A look at this past August

August has been an interesting month to say the least and I’m glad that it’s almost over so I can start September anew.

In an attempt to get my finances back on track after the Jeep fiasco, I have had to take some measures that I was planning on doing with the move anyway but they were just sped up.

I sold my LG fridge for $400 on Craigslist. (We’re using the old one that came with the house and it will do for now)

I sold my treadmill for $100 on Craigslist also. (I havent been using it, it takes up alot of space and our new place has a workout room)

We have been using the credit cards (at least the ones with any room on them) for gas and groceries.

Pretty much we have been holding ourselves together with crosstitch thread and it’s been difficult but I always try to look on the bright side- there is hope and this too will pass. The hardest part has been to keep a smile on my face so Christopher wont see me worry.

I’m looking forward to September because we wont need the cards for gas/groceries and our spending plan is rolling forward those extra $ amounts from the sold items and we will be on our way back on track. The entire damage that has continued to roll forward was $1000.00 so we’re not out of the woods yet but we’re right on track.

 

Good times ahead

It’s been a crazy couple of days but so many good things have happened!

First of all, I decided to cancel the Debt Management Program. I overreacted to the situation and I’m determined to work this out on my own. I dont really want to be locked into a program for the next four years of my life when I have all the tools I need. It hadnt actually started so no harm done.

Secondly, I traded in my beloved Jeep for a Toyota Corolla using the Cash for Clunkers program. They gave me $4500 towards the Corolla and the savings in gas mileage will practially make the payment each month. The Jeep was getting 15 miles to the gallon whereas the Corolla gets 30 miles to the gallon. I drive about 40 miles each day to and from work so this is incredible.

Lastly, I reserved our new place and they had so many incentives, I practically wont have to pay a full month until January 2010!

• One month free rent
• $500 additional incentive to move in

Both can be used however I choose. I chose to use part of the one month free rent for my cat deposit/cat fee/regular deposit, and my move in amount is less than $700 for November. I’ll probably use the other $500 for 1/2 of December’s rent but I havent decided yet.

The cost savings in moving is still boggling my mind. No Gas bill as it is all electric, my water bill will be $25/month, a huge savings of about $75 to $100 month from this place and then the rent is $100 less than I’m paying.

But, mostly I’m excited about moving into a brand spanking new apartment! Goodbye home maintenance on a home that I dont even own! Goodbye to huge water bills and huge Gas bills! Goodbye to Landscapers at 7am on Saturday morning!

Also, as I mentioned in a previous post, my family is almost as excited as I am about the idea that Maria wont have these kinds of worries anymore.

Good times ahead!

 

Deep Trouble

This past week has been a complete Financial Nightmare, to the point where I had been avoiding my bank account and Quicken Online entirely, which is not like me.

Here is the lowdown:

• My Jeep brokedown and in order to fix the computer to diagnose what was actually wrong with it, I had to dish out $900. The actual diagnosis was that something BIGGER was wrong with it, to the tune of about $1300.00.(I havent had the BIGGER item fixed)
• In order to dish out that $900 I had to overdraw my bank account, which bounced my rent check. Yikes!

But, all is not as bad as it seems. It forced me to take a harder look at my plan for the next few months and if I thought it was tight before, it’s going to be tighter now.

The biggest problem I am facing right now, besides the rent thingy, which I will fix today with a money order, is my transportation situation. I’ve been relying on my parents and a co-worker for rides but that is not a permanent solution, so, my dad and I are going to trade the Jeep in for a new car with better fuel mileage and hopefully a small payment.

I think I’ll be able to take advantage of Cash for Clunkers right now because my Jeep is driveable but not for long and it does qualify for the trade in.

It’s imperative that I get to work and back so my only real concern is a dependable car.

There are other things going on with my finances obviously but I’ll save them for another post.

Keep Going Forward right?

 

August on My Mind

I cant believe that it’s already August! Time flies when you’re having fun or something like that.

Anyway, there is alot going on with me financially and each item deserves its own post but it would probably break WordPress! LOL

• My Jeep stalled the other morning and it’s in the shop for a few more days. The exact financial impact is yet to be determined but it’s estimated at around $500.  For now, I’m getting a ride to and from work from a co-worker who lives close. Also, my parents are lending me their car for trips to the grocery store.
• Before my credit starts showing signs of abuse, I’m going to put the deposit on an apartment for our move the end of October.
• I’m having a few problems at work over petty things but I’m hoping they’ll get ironed out the next month or so. I dont want to start looking for a new job right now because of my finances as well as the move but it’s been on my mind.
• Only $95 more to go and I’ll have all of Christopher’s medical bills paid off! Woo hoo!
• My family has recently become supportive about our move although it would be an inconvenience for them for us to not be less than a block away. It has finally hit home that I’m doing it to reduce my expenses.

All in all, August should be an interesting month.

 

DMP and the move

The one item that makes me nervous about signing up for a Debt Management Program is how it will affect the move in a few months. Not that I can fix it, but it’s still a concern.

Right now, today, my credit is still in excellent condition but during the next 90 days it’s going to take a beating. Apparently, the credit cards tack on late charges and such during the first 90 days and then they remove them. Unfortunately it’s about in 90 days that I’ll be moving!

But, from what I have learned from making a few calls to several places that I’m looking at, the worse that could happen would be that my security deposit will go up. I cannot imagine my credit report dropping below 580 in that amount of time just by this but that is the only reason they would decline to rent out.

I dont know the future and I dont want to worry about it but I plan on applying early enough to some of these places, so they can run my credit and let me know what they decide. The worst case scenario which isnt that bad, is that I wouldnt move at all.

But, It’s another reason to work my way out of this debt so my choices will be as extensive as they once were.

 

Crisis Precedes Change

This is so true for me, especially now: From Debtspiration

Until the pain became unbearable, I was not willing to change.  Pain brings change.  Crisis precedes progress.  And change exposes our weaknesses.  No wonder so many of us avoid change at any cost.

— Mary Hunt, The Best of the Cheapskate Monthly

 

The only option

Even with all my diligence in keeping track of my debts, the inevitable has happened. I mis-read a due date and paid a credit card (2) days late!

It was bound to happen sooner or later and I had hoped later but afterall, I’m human- go figure!

Anyway, the minimum payment alone on that card now is triple and more than I pay on all 3 three cards put together. Also, the interest rate went from 5% to 25%. That left me very few options:

1. Sell a kidney.
2. Don’t pay it and watch my credit deteriorate to the point where I must file for bankruptcy.
3. Sign up for a Debt Management Program.

I signed up for #3 on Sunday evening. I knew in my heart that it was the only option and I had hoped to wait until after the move but life has a funny way of giving you challenges when you least expect them.

Yes, it will put a small bump in my credit but it is something that I’m willing to live with in order to get my life back. Unfortunately, juggling these debts lately has been all- consuming!

One condition of the DMP is that I cannot take on any new debt. It will be interesting for me to live on my income. That part I plan on chronicling quite a bit.

 

Shoe problems

Today I had shoe trouble at work. The strap on my one and only pair of summer sandals broke! I’ve been wearing them to death and they finally did!

With the 100 degree temperatures, having sandals, especially sort of dressy ones for work is a necessity! I only have one pair.

Anyway, I tried to find some online and just bear it out but the only thing it did was start me “wanting” things.

How about a Maxi Dress? I’ve been wanting one for a few years and they are just starting to look less like evening gowns.

How about two pairs of shoes instead of just one?

But in the end it would mean adding more to my debt and not to mention alot of wasted energy shopping when I could be relaxing and spending time with Christopher.

In the end I bought a new pair online at Amazon and hopefully they’ll survive the rest of the summer.

 

A GOOD THING

As I’ve previously posted on this blog, I have a strange relationship with my extended family and their financial habits. It’s been a tremendous strain on me both emotionally and financially to be considered their “overdraft” or “Bank of Maria.” It also hasnt helped my feelings towards them.

Usually, I’m very involved in their finances out of sheer self-preservation on my part. My thoughts were that if I helped them with a budget and the bill paying part, it would get done and they wouldnt overspend, thus calling on Bank of Maria.

I say usually, because ever since my grandfathers’ funeral, they havent mentioned anything financially to me. This in itself isnt necessarily a good thing because it could mean an emergency withdrawl from Bank of Maria, usually while I’m at work and thus cannot argue as much. (Note: they dont have access to my accounts, it’s just a metaphor)

So, needless to say I’ve been getting more and more tense with their silence, until yesterday.

My mom and sister came out and told me that they have been slowing weaning me off their finances and doing it themselves every week. At last they are taking control of their own affairs and doing their best to keep me out of the loop.

This, is a GOOD THING!

 

The Move

Our move is only a few months away but as of last weekend, we’ve started to “purge” the house of stuff that we definitely dont want to take with us. We’ve been here for 4.5 years so that’s not an easy task.

I only plan on renting a two bedroom Apartment Home (definition: Home on top of a garage) and right now we have a three bedroom Ranch house. The third bedroom is pretty much my office/catch all/spare bedroom, etc…  And since we dont get alot of visitors that stay for very long, it serves no purpose except to collect more stuff!

Last weekend, Christopher and I went through his room and threw away one large garbage bag full of broken and or useless toys and one whole garbage bag of “baby toys” and items that would be more useful to “another little boy” as Christopher put it. The second bag will be donated to Goodwill.

I am very sentimental by nature and unfortunately that can also translate into a “packrat” so this is going to be very difficult for me if I dont keep my head on!

Anyway, besides the purge, the most important thing is not to bring anymore “stuff” into the house because afterall, we dont need anything and I dont want to have to move it!