Delphinus317
New Member
Joined: Jan 19, 2011 9:10:09 GMT -5
Posts: 35
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Post by Delphinus317 on Jan 21, 2011 8:30:03 GMT -5
Constanz... I live in Leesport now. Originally from Wilkes-Barre, I moved to Shillington with my mom when I was 14 & graduated from Mifflin. It's a small world!! 
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constanz22
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 14:32:17 GMT -5
Posts: 4,219
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Post by constanz22 on Jan 21, 2011 8:40:28 GMT -5
Constanz... I live in Leesport now. Originally from Wilkes-Barre, I moved to Shillington with my mom when I was 14 & graduated from Mifflin. It's a small world!! Holy cow! It sure is! I live about 45 minutes north of Scranton! |
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mom2-4monkeys
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:20:26 GMT -5
Posts: 144
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Post by mom2-4monkeys on Jan 21, 2011 9:12:31 GMT -5
Update: Mom2-4monkeys 1/21/11 50,356.17 (1/3/11 50,835.43 NPT3) MA | Debt | Original | 1/3/2011 | 1/21/2011 | Paid | | Capital 1 | $3,022.42 | $3,022.42 | $3,022.42 | $- | | Raymour | $463.61 | $463.61 | $445.05 | $18.56 | | BOA | $7,917.17 | $7,917.17 | $7,917.17 | $- | | Cambridge | $3,055.00 | $3,055.00 | $3,000.00 | $55.00 | | Truck | $7,821.24 | $7,821.24 | $7,415.54 | $405.70 | | Discover | $15,981.92 | $15,981.92 | $15,981.92 | $- | | Sears | $12,574.07 | $12,574.07 | $12,574.07 | $- | | Totals | $50,835.43 | $50,835.43 | $50,356.17 | $479.26 | | Savings | $- | $- | 487.86 | | |
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lark1964
Established Member
Joined: Dec 24, 2010 9:26:38 GMT -5
Posts: 434
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Post by lark1964 on Jan 21, 2011 11:40:19 GMT -5
The name. I *like* the name! |
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redwagon
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 14:16:11 GMT -5
Posts: 2,642
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Post by redwagon on Jan 21, 2011 11:47:34 GMT -5
lark - I'm sure it'll be great once we get going, but his student loan payment is pretty big and is due before he gets his first check, so we'll have to do some shuffling. I usually pay bills when I get them, not when they are due to get them out of the way asap.
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mom2-4monkeys
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:20:26 GMT -5
Posts: 144
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Post by mom2-4monkeys on Jan 21, 2011 15:48:42 GMT -5
Thanks Lark... i love my "monkeys"
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nidena
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 28, 2010 20:32:26 GMT -5
Posts: 3,648
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Post by nidena on Jan 21, 2011 20:54:07 GMT -5
I'm headed to Knoxville, TN next Saturday and plan to stop in Lexington, VA as a halfway point Saturday night. Anyone along the way? Would love to meet up.
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meltingdebt
Initiate Member
Joined: Jan 2, 2011 14:27:17 GMT -5
Posts: 90
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Post by meltingdebt on Jan 22, 2011 9:08:54 GMT -5
Update 1/22/11 meltingdebt $19,228.91 (1/1/10 $30844.93) | DEBT | Original Balance 01/01/10 | Current Balance | Change | | Cable | $136.84 | $0.00 | 136.84 | | Cell phone | $367.54 | $0.00 | 367.54 | | Clothing Store | $512.46 | $0.00 | 512.46 | | CC #1 | $742.37 | $0.00 | 742.37 | | CC #2 | $1,168.00 | $849.61 | 318.39 | | CC #3 | $9,499.62 | $7,376.11 | 2,123.51 | | BCC #1 | $4,818.91 | $0.00 | 4,818.91 | | BCC #2 | $13,599.19 | $11,003.19 | 2,596.00 | | Total | $30,844.93 | $19,228.91 | 11,616.02 |
| Account | Original balance 01/01/10 | Current Balance | Change | | Savings | $0.00 | $160.00 | $160.00 | | Emergency | $0.00 | $591.73 | $591.73 | | Vacation | $0.00 | $828.08 | $828.08 | | IRA | $0.00 | $2,371.76 | $2,371.76 | | Total | $0.00 | $3,951.57 | $3,951.57 |
I have been trying to post an update every week. This way, I know I will sit down every week, open up the mail and balance my check book. I have also been holding onto my grocery store receipts. Whatever money I save in sales and /or coupons, I have transferring that money directly into a savings account. I have to say since the beginning of the year, my anxiety about my debt is slowly starting to disappear. I feel like I have a little bit more wiggle room every week. However, I am trying very hard to not use that extra wiggle room to buy things unnecessarily, and it is very hard. |
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meltingdebt
Initiate Member
Joined: Jan 2, 2011 14:27:17 GMT -5
Posts: 90
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Post by meltingdebt on Jan 22, 2011 9:21:05 GMT -5
delphinus I used to live in Reading and graduated from Kutztown U! What part of Berks Co. are you from?! Constanz22, I also graduated from Kutztown U. I graduated in 1994 was a science major. When did you graduate? |
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meltingdebt
Initiate Member
Joined: Jan 2, 2011 14:27:17 GMT -5
Posts: 90
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Post by meltingdebt on Jan 22, 2011 9:23:33 GMT -5
I have had a quiet morning, just catching up on the boards. I have to say I am very proud to be a part of this amazing group of women.
You are all truly inspiring! Keep up the amazing work everyone.
Irishmaude: Congratulations on the house.
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constanz22
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 14:32:17 GMT -5
Posts: 4,219
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Post by constanz22 on Jan 22, 2011 9:33:57 GMT -5
delphinus I used to live in Reading and graduated from Kutztown U! What part of Berks Co. are you from?! Constanz22, I also graduated from Kutztown U. I graduated in 1994 was a science major. When did you graduate? Are you serious?!! I graduated in 1993!! What a small, small world! |
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munjoyhill
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 23, 2010 9:06:30 GMT -5
Posts: 181
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Post by munjoyhill on Jan 24, 2011 9:13:06 GMT -5
Update Munjoyhill 1/24/11 $145,137.66 ($155,240.30 6/18/09) | Debt | Starting Amt | 1/24/2011 | Difference | | HELOC | $30,340.30 | $20,721.84 | $9,618.46 | | Mortgage | $125,000.00 | $124,415.82 | $584.18 | | Totals | $155,340.30 | $145,137.66 | $10,202.64 |
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lark1964
Established Member
Joined: Dec 24, 2010 9:26:38 GMT -5
Posts: 434
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Post by lark1964 on Jan 24, 2011 9:40:48 GMT -5
I'M COLD!!! I'M COLD!!! I'M COLD!!!
And I got my PGW bill, and it's no surprise that it's $209, but I'M COLD!!! And my temp is down to 60 in the house!!! I'M COLD!!!
gripegripegripegripegripegripegripegripegripegripegripegripegripegripegripegripegripegripe
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IrishMaude
New Member
Joined: Dec 28, 2010 9:45:22 GMT -5
Posts: 30
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Post by IrishMaude on Jan 25, 2011 11:15:58 GMT -5
So, selling left over wedding items has proven to be helpful. With that 'found' money we are saving half and putting the other half towards a few small non-racing debts. DH is in the process of selling a vintage car he and my BIL own together. It's a 1966 Pontiac and the spilt profit will go into savings.
We are actively still searching for a home without much avail. It's ok, though, we aren't in a HUGE rush to start paying a mortgage and honestly, we refuse to spend our hard earned cash on something we only like. We are prequalified on DH salary alone which we did on purpose. The bank keeps angling to have me and my income put into the mix, but honestly, I'm paying big ol' student loans and don't want to extend our wallet beyond whats reasonable for us (read: Mr. & Mrs. IrishMaude refuse to be house poor). I think this is smart and hopefully someday I will be working a big girl job with a big girl pay check. This degree has to pay off at some point, right?
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lark1964
Established Member
Joined: Dec 24, 2010 9:26:38 GMT -5
Posts: 434
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Post by lark1964 on Jan 25, 2011 12:34:32 GMT -5
Mrs. Maude, I applaud your caution! When I was qualified for my mtg, I reduced my income to what it HAD been, not what I was making because I knew the contract would go away in 6 months, and boy, oh, boy, you should have heard the pressure I got from the mortgage company, "But you can afford this much more!" I didn't WANT it!
Also... as I mentioned, I have NO plans to move. If you can find a place where you're happy with the size, happy with the condition, aware you may have to do repairs and are OK with that, happy with the schools, etc., you'll be in better shape than most people. I am always appalled when I hear someone talk about, "Well, five years from now when we have a family and buy UP..." Or the, "Well, when we retire and sell this place and get a smaller one..." Why?
McMansions are more than people need, unless you plan to stay in the them for 20 years, and why wouldn't you want your kids to be there with you long term if that's what you get? And - if you think you're over-buying, chances are it's going to be a lot harder to unload the place! My brother and his now-ex-wife bought a McMansion, it cost them a fortune, and then it was on the market for two years, price dropping, after they got divorced. They wound up selling at a $50K loss, 'course, they'd bought at $800K, so this should tell you, not a huge loss (to them!), but still, ridiculous!
Count your kids, your pets, and your cars. If you plan to have more, what is expandable? If you aren't, remember the empty room... Even the Brady Bunch had the kids in only two bedrooms! Comfort is what matters most - comfort with the neighborhood, the mortgage, and the work involved!
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mom2-4monkeys
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:20:26 GMT -5
Posts: 144
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Post by mom2-4monkeys on Jan 25, 2011 14:29:21 GMT -5
I thought we would have enough when my DH and I bought our first house. 3 bedroom ranch, good area, good school. We were planning on having 1, maybe 2 kids at most... Got pregnant with twins. ok no problem everything was still good. DH got "fixed" because we agreed 2 kids was enough. However apparently he was the 1 in however many that the "fix" didn't work. Got pregnant again with twins. Now there was not enough room for all of us. We "had to get" a bigger place, new to us van etc. If only things had gone as planned!! That's ok all is good and we are diggin out from our debt and i wouldn't trade anything for my 4 monkeys! |
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IrishMaude
New Member
Joined: Dec 28, 2010 9:45:22 GMT -5
Posts: 30
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Post by IrishMaude on Jan 25, 2011 15:35:06 GMT -5
Lark: Thank you.
Mom2: I think the difference is, is that you didn't purchase a McMansion right off the bat, nor (from what I can tell) did you purchase one after your monkeys were born. If you need room, you need room and purchasing a home to accommodate 6 people is a necessary evil as long as you're not house poor and living within your means. Bravo. And 2 sets of twins?! Wow!! Are they both identical?
The area in which we live is VERY HEAVILY influenced by the Manhattan elite. Being we live in the "cheap 'burbs" of Manhattan, each and every single well-off Manhattan family comes here to raise their family in the "country". Obviously, purchasing a home with grass/land and quiet is going to be cheaper than $3k-$5k month rent in the city; so they buy. Toll Brothers has invaded this area. Every other farmer is selling off their land to TB and then they build McMansions. This drives up assessments, taxes, etc. thus pushing natives, like us, to move further away from work, family, etc. We aren't low income like a few Realtors around here have pointed out to us. We are normal, working, early-30ies couple trying to survive. I don't envy the McMansions and the $3500 mth mortgage payment. I don't envy the giant bling, cars, furniture, and vacation homes they all boast. That's all stuff. Stuff that can be taken away as easily as it was obtained. Just because the mortgage company speculates that we're low-income, we're not. We're being responsible. We have a down payment. We have excellent credit. We have minimal debt. To me, buyers like Mr. IMaude and I are the furthest thing from "low-income". Unfortunately buyers like us aren't valued. It's ok though. We aren't being bullied into something over budget.
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mom2-4monkeys
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:20:26 GMT -5
Posts: 144
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Post by mom2-4monkeys on Jan 25, 2011 16:28:15 GMT -5
And 2 sets of twins?! Wow!! Are they both identical?
Nope not at all. Two girls, look kind of alike but can definitely tell them apart. The boys are VERY different. One with brown hair brown eyes and one blond and blue eyes.
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Minnesotagirl7
Well-Known Member
Joined: Dec 27, 2010 11:43:59 GMT -5
Posts: 1,826
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Post by Minnesotagirl7 on Jan 26, 2011 8:33:20 GMT -5
The Midwest has a new winner! Head on over and congratulate urdoingit on her win!!!  |
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GirlGreen
Initiate Member
Joined: Dec 22, 2010 17:07:23 GMT -5
Posts: 97
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Post by GirlGreen on Jan 26, 2011 8:40:18 GMT -5
Snowy morning update for me- GirlGreen: 1/26/2011 $17293.35 (1/27/10 $22,141.63 NEU75/334) | | Starting Balance | 1/26/2011 | Difference | | Student Loan | $10341.63 | $5840.6 | $4501.03 | | Car Loan | $11800 | $11452.75 | $347.25 | | Total | $22141.63 | $17293.35 | $4848.28 | 21.90% |
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oceanfire31
New Member
Joined: Dec 23, 2010 8:22:07 GMT -5
Posts: 27
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Post by oceanfire31 on Jan 26, 2011 9:35:58 GMT -5
Oceanfire31: 1/22/2011 $12,907.73 (09/07/09 $22,908.15 NE679, NE692) | 12/22/10 | 1/22/11 | Difference | | CC: Closed | $0 | $0 | | SL1: $864.38 @ 3.360 | $864.38 | -$0 | | SL2: $12,132.80 @ 3.2 | $12,043.35 | -$89.45 | | Total Debt $12,997.18 | $12,907.73 | -$89.45 |
SAVINGS | 12/22/10 | 1/22/11 | Difference | | Savings/EF $50.00 | $50.00 | $0 | | Scotland $0 | $0 | $0 | | Moving $300 | $850 | +$550 | | Rothe @ 2.25 $847.23 | $847.23$0 | $0 |
Nothing much to say this month just waiting for my tax refund to come in so I can make a dent in my SL 1. I have closed my CC with Citi and now am on my husbands card so I can still have a CC if necessary. All I have to say is that the temptation to spend gets really cut down when you know your DH is going to be analyzing everything you do with a microscope. Went to the knee doctor and he thinks I have a tear in my medial meniscus, inner knee , so going in for an MRI. Otherwise have taken up quilting and knitting to pass the long hours of winter. |
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Post by idlecrush on Jan 26, 2011 10:49:21 GMT -5
So I've decided to pay off my citicard first, even though it's a lower interest rate. Citi has this plan that if you pay over your minimum for 6 months, you will accrue statement credits up to $550 that will be applied to your balance. The card limit will be lowered, but I'm going to close it when I'm done paying off my credit cards anyway so I can handle that. I can't turn down free money and I've talked to a citibank rep that confirmed that the money goes to your balance.
idlecrush
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IrishMaude
New Member
Joined: Dec 28, 2010 9:45:22 GMT -5
Posts: 30
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Post by IrishMaude on Jan 26, 2011 12:14:13 GMT -5
idle: That sounds like a great offer from them! Wow!! Who doesn't love free money?!
So, with all things working like they should, DH and I are planning on taking a little chunk of our tax return money and the money from the vintage car and finish off the last little bit of our race. The little over $3k we have left is a personal loan from the credit union at 12%; the remaining balance from the transmission we put into DH's POS Chevy Malibu last March 2010. That car is STILL haunting us...no, I'm not bitter. The payment is $196 a month and we pay $250. With that $250 a month no longer going to the credit union, we will be able to snowball that onto our mortgage or my SL's. This makes me smile ear to ear. We recently paid off DH's discover card that was 0% balance transfer and also a lingering $500 on a chase card which was at 5.99%. Having all of our financial ducks in a row has alleviated so much stress on us, even though sometimes I feel we still mess up, we know now how to fix it and can right the wrong so there is no next time. Once we pay off that loan, we will have a "set up the new budget" party night and go from there.
I have applied for a(nother) big girl job in the field of which I studied. It's exciting to think that everyday I could go to work and LOVE what I'm doing. And not only love what I'm doing, but helping humanity while I'm doing it. It's a loooong commute, but it is $20k more a year than I'm currently making and added happiness. So, we're hoping for the best! Sorry for all of my rambling. I'm bored at work and felt like writing it all down! Cheers.
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Post by idlecrush on Jan 26, 2011 12:21:39 GMT -5
For those of you that have/had student loans:
How do you deal with the huge payments? I'm with Sallie Mae and my loans are in forbearance because I can't afford the 400 a month payment. I'm throwing every penny onto my credit cards to pay them off as much as I can before October when they go up again. My biggest payment will be 548 dollars for 4 years! How am I going to be able to afford this? I have $38,000 to pay off total. Is there a way to go about paying them off without losing your sanity?
Thanks for your help.
idlecrush
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Post by foxybrown77 on Jan 26, 2011 12:35:00 GMT -5
UPDATE: Foxybrown77: 01/26/11 $12,303.08 (07/16/08 $80,213 NE239) Nothing much going on ladies...just chugging away. I just joined a credit union and got $20 for joining. I'm trying to get one of my friends to join so I can get $20 more for referring him. I got my service bonus from my job and had to call the payroll department to ask why the fed govt taxed my gross 25%. SMH. I put the entire bonus to my student loans and was grateful that I had it  . I know there's light at the end of the tunnel but I find myself playing my Dave Ramsey CDs at work more frequently trying to stay motivated. I don't know what the weather man was talking about yesterday....I woke up to snow in Philly  ! I mean, it was coming DOWN! LOL. Oh well....they claim we'll get the worst of it tonight. They don't have a clue. Lark: Don't get me started on PGW. I had a conversation with one of my friends the other night. She said the same thing. The heat is turned up and it's still cold in her place and mine! |
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redwagon
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 14:16:11 GMT -5
Posts: 2,642
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Post by redwagon on Jan 26, 2011 12:59:05 GMT -5
idle - we have the same problem. blue_wagon has almost $100k in SLs, and the payment just went from $400 a month to $1000 a month. Needless to say, we're doing some scrambling. His new job with a higher salary will certainly help. I don't know how you're supposed to do that if you're in a lower-paying field or on your own or just have normal life to pay for. We are trying to pay as much as possible before we start a family. Still stressful though. Good luck!
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urdoingit
Established Member
May the road rise to meet you ...
Joined: Dec 23, 2010 8:04:56 GMT -5
Posts: 480
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Post by urdoingit on Jan 26, 2011 16:25:40 GMT -5
Foxybrown77 and Redwagon: Thanks! I've been in a state of shock all day that I actually reached the end of Race 1! Now I have to fire up my engines for Race 2 which will be mortage and HELOC. Race on!
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lark1964
Established Member
Joined: Dec 24, 2010 9:26:38 GMT -5
Posts: 434
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Post by lark1964 on Jan 28, 2011 9:41:57 GMT -5
Foxybrown77I don't know what the weather man was talking about yesterday....I woke up to snow in Philly ! I mean, it was coming DOWN! LOL. Oh well....they claim we'll get the worst of it tonight. They don't have a clue. Lark: Don't get me started on PGW. I had a conversation with one of my friends the other night. She said the same thing. The heat is turned up and it's still cold in her place and mine! Wednesday on WYSP about 9am, I was on the road TRYING to get to work (I did finally give up) and Spike, the 9am DJ was on a little early, and he started RANTING about the TV forecasters to the DJs who were still on from the early show, he said he'd actually been admonished by some CBS producer (WYSP is CBS radio) when he'd said something about the CBS forecaster being the "cute weather girl", the producer asked was he referring to the college-educated meteorologist? So here he was yelling, YES, he remembers she's been to college, but so has HE, and by the way, even HE can tell - not being a meteorologist, but a JOURNALISM major - IT WAS SNOWING, FOLKS! He went on for about 2-3 minutes, actually, it was really funny, he was downright furious, and he had everyone in the studio (and me in my car) cracking up laughing! I really needed to get to work, too, I have a tape library having a drive problem, and I simply haven't been able to fix it, and so I tried yesterday - I really did! - to dig out my driveway and my car, and I spent 90 minutes, and I was so proud of myself at 7am, doing this, and then I realized: I live in the middle of the house row! I may have gotten out of the 18 inches in my driveway, but it was 18 inches all along the drive, 7 houses up to my left, 12 houses down to my right! There was NO WAY I was escaping!  I don't want a truck, I really don't. I certainly can't afford to buy one. But my neighbor on the other side of the drive was the only person able to just drag his way through that snow yesterday, with his big Chevy SUV with the 4-wheel drive... *sigh* And PGW... gad. I was listening to all these ads for the January 1 cap lift, everyone's trying to get on the bandwagon to get people to switch from PECO and PGW, and the truth is, they all charge the same, it's just "switch over to us and for a year we'll do this" - but it's only good for a year, then they're just as expensive (if not more so) as the others... I may budget for this, I may know in December, January, and February, my gas will go up, just like in July and August, I know my electricity will go up from the a/c (I try not to use THAT too much, either!), but the fact of the matter is - it's just freakin' expensive!! |
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Post by belladisastre on Jan 28, 2011 15:26:20 GMT -5
UPDATE: Before I update, I have amazing news! ::drumroll because I'm super ecstatic...... I got a job! And I'm starting Monday!  Since so much positivity has been happening lately, I've made a new set of goals for 2011 (which I will put after my numbers update)... here goes... belladisastre: 1/28/11 $23,635.51 (1/20/10 $26,667.02)CC#1: $13,367.27 (-$108.11) CC#2: $ 1,867.80 (-$50.00) CC#3: $ 1,995.31 (-$20.00) CC#4: $ 739.44 (-$21.95) CC#5: $ 675.66 (-$50.00) CL: $ 3,910.60 (-$327.23) SL#1: $ 521.43 (-$52.80) SL#2: $ 558.00 (-$50.00) EF: $ 277.00 (+$224.74) and growing, because I'm still going to remain positive. I have no idea how to do the table that you all do, which looks so nice... so I hope my update above is ok!!! Now, my 2011 goals: 1) Pay off CC #5 2) Pay off CC #4 3) Pay off CC #3 4) Pay off SL #1 5) Pay off SL #2 6) Pay off CL When I'm able to make all that happen, it will free up $558.80 per month. Cheers to racing!!!
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Post by belladisastre on Jan 28, 2011 15:55:40 GMT -5
belladisastre: 1/28/11 $23,635.51 (1/20/10 $26,667.02)I have no idea how to do the table that you all do, which looks so nice... so I hope my update above is ok!!! After finding a nifty link, I'm going to attempt the table: | Debts | January '11 | Difference | | CC #1 | 13,367.27 | -108.11 | | CC #2 | 1,867.80 | -50.00 | | CC #3 | 1,995.31 | -20.00 | | CC #4 | 739.44 | -21.95 | | CC #5 | 675.66 | -50.00 | | CL | 3,910.60 | -327.23 | | SL #1 | 521.43 | -52.80 | | SL #2 | 558.00 | -50.00 | | BALANCE | 23,635.51 | -680.09 |
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. I know there's light at the end of the tunnel but I find myself playing my Dave Ramsey CDs at work more frequently trying to stay motivated.
! I mean, it was coming DOWN! LOL. Oh well....they claim we'll get the worst of it tonight. They don't have a clue.
