We worked it out. I hate ultimatums, but damn if I didn't have to give one. I'll spare details. This is a blog about my financial crises and not my romantic life, and I'd like to keep it that way. The good side of this is bills are paid on time and my grant check, which came on Thursday, can be used towards my financial goals. This is fantastic!!
Now, the punch list to your left-- my Pitiful Portfolio-- has a method to it. I've decided to put my current savings first, and save the delinquent stuff (which has already caused all the damage it could possibly cause) for when I feel financially secure. That means, I want $2,500 in a savings account and $2,500 in an emergency credit card. After having that card for another year and a half, I'll be able to get that $2,500 deposit back and transfer it into my savings. And, hopefully, at that point it will double it, making $5,000 in savings, $2,500 emergency card and a dent into the debt.
When I have my $5k stashed, I'll start working from the bottom up. I'll get rid of the smaller collections accounts, gradually make my way up and then settle on some of the big jobs.
I'll post again a little later with my updated spending. And at the end of the month, I promise to provide a spreadsheet and graphs to really make it apparent where I'm spending too much unnecessary money. But, I'd like to make this clear again. I want to be out of debt by working for it. I'm not looking for handouts or a saving grace. I want to work for it. I do want advice and help, but I also want it understood that I'm trying to build a life and enjoy life now too. I ask for very little-- a garden, art supplies, bathroom furniture, some work clothes. I won't be giving up spending entirely and foregoing enjoyment until the day I break even. I'm doing this so that I can worry LESS, not MORE.
Thank you, current and future readers, for your support and understanding.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Ugly Truth
I am breaking up with my boyfriend today. On top of the emotional disaster that's about to happen, it means a lot for my finances too. Although boyfriend has not ponied up for his fair share since we moved in together in June, I was still relying on his help with the costs involved. I can't come up with $1200 on my own and manage to pay my car payment, insurance and all other costs of living. My monthly living expenses are $1,450. And I make about $1500, if I'm lucky. That does not include household purchases, groceries, gas, etc. So without a roommate, I'm screwed.
But as far as living with some one goes, this could be worse that living with boyfriend. I keep to myself. I go to work, I come home, I study, I paint or write, I watch television, then I go to bed early. I don't feel comfortable with people I don't know in my house. I don't feel comfortable with random men coming in and out. I need a female roommate that's, for the most part, just like me. And what are the odds of that happening?
I guess I should focus on one thing at a time... break up with boyfriend.
But as far as living with some one goes, this could be worse that living with boyfriend. I keep to myself. I go to work, I come home, I study, I paint or write, I watch television, then I go to bed early. I don't feel comfortable with people I don't know in my house. I don't feel comfortable with random men coming in and out. I need a female roommate that's, for the most part, just like me. And what are the odds of that happening?
I guess I should focus on one thing at a time... break up with boyfriend.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Still Waiting...
The first thing I did when I got home from work was check the mail box. Still no grant check. Boo. Boyfriend and I still haven't paid the rent, because he still hasn't given me the $150 I've asked for it. Our combined bills are $1200. So I asked for him (as of August) to start depositing $150 weekly into our joint account. That was over a week ago, and I'm still waiting on his first deposit. Granted, I haven't paid out any bills since then, but I sure do hate waiting for his deposit in order to pay them. My $650 to cover the rest, is in there.
Yes, boyfriend, I get it. You're broke right now. You owe child support and work is slow and you're car payment is due. But you are still responsible to cover your half of the expenses!!!
As I'm sure you can tell by now, boyfriend is not aware I have started this blog. If he knew, he'd put on a pout like you've never seen before after reading that. He doesn't deal well with being told what to do... even if what he needs to do is pay for his half of the bills. Jerk.
I went to McDonalds today. Bad for the budget, worse for the waistline. But, believe me, I didn't like it. It was $2.76 for a kids meal. I would have much rather had salad or a sandwich. But I never make them. What I want to do is catch Lean Cuisines or Weight Watcher's Smart Ones on sale and buy a month or two worth of them. Those are cheap, and moderately healthy. And I would have more time to relax and spend less time on my lunch break foraging the neighborhood for food.
I also bought a lottery ticket and two sodas today. The soda was a bad idea. But let's hope the lotto ticket was a good investment!!
Yes, boyfriend, I get it. You're broke right now. You owe child support and work is slow and you're car payment is due. But you are still responsible to cover your half of the expenses!!!
As I'm sure you can tell by now, boyfriend is not aware I have started this blog. If he knew, he'd put on a pout like you've never seen before after reading that. He doesn't deal well with being told what to do... even if what he needs to do is pay for his half of the bills. Jerk.
I went to McDonalds today. Bad for the budget, worse for the waistline. But, believe me, I didn't like it. It was $2.76 for a kids meal. I would have much rather had salad or a sandwich. But I never make them. What I want to do is catch Lean Cuisines or Weight Watcher's Smart Ones on sale and buy a month or two worth of them. Those are cheap, and moderately healthy. And I would have more time to relax and spend less time on my lunch break foraging the neighborhood for food.
I also bought a lottery ticket and two sodas today. The soda was a bad idea. But let's hope the lotto ticket was a good investment!!
Monday, August 3, 2009
A Quiet Weekend at Home
Spending an entire day at home does wonders for the budget. I get the relaxed feeling of a day well spent, and if I avoid online shopping, I won’t spend any money. That’s a win-win situation. I didn’t leave the boundaries of my property line at all on Sunday and I nearly spent the whole 48 hours at home, with just a few unexpected errands to run.
My honey has an old Jeep that was traded to him for a stove and dishwasher he was getting rid of. It’s an ’89 Wagoner that he’ll be posting on Craig’s List to take care of a few money crises of his own—including repaying me the $1,100 I loaned him to repair his work truck. So when I heard that the Jeep was repaired and the bill was only $76.14, I ran over there to take care of it for him. This was on my credit-building card that I call my “spending card.” This way, he could drive it home that night; then, we could take pictures and post the ad. Since it was Saturday at noon, and my honey was working, I knew there would be no chance to get it before Monday. And now, he owes me $1,175.
On my way home from the repair shop, I stopped and gave into temptation. I purchased a Slurpee at the 7-Eleven. Man, I’m a total sucker for a Cherry Coke Slurpee—another $1.38 on the spending card. Of course, nothing ever goes according to plan and my honey ended up lollygagging with one of his cronies until 11 o’clock that night. Our dinner plans were foiled (jerk!) and I spent my dinner at Subway, with a tuna sandwich and Coke—which was $5.59. The Jeep still sits at the shop, and nothing is posted for sale.
The Breakdown
$ 76.14 Loans to Others
$ 5.59 Dining
$ 1.38 Junk Food/ Drinks
Total for the weekend $83.11
On the up-and-up, Honey made it up to me by buying and cooking lunch and dinner on Sunday. He must have known how mad I was, because it was scrumptious! He also sprung for my Cherry Coke Slurpee that day, as well. I love that he knows how to make them just the way I like them. Cherry Coke Slurpees don’t come pre-made, you know. You start off the bottom with a layer of Cherry, then a layer of Pina Colada (That is, if they have it. If not, substitute that with coconut rum.), fill to the top with Coke, then a splash on top of Cherry again for a garnish. Nothing cools you off on a hot day like that!
Tonight, however, dinner is on me. My honey has 3 children, and two of them are with us tonight. So whatever I do, it will have to be kid-friendly (ergo, packed with sodium, preservatives and refined sugar). I want to make a salad for myself and bake a little something sweet for my man. He did buy bananas yesterday. So maybe just a butter and brown sugar to glaze them and buy a pint of ice cream. Since the girls will not touch a brown banana (even if the brown is sugar) I will get some chocolate sauce for them. The meal portion, I’m thinking chicken nuggets. A safe side for them would be macaroni and cheese. They don’t eat vegetables—not even corn! I always say that when I have my own child, he will eat what I eat. I have very little tolerance for picky eating.
So there’s my shopping list:
Pint Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Sauce
Brown Sugar
Chicken Nuggets
Lettuce
Avocado
Cucumber
Tomato
And I have to use money directly from my bank account (aah!) because my sandwich on Saturday left me with $12 remaining on my spending card. I am expecting a check coming in from my federal grant for school. With this, I plan to pay my spending card to zero ($500), add money to my emergency credit card ($500), stash about $500 for savings, make sure my August bills are paid for, then take what’s left (about $150) and buy some work clothes. I currently have 4 work shirts that I wear Monday through Thursday and a work t-shirt for casual Friday. I rarely spend money on clothes, so don’t get the wrong impression that I’m some shopaholic with a massive wardrobe. In fact, my honey (a casual carpenter) has more closet fillers than I do. And I haven’t bought a pair of shoes in about 2 years.
My weakness, when it comes to spending, is mostly house goods. I buy groceries, cleaning products, garden goods, Wii games. Although, I do have a penchant for cosmetics and toiletries. My back bathroom is my sanctuary. Sometimes I just drag a little chair in there, play some music, light some candles, have a smoke and write. Seeing as it’s a half-bath, it’s a place where no one will even approach unless it were a dire emergency—and dire emergencies are usually solved by daddy. It’s my alone time place. It’s also very under-furnished. There is no storage, so my things are kept in plastic bins on the cramped floor space, and the sink doesn’t even work. But I will be done with it some day—and it won’t cost much to do.
My honey has an old Jeep that was traded to him for a stove and dishwasher he was getting rid of. It’s an ’89 Wagoner that he’ll be posting on Craig’s List to take care of a few money crises of his own—including repaying me the $1,100 I loaned him to repair his work truck. So when I heard that the Jeep was repaired and the bill was only $76.14, I ran over there to take care of it for him. This was on my credit-building card that I call my “spending card.” This way, he could drive it home that night; then, we could take pictures and post the ad. Since it was Saturday at noon, and my honey was working, I knew there would be no chance to get it before Monday. And now, he owes me $1,175.
On my way home from the repair shop, I stopped and gave into temptation. I purchased a Slurpee at the 7-Eleven. Man, I’m a total sucker for a Cherry Coke Slurpee—another $1.38 on the spending card. Of course, nothing ever goes according to plan and my honey ended up lollygagging with one of his cronies until 11 o’clock that night. Our dinner plans were foiled (jerk!) and I spent my dinner at Subway, with a tuna sandwich and Coke—which was $5.59. The Jeep still sits at the shop, and nothing is posted for sale.
The Breakdown
$ 76.14 Loans to Others
$ 5.59 Dining
$ 1.38 Junk Food/ Drinks
Total for the weekend $83.11
On the up-and-up, Honey made it up to me by buying and cooking lunch and dinner on Sunday. He must have known how mad I was, because it was scrumptious! He also sprung for my Cherry Coke Slurpee that day, as well. I love that he knows how to make them just the way I like them. Cherry Coke Slurpees don’t come pre-made, you know. You start off the bottom with a layer of Cherry, then a layer of Pina Colada (That is, if they have it. If not, substitute that with coconut rum.), fill to the top with Coke, then a splash on top of Cherry again for a garnish. Nothing cools you off on a hot day like that!
Tonight, however, dinner is on me. My honey has 3 children, and two of them are with us tonight. So whatever I do, it will have to be kid-friendly (ergo, packed with sodium, preservatives and refined sugar). I want to make a salad for myself and bake a little something sweet for my man. He did buy bananas yesterday. So maybe just a butter and brown sugar to glaze them and buy a pint of ice cream. Since the girls will not touch a brown banana (even if the brown is sugar) I will get some chocolate sauce for them. The meal portion, I’m thinking chicken nuggets. A safe side for them would be macaroni and cheese. They don’t eat vegetables—not even corn! I always say that when I have my own child, he will eat what I eat. I have very little tolerance for picky eating.
So there’s my shopping list:
Pint Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Sauce
Brown Sugar
Chicken Nuggets
Lettuce
Avocado
Cucumber
Tomato
And I have to use money directly from my bank account (aah!) because my sandwich on Saturday left me with $12 remaining on my spending card. I am expecting a check coming in from my federal grant for school. With this, I plan to pay my spending card to zero ($500), add money to my emergency credit card ($500), stash about $500 for savings, make sure my August bills are paid for, then take what’s left (about $150) and buy some work clothes. I currently have 4 work shirts that I wear Monday through Thursday and a work t-shirt for casual Friday. I rarely spend money on clothes, so don’t get the wrong impression that I’m some shopaholic with a massive wardrobe. In fact, my honey (a casual carpenter) has more closet fillers than I do. And I haven’t bought a pair of shoes in about 2 years.
My weakness, when it comes to spending, is mostly house goods. I buy groceries, cleaning products, garden goods, Wii games. Although, I do have a penchant for cosmetics and toiletries. My back bathroom is my sanctuary. Sometimes I just drag a little chair in there, play some music, light some candles, have a smoke and write. Seeing as it’s a half-bath, it’s a place where no one will even approach unless it were a dire emergency—and dire emergencies are usually solved by daddy. It’s my alone time place. It’s also very under-furnished. There is no storage, so my things are kept in plastic bins on the cramped floor space, and the sink doesn’t even work. But I will be done with it some day—and it won’t cost much to do.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
And here's the plan...
I will be monitoring and posting each individual purchase I make, and I will organize, categorize and critique all of it. I ask of you, Dear Reader, to provide your opinion on my progress (or lack there of).
I will also be posting a wish list of items I want to buy, and each week I will post the money I have to spend along with a poll of items I would like to buy.
Along with all of this, I'll be keeping a current status on my financial portfolio versus my goal.
I will also be posting a wish list of items I want to buy, and each week I will post the money I have to spend along with a poll of items I would like to buy.
Along with all of this, I'll be keeping a current status on my financial portfolio versus my goal.
Here's the damage...
First things first, I will begin by giving you a brief synopsis of my financial debacle. This is what I found yesterday on my credit report.
Over Priced Furniture Store That I Couldn’t Afford
$6,502
Pretty Apartment That I Got Evicted From
$2,312
Stupid Motorcycle I Road for About 400 Miles Then Decided I Didn’t Like Motorcycles
$4,121
Cute Clothing Store Located on My Old Route Home from Work
$457
Pretty Panties Store That I Spent Way Too Much In
$258
The Treadmill That Got Stolen from The Pretty Apartment I got Evicted From
$477
Credit Card I Used to Get By
$7148
Second Credit Card I Used to Get By When the First One Ran Out
$5592
Cavity I Should Probably Pay For
$98
Electric Bill I Never Paid For When I Moved Out of the Pretty Apartment I Couldn’t Afford
$393
Hospital Bill From the Ulcer I Got When I Ran My First Credit Report
$350
Dermatologist Who Lied and Told Me This Would be Covered Under My Insurance
$500
New Dental Work
$54
That's $28,262 in delinquent debt.
Currently, my student loans are adding up (which I won't even put in here, seeing as I can't control it and don't pay for it now). I owe about $10,000 on my new car (it's used, and valued at $14,000, so I consider it justified. And I have an $800 secured credit card that I use and pay off each month for my general expenses. It's my flailing attempt to build up good credit again while I plan to pay off my old stuff.
My current bank account is at $745. Of course, $75 goes to my insurance and $650 is for rent.
Over Priced Furniture Store That I Couldn’t Afford
$6,502
Pretty Apartment That I Got Evicted From
$2,312
Stupid Motorcycle I Road for About 400 Miles Then Decided I Didn’t Like Motorcycles
$4,121
Cute Clothing Store Located on My Old Route Home from Work
$457
Pretty Panties Store That I Spent Way Too Much In
$258
The Treadmill That Got Stolen from The Pretty Apartment I got Evicted From
$477
Credit Card I Used to Get By
$7148
Second Credit Card I Used to Get By When the First One Ran Out
$5592
Cavity I Should Probably Pay For
$98
Electric Bill I Never Paid For When I Moved Out of the Pretty Apartment I Couldn’t Afford
$393
Hospital Bill From the Ulcer I Got When I Ran My First Credit Report
$350
Dermatologist Who Lied and Told Me This Would be Covered Under My Insurance
$500
New Dental Work
$54
That's $28,262 in delinquent debt.
Currently, my student loans are adding up (which I won't even put in here, seeing as I can't control it and don't pay for it now). I owe about $10,000 on my new car (it's used, and valued at $14,000, so I consider it justified. And I have an $800 secured credit card that I use and pay off each month for my general expenses. It's my flailing attempt to build up good credit again while I plan to pay off my old stuff.
My current bank account is at $745. Of course, $75 goes to my insurance and $650 is for rent.
The Long Journey Back to Ground Zero.
I want to be out of debt. My goal is to be out of personal debt by the time I need to start repaying my financial aid for college.
I want to have a savings. My goal is to have a nest egg sitting some where.
I want to be secure. I was a credit card (secured is the only option) in my safe deposit box that I use solely in an emergency-- auto breakdown, bail money, etc.
I want to earn more money. But then again, who doesn't.
Most of all, I WANT TO DO IT ALL BY MYSELF. I'm not looking for help or handouts. I'm looking for advice, and insight from others. I'm looking for encouragement. I'm looking for participation in decision making.
I want to have a savings. My goal is to have a nest egg sitting some where.
I want to be secure. I was a credit card (secured is the only option) in my safe deposit box that I use solely in an emergency-- auto breakdown, bail money, etc.
I want to earn more money. But then again, who doesn't.
Most of all, I WANT TO DO IT ALL BY MYSELF. I'm not looking for help or handouts. I'm looking for advice, and insight from others. I'm looking for encouragement. I'm looking for participation in decision making.
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