!!!!!!!

Wouldn't you know it. If I did not have the money they would be harrassing me to no end and I would be receiving statements and notices left and right.

day 94- WOW, My Efforts Have Been Noticed

2006-10-31T18:39:00.000-08:00

After three attempts to notify NCN of my update from October 13th, I finally got word to him. You know the one- the update where I mentioned SAVING $5000 to pay off my stupid debt

Here is what he had to say:

SavyBudget,
YAY! Awesome. I'm so glad that you reached your goal! Would you be willing
to do a quick write up for the Network about your goal, how long it took, how
you were able to reach it, and what role the Network played (if any) in your success? That
would be awesome! You can just send it to me by replying to this email. Let me know
and I'll post your new, completed chart once I hear back from you..
You rock!

What an honor! I would love to do a quick write up. Hopefully it will be a better job than my recent blogging.

First off I want to say a huge thanks to No Credit Needed Network. I love seeing my pie chart fill up. I also love competing against certain other people who are paying off debt. NCN doesn't pit it's members against each other- I do that myself from the comfort of my own computer chair.

Which brings up one of my most successful techniques. I play games. I will set a goal and see how quick I can reach the goal. I play sub games, like my infamous EF jar, the one everyone heres about all the time.

When NCN post my write up I will link it righ here.

2006-10-29T17:07:00.000-08:00

Today we had our company picnic. We also had the handing out of Nicorette Patches.When they handed out the patches I was the ONLY person taking part. Then one more person joined up last minute.

The company has not come out with concrete written criteria. At first we heard they were sponsoring the whole thing. Then today they said one month.Then a little later in the day they said the ywere sponsoring one month then negotiating from there. A little later.... the owner said they were sponsoring us for two months. I wish I knew the whole story.

Anyway... I am quitting smoking. That is $1500 a year I will NOT be spending. That is the same as a $3000 raise. I am setting my Quit Date for November 1st. That is also All Saint's Day.

My mantra is, " I am no longer a smoker. The impact on my financial future and my health is muti-fold. I will be an independent and healthy old lady."

Day 90- My New Coach Purse and Musings

2006-10-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

While out working today, I took my lunch break at a little thrift store where I found a COACH purse for $1. It looks new and has the prequisite serial numbers. Score!
***
Today I returned the loaned tools and EGR valve to the auto store. I ended up with a $65 return. YEAH!
*****
Time to make a confession. I did a little shopping this week. I bought about $50 worth of stuff. Some I needed and most was just stuff. :( I am a sucker for office supplies.

A positive note is that so far I have resisted buying an embroidery machine. Although I may not choose to resist if the price is low enough on Black Friday.

I am working on a POA for using the machine to make money. I decided that since I want one, then I need it to pull it's own weight. That is an expensive toy to have. I am researching the macines, patterns available and the cost of the thread and other supplies.

Just because I reallly, realllly want it does not mean I am going to get it. But I think with a little research and determination, I can do this.Although there is still the issue of the funds for the initial purchase price. supplies and all will come to about $600. That is a sobering number. Because I would have to sell about $1000 worth of merchandise to be happy.

Day 87- I Got Respect

2006-10-24T00:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are coming up on the 9 months to go mark. ( 9 months and 2 days to be exact). I have mixed feelings about the countdown. I am excited as I get closer and closer to Financial Empowerment. It also makes me a bit nervous. My time is running out to accomplish so much. I feel like I should be accomplishing more.

I have to remind myself that I am making strides and building lifelong habits that will benefit me. Like this weekend, I took my car into the shop. Instead of using a dealership or some shady mechanic I do not know, when my car needs a repair, I take it to the shop in the town where I grew up.

My mechanic is honest and economical. I learned something new this weekend. He respects me as an intelligent person too. He lets me watch and answers questions. He helps me be an informed owner of an expensive piece of machinery.

One of the parts I purchased was 59.99. I did a little research. It seems that this particular part can often be salvaged by cleaning it out with carburetor cleaner. It simply gets gunked up and that is why it is not functioning.

When he was removing it, I mentioned what I had learned through research. I did not think he was listening. He stated more often that not he replaced the controll part along with this particular part and he wished he knew how to know which ones was going bad because the code was the same for both. :: side note- the control part is only available from a dealer and is expensive:::

Well he finally got the part I wanted changed off. He looked inside and saw it was gunked to the hilt. He cleaned it out using the method I discovered, replaced it and it is working like a charm. Even better, I get to return the part and get a full refund. CHA ching!

I did not even know this man needed to learn anything. He is tops and when he fixes something it stays fixed. We both win. Since he was willing to have an open mind, he tried what I mentioned to him and discovered new knowledge. I saved money and received some well appreciated respect. Which is pretty amazing since a lot ( not all) mechanics write a woman's opinion off from the start.

Which bring about another point. Knowledge is power! I took the initiative to research the repair and was smart enough to run it by a knowledgeable person in the same field. I went in with something to contribute. I saved a nice chunk of change because not only did I save on the EGR valve, I avoided having to replace the really expensive part that is only available frm the dealership.

Another valuable bit of knowledge was seeing just how gunked up some those parts are. My mechanic advised me to use a particular additive for a while to help clean out other parts. I can see that he is right on the money with this advice. I am going to consider using the Chevron gas if I can get it at comparable prices.

Day 86- YEAH

2006-10-23T03:21:00.000-07:00

9 months and 3 days.

The weekend went fairly well. I saved on shipping a Christmas gift to my oldest sister (my little sister is sending it with her box of packages) and ended up receiving a box of Laundry detergent. 100 plus loads for FREE. That pretty much takes care of all my laundry expenses next year ( washers are free to use in my building)- YEAH

I did not turn the heat on at all this weekend nor did I suffer for it. When I found myself a little chilled, I put on my socks, then slippers and a sweater. After each addition I was toasty warm. This morning I did use an electric space heater in the bathroom but other than that I was perfectly fine. I love to save but there is no need in suffering. I will turn the heat on when there is sufficient cause.

I did start adding another quarter to the LTEF jar for every day I avoid turning on the heat. It is still fairly warm here with an occasionally chilly day or evening. Nothing socks, a long sleeve shirt and a sweater doesn't easily handle. I have calculated that I save approximately $4 each day I put off firing up the furnace. In one month, that is over $100.

Update on "End of The Year Quarter Challenge"

As of this morning, I have 119/400. Yeah. To stay on track, I need to have 134 by Halloween, which is definitely doable. I love the push of trying to reach a goal. This one requires me to find more and more ways to save money AND I don't get credit unless I actually implement the savings.

I am getting more and more excited about my 2007 quarter challenge every time I look at this end of the year challenge. I know I am going to meet and exceed my 2007 goal of adding $500 to the LTEF just by adding one quarter at a time (from saving a minimum of $1).

When I finish my 2007 quarter challenge, I should be able to add regular contributions to my LTEF into my budget. These quarter challenges are just a way to build the habit of contributing to my EF ( procrastination is such a bad thing) while I focus on debt reduction. When I have no more debt, I will be able to really build the LTEF.

Day 83- 9 Months, 6 Days

2006-10-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

Where has all the time gone?? It seems like just a few days ago I started this blog and just yesterday that I added the 1 year challenge. In the time since I started this blog I have accomplished some amazing feats!

As many of you have read I finished setting aside $5K for a very stupid debt.. Not only that, I have gained more self assuredness about my ability to meet goals and to prosper. I can now see that in less than a year, I will be actually building wealth.

On another note, I am seeing my possessions in a new light. They are not things to use up and replace. They are assets that met my needs. And like all assets you should maintain them.

Of course there are times when one should re-evaluate an asset. Sometimes that assets has outlived its usefuless and there is no appreciable reallocation. Sell the stock, er... coffee table, extra books, too small/large clothes. Use the funds to create greater assets such as LESS DEBT, increased retirement funding, additional transportation that is becoming depleted ( AKA- set extra money aside to pay cash for a new to you car), or take yardsale funds to purchase really nice thrift store or clearanced clothing items.

Another thing I have noticed is that I am becoming less sensitised to what people think. I don't drive my sports car as much anymore. I drive the 4 door wagon because I want to keep the other car nice longer. I don't care as much for the newest clothes. (sorry, Single Ma)

As a matter of fact, I had to remind myself that I need to clear out closets as much as possible in the near future. I have WAY too many clothes and many of them are outdated.

I will go through and size them, sort for how suitable they are for my needs, Select which ones I can liquidate and then pack the ones I cannot currently wear, but will be wearing in the future.

This will allow me to accomplish a few things. I will free up one resource- space. Allowing me to re-allocate that space to a better use. That use may simply be the state of being less cluttered :).

I will also be able to see exactly what clothing resources I have, note what I NEED and assist me in avoiding unnecessary purchases while being my usual cute self. Hopefully, I can pass on a good bargain to someone in the meantime.

Day 78

2006-10-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

I have eaten all my meals at home today. I have found the source of a much needed detergent making ingredient ( also the basis of Oxyclean- who knew?) at a great price. I was unable to find it locally at any price until today. So I will be making my own detergent soon. not real soon because I still have a huge stockpile of detergent.

I even worked on my spending plan for 2007. I discovered it is a good thing I started early. 2007 will be a challenging year. Noticing those specific challenges inspires me to do better this year.

My spending plan for 2007 covers my monthly bills and and no real splurges. The spending plan may look bleak right now, but it is do-able and has room for improvement. Improvements include rounding up enough cash through extra efforts to pay off CC, stop smoking and selling my house.

I am gearing up to quit smoking as I type. Besides being nasty, what better inspiration than to see what else I could do with the $1500 each year. That $1500 could come right back out of my spending plan and go right toward paying off a credit card or even a nice vacation.

Day 76-- SD UPDATE and EF Update

2006-10-13T06:11:00.000-07:00

I deposited $400 in my SD account yesterday. Today I was looking at my checking account and realized I have enough to add $1700 to my SD account. I did it too.
I feel like I have graduated to a new level.
It felt so good to take the magic marker and fill in the last of that thermometer chart I used to watch the progress.

My spending will be a little tight until the end of the week but not in a severe way. I just need to keep a eye on how much goes out until I make my next deposit coming up next Friday. It is worth it, because..... SD is fully funded. I just need those stinking statements to send in my payments. UGHHHHHHH!

I also made an $80 deposit to my emergency fund.It is officially at $400. All from The August challenge that ended up taking until the end of September to accomplish.

A reminder to my readers regarding my Quarter challenges:
I keep a Hershy's chocolate syrup jar on a shelf. Everytime, I save at least a dollar, I put a quarter in the jar. When the jar is full, I deposit the amount into my Long Term Emergency Account.

I do have the Baby EF that our good friend Dave advocates. That is easily available and stays fully funded. While I have the Baby EF ( which is bigger than the Long Term EF currently), I want to see at least a little progress in my LTEF. So I add the jar money. The jar helps motivate me toward taking even a tiny baby step toward better habits. All those quarters add up!

My current Q-challenge is to save $100 for the LTEF by the end of the year. As of this writing, I have 52 of the needed 400 quaters.

Priority Number One- Work

2006-10-10T05:46:00.000-07:00

Work is currently my number one asset, as such I need to protect and cultivate it. I need to do a few things here.

PAPERWORK
Scheduling- I will have 60 clients that MUST be seen each month. I tend to scramble ad I have missed a few the last few months.
Image- This is made up of appearances, performance and behavior.
Networking- both at work and outside of work.
Relationship building

Paperwork- This is something I have struggled with for years. I have decided to make this my number one focus. Today when I go into work, I will will complete ALL of my time sheet for yesterday and the notes. All of this will go into a handy little plastic sleeve/envelope I have already labeled completed timesheets and notes. I am going to embrace my biggest challenge and conquer it. I will be the Queen of Paperwork.

Scheduling- I am not too bad here but I'm building more discipline into this area.

Image-

A) :::sigh::: I loathe to admit this but... My appearance is not so hot. I really need to focus on this more. I need a better hairstyle, which is definitely a challenge as I grow my hair out for Locks of Love. I'll rise to the challenge. Makeup needs more emphasis. I tend to skip it when the humidity is high, in the summer as it makes my face itch to the point I scratch with a vengeance. Clothing is ok. Not as much work needed here. I just need to stay on top of laundry, so I am not going for the b-list items as much.

Weight - Besides health reasons, I really need to lose weight. I am officially a plus size woman. While I am still wonderful, there are people who view this negatively. Socially accepted "pretty people" are seen in a better light. They are perceived as more successful and competent. I am all about taking advantage of an edge when it is not morally wrong and there is nothing morally wrong with being a healthier weight.

B) Performance- As I build more discipline into my paperwork, this will improve. I already receive a fair bit of praise for the results I get on many cases. The big problem is my paperwork being late and then not up to the standard I would personally set for myself. It is hard to meet that standard when I am scrambling- Scrambling has got to go!

I personally believe that the company owners would see me in a MUCH better light if they never had to deal with my paperwork issues. Image is definitely a multi dimensional issue.

C) Networking- This is another area I need to vamp up. It is not one of my strong points. I certainly need to develope a plan and work toward increasing my professional network.

D) Relationship building- this definitely an area I need to address. I am just not very good at politics.

Am I over valued?

2006-10-10T05:23:00.000-07:00

While crunching the numbers I discovered something interesting. My Networth is hyper-inflated.

BEAR WITH ME....

I was adding and subtracting debts and assets. I was trying to inspire myself by looking at where I could be sitting in 9 months and 16 days.

I took my net worth of $22, 414 subtracted the value of the house when it sells ( I doubt I will actually clear anything on the actual sale. The house is already priced lower than what I paid for it in 1998. There will be closing cost, lawyers fees, additional repairs, sprucing up, advertising, gas out to the house for showings, etc),

added the value of my mortgage because it will cease to be a liability.

subtracted the value of the stupid debt account, ( it will be spent to erase the debt)

added the amount of my stupid debt because currently it is a minus { liability} ( in effect SD account and SD cancelling each other)

added the value of my cc debt ( it is will cease to be a liabilty),

took into account the expected value of my cars at the goal date- no car payments in the last two years :). ( I currently subtract $25 each month from the value of both cars- I have mixed feelings on this, because if I were desperate, I would sell only one of them at most),

I then realized my retirement account is still in limbo because there is a strange developement there ( old job converted the money I could have rolled over to situation where I think I have to wait until I retire to see anything and it may now possibly be out of my control) which may simply mean that this money is pretty much history to me by the time they finish with it.::::sigh::::: This asset is actually pretty much a wash.

I estimated how much I should have in my cash account and in my EFs and discovered in effect that I will really and truly only be worth about $5k. That stinks. That royally stinks.

The whole idea was to make me feel better. I started to get very down. Of course, looking down is not the best way to move up. I automaticly started looking for the positive. I was grateful that I was not going to be in the hole. I will have a small but simple foundation on which to begin my building wealth. I will also be able to move the income that was paying off my liabilities into lager long term EF, savings and investments.

It further opened my eyes to the effect CCs can have on your future.It was so easy to put snacks, gifts , eating out when I could have eaten cheaper and other everyday expenses on the card and use the cash for other things. You can bet that that sucker will be sitting in my freezer. You can also bet I am further resolved to work harder toward having a real net worth.

It opened my eyes to the pitfalls of procrastinating. I totally admit it- I have just let the house sit in the three years since I moved out. I have made very little effort to empty and aggressively sell the house. Every month I do not focus on selling my house, I lose at least $100 to interest on the loan.

I have no excuse. My initial reason to procrastinate was that deep down I wanted to move back in the home. I was comforted by the fact that I was a homeowner. I was paying rent elsewhere but I was still a homeowner.

What I really was, was a shmuck. My next goal needs to be spending every possible minute outside of work and essential endeavors to prepping and selling this house. Next to my job, this is my new major focus.

All I can say is my gut is in knots right now. I have been deluding myself. I am suppossed to be "so smart" and here I have been swimming with rocks in my pockets. I am tentively setting my 2007 goal at having a real net worth of $10K. From what I can tell my arrow will actually take a dip as I liquidate some assets and retire old liabilities.

I am trying to stay positive by reminding myself that this revelation is a good thing. I know some of the problems. That allows me to search for and put into effect some answers. When I hit Zero Debt, I should start picking up some momentum toward actual wealth.

I am already focusing on generating more income while minimizing expenses. I need to step up the retaining of my income while watching my expenses even more. I am getting better at entering ALL of my expenses daily. This building wealth stuff can be hard.

9 Months 18 Days

2006-10-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

9 months and 18 days until my goal date for being debt free. As of today, that is what my countdown Blingy reads.

In those 9 months and 18 days I need to accomplish a few things. Here they are:

Pay off Stupid Debt- As of this week, all I will need is the statements to send in with the checks! I am proud of myself right here. If I do not hear from Ms. SD Handler by Halloween ( receive statements in the mail). I am going to start an aggressive campaign to light a fire under her tail. Since I was guilty of procrastinating, I am setting a deadline of Oct. 31st. I don't want to be too much of a hypocrite.But I am not gonna be a big schmuck on this project either.
Sell house/ pay off mortgage.My new Number Two Priority- gotta get aggressive. This means all weekends are now tied up. I will either be making money or working on this house, yard and house sale campaign. I need to develope a POA for this project.
Pay off CC- One of my next projects. This will be right along with selling the house. All additional money after bills and expenses involved in selling my house will be directed toward CC reduction.

Day 71- Net Worth Update

2006-10-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

My Networth is Updated.

While updating my Net Worth I somehow messed up a couple of previous months. In light of the fact that this is not the first time I have done this, I decided to back up the data and place a printed copy in a notebook. This should come in handy because it is so easy to mess up at that web site. It is also nice to be able to see my progress. I like the fact that the chart is going up a little at a time.

My increase in net worth is 8.95% since last month. After all my corrections, I know I am at least within a few tenths of the correct percentage points. It is definitely at least 8.5%
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I went shopping today. I spent $160- $100 of that was an investment of sorts. I ran across clearanced scrapbooking kits. They normally sell for $10. I got them for $3. ( I tried at 3 different times to get them marked down to $1.50 for taking all 29.) The front states they are valued at $30. They are certainly worth more than $10. A conservative estimate would be $15. I'll be selling them for $12. That leaves me wiggle room to haggle or markdown a few when the inventory gets lower.

I am going to try and turn the $100 investment into $300. I took the $100 out of my SD deposit. I was a little nervous about the venture but decided that fear was holding me back. I am trying to extend my investing comfort. Yeah, I know this is not the stock market but it is an investment. I consoled myself that I am sure I can at least recoup my investment .

The rest of my purchases were money saving groceries ( soda @ .50 a 2 lt vs $1.25 at the convenience store), the Desperate Housewives game for my sister ( $10 on clearance vs $20 - she will reimburse me), a gift and office supplies. Oh yeah and a sort of business expense. I saw these darling round tins with clear lid- they are party favors and come in packs of 15. I fell in love with them. They were on clearance for $5. I bought all three packages they had left. I see several possibilities for them. When I use them, I'll let you know the outcome. I have some interesting ideas but I don't want to reveal my ideas just yet.
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I ate from home all day yesterday and I put a few items back while I was at WM. I was able to add a little to my current EF jar challenge. As of writing this post, I have 21/400 quarters needed to complete this challenge.

I have got to get on the ball with this challenge. It requires 134 quarters each month. Next year's Quarter Challenge will be daunting also. I am challenging myself to put away $500 in my long term EF throughout 2007. That averages out to 167 quarters a month or 6 quarters a day (all numbers rounded up.)

Over the course of a year, there are more opportunities to save. I add quarters for using; homemade laundry soap ( only for certain items), taking my lunch from home, free meals, mending an item that would cost at least a dollar to replace, making my own gifts as long as I save at least a dollar, having a good day selling,recieving an item of clothing that I would otherwise had to purchase, selling an item for over a dollar that I paid nothing for, finding an honest way to boost my mileage check, making do with a current item or forgoing making any purchase over a dollar. It is fun to purposefully watch it all add up.

Off to do paperwork now, I am behind and I am going to get caught up before I go to bed. I am making myself a promise. I am focusing on paperwork today to the point I WILL BE UP TO DATE BEFORE I GO TO BED TONIGHT.

Day 67- A Little More

2006-10-05T05:12:00.000-07:00

My readers will have noticed I have not posted as much in the last few weeks. Work has been busy. And work is a priority. It pays the bills and allows me to sleep pretty decent at night.

Work is also a way I can advance myself financially. Raises add up, I currently pay ony $30 a month for health care and I get a good mileage check. One of the best job perks is that I am not tied down in an office. I am not one to sit still so the fact that a large part of my job is get up and go is good for me.

Doing well in a job is important in other ways. You make connections that can help ( or hurt) you later. If you do a poor job, people notice.And they will not hesitate to let others know. If you do well, then the very least is you might not get badmouthed.

I am going to be making several adjustments to my daily schedule and practices. You will read about a few in the future.

Day 67

2006-10-04T06:04:00.000-07:00

The Yardsale went well. I brought home $100. I also received my insurance bill for the next six months. WOOHOO. It actually dropped $100. Which is hard for me to believe considering someone smashed my car AND I had a theft out of another car.

At some point this week I need to make a deposit to my SD account and do a update at No Credit Needed.

Day 62

2006-09-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

From looking at the sweet little Blingy on my side bar, I see I have 9 months and 27 days until my deadline for financial freedom. The goal is to be debt free. The plan is to then start taking steps toward wealth.

This weekend I will be having a small yardsale with my little sister. I want to visit with her and this help us both kill two birds with one stone. let us hope the fortune fairy favors me this weekend. Peace out!

Day 61

2006-09-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

YES! I finished my August Challenge. 'Bout time. I need to go ahead and deposit the $80 in the CU account.

I am thinking about the next quarter challenge I want to issue to myself. I am thinking about ....maybe.... raising my long term EF from the soon to be $400 to $500 by the end of the year. Yes, that is the project. Let's see how soon I complete that project.

400 quarters divided by 3 months is 134 quarters a month. Let the frugal fun begin!

Day 57 -Evaluating Projects

2006-09-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

The August challenge is finally winding down. I learned a few things from this project. Mostly to take things in stride, learn, be flexible, then move forward.

Be precise. Set down a measurable goal. I set an amount, a date and a precise goal. -I was trying to save $80 , one quarter at a time all within one month. To earn each quarter I had to save $1 minimum in one action, inaction or substitute. I did not get $80 in one month BUT I did save more than if I had said, " I will save as much as possible." With a precise number it caused me to push, push, push toward that number. When I do this challenge again, I will set my measurable goal with what I learned in mind. I am thinking of raising my long term EF to $450 by Christmas. The previous challenge was part of raising my long term EF to $400. ( I do have the baby $1000 EF but that is separate to my long term EF)
Set priorities. I have many goals. I choose to prioritize them. As I mentioned earlier, I have the baby $1000 EF. One of my priorities is to have a fully funded long term emergency fund. So after funding the baby emergency fund, I started a long term emergency fund. During this project there were times when it felt like it was a better choice to go ahead and spend some money rather than suffer. An example would be eating out at a cost of $8 when I had good food at home. The problem, it was 8:00 at night and I was starving! I chose to give in at those times. After this went on a while, I have been prioritizing cooking ahead and making food for travel. My current craze is zip lock bags of dry Cheerios . I have a few bags and boxes in the pantry and this has been a great way to use them.
When choosing a project such as this, make sure you run the numbers well and check all your math. Seems, I was a little off. I knew it was going to be a hard challenge and that I was pushing myself. I discovered my numbers were off but no harm, no foul this time. I lived, I learned.
Push yourself a little- Know your baseline ability and when you set a new goal consider what environmental factors ( upcoming bills, time restraints, events etc) are most likely to come into play. Then push yourself a little. You can amaze yourself with what you can do when you push yourself. I set more aside during the August challenge than I would have otherwise. I have learned that my EF jar baseline is $40 if I am PUSHING. I learned a few new tricks to saving money. I also improved some of my other personal habits.
Don't set yourself up for major disappointment. My August challenge was not a failure since the idea was to maximize my saving every day and maximize my contribution to my EF. Be careful, if you are like me, I take not meeting a goal personally. It hurts and can be potentially a de-moralizer. I had to self talk myself out of feeling like a failure. I focused on the progress and the lessons learned.
Put it in writing. I wrote down in my blog. The next project will include a few extra reminders. Some examples: Post it note on my mirror, specially crafted reminder on the from of my work notebook and a note in my car.
Accountability- I like to post my goals here on my blog. I also like to post my progress. I love the motivation of being to say I made amazing progress. I accept that at times I will have admit to baby steps toward progress. I will humbly admit to not meeting a goal. If anyone is wondering, I am 6 Quarters away from my goal. I plan to make my $80 deposit this week will bring my long term EF up to $400.
Be a little flexible. Ok, I did not meet the deadline and those who read this blog know I extended it until I met the financial portion of the goal. In my defense, I did not give up. I chose to continue until I reached the set amount. YEAH ME!

Day 56- Work, Work, Work

2006-09-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

In a few minutes I leave to visit a few patients. I still have about 30 patients to see before end of business next Friday. Ugh

Oh well, it will increase my mileage check and make my life next week much easier. There is some crap going on at work and it is not looking good.

You know the kind. The company starts expanding faster than they keep up and in an effort to maximize the input to the owners pocket, salaried people are being given more and more work with no increase in compensation and more criticism since "it's only a few new patients and there are three of you." Multiply that times ten for the month and it is no longer a few patients and most of the new ones are WAY out there, some of them 80 plus miles from the office.

I am determined to shine during all of this. I am focusing more and using organizational tools to make the most of my time. Tonight when I get home, I will hold a massive cooking session. This will enable me to have ready to eat meals without needing to eat out. I realize that all the extra money I make with mileage can be easily swallowed up by one trip through the drive thru.The idea is to get ahead not wear myself so there is nothing left to enjoy in life.

Tommorow, I will go see my patient that is the furthest out. her family wants at least a half day besides the hour and a half drive. Under her circumstances, I am willing to work with her.It is a sad case with life long circumstances that would make you break down and weep to hear.

Time to run

Day 55- SD Update

2006-09-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

I made a nice little deposit to my SD account. I deposited $1490. My balance is currently $2897.83. I only need $2102.17 and I will be done with this debt.

I also had contact with the representative handling my debt processing. UGHHH She emailed me back after two weeks. Well really a month! I emailed her once and then after two weeks i fwrded the sent copy to her. I was letting her get the hint that she needed to reply and I had verification of the first request for information.

She verified that she had received my processing package. And stated she had been out of the office sick with a sore throat ( for a month?). But she now needed additional information ( information she had supposedly requested previously but never received phhhht) from a third party. :::::::::::::::tapping fingers in an impatient manner:::::::::

The only reason I have not gone off on them is that initially the delay was my fault. Now it seems they are dragging the resolution out as long as I did. I did give them the honest reason for my delay. If I do not have the payoff paperwork in my hands by the time I finish raising the needed money THEN I am going off on them.

According to my calculations, I should have the entire amount by Thanksgiving. That would be a good cause to give thanks, if I sent out the checks to pay off that debt just before Thanksgiving.

Day 52- Thinking

2006-09-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

First off, I may have a Pasta Maker coming my way. I advertized for one on Freecycle and someone answered the ad. I won't count it until I have it in hand and know it works. The owner stated he only used it a couple of times and quit using it. I should be meeting him tomorrow.

That would be a big savings. This particular model sells for $150. YEAH I was originally looking at $30 models. Hopefully this one will

The second is that I have been giving thought to feasible ways to bring in extra money. Due to the demands of my work a part time job is almost out of the question. I decided to make my mileage a part time job.

I know... I know, I have posted about my mileage before. Today it just hit me. I could manage my mileage in a manner that would maximize my tax free income. I currently have clients in 5 different counties. I have no plans to do anything illegal or immoral.

I simply plan on maintaining my high case load numbers. by completing paperwork at home and working a few weekends I can maximize my tax free mileage. I am fully aware that the mileage is to cover wear and tear, gas and insurance on my car. There is still a profit due to my car's good gase mileage.

The other issue is that my goal is to pay off my SD as fast as possible. I have nearly half of the needed money. At this rate I will be done with step one of being debt free by Christmas. Step two will be pay off the second portion of my debt and the third step will be to pay off my credit card.

At that point I will start putting ALL of my mileage in an account to pay for my new car, paid in cash of course! And it will not be new. I like 3 year old cars. 50% off the new price and 75% of the life left. Sounds like a deal to me.

Day 50- Learning New Tricks

2006-09-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

I am learning to make pasta. While Pasta is relatively cheap. I am always looking for ways to make everything less expensive. One major note: A pasta maker would make it efficient enough to sustain as a worthwhile endeavor.

The time is a big expense. I can see me doing it if I have time on my hands and I am in the mood. But those two issues are far and few between. In a attempt to streamline this issue I have posted on Freecycle for a pasta maker.Free is definately a goal. If not then it will go on my wish list for future purchases and gift requests.

I am counting on someone having a pasta maker just sitting around the house gathering dust and taking up space. I have a pretty good feeling about this one. I am also going to put the word out at work and among my friends that I would give a loving home to an orphan pasta maker.

Besides saving money, the pasta would be healthier. I also understand that fresh pasta is so much better than store bought pasta. As for the saving money, initially it did not seem like that big of a deal. Then when I made some herbed pasta, I realized all those lovely gourmet pastas I love are where I would save the most money.

I also realized it would simplify my kitchen. I already keep bulk flour in the pantry. There is a LARGE basket full of different pastas. By only needing to store the flour and pasta maker I could utilize the space better. Now, if I find pasta at a super cheap I would still buy it for rushed weeks. But being able to whip up a batch is also enjoyable.

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TROUBLE ALERT!

I have been looking on ebay. I have to keep reminding myself that The shipping is outrageous ( they are heavy) and I may lose interestt after a while.that and the cost would make it un-economical. I would have to use it for years until it paid off.

Day 49- every little bit helps

2006-09-16T05:02:00.000-07:00

I received some good news. My scheduler called yesterday and offered two shops. I can do them on my lunch break and I have nearly a week to get them completed and in the mail.- That will be an additional $40 for SD in 60-90 days when the check arrives. I won't be out any gas because they are right on my travel path for work. All I have to do is pull in, do the shop and drive off- I just have to eat lunch in my car those days.- I can do that for $20 each shop.

***

My employer announced they were working on an incentive to assist employees to quit smoking in honor of November National Smoke Out. I made the decision to take this offer and seriously dedicate myself to successfully completing it. So far the offer is only "possibly" free patches.

I am still going to do it. I would then save $1500 a year and $1500 a year ( tax free since it is a savings) is a good thing.

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I added new tires for my car to the shopping list for next year. That should be covered in my mileage budget. BUT I have been pulling excess each month for payment toward my SD. I don't want to get blind sighted so I went ahead and added the tires into next years shopping list, right under a crockpot. If the SD gets paid off on schedule and I don't need new tires before I set the money aside again- then I'm that much further ahead.

I also added a note to both the crockpot and the tires. I think I know where I can score a free crockpot. And I know that if I remain vigilant I can find a great deal on tires before I need need new tires. This is key,to saving a nice little chunk o' change. If I wait until I need tires, I may not find the best deal. I just need to monitor and research.

The goal is to time the best deal as close, to needing the new tires, as possible. LOL. I am laughing at myself because I use to drop $500 every year on a set of tires in a heartbeat.

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I am preparing a little experiment.

I have been receiving free grocery items and other things lately. So anything that must be used soon is put into immediate rotation. Any items with distant expirations is being set aside. In January, I am going to see how far into the month I can get without spending any of my own income.

I have enough personal hygiene products already. And I believe I already have enough groceries to get through January. This will be a fun little experiment. More in January for sure.

Day 48- Slipping and Sliding

2006-09-15T02:35:00.000-07:00

It appears I need to outline a better implementation of wise financial practices. So I am ( again) choosing a wise financial practice and focusing on the implementation of that skill until it is a way of life.

For the remainder of this month and throughout October I will be focusing on posting my expenses in my spreadsheet. I find that when I am continually accountable, I do better cutting back.

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Good news, yesterday gas was $2.34. By the end of the year it may be down to less than $2 again. That would be great.

Day 46- WOW - A 5.39 % increase in Net Worth!

2006-09-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

I updated my Networth. Even ofter a few charges to CC, deducting $25 each from the value of both of my cars, not having made a deposit to my official emergency account because I am still working on the challenge from August and sitting on a $245 deposit to my SD account.

I started tracking my networth in June. Since then my net worth has increased over $5000. Not bad for my salary and situation.

I have strong indicators that October's update is going to be verrrry good.

My checking account for expenses is twice what I need it to be to be stable. I am going to deposit $1000 of the current excess and put it along with the $245 in my SD account. There should also be a deposit from my next yardsale with my little sister. That will in all likelyhood be less than $100 but it all adds up.

I should also be making a $80 deposit to my official emergency account. That will bring it up to $400. The August challenge is finishing up nicely.

Today, I had a killer windfall. Someone was moving and I got a whole car trunkfull of canned goods and such. I would say that the total value was close to $100. That will stretch the grocery budget.

Taking a Little Moment

2006-09-10T12:46:00.000-07:00

YEAH- I checked my paperwork and I can see these two patients next week. :)

Adding the countdown to Financial Empowerment on my blog has me thinking. Today it reads,10 months and 19 days. I am thinking about what will change when it reads "0 days, 0 months," etc.

Here is a few of the changes I envision:

Extra money from mileage will go toward a new (to me) car.(This should take 3-5 years to save for, but could be swung if absolutely needed)
I can go to graduate school after setting tuition aside.
I an be less frugal with groceries IF I want to do so.
I won't be stressing as much about how to make my two cars last.
I can have a real entertainment budget.
I can clean out the closet a little ( or not)
I can start to build a new wardrobe ( actually that should start in June when we begin peparing for the big annual yard sale at church.- but it won't be dependent on the YS finds)
I can build a relationship without worrying that my significant other will find out about my stupid debt.
I can forget about my SD and the consequences I could face.
The biggest will be- I won't be scrimping because I need to, I will continue my frugal ways because I want to do so.
I can start saving for a European vacation. that would be nice.
I can take vacation days at work and not worry that I will need them and can't take less than a full payday.
I can ...
I can...
I can...

Day 42- Small Things and New Things

2006-09-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

Check out new addition to my blog. It is in the lower portion on the right hand side of my blog. I love it. For those wondering, the "Financial Empowerment" is the point where I feel I will be debt free with the possible exception of my mortgage and I will be stepping off into wealth building.

I won't be financially independent but I will definately be taking steps in that direction. Goal is for July 27th 2007. August1st 2007 is going to be a very good day.

So far today has been ok. I received two Burt's Bees products that I can add to gift stash and they were free.I am thinking they will go in a cute large glass mug with a few other items, some candy and wrapped in cellephane with a bow.

I also recived some free ornaments. Some I will use to embellish gift packages. They are sooo cute and in excellent shape. Again, Free!

I deposited my paycheck this Friday and brought home the mileage portion. That was over $600. After deducting this month's and last month's car insurance, gas money for the month ( in envelopes), and my misc money ( $50 for unexpected purchases), I have $245 to put toward stupid debt. I will need to make that deposit this week. A nice plus is that when my car insurance bill comes in, I already have the cash to pay for it.

I have eaten at home all this weekend and so far have not even driven the car once. :)

I found a free item on Craig's list. I will be picking it up today as I go out and check on a few clients.

It seems tonight I will be pulling an all-nighter to get all of my paperwork finished. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! Being employed is an intergal cog in my debt free plan.

Day 41

2006-09-08T03:17:00.000-07:00

Work is looking a little better but remains incredibly hectic.

I am considering taking part in a yardsale this weekend. Saturday, I can set up near a grocery store. We'll see what happens. I do know this, I need to really focus on bringing in extra money.

Currently, I only have 85/125 needed qtrs for my August challenge. I am plodding along. When I finish this challenge from August. I plan another one. It prods me to save more.

I plan to updat my Net Worth over the weekend.

Day 38- Back From a Long Weekend

2006-09-05T04:48:00.000-07:00

I am back from a long weekend.

Here is the update:

I am $77 richer. Not the $300 I was aimimg at but better than a fat lip. I will be doing this with my sister for the next few months. All proceeds will be directed toward the prioritized debt.

I was able to get rid of some clutter. I was able to move some of my other belongings to storage ( free). I got a brand new rubber maid hamper/ trash can with a flip lid ( free). I received 2 bottles of Ivory handwashing ( laundry) detergent ( free).

I bought an adorable Asian parasol for $2. I have been wanting one and it was brand new.

I stopped at a bent and dent and picked up a few great deals. I did not stock up as I am trying to clear out the pantry. I was able to purchase spaghetti at .25 a box. Too bad there were only two. I bought a box of snack crackers (45 packages of 6) for 6.00. That averaged out to less than .15 for each one. Lemaon bars as a treat, .50 for 6.

I normally buy these for snacks when I am working so I know I saved a big chunk of change right there. The secondary savings was that I will not need to run into a store to pick one up. That will cut out a lot extras bought on the spur of the moment.

Added note: I skimmed by on the skin of my teeth. My time sheet is in but my paperwork is still behind.

Day 34- Beat down, But Not Out

2006-09-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe I saw 12 patients yesterday. That was close to 300 miles in one day and some serious hotfooting it. Why??? Because I had to. They had us in the office the first 4 days of the month. And then one case took up all of one week and most of another. I still saw about 50 patients. Sheeze.

At least my bosses were grateful. I would have been hacked off if they had not even verbalized it. They also knew I was trying to head out of town so when another emergency came up at the last minute they did not even bother me, they called in someone else. DANG- I have never had a boss show so much respect for my time . I need to remember to write up a positive report and send it in to be put in her file.

I also received a praise report from a client. That I hope was put into writing and placed in my permanent file. All of those praise reports add up come raise time. Still, next week is going to be a PITA. I am way behind in my paperwork and time sheets are do FIRST thing Tuesday.

Gotta run, I still need to drop off the cell phones for return.

Day 32-

2006-08-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

I completed the two shops and sent them off. In 60 days I should receive a check for $40. That will go right in the SD account.

Other than that I am exhausted. ABSOLUTELY EXHAUSTED! One of my cases is killing me right now.

All I can say is I hope I make some serious money this weekend.

I crunched the expected net value numbers. In 9 years when I turn 45 ( geeze, I'm getting old), I should have a net worth of $202,500. We'll see.

Day 27- Sometimes busy is NOT good

2006-08-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

Work is overwhelming right now. We have a difficult situation with a seriously disfunctional family. I have spent 3 whole days working on this case. I am behind on all my other cases.

So.... The plan is I will work Saturday need to visit two patients. Drive down to my sister's house do a little work for our sale, do a little work on my house, and then sleep. Sunday we will hang out a couple of hours, not long at all and then I'll head home. Seems my boss called a work meeting at 5 freaking o'clock SUNDAY evening. WTF????

It is imperative I have all my ducks in a row this week. It is the end of the month and I absolutely must see the last of my patients. I have two bank shops to do AND this next weekend is the big yard sale. My goal is still $300. I can't make that goofing off. As I previously stated This money is earmarked for SD.

Today was payday. My mileage is still down. All this craziness at work has been cutting down on my getting out in the field. This is bad, Not that I completely depend on my mileage for expenses. I use it to cover auto expenses and what is left goes toward debt. When it is low, I have less to put toward debt.

I ate out twice today. I am still doing good on breakfast.

The young lady I am looking at moving in with for at least a year may have found our apartment. The rent would be $425 each. It is also a luxury ( to me)apartment.

The luxury apartment has me thinking. I can see pressure to upgrade everything after we move in. I mentioned this to her and we are thinking about it. I think our belongings and wardrobe are better suited to a more simple apartment. I am still looking for something in the general area and cheaper. Surely we can find some killer deal on something. There is no deadline for either of us. That said, I still want to get this over with.

Day 26- Sometimes Busy is Good

2006-08-24T04:24:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy lately that I have not had time to spend. The no spending part is great for my budget and SD reduction plan but the level of busy I have been is tiring.

More positive notes: The EF jar is piling up. I currently have I am getting more in the habit of cooking all meals from home. The hummus I made was not all bad. it's not as good as I have had before but it will suffice and I'll get better. My job is still enjoyable. Overall, my coworkers are great and supportive. But I have been stuck in the office 2 days and that is not helping my mileage check at all.

I have also made a hard decision. I have decided to charge everything for the next few months. I need to finish paying off the SD before I move. The move alone could cause haywire with my mail and getting the payments in and receiving the verifications. I am set on getting this out of the way once and for all by the end of the year.

Day 24

2006-08-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

It wasn't a bad day but it was hectic. I do currently have 44/125 qtrs for this month's challenge. That is about a third of the way. I still have 9 days and a lot of opportunities. This real challenge may come to complete fruition.

I tried cleaning a skirt that had color bled on it from a pair of red pants- looks like NO dice. :( Just for sport, I am soaking and giving it a try.

I was bad again today. I bought a soda and a hamburger, $4. I did eat breakfast at home and a poptart for lunch. I also made an interesting concoction. I cooked the last half of a box of spaghetti, can of water chestnuts, drained can of crush tomatoes, sliced green olives, shredded chicken and a half bottle of Rasberry vinegrette. Dang, it is good!

I also completed my first attempt at Hummus. While it is not bad, I look forward to future results.

DAy 23 Not a Bad Day

2006-08-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

I now have 37/125 qutrs for my Aug challenge.

Another plus is that I think I found the right apartment. My share of the rent will be $450. Not bad, and it is a luxury aprtment. This one is close to work and the amenities are to die for. The other one that is $100 ( my share $50) less is a dump.

Day 22- 3 Steps forward- 2 Steps Back

2006-08-21T07:08:00.001-07:00

I made a little progress today and I discovered I am sliding back.

I made pasta salad for lunches this week. I even stretched it with a can of diced tomatoes.
I cooked a frozen "turkey entree" for meals this week.
I ate ramen noodles for dinner. I do like them and every so often they are not too bad.
I repaired a skirt - my hips destroyed the seam yesterday.
I repaired a blue blouse- the button had fallen off
I repaired a wonderfully fluffy and comfy towel- The hem came out
I sucessfully washed a dry clean only suit. YEAH

Not only did I discover my hips are spreading and I am a cow,I checked my cell minutes.I am already over 100 minutes over my 1000. I have to confess. I did this last month. For 2 months in a row, I am facing a cell phone bill way over $100. I just learned how to check my minutes and I will need to put my phone on hold until the beginning of the next billing period. :(

I am also having a terrible time finding a new apartment. My current landlord is being a total jerk and has finally crossed the line with his behavior.

Ending on an upnote: I have 28 of the 125 needed qutrs to meet my August Challenge.

Day 21- Another no Spending Day

2006-08-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

Not only was it a no spend day, it was a pretty good day. I attended the free seminar with my two coworkers.

I received a door prize that I can re-gift. It was a very nice fine china coffee cup with Laura Ashley stationary and candy. I took my lunch but there was no need to even touch it. They served a tremendous amount of substantial snacks.

I received another prize that will make my stocking stuffers for two sisters. It was an all-a-round success. Well, at least it is better than several of the last few days I have experienced.

I did have some success last night making flour tortillias from scratch. I am trying to use up what I have in the cabinets and refrain from spending cash for groceries.

And I have 18 of the 125 qtrs I need to reach my goal for the EF deposit. That challenge that seemed a little too challenging seems to be coming along.

Day 20- A no spend day

2006-08-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

I did very well today. I did not spend anything. I was able to put $1 in the EF jar. That little jar is filling up nicely. I have decided on a little challenge for the rest of the month that I will outline a little later.

I and two coworkers are attending a seminar tomorrow. While it is a Saturday, I am not complaining. I will receive 5 CEU hrs and the whole thing is FREE. Let's see, I have 18 hrs already. This 5 will make it 23. I need 30 in 23 more months. That leaves 7 more hrs to accumulate before my license is up for renewal again. I am doing pretty good as far as accumulating them for free. 7 more free in less than 2 years should be pretty easy.

One of the ladies is having her birthday on the same day. I have challenged myself to raiding my gift stash and arranging a nice birthday gift for her. I am also considering baking a cake for others in attendance. We'll see how it goes.

Back to my EF jar challenge. I currently have $30.50 in my EF jar. I want to deposit $80 to bring my total of $320 up to $400. I need $49.50 to accomplish this goal. I would have to save at least $1 - 125 times before the end of the month. That means I need to put almost 11 qtrs a day in the EF jar. The numbers don't add up even for a challenge. That makes it even more challenging.

Day 18- chipping Away at Debt

2006-08-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

I made a $14.25 deposit to my SD account. That leaves me with a total of $3592.17 left to raise in order to reach my pay-off goal of $5000.

The $14.25 consist of $13.25 I made at a yard sale my sister had. The weather was aweful but I did make that little change to deposit. I have been looking for other ways to make a little extra to add to this account. the other dollar was from a pocket in my purse. While I was at the bank, i decided to add what was in my purse.

While I was out and about working, I discovered a place that will allow you to have a yardsale and it is next to a big grocery store. They hold this group yardsale every second Saturday of the month.

I called the manager/ contact person. It is first come, first serve and there is no charge to set up your yard sale. I think it is a great idea. It helps the store draw business and local people to earn a little extra money.

Some readers may be familiar with the grocery store. The name is Piggly Wiggly. They call the event Peddling at the Pig. I love it!

My sister and I are having a yardsale the weekend before Labor Day. In that area it is supposed to be a good weekend for holding yard sales. The following weekend, I will hold a yardsale at the Pig. Should be fun and I look forward to the extra dollars I can put toward my current goal.

Day $17- I AM Trying

2006-08-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

I was lax in my eating out again. :( I spent $4.75 at Jacks. I ordered a med drink NO ICE, and a grilled chicken sandwich. They gave me and charged me for the combo. I had so much ice ( which hurts my teeth) that after I scooped it out, I only had 3 inches of drink. The chicken was old too. Phhht- I emailed the comp-any and told them about it too. I have no doubt I will hear nothing from them.

I did make a sandwich at home for dinner. .25 for the EF jar.

Day 16- WOW- I Amazed Myself

2006-08-14T17:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I retiled my bathroom wall. How is that inexpensive??. Because it only cost me $20.

Here's the whole story. My house is up for sale. Some hoodlums kicked in the bathroom wall as they climbed in the window. This was even before I moved out.

I needed to replace the wall and tile in the bathroom where it had been damaged. My dad was INSISTING I buy a $300 tub surround kit. I told him my plan was to replace the spot in the wall and replace the tile. He swore I would never find enough tile to match. :: Looking around like he must be talking to someone else:::: Did he think I threw the unbroken tile away??? He also swore he wasn't going to be any part of my stupid idea. ( y'all know I was laughing on the inside)

Stupid?? What is so stupid abut saving $300?? Beats me!

My sister and I prepare to go on over to the house and he asks how do I think I am going to make this work. I simply state my whole plan. Measure to the studs, remove damaged wall, replaced damaged wall, replace tile.

What he doesn't know is that I have researched this project right down to the adhesive I need to buy. (They have DIY websites that lay out how to repair this exact same damage.)

He says it will never work, That I'll never get it even, but he will go along to mow the yard. ( I mean heck, all I had to do was measure the depth of the blue sheet rock and round up a piece of the right size- how hard is that to figure out??)

We get there and he starts doing exactly what I had laid out. He measured, cut, and replaced. I glued the tile back, while he mowed the yard. Not one word out of my mouth since he is doing the hard stuff, unasked even.

My sister came in and was smirking as I followed the adhesive directions. "Oh NO, he wasn't going to be a part of this dumb idea. So when are you going to start putting the tile back?"

I laughed with her and said, "For a dumb project it looks pretty good so far."

Her response, "It doesn't look too bad. We'll see how the tile looks when you put some on."

My response, "I have two rows on now."

"WOW! For real? I can't even tell those are replaced."

Me,big smile and swelled pride. "I know."

She asked me how I got them so straight. I told her it was sheer inspiration. I was inspired not to spend $300 plus instillation and still have it look tacky. Mostly the $300.

Of course, my dad is out mowing the yard and does not hear a word of this. I'm not stupid. When he came in, he said, "It'll pass." My sister and I know those are words of praise coming from him.

Today when I called and talked to her, she said Dad was bragging to his customers on what a good job he did and how it came out perfect. I say let the old man have his brag. I have a repaired bathroom wall and my $300.Oh, and the sincere sense of accomplishment. Since I saved all that I decided to put a whopping $1 in the EF jar.

2006-08-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

Some of you have e-mailed me regarding my EF Jar. Some asked what it is, some asked why I bother putting in quarters and some suggested I put the whole amount of what I saved, in the jar instead of token quarters.

let me answer a few questions.

1) What is the EF Jar? The EF jar is a medium sized glass jar that once contained chocolate syrup for sundaes. I received it free when we had sundaes at work and had a few items leftover. I and a few other girls split up what was left. I liked that the jar label reminded me that savings are sweet.

2) Why do you bother saving a quarter at a time? You should be budgeting a set amount toward your emergency fund.

I won't argue about setting a budgeted amount for my emergency fund. It is a good idea. My response is that I am putting extra money toward a Stupid Debt ( SD) I incurred. It is one that is weighing on me financially and mentally. I use the jar to motivate me to save on my daily espenses and to make wise financial choices. I am working toward retiring this SD by the end of the year. I need as much motivation as I can get.

Every time, I make a wise finacial choice and save at least $1, I put a quarter in the jar. I try to be able to put $1 a day in the jar. When the jar is full, I make a deposit in my Credit Union account. the current total is $320.

3) Why don't you put the entire amount you saved in the jar and you would be able to see your savings more clearly?

Again, I am using the actual savings to apply more money to my SD until it is retired. I use the quarter sytem to build good financial habits and put a little bit toward the long term EF as I go along. Later it will be a focus.

Day 14- Plugging Away-

2006-08-12T02:40:00.000-07:00

Friday was payday. With my pay envelope, came a statement regarding our Health Insurance/ BCBS. As I began reading the blah, blah, blah, part I started to get a little nervous. It was not looking good. Then I got to the important part. My once free health coverage was now going to cost me $15 a pay period. Not too bad, although I did like it when it was free better.

This is this payday's breakdown
Check = $1093
-mileage $165
$928
-Sept rent $587
$241
- Aug tythe $200
$41
-Aug Food $25
$16
- Qtrs for EF $10
$6
-Nkls/proc $4
- EF deposit $2
BALANCE $0 EVERY DOLLAR HAS A NAME

With today's extra $2 to my EF account, I have aproximately another $30 to deposit. I am waiting until the jar is full and then I will make the deposit

I had a pretty easy day at work. They don't come often and I enjoyed it. I even got to wear jeans. Which helped keep me comfortable while I saved wear and tear on another outfit.

LOL- yeserday I had an incident that may have retired one of my more versatile tops. It is a white terry cloth long sleeve t-shirt. I was sprayed with clay mud while driving ( my window was cracked about 1 inch) and it is yet to be seen whether the shirt will come out of the oxyclean wash and still be presentable.

The big negative last night was that I came home and took a nap that lasted until 1:00 am. Sheesh- My sister is going to flip on me. So I'm staying up, taking care of some household chores and a little after sun up will head on up to her house. We have plans to make and things to do. We have an upcoming yardsale event and we are going to make some money. We are also going to look into one town's annual 13 mile yardsale. We made good money there one year.

Speaking of money, I am now $4 over budget on groceries and I have $2 left in my dining category. The good news- I am aware of this. My Handy Dandy spread sheet told me so. :) The fun thing about this spreadsheet is I can see daily and category totals at a glance

I have spent $123 on gas so far this month.This tells me a couple of things. 1) I really need to step it up in the mileage department. I like to bring home $800 a month in mileage. At this rate I need to drive 1500 miles next week just to meet my goals ( that's not very likely). FYI- $400 of that is to apply to SD. I will be SOOO glad when SD is gone. Just writing that inspires me to cut expenses and increase income.

Another good note: I received free products and coupons for free products this week. A couple will be used for baby shower gifts coming up in the near future. My favorite is a $5 voucher for free meat. I am saving that one for when I get the freezer empty. Could come in very handy right after the upcoming move.

What are you planning this weekend to be frugal, save money or make money?

Day 13-- baby steps

2006-08-11T06:31:00.000-07:00

Things are going well. I had my pancake marathon last night. I made 36 pancakes from one box. There are pretty good. I look forward to having easy breakfast the rest of this month.

I estimate 36 pancakes to be 12 breakfasts. that is conservative estimate of $12 saved. When the freezer is less full, I plan on making french toast and pancakes to heat and eat at different times.

Today is Payday- yeah! I can see where I am for the month and I'll get back with you. It looks decent.

Yesterday I was thinking about how hard it is to get ALL the frugal steps in place. Then I realized I was being quite hard on myself. I am doing much better and baby steps will get me further than sitting on my butt.

Soon I will have the cooking from scratch down, soon I will remember to pack my lunch every day. Soon, I will have my frugal wardrobe looking much better. More importantly, SOON, I will be debt free.

I did spend $7 at Wal-Mart yesaterday. I bought two bottles of Spicy Mayo. It will be good in salad dressing, sanwhiches and chicken salad. It was on clearance and I knew I was going to need Mayo so I bought it. I also bought a $3 cuban sandwhich because it was late and I was hungry. ok. I splurged and bought Orange Spice tea on clearance. $1 for a very small box.

I received some very good news. Someone looked at my house and they are going to the bank and trying to borrow the money. YEAH- IF it goes through. I have heard this before and then heard nothing else. heck, the house is way under market as it is now-I am loosing money and it still sits there.

The plusses if it sells: No house payment ( ridiculously low but still). No more maintaining it YEAH and the biggest plus is that the money left over after paying off the mortgage will pay off the rest of my stupid debt AND CC debt. I will still have enough left over to add about one months worth to my EF.

I don't plan to currently stop raising/saving money to put toward my Stupid Debt. I figure every dollar I set aside will still put me that much further ahead. There is nothing wrong with being further ahead in my book.

I plan on taking the amount of the monthly mortgage and placing that in my EF each month. I want it funded for a minimum of one year before I relax on that one. I don't plan to stop adding to it anytime soon, but I may reduce how much I add each month.

Another bit of good news this week. My sister and I will be participating in a BIG yardsale Labor Day weekend. I hope to make $300. I plan on unloading a great deal of the extra STUFF I have in my home. Yep, $300 is my goal. I am already boxing stuff for the big event. I'll keep you posted.

How do you raise a little extra cash from time to time? Post a note and let me know.

Day 11-

2006-08-09T17:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, confessions first. I bought 2 drinks, a hotdog,and a Nutty Buddy bar today. I also bought a box of pancake mix, a box of those flavor staws by crystal light, a half gallon of milk and a bagged salad.

The bad- I did not pack my lunch. I did make more tea, but I did not even carry it with me to work. I was also VERY tempted to check out the Thrifts today.

I had to fill up. Not so surprising. But oh NO, I gotta screw it up. I missed the 2.74 button and hit the 2.87 button. I wasted over .10 a gallon because I was not paying attention. Which with over a 10 gallon fillup cost me $1

The good- I did not eat breakfast from McD's. I opted for a soda ( CAFFIENE) and a .25 Nutty Buddy bar. The second drink I had of the day was a pink lemonade, not so bad.

The half gallon of milk was only .50. I have three days to finish it but hey even throwing half of it away, it is still a bargain.

The Pancake mix?? - I am planning a pancake making marathon. The plan is to make 'em, freeze 'em and save money on breakfast each day. The box states it makes 23 pancakes. All of this for $1 ! Well, $2. I previously bought the syrup for $1 on sale. :) I think this is a much better deal than prepackaged pancakes for Goodness knows how much but I know its more than $1 for one frozen box of six.

The bag of salad mix? That is a good deal. It was Ceasar Salad with all the fixin's. Dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow. Hey, .50 a meal is not bad.

The 10 pk of Crystal light flavor staws? Half Price= $1.74. I'll either use it as a "pick up your day" gift at the office or I'll pick up my own day :)

More good news, I resisted the urge to check out the thrifts.

Day 10- Tuesday's post

2006-08-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

I did well , I went out to dinner with the girls for dinner and spent less than $7 for dinner. I'm impressed with my own progress. I still have money left over this month to eat out or apply toward debt.

Just received, my J.Peterman catalogue. I am inspired by this piece of mail. Some of it is just crap to sell and some of it is timeless classics. I enjoy looking at timeless classics

Although I am more likely to wear this 1930's Silk Crepe de Chine Dress . I like the cut of this skirt but not the print or color choices, Left-Bank Gypsy Skirt - The J. Peterman Company . Unfortunately, I do not like the price of either one.

Fortunately, I own a sewing machine and have access to fabric. I am looking into duplicating the skirt.

That is one of the things I do to save money. I keep up with fashion ( sort of), sift through for what would be appropriate for me and either copy it personally or find a well made and affordable similiar item.

I am aware that for some items only an original will cut it. But I keep an eye out and over the years have developed an eye for what I can copy.

Some of my best copies have been food items. I can duplicate an expensive cake and decorate it myself. Often it is better than what I can buy at an expensive bakery.

I have also duplicated extemely expensive but simple drapes. When I say simple I mean s-i-m-p-l-e as in plain panels but in a rich fabric I paid $1 a yard for ( total $10) and when I say expensive, I mean $400 minimum. I like mine better and I think the fabric is a better choice also.

What have you copied for great savings?

Day 9- Stupid Debt

2006-08-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

I deposited $80 in my SD account. Only $3606.42 to go

My Very Very Best Money Saving Tip

2006-08-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

No Credit Needed: Your Very, Very Best Money Saving Tips

This is a great blog. The owner even works with others to chart their progress I have my very own chart that is being updated as I write.

NCN is accepting submissions of your very very best money saving tip.I of course thought of several. Alas, when I read other entries each one was already mentioned. Sigh

I thought I would check out a list that a friend posted long ago on a AOL board.I have been referencing for years. Then it hit me. My very very best tip is to listen to others working toward the same ,learn and gain support from them . Which in my opinion is what this project and the blogs are doing.

We can all have our tips we discovered on our own but when we tie all the knowledge together, sift through and use what we can, we all come out ahead. I love learning from all of you and I hope I share something that helps someone else along the way.

Ok, I have settled down a bit

2006-08-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry about all the drama in the last post. As I said I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

let's list some of the things I did to save money.

Cooked out with neighbors last night. I provided hotdogs ( Ball Park .50 on sale) and baked beans ( .33 on sale). Even including gas to bake beans, condiments, paper plates, napkins and the charcoal I spent less than $5. They provided buns, beer and good company.
While the grill was still hot I cooked up a second pack of hotdogs for lunches this week.
I ate leftovers from last nights cook out for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Went to the grocery store and only purchased cigarettes. I used a coupon. This will help me stay out of convenience stores. I bought 2 cartons which will hopefully last me until the end of the month. If so, then I will come in $18 under budget for cigarettes. Sounds like a new challenge- cutting back on unhealthy cigarettes and saving money- works for me.
Made tea for this week's beverages
Making plans to pack my lunch tomorrow. I made the ice packs and tea, just not decided on what I will be eating.
I was able to put $1 in my EF jar- I am doing better. I average $1 a day. I budgeted for $10 a month to put in my EF jar. This is one category I do not mind going over on.
I decided that any money left over in a category at the end of the month will be withdrawn from my checking and put in the SD account.
Applied for a few free items by coupon. Most of these will fill out a baby shower gift I need to make- gasp- I have 2 baby showers coming up in December or January- possibly even November YIKES
Called AOL and was able to get $9.95 a month- should have tried for a few free months. At least I lightened my budget by $5 a month.
I was able to add $1 to the EF jar.
Tried for an opinion place survey- no dice

While entering today's expenses I noted that I had entered Friday night's food under Groceries instead of Dining. I fixed that and realized I can go out with the ladies this Tuesday as long as I don't spend over $13. I also still have $14 left for groceries in my budget for the month. Neither of those should be a problem. :)

Feeling a Tad Overwhelmed

2006-08-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

After reading Single Ma's post, I realized that my computer is two years old and my last one barely made it to 4 1/2 before it died the true death of deaths. If you have been reading for a while you know I put out a chunk of change due to a stolen work laptop. I am now concerned about budgeting for a new computer when mine goes copute.

I am contemplating saving all my FF miles( Redeeming FF Miles Update) for the inevitable future purchase of a new computer. Points.com Does have cards for Circuit City.

I could go ahead and buy a laptop now with the miles I currently have. I won't. I don't need one. I am focused on getting out of debt before I upgrade anything.

I am contemplating dragging the life of this computer out past its usual life. When my last one died, I should have just had parts replaced but I did not think it would be cost efficient. I know better now.

I am going to continue contemplating the use of my FF miles.

My car is also making a funny rattly noise- you know the one. The one that usually means new valves. I DO NOT WANT ANY MORE CAR REPAIRS RIGHT NOW! I checked all the fluids and everything is good. It only makes the noise when I climb a certain hill on the way to work. Maybe the incline is just causing the noise. Which means I should change my route because if the incline causes the noise then the incline is causing too much wear and tear on a car that needs to go another 5 years in my game plan.

I am also looking more into the moving situation. Last night I cooked out with the girl who I plan on rooming with and a couple in the building. We discussed all of us moving into a house I know of that will be coming up for rent in the future. I don't know how that will pan out. We do like them and we do share a good deal of the same values. We'll see.

The girl I am originally considering moving in with is not participating a whole lot. She is busy with school and work so this is understandable. It is also good in that it buys me more time to work on getting rid of more of my stuff before the move. Still, the faster we move the more money I will save.

I feel like I should have a second or at least a steady side business(es). I want to be pretty and social and have a long term relationship. I want lots of pretty clothes and a new car. I want a fully funded retirement account. I want to go out to eat a lot. I want to go on great vacations. I want tons of friends that admire and respect me. I want so much and my resources are just not there yet. I want to have the clout of wealth and the admiration of a finacially savvy person. I want my psycho-worker to just chill out and quit backbiting. I want to be known for giving the best gifts. I want to be the smart one. I want all the girls I went to school with who ridiculed me to envy me. I want to be the go to person at work. I want to be incredibly organized. I want it all RIGHT NOW. I am kicking myself because I wasted so much of my life.

Then there is my house. I need to unload it soon. It cost me more and more for nothing in return. There is so much to do and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the things competing for my priorities.

I need to prioritize everything. This week's top three will be:

WORK- without it- life would be soooo much more stressfull
Car tags- yes, they are late- I am sooo gonna get busted.
My house repairs- I just NEED to do the bathroom wall and bathroom fixture-

There is a couple coming down from out of state this week. They will be here on the 11th and they want to look at the house. I need to take this opportunity and use it. The sooner that house is gone the further ahead I will be. Just selling the house would pay off my CC and my Stupid Debt. This is on top of the fact that I would not have the problems I do with the house nor the house payment. The house payment each year would cover the cost of my Grad school tuition in 4 years.

Focus- focus- focus

Day 8 - Redeeming FF Miles Update

2006-08-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

I looked into the situation further. As it stands now, I will continue with my current CC. I would have to change to a Mastercard from Citi and the APR is not as good. It's not terribly bad, but it is more than I pay currently. I am also leary of non-disclosed issues that may pop up. Knowing CC companies like we do, we know they will screw us anytime they can.

The other problem is that to get the $500 Target card I need a few more miles. By the time those post, the window for a refund of my annual fee will have expired. So to get $500, I need to pay $50. It is a little more complicated but that is what it boils down to.

I will start charging my rent and possibly my gas. I will up my Auto Pay each month to cover the rent ( plus gas) and the amount I am currently paying toward the balance. I will be charged the annual fee, but I can turn my everyday expenses into rewards worth far more than the annual fee.

The reward GC used frugally will allow me to cut cash expenditures from certain categories. These categories include groceries, certain misc. expenses and a portion of my gifts. Used wisely I could come out ahead.

I looked at GC's for gas. The stations they listed were more expensive than where I purchase gas. Wise investigation on my part. I will continue to monitor.

I am also aware that Target is more expensive than Wal-Mart. I am confident that despite the extra cost, I will reap more than the $50 annual fee in free giftcards.

Just for the sake of argument, I could assume Target is 25% higher than Wal-Mart. I would still be receiving $375 in benefits. Weighed against the $550 I have paid in annuals fees in the last 11 years, that is not great. Still better than a fat lip.

I envision myself utilizing this card frugally and still recouping my annual fees from day one. The next project will be to recoup the inflation adjusted cost of all interest I have paid to Visa. Then I will declare myself the Victor! I need to create a file for these projects. I love a challenge!

In order to maximize the benefit of the Target card I can:

Scour the sale paper
Not buy items "just because" I have a GC
Continue to make most of my own gifts or get them from alternate sources.
Continue to plan my meals as frugally as possible- buying from other sources if it is the MOST cost efficient solution
Scour the clearance section, especially in the grocery section. They do have really good deals from time to time.
Take advantage of the fact that my job takes me right in front of at least one Target location each week ( one is about to open- which should net excellent Grand Opening sales- ONLY BUY IF I NEED IT AND IT WILL SAVE ME MONEY)
Use Target (in ad and online)and Manufacturer coupons
Maintain a list of needed items ( I do this already) and monitor for the best deals
Accept that occasionally I CAN have something I want. I have already scoped out the ER DVD's.Target is definately the cheapest source. - don't stress, My focus is on getting out of debt. But "earning" the DVD's by working toward debt free levels could definately inspire me to work harder.

There is also the point that I have already spent the money on fees and interest. If I do not redeem them and allow them to expire then I have gained nothing at all.

I am sure the cost of this program will eventually outweigh the benefits but I have decided to go this route for the time being. I will be cautious and I will monitor the situation for any problems- like out of hand spending.

Even moving and not being able to charge my rent to my CC will not negate this deal. The amount I spend on gas alone will earn more rewards than the cost of the annual fee.

I am grateful I looked into this issue. I made the best choice in light of all the information and choices. I am grateful I discovered I could swap the miles for something other than a flight. AA has high rates and I think I could get a better deal online elsewhere.

I looked at other participating merchants and so far I like the deal with Target best. Although, I will be ordering GC's to resturaunts for my oldest sister's Christmas gift next year. ( I already redeemed her GC's for Christmas this year from another program.) I may also find a good choice for gifts for my father. I will continue to monitor this also.

To recap, I will use my FF miles to redeem for Target GC's. I will use them for frugal grocery, misc, supplemental gift purchases and for purchase of my personal reward program items.

The personal reward program would entail allowing myself to "earn" credit twoard the purchase of ER DVD's each time I reach a goal. I like this plan. I know me and I know I am willing to make more sacrifices if I know it will take me tangibly closer to getting ER to watch at home. It helps when I play games with myself.

If I know by taking my lunch, skipping a soda or cutting back on cigarettes I get visbly closer to obtaining my beloved ER then I can tough it out. Hmmmm- this may be the perfect way to stop smoking- Which by the way blows $1500 a year and increases my future medical cost.

I have already earned Season One- but have not purchased it for various reasons. Among those reasons are buying a box set is a better deal than buying each one individually and I had to pay for a stolen laptop which blew ALOT of my onhand cash.

All in all I had a decent 24hrs and increased the value of my finacial future.

Turning in my Frequent Flyer Miles

2006-08-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

I just learned I can turn in my FF miles for GC's. I am giving serious thought to turning in my miles for a Target card. I would then use the card to buy all my groceries and gifts for the rest of the year. Well, actually I could probably go though most of next year.

The card would be for $500. I have almost all my gifts covered right now. I also have plenty of food in my pantry. I am steadily working on eating all of that.

The biggest plus would be that I could utilize all my frequent flyer miles, transfer the account to a no annual fee card while maintaining my credit history with the same compnay. My card would still say "member since 95."

I have 79K +. If I charge my rent next month AND pay it off by auto pay. I could order a $500 Target card. I could then change my credit card to a no fee card that gets me reward points. Maybe not a huge deal since I am paying the card off and not charging.

BUT I would have a $500 GC, no fees and still be able to pay off my card and accumulate a few free items.

I just looked and this seems like the way to go. I also called Citi.They cannot tell me if I am eligible nor can the tell me what my APR would be due to updating the servers. phhht, I can call back in the morning.

While I was looking at Citi-Advantage's Diamond preferred card site, I saw several GC's I could use. Sadly, no Wal-mart. That would have been the best choice. I can use that one for food, gifts and gas. They have the better prices around here.

SO, the plan currently is to charge and payoff next month's rent, allow the miles to show up, redeem for $500 Target GC, transfer account to Diamond Preferred and then continue charging and paying off my rent to accumulate more GC's for gas, groceries and gifts. I confirmed each of these.

This would work out great. I can still earn gifts cards for my oldest sister's gifts like I currently do at Mypoints. I could then use Mypoints to earn Wal-Mart cards for my gas and groceries. ooooyeh!
************************************
hmmmmm -Mypoints has a Visa card also. I need to ask if I can transfer my Citi Visa card to Mypoints Visa with the same deal ( keeping same % rate and credit history).
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UHOH- I did a search and it seems Mypoints is acting crazy and not letting anyone have prizes- DAYAUM- well at least I researched that one. It appears, I saved myself a headache .

Day 7 Better choices = baby steps

2006-08-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

So far I have placed .75 in the EF jar. I refrained from two sodas I was CRAVING and eating out lunch. I ate one of my poptarts that I have stashed in my work cabinet.

I feel proud of myself for not caving on the way home. I was not really hungry and I have plenty of food at home. I was really wanting a soda. I could just taste the cool refreshing burst of coldness on my tongue and in my throat.

I reminded myself that I would be able to add a quarter to the EF and still be saving a $1 if I resisted for the 30 minute drive home. At home I had ice cold refreshing peach tea waiting. While it is not the best for me is still definitely better than soda. Sadly this is the last batch of peach tea. I used the last of the peach flavored sugar I bought at a Bent and Dent. It was dirt cheap but such an indulgence.

While I was driving home I was thinking about the crackers I bought for breakfast. You know the ones. Those little round crackers with peanut butter in the middle. I find they are a decent breakfast. They fill me up ( sort of) and they give me the needed protein for the start of my day.

I was thinking about how I buy one pack for either .25 or like this morning .49. It doesn't seem too bad. I could make less nutritious and far more expensive choices.

I spied the box of crackers I bought at big lots ( yes, it was just sitting in the car). It is just regular saltine crackers. It was $1.99 for 8 full size sleeves. That got me to thinking. I looked at the nutrition panel ( while sitting at a red light) that revealed there are approximately 300 crackers. Allowing for 50 broken crackers and that would be high. I could make 125 snack crackers with my pantry peanut butter.I paid .99 a jar for honey flavored Jiff. I bought 31 jars.

For less than $3.50, I can have 125 peanut butter crackers. Purchasing them 6 at a time for .25 = about $6 ( 21 x .25). I save at least $2.50. But it gets a little better. My crackers from home are much bigger than those little bitty snack crackers.

Just for the sake of argument I ran the math on the .49 brand snack crackers. 21 packs x .49= $10.29 pre-tax - $3.50 home version= $6.70 in savings. My crackers are still twice the size of these crackers. :)

All I need is a butter knife and I am in the savings business on this one.

Day 6- NW update, added to SD account

2006-08-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Over all, it was not a bad day. I got off work on time. That was good.
I paid my rent. I deposited my paycheck. I deposited one of the insurance checks.That was a deposit of $1066.58 toward my Stupid Debt. I was able to add $1 to my EF jar. I also received another deodorant sample in the mail. At this rate, I won't have to buy any deodorant for the rest of the year. I'll take that savings.

The second emergency fund is only at $320. The jar held $70 last time I made a deposit. I am going to shake that jar until it holds an extra $10.I want the EF to sit at $400 next time I make a deposit.

I need to shake other things up and fill that jar faster. Triple payoff in that. I save more to pay of SD, I build better habits, and my EF grows.

I would have deposited the other insurance check BUT I cashed the $80 check (car rental) to cover gas Monday, when I was not able to get to the bank. I did take this out of gas money ( mileage). I just need to deposit it. At least when I make the deposit, I can make a new update to my debt payoff.

Unfortunately, after taking out the $100 I spent on CEU courses ( face to face classes), $80 for the ins check ( where did most of it go??), I am left with $152 for gas until the end of the month. I may need to pull from the next mileage check. And that check, isn't going to be very big anyway.

This week I worked in the office 3 days with very little mileage. Tomorrow is the last day of the week and the last day on this mileage check. I am going to get up early and book it all day. I need to tack on as many extra miles as I can. I need to pack a lunch and beverages along with that. Luckily, I am booked solid for the following mileage check.

Day 5- 18 hrs in 45 minutes :)

2006-08-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

Well I pulled it off. I took advantage of the fact that the CEU's I earned were the day before the deadline. 2 days after the deadline, I relogged on and took the courses all over again. This time it took 45 minutes. And I have a whopping 18hrs toward license renewal.

When I paid, I took note that the site allowed you to take the test as many times as you want. I took the courses for this year's renewal. Then when the rollover date occurred and I was allowed to accumulate hours again, I did.

We are only limited to duplicating courses in the same renewal period. I am now in my next renewal period. So the courses are new to the accumulation period. I am also over the halfway point to having all the hours I need to renew again next year, at no additional cost.

How's that ?Single Ma ? I think that is good for $1.25 ( .25 for each course) in the EF jar.

Day 4-

2006-08-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

Today I did not eat any food I paid for that earns $1.00 to the EF jar. :)
I have been so busy since Friday, I have still not deposited my paycheck :(
Last night, I had no money on me. :(
I had to stop at Wal-Mart and cash one of the Ins. checks and PAID $3 for the priviledge. :P
I received a sample of Ban deodarant. Went straight to Walmart.com and ordered a different brand's sample one for me and one to my sister's house.
I also received a gift of a banana and a granola bar- tomorrow's breakfast :)

For those who want to know: I have spent $1 this month. Let's see how it goes the rest of the month.

DAY 3 - 31.5 hrs in 72

2006-07-31T03:53:00.000-07:00

Whew, I completed 31.5 hours of CEU's in 72 hrs. I attended two seminars one on Friday and One on Saturday and completed 18 hrs of online CEU's just last night. Definitely, a nail biter. Also another lesson in NOT procrastinating. Had I been on top of my game, I could have completed all 30 hrs for $0.00 and I heck of a lot less stress. There are plenty of free classes out there and some are available from work. Instead I spent $262.oo on classes just this week.

CRAP!- that could have been $262 toward SD. That doesn't include time off from work, gas and food. Let's not even discuss the lost time from my week. Saturday alone was 8 hrs spent at a very inconvenient time. And Sunday night UGH, I was cramming 18 hrs of CEU's in 10 hrs. I still need to pay $60 just to get my little gold seal.

In my only defense I would have completed these this week but I canceled my CC and had it re-issued before I remembered that I needed it to complete online classes.

I did learn to use my debit card which is sort of good. I used cash instead of credit which is VERY good. I even had to activate it- it has never been used. I have to say this, online classes I took were better than some of the face to face classes I have taken in the past. Who would have thought?

I am restating a previous goal/commitment; " I am not waiting until the last minute this time." I am going to start rounding up CEU's starting in August. I have one luncheon on my calendar for the last Friday of the month. That bunch is kind of sketchy about actually sending your CEU certificate, but it is early in the renewal game and I will give it a shot. I will also be reviewing available seminars at least monthly. I will try for weekly. I missed several that were free because I did not look. I have set a goal of 20 hrs by the end of this year. The secondary goal is to have that many at no cost to myself. I will only need 10 more in the following 18 months to renew. I am committed to acquiring all 30 hrs free.

The total saving is conservatively $100- I am almost assured 20 free hrs from work and luncheon seminars. That would leave 10 hrs. Two seminars ( waiting for cheap classes) would cost $50 each minimum. At regular cost for seminars ( no freebies) 30 hrs could run $600. I am going to count it at a $100 savings because I do shop around. I just did not do as well as I had hoped this renewal period.

I still have to pay $60 for renewal. Luckily, the Boards have made it easier. We can now do it online with a cc ( lol- I am going to use my debit card and essentially use cash). This saves us having to buy a cashiers check as we have been required in years past. It also saves me sending it with a return reciept. I can verify they received it almost immediately. That alone is worth a great deal. If it does not arrive and you waited till the absolute last minute you can lose your license. Heck nah, I ain't taking that exam again! That was the craziest 4 hrs of my life. And the test is harder- they have over a 50% failure rate right now! I would just go on to Med School. It would be easier than getting a new license with this board.

I also have an interesting strategy to gain several CEU hrs. It could save me a considerable sum of money and time. I will let you know how it pans out.I have to wait until August 1st to start accumulating CEU's again Single Ma's Fabulous Financials would love this deal :) She just loves a good Hustle, I mean bargain.

Day 2

2006-07-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

I know that day #1 posted as Sunday, but it was really Saturday when I wrote it so today is really truly #2

So far I have only spent $1.75. But that will change in a little bit as I need to go out for cigarettes and soda. I did get good news. I made $13.25 at my sister's yardsale. Not much but every bit helps. When that get deposited, along with the $1146 from insurance, I should have a grand total of $1486.25 totward stupid debt. That's nearly $1500 in case you did not notice.

I like seeing this Stupid Debt rolling along toward completion. At this rate I will be free of Stupid Debt by the end of the year. It will be such a load off my mind.

I have also noticed that the more I put in, the more I am inspired to put in. After paying this off, I should be able to clear my CC debt by spring 2007.

That will only leave my mortgage, which will hopefully be gone by the end of the year also. The house is up for sale CHEAP. When the house sells it should actually pay off all other debt. It would be nice to knock out all debt in one swoop. It would only take the house selling. Please house, SELL!

I went through a box I had set aside and found a few things to sell plus a nice cool linen dress I can wear to work on my field days. There was also a t-shirt for sleeping, pair of shorts I should be wearing again soon, and a white linen dress I can wear next summer. All are money savers if I utilize them. I plan to utilize them.

Day 1- And a successfull trip to Wal-Mart

2006-07-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

I am stealing an idea from We’re In Debt I am going to start numbering my days toward becoming debt free.

I went into two walmarts and a grocery store today. How much did I spend?? $0 Everything I looked at, I turned my nose up at. I figured I have it already, I don't need it or I can get by with what I have cheaper. I was quite proud.

I attended the last Seminar needed for renewing my license today. YEAH!

I used a coupon for a free bottle of contact solution up to $8 or $8 off a twin pack. It was only 6.00 for one bottle and 12.00 for two. I hated to waste the extra $2.00 from the coupon so I got two bottles for $5.01 after tax. Since it does not expire until 2008. I went with two bottles. I gotta take care of my eyes.

I did save the receipt for tax purposes. While $5 is not much, It looks like this year I will be itemizing. I had a laptop stolen from one car and damage and a stereo to my other car. Loss from theft is deductable. Those items will bring my deductions up enough to itemize. I need to check out if the vandalism to my house is also decuctable. Man I have been hit hard this year. Next year WILL be better.

Last night one of the ladies in my building cleaned out her purses. I got Four for free. One is genuine Gucci, One is Nine West, One was big and UGLY ( my older sister will love it) and one was small and pink. I added a quarter for each of the three purses I am keeping and USING. I easily saved a dollar on each one.

I also added $1 in quarters to the EF jar for saving $50 at least by shopping around for CEU's. I was going to attend one for 5 hrs at a cost of $160. I attended two, One on Friday and One on Saturday for $50 each. I also attended 2 free luncheons fora total of 2 CEU's in the last two weeks.

I also made a vow to keep an eye out each week for more free CEU's. We do get a few each year from work. I am going to conservatively estimate 10 CEU credits for the next 2 years from work. Those are face to face CEU's.We have to have 10 CEU credits from face to face meetings. We can have up to 20 CEU credits from self study.- My goal is accumulate a total of 30 free CEU's before my next renewal ( July 2008). That is a savings of roughly $500 over two years.

I added a quarter to the jar for remembering to use my free Contact solution coupon before it expires on Monday.

Update: I went to a local grocery. I bought 2 packs cigarettes ( used a coupon) and 4 boxes of Pop-tarts. Why 4 boxes of Pop-tarts?- They were on clearance and only $1.50. I figure for 6 bucks, I can stay away from stopping for snacks before during and after work. I have to break that habit. I can spend 6 bucks easy in one day. These should last 2 weeks.

I am cooking rice and veggies. It will be lunch Sunday and Monday. I am working on cleaning out the fridge and freezer, in anticipation of an upcoming move. :) :)

2006-07-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

I received the second check from Gieco. This one is for $80. That gives me a total of $1146 to deposit in my SD account.

I got paid today, but was not able to make it to the office to pick up my check. Depending on the budgeting of that check, I should be able to make a sizeable deposit toward SD.

In September, I receive 3 paychecks. As you can guess, I am going to aim toward depositing all of the third check in my SD account. If all goes well, I will have $3,000/$5000 by October 1st.

I need to kick it up in the outside revenue department. I know that if I busted my butt, I could have all of the money by October 31st. I also know I am not busting my butt at all right now.

I had another plus today. I did not have to pay to eat at all. I attended a seminar and lunch was provided. As were soft drinks- YEAH! $1 in the EF jar. I am thinking about getting a pie chart for the EF. It might inspire me to kick it up a notch. I just checked my jar and I have $15.75 in my EF jar.

For those unaware, My EF jar is an empty chocolate syrup jar that I washed and left the label on to remind myself that saving is sweet LOL.
Everytime I save at least a dollar, I put a quarter in the jar. When the jar is full, I deposit the money in a Credit Union account. I average $70 when the jar is full. My goal is to have at least 3 months of expenses saved. I am nowhere close.

I do have the $1000 EF but it is separate. I use the Credit Union account to build up the 3-6 months EF. While I am paying off debt, I am not budgeting deposits to the long term emergency account. I use the EF jar to inspire me to save more money. This way I am saving money to put toward debt and still adding a little to my EF at the same time.

When I have all my debts caught up, I will budget for the emergency fund.My long term goal for my long term EF is to have a full year set aside. I will start with 3-6 months and go from there.

I received Check # 1= $1066.58

2006-07-28T05:31:00.000-07:00

I received the first check ($1066.58) from the insurance company. It will probably be next week before I can deposit it. Hopefully, I will have received the second one and I can make both deposits in one trip.

ANd I have a confession. I have been eating out EVERY DAY!! I can not believe how undisciplined I am. Here I am wanting to pay off debt and I'm drinking sodas and snacks all day. I need to put a stop to this quick.

Goals For August

2006-07-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

I decided to set some goals for August. Here they are and I'll report back on them at the end of August.

$2000 in stupid debt account
raise and additional $300 from outside efforts.
Gather 25 boxes for move
Post expenses every day in my new formulated budget spreadsheet.
Take my lunch 3/5 days each week
Wean off sodas.
Have my LR clean and organized
Stay on schedule each day at work
Improve my paperwork completion turn around
Make strides toward resolving my SD

Made Deposit to SD Account

2006-07-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

Today I deposited $222 into my SD account. The cash total so far is $247. When the two insurance checks arrive I will deposit those. With two checks totalling $1146 added to my current balance, I should have $1393/$5000. I have been saying $4k but my graph at No Credit Needed Network was set up already with my original $5K. -We will stick with that.

My next mileage check will barely cover my gas for August. Out of the first mileage check, I will deduct insurance and the rest will go toward SD. That should take me over the $2000. I will also take $300 or $400 out of my wages that would have been sent to CC and apply to SD.

I think I can reach the$2500 mark by end of August if I work really hard.

Some of You Will be Quite Proud

2006-07-25T04:28:00.000-07:00

Friday, I received a phone call from car smasher's insurance company. They left a message that they were sending me a check and to please call them back. I did. This was all early Friday morning. I received no call back.

For those who don't know, this adjuster has been rude from word go. Not just rude but abusive from the word hello. I had to call her boss and ask him to listen to their taped portion of the call. He did and she has been civil ever since. :)

Monday morning, I called PITB adjuster again. She was civil but I gathered she did not like it. Still, she was professional and that is all I ask.
I told her I had called back right after she left a message. She responded that she had needed to verify the spelling of my name and my address. She said she had gone back and listened to the tape and got it from there. She also stated my check should arrive in about 5 business days.

I asked about the rental car mentioned on the estimate. She told me to call back when I put it in the shop. I pointed out that my body shop was about 30 miles from any rental office and that due to work I drive 100-200 miles a day. I noted that this might get expensive for mileage and since I owned a second car, could they simply give me the daily allotment. The allotment is $22.50, if I am not mistaken. She offered $20 a day for 4 days and that she could send a check immediately. I accepted.

$80 extra dollars is a good thing.

So remember:
Keep excellent evidence
Keep records of conversations- In fact in a situation such as this keep a log of all action and inactions ( names, dates, ect.)- even if you are totally honest, if you get mixed up or forget an important fact they may decide you are being dishonest.- This helped my case tremendously- she could not keep her lies straight. Single Ma just posted about the importance of being organized-Read it here
Don't take abuse- or give it
Call a supervisor if needed- don't abuse this
Be honest
Don't be afraid to ask for concessions. I netted an additional $80 that will help offset the rate increase I expect when my insurance company finds out.- They will claim I reside in a dangerous area- phhhht

Plans For A Comeback

2006-07-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

Lets see. I had to pay for a laptop stolen from my car= $800
My car was broken into but still runs and no windows broken= -$800 value on the car.
My other car was hit. Their insurance is sending me a check= $1066

I owe $4000 in stupid debt. I have $222 set aside. I will add the $1066 to that for a total of $1288 to put toward SD. That leaves $2,712 for my SD goal. I plan to have that down to $2000 by the end of August. You know, just seeing those numbers make me feel better.

I called my cc company and lowered my auto pay to $100 a month instead of $500. I have not charged anything on the CC since February. I only owe $3467.59. My minimum payment is $81.78. the monthly finance charge last month was $42.78. I also had my card number changed due to the break in to my second car this week. Just in case the number was laying around somewhere. I am sure it wasn't, but better safe than sorry.

I am putting the CC payoff on hold until the SD is paid off as it has the greatest potential to bite me in the butt. While I will be making very very little headway with the CC. It is important to get rid of the SD first. If I can put $500 toward it each month until the end of the year, I should have it gone. I can easily pull $500 each month out of my mileage check and I am taking $400 out of CC repayment so that will help.

The SD paperwork goes in the mail in the morning! I have everything ready to go. I have put some older stamps in my purse so I will not even be out that amount. YEAH !!! I should have it back by Sept 1st and I will know all the numbers I have to work with.

I also spoke with my sister. We are planning a yardsale at a couple of different locations within the next few months. My goal is to sock away another $1000 by the end of the year through outside sales. This will include yardsales, individual sales and whatever else I can think of. I am calling AOl in a few minutes and see what I can work out with them.

I made another gallon of tea. I cleaned out the fridge. After I wipe it down one last time, I am putting things back in an order that will help me use up what I have on hand.

I will be disciplined in my taking lunch and drinks to work. Monday, I have a luncheon and CEU opportunity. CEU is Continuing Education Credit. I have to have 30 every two years to renew my professional license. This is not only a free unit it includes a free lunch. While the free CEU was the deciding factor, the lunch is nice.

I am handwashing bras tonight. I seem to have established the habit. I highly recommend it. The hot water in a washing machine is hard on the elastic and spandex in them. The dryer even more so. If I end up machine washing, I hang them to dry.

Even after all these plans, I hate to see the dip I am going to have in my networth. I was truly hoping to somehow salvage this month.

WHEW! - Diverted A Big Expense

2006-07-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

My dad and his helper came over to pick up my dearly departed "Crimson Ride" ( see Bama / University of Alabama, also play on " Crimson Tide"). The helper who I have previously referred to as dumbass is now elevated to hero. He replaced a few vital parts and whala! the Crimson Ride is on the road again. Yep, my sweet little baby is still running. I hope she stays that way for at least another 5 years.

In honor of her resurection, I believe I will spring for the needed tuneup. If she is going to be loyal enought to pull through the least I can do is give her what she needs and deserves. The plus side is that it should increase her MPG and I will be able to drive her more for work and pile the mileage on her not the cute sports car.

The cute sports car ( little red chili pepper) will not be getting her cosmetic surgery any time soon. ( man, I hate that part- I hate driving an ugly car when I don't have to.) She has maybe 5 years left and I hate to put 1/3 of her value into cosmetics. Any other time I would, simply because I value an attractive car- Not as vain as this sounds, BUT people do judge you by what you drive.

I will be taking the insurance check and investing that in a tune-up for the utilitarian vehicle. If the investment pays off, I will have even better gas mileage than before the recent vandalism of the car. It used to get 34.6 mpg. Cute car gets 30-31 mpg.

With utilitarian vehicle getting better mpg I can park cute car. I would save by putting all the heavy miles on the utility vehicle and get better gas mileage to boot.

I would then have more money left over from my mileage check to A) pay toward stupid debt, B) increase the replacement fund for my vehicles, C) have funds to cover the cosmetic repairs and finally D) The cute car would last longer with fewer miles on it- the subsequent cosmetic repairs would also extend how long I am willing to drive the car.

Expecting A Huge Downturn In Networth

2006-07-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

It looks like I will be moving. I have had three incidences against my car recently. All occurred at my present residence. This does not include the incident where someone hit my car. Not so ironically, each incident occurred within 24 hrs of when the girl who hit my car has received bad news from the insurance company. No one else has had this problem with their car/ The landlord reports no previous issues either.

There are more details related to this but I will pass on posting them. I get a headache eveytime I even think about it. I will say this. I have filed police reports as is appropriate and I have refrained from any retaliatory actions. I am going to let Kharma bust her. That's not say that if I gather legal evidence I won't take her to court.

This last time has in all likelihood immobilized one of my cars permanently. The repairs will probably run more than the cost of the car when I bought it.

At this point I am not sure what my plan is going to be. I need to recover the cost of the laptop, possible repairs to my station wagon ( I have not decided whether I will even try to have it repaired.) and to my sports car. I am also concerned that there will be even more cost. A quick estimate of the cost are currently $3k-$4K. Geeze! Add that on top of all my other expenses I have incurred and I am pretty bummed. It appears I will be retiring the "Crimson Ride." For those who don't know, I am a huge Bama Fan and the dearly departed vehicle was indeed Crimson in color.

Somehow I will overcome this obstacle. Somehow....

The bright side is that I will be getting a roommate. I have known her for two years and we are both extremely responsible. We have discussed boundaries and how we would handle expenses.It is nice that we both attend the same church. We can go together. She is very excited and I am becoming more so.

I looked at an extremely nice apartment complex. They have pools. Yes, multiple pools. There is a fitness center, tennis courts and a raquetball club. The new place is only 4 miles from my job. We added up expected expenses and we estimated we would each be saving $300 or more every month. YEAH!!

The place is much nicer than where we live now. We are also excited about the sunroom ( more like a sun alcove). My dad and her mom have offered to help us move. That would help alot. We can even throw a moving in party. We are both pretty quiet, so the party would be more like a dinner party or small BBQ.

If you have any moving tips feel free to post them in the comments.

$100 toward SD

2006-07-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

For those unfamiliar with SD, that means Stupid Debt.

I deposited my paycheck today. I actually got paid last Friday but was too busy to reurn to the office at the time checks arrived.

I took out what I received in mileage. $465 to be exact for two weeks. Out of that I replaced the $100 I took out of my EF (the basic $1000 Dave recommends) for tires last week. I did not go to the bank for this money. I was on a tight schedule that week. And I replaced it today.

That left $365. I bought a soda and two Rally burgers for dinner. I worked late. Oh and .39 worth of Milano cookies. .39 will get you three cookies. Sometimes you just have to treat yourself. I did at least pack my lunch today. I also carried a quart of sweet tea. And I am thinking about how to reproduce the Milano cookies. They seem pretty basic, but oh so good. They would make a great gift.

That left $360. I took $100 out of that to go toward my SD. That left $260.

I put $20 worth of gas in my car. Now I am down to $240.

I took out $100 to cover tags I did not buy two weeks ago. That money went toward the car repairs I needed that weekend.

I have $140 for gas until the end of the month. Not bad considering this month ends next weekend.

I do have one dilemma. One of our coworkers has been out sick. She called today saying she begged her doctor to let her come back tomorrow. She also reports she has no food in the house at all. Her two kids are staying with her mother.

The dilemma is this: She lives paycheck to paycheck, drives an expensive vehicle, has a nice house and spends a lot of money. How do I decide how much to give? I had planned on $100. Then I was reminded of how much she spends while working a low paying job. I do feel bad for her but how do I weigh this against the fact that she should save for emergencies. I doubt she will learn a lesson from this.

$50? $40? $25??? I am stuggling with the fact that I am working toward improving myself and have some to share but she just lives paycheck to paycheck due to her own choices. I do want to be charitable. Am I just being a judgemental witch???

LR Johnson.. Come on Down!

2006-07-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

Your the next contestant on the price is NOT right!

Sorry, LR Johnson. I could not resist. Ok, I could, but I didn't. I read your entire blog last night and keep telling myself, " I could have written that." I love your challenges and your blog.

Your prize for being today's contestant is.... a spot in my links. If you knew how hard it is for me to add links, you would know this is a true compliment.

After reading your blog, I just knew the the heading was right for you. I repeatedly saw myself in your post. The post on creative gift giving was one of my favorites. Thank you for all the inspiring ideas and reminding me I am not the oddball my sister says I am.

I have been saving those give away magnets for a long time. I just recently threw several out. Now I have to start all over again

For those who are not familiar with LR's gift magnets check it out. .LRJohnson's Savings Blog - Making Magnets, Drinking Cocoa: Oh Yeah!

I have a suggestion for a new magnet. Check out Fabulous Ma's entry for July 17th 2006 Single Ma's Fabulous Financials.

If you want free photo paper, there are sources online from time to time. HP is known for this give away once or twice a year. I don't have a link for any at this time. The next time I see one I will post. Just google if you get impatient.

I Am Trying A New Tool

2006-07-17T04:09:00.000-07:00

I am starting a new tool. I am too frugal to buy Quicken at this time so the next thing to me is my new handy dandy spreadsheet. Ok, I cheated I printed it out and I'll use a calculator.

Across the top or spaces for 31 days. Down the right hand side are my categories such as Income, Tythe, Rent ect.... I can total for a whole day by adding the numbers down. I can total a whole category by totaling the numbers across- Wheeeeeee, Oh what fun you can have with this item.

I will leave it on my desk at home and each day when I come home I will fill it in for the day. We will see how well I do looking at the cold hard numbers each day.

This should be good.

Discovery - Value of Contentment

2006-07-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

I thought I was good to go. I did not think my "wants" were out of line. Recently, I have discovered a few things. Maybe I should say I have re-evaluated my goals.

I discovered I do not "need" new silverware. What I currently own is somewhat mis-matched. There is not a complete set of 8 settings. What I do have is a mostly matched set and a few odd ones.

Problem? I thought so and had it on my wish list. Then I realized that for the most part, I only cook for myself and a few friends. They don't care as long as the food is good. When I have a more formal meal I can just break out grandma's silver. It is beautiful and should be used. Besides, it is not like I am saving it to take with me so I can return it. I'm sure she has no need for her old silver in the after-life.

I don't have a complete set of matching glasses. I have a few sets and several odd ones. Again, if I need a matched set, I can break out the other grandma's set she left me. I really like them too. I have received many compliments on them over the years.

New towels? They would be nice but if I have picky company I can leave out the matched set and put away the others. I have this thing about old towels. I like them because they are soft and broke in. I will use a towel until is so threadbare it starts to disintegrate. Then it becomes a cleaning towel. I'll even wash them. If I have a really nasty mess, I don't feel bad about finally throwing it away. It is not like I have no presentable towels. I just don't NEED them right now.

Clothes- (I know, you guys and gals have heard enough about my wardrobe woes.)

I could definitely use new clothes. Luckily, I work in a casual dress environment. I pulled together as many outfits as I could from what I have in my size. I discovered that while I may not like all of my choices. I definitely have choices. The fact that they are in good condition and PAID for makes them more palatable. In fact it makes me almost love them.

I have become more creative in my work wardrobe. I can optionally work out of the office all day and have all day office days. On the days I work completely out of the office, I tend to wear my less than impressive outfits. I can alternately wear the same outfit or its components more than once a week ( i.e. my favorite khakis). I can wear then on a in-the-office day and then again on an out-of-the-office day.

Since my clients are simple people and my work speaks for itself. There is no need to try and impress them with my fashion sense. In fact if I dressed up to much they would see me more as the "college girl" thinking I know more than them and that I rely solely on "book learning."
My more simple clothing choices assist me with fitting in. For my more sophisticated clients, they just like me or don't based on my performance. This is a good thing. I do plan to upgrade my wardrobe as I go. Currently I am ok in the wardrobe department.

I am also fortunate in that many of my coworkers bring their own lunch and are penny pinching along with me. A few of them PP out of need. I PP out of need and desire.

My PP ways paid off just this week. I had to replace a stolen laptop that was in my possesion when it disappeared. As much as I hated losing the nearly $800. At least I was able to do so without being put in a bind.

Auto- I have two cars by choice. I choose to own two paid off cars because it is important to me to have a back up. I also like the options the two cars give me. One is sporty and one is utlitarian. Both run well, are dependable and have no payments. Both were also purchased as very good deals.

I would like a new car. I keep coming back to the point I have no need for a new car. I have attractive and I have functional. I plan to drive both for at least 5 more years.

That brings me to another decision. The funtional vehicle is not getting the mpg it should. I have known it needed a few repairs ( o2 sensor and some outlet issue) and a tune up. I put them off due to cost. I have been driving the cute car.

I made the decision to go ahead and repair and tune up the funtional car. This will allow me to put the majority of my mileage on the functional car and spare the cute car. In fact before the other car's mpg declined from 34.6 mpg to less than 20 mpg it was beating the cute car.

The plan is to have the damage recently inflicted on cute car repaired, spruce it up and use it for recreational driving only. I was going to wait but I realized that all these work miles are killing my plan to wait 5 years for a new car and pay cash.

Besides, I was puttng almost no miles on the functional car. It was just sitting there. This way with a moderate investment, I can extend the life of the more attractive car. This would be more financially prudent. Another plus, I really like the cute car but will not be buying another small convertable. This way I can enjoy it longer before I give in completely to "oldattude." EEEK

Cutie Car Cost Per Mile

2006-07-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

How much has it cost me to operate one of my cars?

Purchase price + Financing =$14,000
Insurance for 6 years =$4,400 ( includes ins. to end of this year)
Gas ( 110K miles/30mpg =3667 gallons of gas x $2.50 average) =$9,667
Insurance for 6 years =$5,500 Holy crap!
Repairs/ maint. etc =$2900
Tires =$1,200
Tags, registration etc =$750 =$38,417/110,000 miles
=.35 a mile

I wonder, just how little per mile I could possibly go on this vehicle? I am amazed by the total cost. Some people spend that much on the purchase price alone.

Some numbers I guestimated, as I do not remember some total costs. I guessed on the high side. Another note, The majority of the miles have been reimbursed as mileage.

2 years @ $400 per month ( average)=$9600.
$28,817 ($38417-$9600)/110,000= .26 per mile

This makes me want to keep the car until I can get the cost of the car down to less than a dime a mile. With gas at the price it is now, I doubt it. Although, with the majority of the miles reimbursed, it may be possible. I will have to do the math on this at a later date. I may also do the math on the my other vehicle.

I was inspired by this blog entry

2006-07-13T23:56:00.000-07:00

Peter Smith posted this on his blog. My Financial Awareness - About This Site

I loved it and I felt it deserved repeating. I am going to print it out and place in my organizer as a reminder and inspiration. This man is a source of excellent perspective.

How to Avoid Greed

July 3rd, 2006

One question that came up from recent posts ( “Can a Rich Person be Spiritual?” and “Imagine if you won $200 million” ) is “How do you avoid greed?”

First, per the Webster’s dictionary, greed is defined as “an overwhelming desire to acquire or have, as wealth or power, in excess of what one requires or deserves”. This is difficult to quantify because what does a person require or deserve? If we look back at life 200 years ago, most of us have more than what was deemed needed to live on 200 years ago (including having a refrigerator). If we look at who we are (children of our creator whether it is God, Allah, Buddha, etc.), then don’t we all deserve the best?

In my opinion, defining greed should focus on the first part of the definition “an overwhelming desire to acquire or have, as wealth or power …” Desire is usually created from feeling lack. This can apply to several situations, including

• Lack of self-worth – need to compare oneself with others by having the same things (or more than) in order to feel good about oneself (e.g., keeping up with the Joneses)

• Lack of self-love – need to buy things when a person is sad or depressed due to feeling unloved

• Lack of money – believing there is a limited amount of money in the world thus feeling the need to fight for their share (and keep it when they have it)

“How do you avoid greed”? This is a statement is usually about how can I have money without being greedy, thus coming from a place of not having money. Many people look at money as the cause of greed. Many try not to be like those “greedy rich people” by avoiding money. Yet, greed is not about the money. Greed is about the reason why a person wants money. Trying to overcome greed by avoiding money does not solve the problem because greed is only a symptom of the problem and not the real issue. By avoiding money, you are actually just intensifying the feeling of lack which is the cause of greed. You may believe that “I will lack spirituality or kindness if I have money” (and thus become greedy). Or, to be spiritual and kind, “I need to lack money”. The key is to drop your beliefs that money created the greedy people, the same greedy people who you are vilifying.

In either case, if you are avoiding money in order not to be greedy or if you may be greedy, you can transform your situation by changing the feeling of lack into abundance. Yet, you may ask, isn’t greed about abundance (having too much)? No, greed is about feeling of lack. If a person believes in abundance then he would not feel the need to acquire excess wealth or power, rather he will share it freely. This is the distinction that I was making in “Can a Rich Person be Spiritual?” A rich man feels the need to acquire money to define who he is. A spiritual man will let wealth pass through him without the need to acquire it because he does what he loves and the money follows.

The first step in transforming lack into abundance is to identify all areas of lack (or fear of lack) in your life or an area that you fear having lack. Look at any areas where you believe if you have a little bit more, you will be happier. For some, this may be money. For others, it may be love (self-love), respect, self-worth, kindness, caring, etc.

The next step is to believe that you already have an abundant supply of what you lack. A good way to do this is to tithe and practice gratitude. Taking the opposite action (being thankful and giving it away) is what changes belief in lack. To practice gratitude, make a list of things you are grateful for around the area of lack. To practice tithing, give what you believe you lack because the action of tithing symbolizes that you already have enough. By being grateful for what you have and freely giving it away (tithing) will show you that you have enough versus having a lack. If you believe you are lacking money, be grateful for the money you have and give it away freely. If you believe the world lacks kindness, then give more kindness and see the kindness that is already all around you. This is because what we focus on (with gratitude and tithing) will expand.

Money can freely flow your way. There is nothing wrong with having money. The problem is when we define ourselves by what we have or do not have.