Women in Red Racers - South Region

[txracer81]

UPDATE: TXRacer81: 1/10/2011$14,617(10/20/2008 $23,685 S444,S466,S966)

Hi ladies and gents. I don't want to mess with the tables right now since I am at work. Above is my update since I last fell off the boards. I have continued to pay down just not at the rate I was hoping. A lot has been changing in my life and it was kind of nuts for a while. I got engaged!, moved in with DF, and got my house ready to sell, planned a big chunk of the wedding and did it all in about two months. I had to take my house off the market and am hoping to re-list in the spring. Hopefully it sells very quickly so I can kick this debt to the curb!

Elderkind: I hope you get your LL situation worked out. She sounds like a terror. It would stink having to move and further delay your goal of home ownership. I will never understand how some people have no idea how to be civil and decent.

Freshnewday: I am sorry to hear about your dad acting so unstable. I would suggest what the others have said. Call the police...start documenting everything and if it continues contact an attorney to see what your rights are.

I hope everyone is having a great week!

[muffyinthered]

Jan 8, 2011 13:00:42 GMT -5 @suzwantstobefree said:

Muffy, it is your race and your goals. I think you should do whatever makes most sense for you

Suz if that is the case then my year 2011 begins on 1/15/11 since all these payment were made last year but the accounts don't turn until the 15th of the month following. ;D
NC has been bombarded with snow today!!! Where is the global warming when you needed it!!!! Of course where we live got the most in the area with 8 inches of snow. Now I am from WI, so snow is not a big deal but when we moved here we got rid of our shovels and snowblower! We thought we wouldn't need it. But the good thing is most things were closed down and nobody spent money today expect we paid the subdivision plowers to do our driveway. But it was the best $20 we every spent!!! We are getting freezing rain tonight which would have made our driveway horrible tomorrow. So money well spent!
Hope everyone had a good Monday!

[muffyinthered]

Elderkind - I think that I will start saving something every month in order that I don't have this same problem next December. The Christmas crazies won't get me again, I hope.
Colorado Bound - Are you a Patriots fan? Sorry they got eliminated this past weekend. I am a Packer fan and for the time being they are still in the running. Don't know how long they are going to continue but it should be a good watch this coming weekend.
Speech - Welcome to the $5500 club. It is going to be a long time before I can join that club.
SwordGuy - Nice update.

[coloradobound]

muffyinthered - I am actually a Steelers fan, but the Patriots are my 2nd favorite NFL team - Just curious, why do you ask?

Now that all the drama of moving from OK to AZ is over and I finally found a job, I'll keep up w/ the boards more! I thought about heading over to the West Region, but I've been w/ this group for almost 4 years (I was previously using a different screen name before I got back in debt and rejoined the group)

With the New Year and the move, I've cleaned out TONS and have it all posted on craigslist so considering it all sells, I'll make $1000-$1200!!! All of which will go to my debt

I recieved an unexpected check in the mail on Saturday from my utility company in OK for $133.00 so going to send that directly to my last credit card.

[Elderkind]

TXRacer81: Congratulations on your engagement and welcome back to the boards! You have been a busy bee! This is going to be a great year for you! Thank you for your well wishes about the house. Fortunately the grandson is not like the grandmother and has been working hard to get my house back in order. I have not spoken with her since and don't intend to except to turn in my keys when I move out!
MuffyInTheRed: I am thinking if I put back $25 a month, I will have $300 by the end of the year. We usually get a small X-mas bonus of about $200 from the job which I can add to that to make $500. I think that will suffice for everyone.
ColoradoBound: A BIG kudo's for landing the job! That is just awesome! I hope all of your Craigslist items sell! I am cleaning out my house (in case I have to move) and will putting a bunch of stuff up on Ebay. They are smaller items like 2 years worth of Martha Stewart magazines from the 90's and a never used potpourri pot, etc. Btw, my SIL is a HUGE Steelers fan! ;D

[redruby]

Two days off from school. Does it get any better? I have enjoyed being at home. I have done a lot of reflecting on my financial situation during this time. I'm headed down the right road. Long way to go, but Rome was not built in a day. Anyhow, hugs to Elderkind and Nasagreen,(/b) I hope your living situations improve quickly.
My praise right now:
I am on BUDGET for the month!!!

[nasagreen]

Ooh, I found out that we are moving into the house my parents have in March. Now we could be all set if our house on the East Coast would sell...but if not, that is why we were counting on the house instead of getting an apartment, we can wait to pay my parents until we sell the house. OMG, I can't wait until then!!!!

[Deleted]

That's great news nasagreen - I'm glad you will have a bit of time to get settled into the new place before the baby comes.

Great work sticking to your budget this month, redruby.

You've been busy txracer! Congrats on the engagement and all of the progress you've made. It may not be as fast as you would like, but you've made a major dent in that starting number and you should be proud of yourself.

[Deleted]

Update: CraftySarah 1/11/11 $3678.59 (2/10/10 $14,784.50) SU126 (KY)

Loan	Starting	Current	Paid Off
CC#1 (18.24%)	$2,604.65	$0	$2,604.65
CC#2 (12.24%)	$8,103.98	$3,678.59	$4,425.39
HELOC-->EF	$4,075.87	$0	$4,075.87
Total	$14,784.87	$3,678.59	$11,105.91

Good news: I have a new zero! This month's EF deposit wiped out the last of my emotional debt for my Home Equity line (even though the mortgage refi technically cancelled out this debt a few months ago, I needed to feel like I paid it off myself).

Less good news: The holiday car repairs and vet bills have hit my credit card balance. Tuition, books, and a new cell phone that I don't have the rebate back for yet mean I couldn't really throw anything extra at my credit card this month. The usual payment covered most of the dog/car thing, but the balance is still up about $50 from last month.

Good news: I am starting a new job on February 1st. So I should get a nice little windfall next month when my current employer cashes out my vacation days. Not being able to afford a vacation the past few years is finally going to pay off!

[cleanslate09]

Elderkind – I am sorry that you are having problems with your LL. I echo the others in that she is just a LL and not a friend.
MuffyintheRed – if you look at it this way $20 twice a month doesn’t seem like a lot of money to put away but by Christmas, you have $480 and interest.
Redruby – Congrats on being on budget!

A special shout out to those pay downs! Looks like everyone is going in the right direction!

I am just turtling along the rest of the month. Starting January 1, my company did us a favor and switched us from semi-monthly to bi-weekly pay periods. You know - you do get two extra pay checks a year. I have never had that type of pay before so it has taken some retooling of a tight budget. I think I have it worked so the two extra checks can go to debt but until I get those first paychecks, I won't know for certain. Fingers crossed.

[swordguy]

Jan 11, 2011 14:58:52 GMT -5 cleanslate09 said:

Starting January 1, my company did us a favor and switched us from semi-monthly to bi-weekly pay periods. You know - you do get two extra pay checks a year. I have never had that type of pay before so it has taken some retooling of a tight budget. I think I have it worked so the two extra checks can go to debt but until I get those first paychecks, I won't know for certain. Fingers crossed.

It might be a bit hard at first (because the checks are smaller), but once you're adjusted to living on the smaller amount each month, it's easier to recover from darn-its with that extra paycheck every 6 months. Of course, for folks who live from paycheck to paycheck, it doesn't matter 'cause they are always out of money on day 14.

[muffyinthered]

ColoradoBound - Sorry I didn't see where it said Steeler on your Avatar. That just proves I have to wear my glasses when I try to read the board!! I sure hope all your stuff on Craigslist sells. Good luck.
nasgreen - I am so happy that you will be able to get into your parents house the end of March. My DIL and DS moved 1.5 months before my grandson was born. It was hard work but she did it and made a nice nest made by the time the baby came.
Elderkind and CleanSlate - That is a great idea. I will put away $20 per paycheck which is 26 a year. That should cover most of my Christmas shopping. I think I spend a little more than that this year but will definitely being spending less next year. Thank you.

[speechchick71]

I can say one thing for certain, one benefit of putting this debt behind me will be not looking at my spreadsheet anymore! I'm so tired of pouring over it, adjusting here and there, figuring out how I can put more money in one place than the other. I just want to be done with it! After I pay off my "big boy" (which isn't very big any longer), none of the accounts I owe on will be interest-charging. THAT is nice. I could just drag out that last one and call it a win.

I haven't put anything toward my savings goals yet but my paycheck last week was just a little pittance for my housing while on Christmas break. I haven't quite figured out how I am going to do it either: put a certain percentage toward each "goal" or complete one goal and then work on the rest. All I know is that I am so h3ll bent on getting my Roth funded for 2010 and 2011! I wanted to put money toward car repairs/down payment on a new one but I'm already taking my car in and the money isn't even there. I think I'm still going to account for it though.

Colorado: congrats on the job!
Redruby: congrats on being on budget so far this month!
txracer: congrats on the engagemeng!
craftysarah: a ZERO is a ZERO, no matter what you had to do to get it!

[cathysmom]

Wow, three more days and I would never have known what happened to the boards! I'm glad that I found you all again. I apologize for not having updated since Sept 16th (has it REALLY been 4 months??). I will try to get my numbers together in the next week or so and try to catch up here, too.

[suzwantstobefree]

Good job everyone. I hope I get to post a nice big payoff this month too. ;D I am waiting for my rent check and my escrow refund check plus I get paid this Friday. Who ever thought paying bills would be so much fun?

[Minnesotagirl7]

The Midwest has a new winner! Head on over and congratulate iascubagal on winning her race!

[Elderkind]

Red Ruby & CleanSlate09: Thank you for the well wishes! Things are already improving as I finally have hot water and a shower. The grandson has been doing a wonderful job since he took over and is even putting a heater in the bathroom for me. The LL and I are not really speaking right now and that's the way I intend to keep it. I am still on the lookout for another place at the right price and will be having dinner with a Realtor friend of mine who might can help me in that direction.
Red Ruby: Kudo's for being on budget for the month! ;D
NasaGreen: Great news about the house!
CraftySarah: Congrats on the new ZERO and new job! Your year is going to be great!
CleanSlate: I am soooo jealous that you are bi-weekly! I am currently once a month and would love to go bi-weekly!
MuffyInTheRed: I am right there with you on the Christmas spending and am going to try to put back $25 a month!
SpeechChick71: I so totally know how tiresome it gets pouring over your spreadsheets but it will pay off for you in the end and I have no doubt that you will fund your Roth's with no problem! ;D
CathysMom: Welcome Back!

[redruby]

nasagreen: Make a paper chain to count down the days.
Thanks Craftysarah: That is a huge accomplish for me. I am
forever off budget because of myself and my wants. Look
how far you have come since joining.
**I cancelled one of my short term disability plans. Now that
I am finished having babies I hope I just need the one. I plan
to put the extra cash in savings. I also am in the process of
opting out of my escrow so I can save some more money. However this is going to make me have to save for insurance and land taxes.
Elderkind: I'm with you. I would love to be bi-weekly instead of once a month.

[cleanslate09]

[quote author=redruby board=wir thread=182 post=54571 time=1294843813Elderkind: I'm with you. I would love to be bi-weekly instead of once a month. [/quote]

I think the hardest adjustment for me is just balancing everything. Between my full time job and my part-time job, I typically was a paycheck a week. So, if I went over, I had the paycheck the next week to cover it. Now I will need to be a well oiled machine since both checks come a day from each other. I have modified the Dave Ramsey envelope system and have been using Jars in my office instead. It requires planning, especially when I need gas but I tend to have money left over each week. I forget the jars are in the office.

[forwardwego]

Good morning (just barely)! Good job ladies and gents! Just a blanket "atta girl & atta boy". Still feeling not as comfortable on this board and subbing for 6 exercise classes this week for @ $100 more for the next paydown. But it's really more for the physical & mental benefit since there is a ton of prep which brings the effective wage down to less than minimum. Welcome back cathysmom, and positive thoughts to those who are working through personal difficulties and the ever-present financial challenges!!
GOOD NEWS my little dog Max is doing better and biopsy on his lymph system is CLEAN...YEA!!!

[ridmydebt]

We are in the process of putting our 5th wheel travel trailer and 4 wheeler up for sale. Anyone have any suggestions on what to do. I have checked the value of both and know where to price each item. We own the 4 wheeler free and clear. If we sell the 5th wheel at our asking price, we will pay the note off and make about $11000. I just really hope it doesn't take forever to sell either item.

[Deleted]

I've been paid once a month for the past 6 years. I still don't think I've quite got the hang of it. What has been really key for me is to move all of my bills so that their due date was at the beginning of the month. I would subtract all of my obligations from my budget right up front and move the rest of my money to savings or paying debt or wherever it needed to be.

Then it was just a matter of trying to make my grocery and discretionary budget last. I could pretty well count on only having enough cash for spaghetti and a video by the last weekend of the month, but at least the big stuff was taken care of.

Glad to hear your furbaby is on the mend, forwardwego.


Good luck with the sales, ridmydebt. I don't have a lot of advice, but I'd try an online classified connected to a print paper. When I shop, I'd want to see a lot of pictures before I even bother making a call, which the internet is great for. But you want to make sure you get the "he who dies with the most toys wins" demographic of retirees that may read the print paper only.

(I'm thinking of a time my grandfather got it in his head he needed a windsurfer for when the kids/grandkids visited. I can only imagine what the classified ad was that piqued his interest. He lived on a little inland lake where there was never much wind, but we had a blast trying it out)

[freshnewday]

I am nearing the one year mark since I joined WIR. I love this board so much. Thank you, each one of you, for sharing your lives, your setbacks and successes! This is so very encouraging and motivational. I feel that I really need this to keep on task.

Here's my update:
freshnewday: 1/13/11, $17,051 SU63 TX (1/19/10, $41,981.59)

WellsFargo (6%):
On 1/19/10 I owed $41,981.59.
Today (1/13/11) I owe $17,051.
Total paid since joining: $24,930.59 (59%)

[speechchick71]

Well.....I just got my credit card statement from the only account that has an interest rate. If all goes well, by this time next month, that card will have a $0 balance! I had to pay about $29 in interest charges and I'm hoping that that will be the only interest I pay at all in the year 2011. How about THAT for a goal!

Freshnewday: I'm with you about being thankful for the board and how we can share. Its a great outlet. And you've done an amazing job....you've paid off just a hair under $25k!!! Fantastic!

[redracerris]

It sounds like after a time of bad things happening, a lot of good things are going on for everyone. That is so good to hear!

Good luck to those who are selling things, I know how difficult it can be.

Haha, I'm going after yet another job. This time it's actually something in the field that I graduated in: entry level graphic artist! It's with a print company and I'm having my second interview tomorrow! I'm really excited, because I really enjoyed the first interview. And we just caved in and bought a reliable $1500 car so that I can drive there and back. I'm hoping that I get it and that the pay is at least $10/hour, b/c it's a full time job woohoo, first full time job since my summer intern with WA state.

[suzwantstobefree]

Red, I am crossing my fingers for you Good Luck.

Speech - you are so close, I am so excited for you

[ready4achange]

So I'm back. I had begin posting on here in Sept of 2009. Well my life got crazy busy, found out I was prego, moved one state over, DH got new job, delivered LO, etc. But now I'm back. And I'm serious about getting some debit paid off!!! I hope I remember the correct format. Please correct me if I'm not doing something right. (and I hope this new table thing works out. lol)

Ready4achange: 01/14/11 $5627.95, SU7 (alabama)

Loan	Starting	Current	Paid Off
Overdraft 18%	$274	$274	$0
LOC 10.8%	$1,821	$1,821	$0
CC#1 10.8%	$3,482	$3,482	$0
CC#2	$53	$53	$0
Totals	$5,631	$5,631	$0

[ready4achange]

woohoo... the table wasn't that hard :-)

[Deleted]

Welcome back ready4achange!

What is your plan of attack for your race? Are you going to snowball by balance? by interest rate?

Is there "extra" money in your budget that you can redirect towards your debt?

For me, it is really critical that I have a concrete game plan.

[ready4achange]

craftysarah: Thanks. My major plan is to snowball. Also, I hope to use our income tax refund to completely pay off the LOC. Hopefull cc#2 will be paid off at least by next month. Then I should be able to snowball the previous payments toward cc#3 which has the higher balance. My goal is to be debt free except for my car payment (which I didn't include in this race) by the end of this year. I am trying very hard to budget better this year and also to become a more frugal and thrifty shopper. I've been using coupons but I really want to take that up a notch. I'm looking for additional ways to cut spending. Such as seeing if it would be cost effective for me to just pay the early termination fees for our cable bill contract and just stick to the basics "free" local channels. I was so proud. I called today and made some adjustments to our cell phone bill and was able to cut it by $30 a month.

Thanks craftysarah, you are so right I do need a concrete game plan and also accountability. Thus, I re-joined WIRR