International Region, Women in Red Racers

[bankergurl]

$100K List updated as of 5/1/11!
notmsnmoney.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=wir&thread=2929&page=2

[debtheaven]

Idawn, I'm sorry about the other kitty! Hope all goes well! And congrats for DH's being done with his BK! I'm sure things will speed up now with his extra income.

I have an interview for a business school job for Sept! He in interviewing three people (including me) for one PT position. I can't see him Thurs afternoon so it will be either VERY early Thurs morning or I'll go to the other campus (about two hours away) on Friday. He was impressed that I was willing to do that. I'll find out which tomorrow. This is actually the business school DS2 goes to!

I hope I was right not to say "no problem for Thurs afternoon" and just cancel my adult-ed classes that day, since I REALLY want that job. I missed two weeks at my Thurs job while we were away (although the classes were covered) and I didn't want to miss a third week. Plus, I really need the money.

And to my relief, my old business school asked me to do testing hours next week. I had NO hours at my new adult-ed job for next week so that works out really well.

[el1504]

Idawn - congratulations on your DH finishing bankrupcy. I know that whole process has been a strain for you so I hope you both take some time to celebrate. Yeah on the extra in DH's paychecks! Karma to you!

[financiallyfreeinbc]

Idawn-Yay for him being all done! Now you can focus even more on amazing change since you will not have to worry he is making too much money! That is a great place to be!

DebtHeaven-good luck on your interview. It is great to hear that the interviews for Sept are being done now so you don't have to stress about work all summer.

[ldawngirl]

UPDATE

ldawngirl: 5/02/11 | $8,237 (1/4/10 | $27,993 | IU10)

$19,756 (70.6%) paid off

Woot! I was just feeling like getting under $8,000 was taking forever, but then I saw the 70% paid off, so that makes me feel better! And with the next payment, I'll be under $8,000 finally!

Thanks for all the well wishes on DF's bankruptcy. Still no official letter saying he's done though. I don't know why I'm so nervous as the math speaks for itself, but until we have it, I'm going to be just a teeny bit anxious!

DH - Congrats and good luck on the interview! I think it's fair for you to say you can't make Thursday afternoon if you have class. That shows that you're committed to your work and that's something I'm sure he's looking for.

[el1504]

DH - I agree with Idawn. I think that the company interviewing you will appriciate that you are committed to your teaching and will be looking for that in anyone they hire.

[Minnesotagirl7]

Shoutouts!

InDebtYogini- Wow, great update and all sorts of fabulous milestones on the horizon! I’m so glad things are going well with your DBF.
EL1504- I like option #2, where everything is paid off in October. And look at your numbers! We’re going to have another winner in no time!
Idawngirl- Oh no with the other kitty! I hope they are done being sick now. Great news about DH’s bankruptcy, what a relief. And nice update, over 70% paid off. You’re cruisin’! ;D
debtheaven- Sending good juju across the see for your interview!
ffinbc- Nice to hear from you, hope things are going well.

[Minnesotagirl7]

Smiley update!!!

=$100, ;D=$500, =$1,000, =$5,000, = $10,000, = $25,000, = $75,000, = $100,000, =$200,000, = Location Needed

debtheaven[4]: 2/23/11 $0 (11/25/2009 $11,500 I257) ;D
alicesfreedom: 4/18/11 $10,162.71 (9/2/2009 $25,341.42 I226, IPT4)
bubbleepink: 4/11/11 $36,773.58 (4/17/2009 $41,648.59 N178, IPT7, IPT9) ;D
financiallyfreeinbc: 12/24/10 $0 (1/5/2010 $28,343.05 IU13)
EL1504[2]: 4/30/11 $1,033.00 (3/19/2010 $6,751.42 IU62)
Idawngirl: 5/2/11 $8,237 (1/4/2010 $27,993 IU10) ;D
InDebtYogini: 4/29/11 $5,213.53 (9/19/2007 $14,490.83 N559)
Thrifty_in_mtl: 3/21/11 $177,765.59 (1/6/2009 $201,231.48 IU142)
Writer88: 1/4/11 $0 (12/21/2006 $27,917 IU51) ;D
ZsDebt: 4/2/11 $40,402.31 (1/7/2010 $59,198.18 IU16) ;D

[financiallyfreeinbc]

Minnesota- things are actually going very well right now. Hubby got a job 3 hours after losing his old one... he makes less at this one but he is full time so I can't complain!

I am finally settling down after the win and DH's pending job loss- he got a severance package which we have now put into TFSA's for our emergency funds, bought extra RRSPs and a new TV!

We got decent tax returns so that, and most everything extra is going to planned spending/general savings.

It was tough for me emotionally for a while there... didn't know how to feel being debt free (I was grateful and excited but at the same time felt wild and out of control for some reason. It was a weird time) I struggled with doing a little extra spending when we had been on lock down for so long but I have mellowed out/relaxed a little knowing that my total planned spending/savings will work out to my goal. Now, I am very happy when I look at LOC and CC balances of 0!

This list was a huge part of that success!! I am grateful for all of you!

[rpprt]

Hi International Members!
Head on over to the Northeast to congratulate our newest winner - wantanewjob - and she got a new job!

[debtheaven]

Thank you FF, El, Idawn and Minnesota. I'm glad you think I did the right thing. The interview is Friday afternoon in the other city, and he said he'd give us his answer by Tuesday. Fingers crossed! I REALLY REALLY want this!

And I found a vacation rental for this summer today! It's a bit more than we had planned to spend, but a fraction of what going abroad would have been. I'm very relieved! And DS2 is thrilled to be coming home in two weeks, so it all worked out.

FFBC
It sounds like things are going very well for you now, I'm so happy for you! I'm always happy when you pop in with updates!

PS Our banker (technically credit union-er) told me, no, they can't consolidate the rental mortgage and rental reno loans. She didn't give me a reason, but I'm not prepared to fight her on that.

[zsdebt]

Sorry for the delay in the update but I'm just waiting until Friday as it is payday and I will be able to pay off one more CC!!

Good luck on your interview debtheaven!

[el1504]

FFBC - Congratulations to DH for getting a new job and to you for learning how to relax a little with your money. I'm sending Karma your way.

My DH was laughing the other day when I said something about how we have some luxurys in our budget. He doesn't see it that way... where as I think well we could have paid off the cc by now if we had pared right down to the bone.

[el1504]

In lline with my comment above. I think at least initally I am going to go with option 1 which will see the last of my debts (that I'm not racing) paid in October. As much as I want to pay everything off I also want to give us some extra room for some fun things that we can do together when I'm not here at work or at home sleeping!

That and I really want new chairs for the dining table the one we have we inherited from my parents who had them as long as I've been alive (35 years) and some are really quite broken and I don't like people sitting on them. So I might use that extra $224 and buy some new chairs.

I'm confortable with it taking a little longer to pay of the debt as long as it is all paid off before I leave this job.

[alicesfreedom]

MMMMMMMMmmm. Not sure why but my update hasn't been updated for a while on the list.
It should be reading like this:
alicesfreedom 4/18/2011 $10,162.71 (9/2/2009 $25,341.42 I226 IPT4).
It will be down more come friday.

[debtheaven]

Z's
Thank you! Hope all is well with you!

El
Both my sister and I had old solid wooden chairs. She checked out new chairs and decided to have hers reupholstered, because she didn't want to spend the money on new chairs.

We have antique wooden chairs with straw seats (not sure what they are called in English) and we loved them but DS3 was a total bandit with them when he was little. Long story short we had them all redone.

All this to say if you LIKE or LOVE your chairs, look into fixing them up and keeping them rather than replacing them.

But if you don't like or love them, enjoy your shopping!

[el1504]

DH - the table is really old and belonged to my great great grandparents but somewhere in the past the origional chairs were replaced and these ones are really not that nice. I'd prefer to spend some money and buy really good ones which suit the table and when I pass the table (and the dresser that comes with it) on to the next generation I can pass nice chairs on as well.

[Minnesotagirl7]

alicesfreeom- I’m so sorry we missed your update! I fixed it. Can’t wait to see the next one!
debtheaven- Sounds like things are falling into place nicely.
zsdebt- Another new 0?! Woo hoo!
ffinbc- That’s very interesting to hear that you struggled a little once you won your race. I wonder how (or if!) I’ll be able to handle it. I’m so used to saying no when DH says he wants something new.

[financiallyfreeinbc]

Thanks DH and EL! I love coming and seeing how everyone is doing. You guys are rockin' it!!!

Minnesota-My emotions were everywhere!! One one hand I was very happy but it did feel a bit anti-climactic and surreal. Don't get me wrong... I was incredibly grateful that we were consumer debt free (we still have the house to pay) but I think that with all of the other insanity that was going on in my life that I just couldn't process something so positive. I think it's like any other journey... most of it is the getting there. The focus, the discipline, the sheer one-track-mind set that you need to pay off debt is so encompassing, when you can finally let it go, it is hard to do! It was for me, anyhow.

I don't think saying no to DH is necessarily a bad thing.... you will now have savings to put away for (maybe not as aggressively and hopefully you can relax a little like I finally have). You can also discuss with DH what he wants and if you agree-how you guys can save for it along with your other saving goals. Like Gail Vazoxlade says "you can have it all... you just can't have it all at once!!"

Hang in there everyone!!! You guys are doing amazing work!

[zsdebt]

I know my cc #3 has gone up quite a bit. But I'm hoping to bring it down by June after those reimbursements. On other news - I have a new zero!!!

ZsDebt: 5/6/2011, $39,143.65 (1/7/2010, $59,198.18, IU16)

Starting Debt (1/7/2010)	Current (5/6/2011)
Loan 1: 8,381.28	0
CC 1: 1,935.71	0
CC 2: 3,312.03	0
CC 3: 2,948.52	5,531.59
CC 4: 5,926.85	0
LoC: 9,928.32	9,656.61
St. Loan: 19,852.79	17,733.40
St. Loan 2: 6,912.68	6,222.05
TOTAL: $59,198.18	Current: $39,143.65

Total paid: $20,054.53

[financiallyfreeinbc]

Zs-credit card debt isn't bad if someone else is paying for it. I often use my own card for work stuff then get reimbursed. I don't really count it if it isn't my debt. Congrats on the new 0!

[debtheaven]

Alice
Great update! Can't wait to see the next one!

Z's
Congrats on the new zero! I agree, I wouldn't count debt that I knew my company was reimbursing me for. Look at is this way: even after you pay your part of that card off, you'll always have work debt that will be in the process of being reimbursed. Could you put your work expenses on another card?

I think the interview went well, but I know I don't have tons of experience, so I think it could go either way. The interviewer asked me for my head of dep't's number, but he didn't call him. I hope that's not a bad sign. I REALLY WANT this job! I should hear by Tuesday.

ETA: We sign for the studio a week from Wednesday, finally!

I also realized we'll only owe about 25e on the boiler in August, so I'm going to pay it all off in July. That way we can start our new, long-term budget in August (ie new rental mortgage without the boiler payment).

[zsdebt]

ffinbc: I love doing that just so I get the cash back on it!

debtheaven: Thanks! I don't have a work cc - but most of the expenses are just from physiotherapy - so I'm just waiting for the reimbursement on that. Plus I offered to pay for my softball team's reg. fee - so I'm expecting that money May 19 (first day of the season).

But I have also purchased a new dress and a blazer... it's been a while since I've bought anything. I figured with a new zero, it would be a nice treat for myself

[debtheaven]

I don't have a work cc - but most of the expenses are just from physiotherapy - so I'm just waiting for the reimbursement on that. Plus I offered to pay for my softball team's reg. fee - so I'm expecting that money May 19 (first day of the season).

Congrats on the new clothes to celebrate your zero! In that case, could you use one of your zero-balance CCs for the things that you know you will be reimbursed for? It's just to make it easier to keep track of the numbers on the card you are "racing".

[debtheaven]

The focus, the discipline, the sheer one-track-mind set that you need to pay off debt is so encompassing, when you can finally let it go, it is hard to do! It was for me, anyhow.

FFBC, I think I've read your comments 10 times today. Although I'm not racing the boiler loan, I am two months away from being completely consumer debt free. I used to think that when I finally got there we'd immediately take out a 10K double-glazing loan. Ha! No way LOL!

This month is my FOUR YEAR WIRR anniversary. After July I will only have rental / mortgage debt (80K). I'm kind of wondering, what's next? I'm not looking to save (I know that sounds nuts but it's true) because my "races" have been all about lowering our monthly payments to live more comfortably within our means. We consider our rentals "forced savings".

But it feels weird to be just two months and 350e away from that point. I redid our budget tonight to see if it would change anything, frankly no, everything else has gone up: water, natural gas, electricity, car gas, taxes, etc. Plus I have half of DD's college to pay for, which is really stressing me out.

I've been talking for months about getting to a point where I can just "set it and forget it" but now that I'm finally nearly there, it feels really weird / scary.

[debtheaven]

This message has been deleted.

[debtheaven]

Sorry, I posted one of my novels, and found the answer. So I deleted it and spared y'all LOL.

If when we close on 18 May I find out for sure that the seller hasn't done anything about the building reno (which seems pretty obvious at this point), I'm going to put that 2.5K towards the existing reno loan, which will shave about 20 months off the 59 month loan, and bring it down from under 9.5K to under 7K.

I do realize that we risk re-borrowing that money later, but I figure a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. For better or worse, we are much better at paying down debt than saving (which is why we have the rentals, ie forced savings). We both have savings, we refuse to use them. And we often get low-rate credit offers. They're not for a lot, but they are for up to 4K which would cover the new reno loan, if need be.

By the way, our new bunny Shadow arrived this week. He is adorable. I'm very nice to him but frankly I just can't manage to warm to him, it still feels too soon. He is black, Muffin was white with camel spots and it just seems weird to see a little black bunny instead of a hefty white and camel one. Happily DD doesn't feel the same way. DS3 is somewhere in the middle. I'm sure it's just a question of time.

The vet insisted on seeing him for a check-up. I told DD that is ridiculous, he just arrived, vaccinated, etc. The vet apparently went nuts over him and wants DD to send her photos so she can put them up on the wall along with the cats and dogs.

When DD took out her card to pay for the visit, the vet told DD to put it away, she wouldn't accept a penny. I thought that was so incredibly sweet of her!

[el1504]

DH - Just wanted to let you know that I got your comments on the other thread. Thanks thats what I keep trying to tell myself (its so much easier now!)

[debtheaven]

I'm glad you did El!

I deleted my posts because they weren't about me, they were about my friend. They were TMI, so I didn't feel comfortable about leaving them out there. But I'm glad you saw them!

I love them to bits, and I know they feel the same way about us. I would never want to do anything to harm our relationship.

[debtheaven]

This message has been deleted.