Sunday, November 30, 2008
Nodding off
Payday did arrive, which is always nice, but so did a lot of other exhausting things. I'll update later (although maybe not until the next payday when I can make a substantial debt payment). Just too tired right now. Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving, and were able to spend some time appreciating the people that love & take care of you. *Hugs&Smoochies*
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Impatient!
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG Seriously this pay period is lasting forrreeevvvveeerrrr. I was really excited to make a much-bigger-than-normal payment to The Bank of Mom, but now that I have I am so absolutely impatient for the next payday to get here. I've been looking at my 2009 savings goals (woo hoo, so excited!), and reading forum posts over at the Savers thread to get inspired. Well, and really just to have something to do so that I'm not actually counting minutes or something like that. But it's getting out of hand. I can refrain from spending, but I can't make time pass any faster and gosh darnit I want to! I am getting so close now, and there's only one little row left in the spreadsheet with a debt number in it.
GAAAHHHH!!!
GAAAHHHH!!!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Time is the justice that examines all offenders...
You know how it sometimes seem that a-holes can just keep on being a-holes and they never get what's coming to them, and some people that are good people and try hard and do what's right just get screwed? And then everybody starts to get real cynical, and ya think that there's no force in the universe that's going to do anything about it--that "the right thing" only happens in cheesy summer blockbusters, or that bad guys only get their just deserts in cartoons?
Well this time is not that time, ladies and gentlemen!
And there was much rejoicing.. (*yay*)
Well this time is not that time, ladies and gentlemen!
And there was much rejoicing.. (*yay*)
Friday, November 14, 2008
P.S.
I also thought I would note that the number below represents 58.1% of my annual income from last year. That seems like a lot!
For Auld Lang Syne
I know, New Years is still quite a ways off. But this is even more exciting than New Years, and without the champagne headache to boot. Today[1] marks the one-year anniversary of my Debt Resolution! It's hard to believe, but one year ago I sat down, wrote out all my debts, had a major freak out, and then started making serious strides toward financial security.
I've worked really hard during the last twelve months, and have pinched every penny and watched every dime. I was never really a big shopper, but I stopped doing all the little self-indulgent things like going out for Mexican food when I was having a bad day at work, or frittering money away at the pub when I didn't really need to drink. I even tried to be rational about presents, which is really hard for me, and for which I got a lot of support from my loved ones. Most importantly, I started blogging it where I knew a couple people (hi Mom!) would read it. I need to have accountability[2].
In the last 12 months, I have had some "minor" accomplishments:
* contributed just shy of $2500 to retirement funds
* paid my car insurance (twice) and tuition in cash with money I had saved ahead of time
* drastically reduced the number of times per month we go out to eat
...and some major ones:
* paid off ALL OF MY CREDIT CARD DEBT![3]
* canceled all but four credit cards, the best ones
* doubtlessly improved my credit ratio[4]
Unfortunately I did not pay off all of my debt entirely - that would have been a really awesome accomplishment to list. But at this point, I only have my loan from my mom (which is now more than half paid off!) and my school loan, which I am not going to bother racing down. Its interest rate is so low I actually make more money paying the minimum and keeping money in my savings account. Crazy.
Anyway, down to one debt payment a month, which is at 0% and should be pretty easy to snowball from here on out. I'm feeling really excited about the progress I've made, although I am of course anxious to finish paying off mom. Imagine, no debt... all money toward savings... wow! Only $3,200 stands in between me and total debt freedom (except the school loan, see above). Just a little bit further!
Wanna know the total? I know you do! *drumroll*
TOTAL PAID IN YEAR 1 OF DEBT RESOLUTION: $24,405.46
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Well technically that comes in two days. But I got paid today so I did the whole bill paying thing, and I do my updates after the mid-month pay check. It's close enough.
[2] Or more likely I just get a big enough kick out of bragging about my accomplishments that I knew that would drive me to succeed ;)
[3] Sorry about the overly exuberant text emphasis ... I get a little carried away ;)
[4] I'll have to check this one when I get my scores in January. But my debt-to-limit ratio has most certainly improved!
I've worked really hard during the last twelve months, and have pinched every penny and watched every dime. I was never really a big shopper, but I stopped doing all the little self-indulgent things like going out for Mexican food when I was having a bad day at work, or frittering money away at the pub when I didn't really need to drink. I even tried to be rational about presents, which is really hard for me, and for which I got a lot of support from my loved ones. Most importantly, I started blogging it where I knew a couple people (hi Mom!) would read it. I need to have accountability[2].
In the last 12 months, I have had some "minor" accomplishments:
* contributed just shy of $2500 to retirement funds
* paid my car insurance (twice) and tuition in cash with money I had saved ahead of time
* drastically reduced the number of times per month we go out to eat
...and some major ones:
* paid off ALL OF MY CREDIT CARD DEBT![3]
* canceled all but four credit cards, the best ones
* doubtlessly improved my credit ratio[4]
Unfortunately I did not pay off all of my debt entirely - that would have been a really awesome accomplishment to list. But at this point, I only have my loan from my mom (which is now more than half paid off!) and my school loan, which I am not going to bother racing down. Its interest rate is so low I actually make more money paying the minimum and keeping money in my savings account. Crazy.
Anyway, down to one debt payment a month, which is at 0% and should be pretty easy to snowball from here on out. I'm feeling really excited about the progress I've made, although I am of course anxious to finish paying off mom. Imagine, no debt... all money toward savings... wow! Only $3,200 stands in between me and total debt freedom (except the school loan, see above). Just a little bit further!
Wanna know the total? I know you do! *drumroll*
TOTAL PAID IN YEAR 1 OF DEBT RESOLUTION: $24,405.46
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Well technically that comes in two days. But I got paid today so I did the whole bill paying thing, and I do my updates after the mid-month pay check. It's close enough.
[2] Or more likely I just get a big enough kick out of bragging about my accomplishments that I knew that would drive me to succeed ;)
[3] Sorry about the overly exuberant text emphasis ... I get a little carried away ;)
[4] I'll have to check this one when I get my scores in January. But my debt-to-limit ratio has most certainly improved!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Right
Ok, now I usually try to avoid politics on this blog because politics piss people off (or pisses people off? Hmm...) but anyway I just have one thing to say.
According to the fundamental principles of my country as I have been taught them, the majority are not supposed to be able to legistlate (i.e., vote on) the rights of the minority.
That is all.
According to the fundamental principles of my country as I have been taught them, the majority are not supposed to be able to legistlate (i.e., vote on) the rights of the minority.
That is all.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Dilemmas in Paying and Spending (TM)
So when I set my goals for this month, I included paying goals (snowball the Bank of Mom debt as much as possible - particularly because my debtiversary is in 6 short days) but also spending goals (like get some of the Christmas gifts out of the way). I really like to achieve goals, so I want to do both, but obviously they are contradictory! So I suppose my choices are:
a) pay as much toward the mom debt with this check as possible, since that will make for a bigger one-year total, and wait til the end of November check for presents
2) buy some presents this weekend and a bigger (but not all-the-way big) snowball payment
iii) normal mom payment, finish Christmas shopping, then snowball until the end of the year. After all, end of 2008 is a great goal too, right?
Not like I'm going to be able to pay off all the mom debt by the end of 2008, although that would certainly be nice and give the entire new year a savings feel. But unless I get a big fat holiday present from my Big Bad Boss Lady (in the form of a hefty check), it is unlikely to happen. Boo!
Funny how I'm spending so much time wondering how to spend money I don't have yet. I guess that's not all that uncommon. But at least I'm not picking out shoes or something!
a) pay as much toward the mom debt with this check as possible, since that will make for a bigger one-year total, and wait til the end of November check for presents
2) buy some presents this weekend and a bigger (but not all-the-way big) snowball payment
iii) normal mom payment, finish Christmas shopping, then snowball until the end of the year. After all, end of 2008 is a great goal too, right?
Not like I'm going to be able to pay off all the mom debt by the end of 2008, although that would certainly be nice and give the entire new year a savings feel. But unless I get a big fat holiday present from my Big Bad Boss Lady (in the form of a hefty check), it is unlikely to happen. Boo!
Funny how I'm spending so much time wondering how to spend money I don't have yet. I guess that's not all that uncommon. But at least I'm not picking out shoes or something!
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