Well, I'm disappointed. I thought that tomorrow I would be able to make some debt payments, but it will actually be next week.

I spent some extra money this week. $$ to go to dinner and a movie with friends on Friday for an early birthday celebration. And possibly more $$ for some sort of dinner on Sunday. THEN...when my husband comes back in town we are going to Texas de Brazil...which is $48.00 a person. BUT, I signed up for their emails so my dinner is FREE. Sweet! So hopefully I can keep the spending down to a minimum.

As some "at home" entertainment we are doing an at home spa night Saturday. A body polish made with Applesauce. A Strawberry Banana Smoothie face mask. And other fun stuff. Hopefully it will be a nice relaxing, cheap, and memorable night with the step daughter.

As sad as it sounds, I find myself hoping and fighting to not make the financial mistakes that my parents have made. I don't want to be 60 years old with no house or savings or retirement. I want to leave something to my step-daughter when something happens to me.

My husband has such finacially responsible parents. His dad had life insurance, savings, paid for burial arrangements, gift trusts set up, etc when he passed away. My father had nothing. My mother does not own a home, has no retirement, no savings, no assets. His mother has 100+ acres up north with very little debt. I'm not saying his parents are "better parents", because I love my parents and I think they were always very suppotive and loving. I just wish my parents would have been a little more prepared.

So as I inch closer to my 30th birthday, I realize how important it is for me to be financially secure. And how scared I am of being a failure.

Well, I survived the first week of my road to debt recovery. I worked at my sister's estate sale this weekend and she gave me some $$. So I will be able to put a little in savings. YEAH!

I am slowly working towards starting my "personal chef" work. But there are a lot of little details. But maybe I can get it going before May.

And with my husband leaving to go out of town again this week, maybe I can get some overtime at my FT job.

I'm hoping for an awesome week. Hopefully this Friday I can make some debt payments and put some in Savings (including my estate sale earnings).

I love this blogging. I love being accountable for what I'm doing. Hope I keep it up!

Ok....so if I were going to grade myself I would say I probably earned a C- this week. And that may be with a curve. I made some small credit card payments, but only $40 worth. And I realized that one of my starting balances was wrong. But on the upside, I realized that I had $67.00 in an IRA that I forgot about. And I have an automatic transfer from my payroll to take $10.00 out and put it in a savings. My thought...out of site, out of mind.

I have to keep in mind that this is my first week really trying. And its been hard because my husband is out of town for work and unfortunately I want to shop or go out to eat when he's not there.

Keep your fingers crossed folks! There may be hope for me yet!

Credit Card 1: $798.26
Credit Card 2: $595.13
Credit Card 3: $288.65
Student Loan: $4,113.59

Total: $5,795.63
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Savings: $1,570.38
Retirement: $201.97
New Account: $17.20

So I am trying to think of ways that I can work to come up with extra money. We are going through our house to come up with items for a garage sale. I am considering doing some Personal Chef work on the side, although I am not technically a "chef" I am working towards that goal. But I would like to think of other things I can do besides getting an actual PART TIME job. Any ideas?

I would love to beef up my Savings amount and Debt repayment.

I've read Dave Ramsey's books and I love Gail Vaz Oxlade...so I'm trying to live off of cash. I didn't have any jars, so I set up some plastic cups for my variable expenses. Transportation, Food, Entertainment, Clothing & Gifts, Everything Else - which includes Rx, Pets, and I threw Cleaning supplies into that. BUT I still use my Credit Card and Debit card. YIKES! I have to discipline myself more or this will never work.

I think my first problem is that I have not been putting the amounts I am supposed to in the "jars." I haven't been putting anything in Clothing & Gifts, so when I had to buy a birthday present yesterday, I used my debit card.

So I'm trying to get the hang of this so I can go all out in April. Surely other people out there are living on cash!?@#$

Today I looked at myself and my life and thought....now what? I'm a married, 20-something with debt and big goals. So its time to get there. So I started this blog to help me get where I am trying to go: New House, Culinary School, Debt Free, a Retirement, A Small Restaurant one day. I've got a long way to go, but I have to start somewhere.

So the first step, I assume, is admitting to the debt. Here are the starting numbers:

Credit Card 1: $798.26
Credit Card 2: $595.13
Credit Card 3: $279.46
Student Loan: $4113.59

Total: $5786.44

I am working to save $5000.00+ in 6 months and pay down as much debt, if not all of it.

My Current Savings: $1500.00

My Retirement Plan: $116.00 (just started)

So as I work to make extra money, pay down debt, and even hit some bumps in the road....it will all be on here to see. Countdown begins.