Monday, April 28, 2008

Comments

I can't believe that last p0ast got no comments. You people sure are hard to impress! I'll work on it ;)

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

TEH BIG UPDATE

Okay, so I know you've all been waiting breathlessly (well, I have!), and it's finally time for the big update I've been going on and on about. I took nearly all of my savings[1], dumped it into my checking account and paid off my 0% interest card (two weeks before the interest rate would have kicked in, in May). Because I knew I was going to p0ast an update and I wanted the update figure to be even bigger, I even paid an extra $300 (what was left of the saving surplus after the 0% card) onto the next card in line[2]. So you see, the very fact that you are reading this blog motivates me to chip away at my debt when I could be holding onto those "little cushions" and frittering them away on bullshit! Don't you feel helpful now? :) You should!

So anyway, I am down to only two credit cards left to pay off now, and a pretty hefty-size chunk I owe my mom. But there's progress, and do you want to see it? In all it's numerical-form glory?!?!!?!?


Total Debt Paid Off Since November, 2007: $10,337.99


In FIVE MONTHS, BABY YEAH!



[1] Aside from $900, because you get a special higher interest rate on everything up to $800 in both savings and checking, and I've made it a point to be above that in both accounts for some time now, in order to milk as much interest as possible out of the system. I like the interest, oh yes I do.
[2] ..which is now my highest interest rate card, at a whopping 4.99% locked for life. Whoo!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

In the meantime..

...sorry, no big financial update here :) Still waiting for payday and just trying to curb spending in the meantime. Airbear's been recovering from dental surgery the last few days so I bought a bunch of soft/liquid food but otherwise it's been pretty quiet around here. A little boring, but boring is cheap, so there's that :) He's being a trooper, too. Just eating his pudding and soup without complaint. He also thanked me for taking care of him, and said, "I'm glad I have a partner... someone I can rely on. I don't know what I would have done back in (the place he used to live before he met me)."

Awww. He's a good one.

Sticking around the house to keep an eye on him while he's doped up has also had the positive side effect of some forced work time, and guess what - I finished the portfolio!! Everything is submitted to my teacher for approval, and as soon as she okay's it (which I think she will, without changes, if the past is any indication) I will get to print out the remaining five entries, stick them in the binder, and call it done. I don't think I've really realized that it's finished yet, because I keep thinking "Oh, I should work on ...." ha! I don't have to anymore, take that! I'm always confused for awhile when a big project ends and I don't have something to stress out over ;)

Anyway, that's the news from here. Will post later this week when I pay off the 0% card and have a big exciting update figure!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Hey, check it out!

Morningstar offers free online classes about investing, apparently. They cover the basics and get into the "nitty gritty" according to some financial blog I was reading. And no, I don't think it's the morningstar that makes the fake meat. I think it's some big investing company or mutual index or some f'ing thing[1]. I'm just too lazy to look it up right now, but I know I've read the name several times in my financial blog-trolling. Anyway, I'm going to look into it! Right now I've got an investment broker (!canyoubelieveit!) who also happens to be the investment broker for my disgustingly rich employer, so I figure he's doing pretty well and the fees are low. But I want to understand this whole thing much better than I do (which is, currently, not at all).

I am going to be a financial genius.

[1] I think it's a pine tree in China. Actually.[2]

[2] My mom will get that joke.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Did I already post this?

This is a big long list full of inspirational money blog stories. I particularly like the "getting rid of debt" section, obviously. I like reading this stuff. It's motivating.

I'm trying to use it to motivate me into not spending a bo-jillion dollars on Airbear's birthday. Don't tell him ;)