Well, my grocery store visit didn't go exactly as planned. Although I didn't cave in to all my wants, I did buy the dog bones. But everything was a little more expensive than I had planned. But, I still came home with $15.00 dollars. I could have gotten my wants, but it was better to keep the extra money.


I still have in cash:
14.00 - my cash
30.00 - dining out (jar money)
50.00 - RX (jar money)
2.00 - left from fuel (jar money)
So not too bad.


Saturday I cleaned ALL DAY. I didn't go to work at our shop just so I could commit to cleaning. And I cleaned every room except my office, which I hope I can tackle today after work. I have a lot of paperwork that I need to catch up on. And Sunday went great. My mom's lunch was a success. I made plenty of food and everyone liked it. It was nice to see that I could make really good food for about $30 for 6 people, including dessert. Then my husband surprised me with a movie and a gift card and the sweetest card. It was really nice to feel special.


Hope everyone else had a great weekend and a Happy Mother's Day. I'm ready to make it through this week.

I've made a list for the store today. I need to buy all the fixings for our surprise Mother's Day Lunch and there are a few things we need at the house. I am going to try to buy very little. I have $70 budgeted for the house and $20 for Mother's Day, but I am going to try to only spend $43 on us. But there are some things I would really LIKE to get at the store, including: some dog treats, a couple of dog toys, and some chips and dip. It comes out to about $17.00 worth of WANTS. I could buy them and still be in my budget. Or I could NOT buy them and have $27.00 left. I don't know that I can adjust the list to be able to buy the wants. The list is pretty much just what I need. I will just have to do without.

Friday will be my first payday with the new insurance deductions kicking in. (401K increase already started) So after raising my 401K % and adding 2 AFLAC policies, I will actually get 0.13 more a paycheck. After talking to my AFLAC rep, we found a lower cost cancer policy, so I went with that and the critical care. So all in all, I feel like I made the right decisions. My 401K will build faster and I won't take a hit in my purse.


Yesterday was a NSD. Still have all my cash. Ready for tomorrow so I can look at the budget and plan out the week.

Well, I have done pretty good. Although I think next week will be hard, especially since I need to budget in Mother's Day.


So far I still have the following in cash:
$20.00 - from pet sitting
$2.00 - left of my $22.00 for fuel
$2.00 - Leftover from week before
$20.00 - left of the $40.00 I had for dining out.


I also saw that I have an Ebates check coming. I think it is for about $11.00. I plan to send that to CC#3.

I have been battling some sort of cold/allergy/crappiness for days now. I can't breathe, so I can't sleep. And now I have this irritating cough. Nyquil and Dayquil are not helping...so I need to try something else. But I pretty much feel like doodoo.

To add to my day, my husband had a blowout on the way to work. And the lock on the wheel broke, so we couldn't put the spare on. Luckily our insurance had free towing for up to 15 miles and he was only 3 miles from our house. Too bad the tire won't be free.

Here is my money plan for the week:

Starting with $1340.73 (After deposits)
Gas - 50.00
Mtg pmt (reg pmt amt $1024) - 1150.00
Savings - 25.00
Loan - 50.00
CC#3 - 20.00
CC#1 - 15.00 (Minimum due)
Forgotten Hospital Bill - 25.00

I am left with $5.73

I also have:

20.00 Cash - for Pet Sitting
20.00 Cash - for Dining Out
20.00 Cash - for Dining Out - not used last week
22.00 Cash - for Fuel
2.00 Cash - leftover

I would like to pretend like I don't have any cash, but I am sure something will come up.

Well, I looked at my budget and checkbook after I paid everything and I actually had a little more left afterwards. Instead of $7.74 I have $11.89. Sweet! I did spend some cash. I don't regret any of my purchases, but I only have $10.00 left.


My husband treated me to a night out with some extra cash he had. We went and watched the UFC fight with some good friends. We hardly ever get to go out, so it was nice.


We also got the notification from the IRS for our payment plan. $300/ month. I don't have the paperwork with me, but I think after the $1500.00 we sent, we still owed around $3000.00. We are going to try to pay as much over $300 we can. And I am socking away money now for taxes at the end of the year. (Business taxes and self employment) I don't want to be in this boat again.

Today is payday! Woo hoo! This is where my money is going this week. (Writing it out...keeping myself accountable)

Starting Balance: $584.24

Gas - $50.00
Groceries - $80.00
Household - $50.00 (Holding account for utilities/bills)
Dining out - $20.00
Cash - $20.00 (Hoping it helps me not spend by having cash TO spend)
Cleaning Supplies - $10.00 (Jar Money)
Pet - $10.00 (Jar Money)
Household Supplies - $20.00 (Jar Money)
Holding for next week - $160.00
Savings? - $30.00
Other - $10.00 (Misc jar money/ clothing/ gifts)
Savings for Step-Daughter Graduation - $30.00
Loan - $40.00
Sister Bday - $20.00
HSBC CC#2 - $25.00
_______________________________

Ending Balance: $9.24
Actually, I will have an ATM fee for the cash...so it will actually be $7.74

I did send the $15.00 extra dollars to the CC#3. And I have to pay the $25.00 to CC#2 because the minimum is due.

I also have $3.00 left from my cash from last week. The numbers aren't super high or wonderful, but at least I have a plan?

My step daughter had her senior speech yesterday. I went ahead and took off of work so I could go. Afterwards, I spent the day cleaning our shop. I did eat dinner out (on my way home) but I used a coupon for a free sandwich. Just paid for the drink and chips. I forgot my lunch today, so I did eat lunch out. Opted for a piece of pizza which cost me $3.00. So of my $19.00, I have $10 left. I hate that I spent anything...but I am aware of my spending and at least I haven't bought anything too crazy.


Unfortunate turn of events...as soon as I got my $52 from the shop I received a bill from my doctor's office - for my visit in OCTOBER! I had to pay it, which was $37. So I only have $15.00 left for CC#3. But I am going to send it today before it isn't there.

Was it spectactular...no. I did go to Walmart. We needed some things at the house. I did buy lunch...but I used cash I had. I wrote everything in my "spending tracker." And I splurged on ice cream for dinner on Saturday. Husband was out and so I indulged...put that on the debit card. Not sure why I didn't use cash. So to make a long story short, I have 0.43 in my checking account after everything clears and I have $19.00 in my wallet.


Actually...I have a little more in my account. I have $52.68. I took my first payment from the shop in the amount of $52.25. So should I send that all to one credit card? Should I put in savings because we only have $1025.00? I just need to do something quick because I do not want that money to magically disappear on crap.

After reading the comments on my post, doing some thinking, and really looking at myself...I realized I need to make some changes.


As I have said many times on here before, my mother has also shown love through things. And although I try in a lot of ways to do some things differently than my mom, I realized that I do that too. I buy for my step-daughter...no matter what. Just like with prom. I had the money set aside for her makeup. But she wanted some extra things. Instead of saying no and sticking to my budget, I spent the money. So that is issue #1.


Issue #2 - I need to stay out of stores. And I have said this before too...but I shop just to shop. I don't buy expensive things, but I can easily spend $20 on cleaning supplies when I have plenty at home. Or I buy things at the grocery store when we really don't need them. No...I'm not going to TJ Maxx and buying all the cute stuff I want for my house. But buying $60 worth of unnecessary food/supplies is just as bad. I am just trying to justify it because its "food" or "household supplies."


So I am going to write down every time I spend money. And I am going to notate how I'm feeling, why I'm buying, and whether it is a need or a want. I am also going to try to go over the budget and see if I can make sure I have a little bit of money for me. Maybe if I have $10 in my pocket that I CAN spend, I won't feel like I HAVE to spend it. But if I do spend it, I won't feel guilty.


And I am going to be either at the house or at the shop all weekend. Both places need work and I need to stay away from stores. Sorry for the long post....but I am hoping I am on the right track.

I have been blogging on here for 2 years. And although I have gotten great advice and help and encouragement.....I have not made great progress on my debt repayment. But even so, I felt like I was still on the right track to make better choices and work toward making progress. This weekend, I am pretty sure I have fallen out of the tree of wise and responsible choices. I have no excuses. And as much as I like to tell myself, its ok....you can get back up and start over...I don't understand why I keep making bad decisions. I know that I want to do better....but for some reason it is like I sabatoge myself. This weekend I overspent by $169. Like into the red...account would be overdrawn $169. Luckily I have our savings to cover it....but why would I do that? Then I used my credit cards. Not 1....BOTH. Were they for big purchases...no. They were for stupid things. I am so frustrated with myself. I can talk to people all day long about budgets and how they can get their finances on track but I can't seem to hold myself accountable. Does anybody have some real advice about what I need to do to really get my butt in gear? I don't know why I am having the disconnect! HELP!

I am trying to decide what to do on my payroll deductions. Our insurance is changing, so our weekly amount is going down. Currently my total deductions are $173.65. With the change in insurance and an increase in my 401K %, I am at $151.89....a savings of $21.76. So my question is...Should I:

A) Increase my 401K % again. (Would still be +13.39)

B) Increase my insurance coverage to include an Aflac Cancer Benefit. $12.15/ wk for me or $21.84/ wk for my and my husband. Something I have been wanting to do.

C) Increase insurance coverage to include an Aflac Cancer Benefit and Critical Care Coverage (Heart Attack, Burns, Coma, Stroke, etc) Since we own our business and income is not "guaranteed" it seems like this would be smart. It would be an additional $8.37/wk plus the Cancer Cost. (Increase cost 8.45)

D) Increase insurance coverage to just include the Critical Care Coverage. $8.37/wk (Still be +13.39)

E) Just have an overage of $21.67/ wk.

I am leaning towards C. I know its a increase of $8.45 a week. But we would have extra coverage and I would still be increasing my 401K a percentage. Any thoughts?

Well, today is my 32nd birthday. My birthday is a lot like the New Year for me. I feel like its a time to look at my goals and life and happenings and see what needs to be changed or see what IS working. I am hoping this weekend I can sit down and evaluate some things and take some time for some "inward looking."


And a high note....my employer is matching our 401K contributions now. And you can be fully vested at 4 years. I have actually been with the company for almost 5 years, but we had a buyout/ name change in 2009 so the vesting goes off of that date. So in July I will be fully vested. Our open enrollment date is next week, so I am going to try to look at my budget and increase my contribution.

Had a great weekend. Worked a lot. But if I'm working at the shop, then I am not spending money. The shop is starting to get really busy, so I am hoping I can finally start paying myself for the "extra" work. Our step daughter was over this weekend. Its time to buy the prom dress. Its $250.00. We will pay half...but I am also paying to have her makeup done. Its a splurge, but I already have the money for that socked away in an ING account.


I am taking some vacation days from work. I will be off this Wednesday all the way until Monday. I can't wait to have 5 days off in a row. I know I will be at the shop and there is a lot of cleaning and organizing that I want to do at the house. But it will be nice to not have to cram it all into a weekend like usual. I just need to stay busy so I don't find myself lurking around Target or something.


I got my first Ebates check. It was $9.92. So I will be sending that to my CC#3. It has the lowest balance but the highest APR. I also moved my first $150 toward the IRS short coming. We have $1250.00 of the $4000. I am hoping to move at least $350 this Friday. I'll let you know after vacation how that goes. I also forgot that I still have $100 to deposit into savings to pay back for the brake job. I'll have to take it to the bank while I'm off.

I guess I didn't have much to report over the last week. Still trucking away at coming up with money for this tax monster. We did get the $1100 refund so that is a good start. I have been putting little bits of money away as I have it. $1 here, $10 there. Hopefully it adds up. I have also posted some adds on Craigslist and we are still trying to sell a dirt bike. I did pay the minimum on my credit cards, so on Friday I will be able to put $150 towards the IRS. I just hope we can continue to get as much as we can for the next month.


Today is a NSD. Hopefully tomorrow is too. I'm feeling a little under the weather so luckily I just want to go home and rest and not make any extra stops.

I got sucked into looking at Groupon today. I wanted to by a harcut/deep-conditioning/style/with highlights deal today....it was $29.00. Its a steal! But, I didn't do it. All extra has to go to taxes. It was hard....because I need a haircut. But it will just have to wait. But then I started thinking about all these other things that would be great to get. Luckily, I still didn't buy anything. So today will be a NSD. I think to keep my mind occupied and not thinking about how much money I need and how much money I want to spend, I will just try to spend some time outside. It is 80 degrees in Texas today. Might as well enjoy it.

So after some thinking, I have changed my budget for the next month an a half. Debt repayment will have to take a back burner while we sort out this tax issue. So far I have found $680 to apply to the $4000. Plus $1200 that we should be getting for our unemployment taxes in the next couple of weeks. That makes $1880.00. And we could potentially have another $300....which would take us up to $2180.00. I don't know that we can find another $1820.00 in a month, but we are tightening our purse strings, belts, shoes, and anything else that will tighten, so we can squeeze some money out. If we didn't have a little bit of a bonus pay period, I don't think I could find as much as I did. I'm sad that I cannot pay all of this to my debt. But if we can do this to pay off the taxes....then we can do it to pay off the little bit of debt I have. It has really been an eye opener. This next month will not be fun....but I will do almost anything not to owe the IRS.

Not a lot going on today. I did get my Walmart Ebates card yesterday. I also have a $5 Walmart GC that I forgot about. So I will be using that $15 towards my groceries this week. My goal is to spend $60 or less! (Including toilet paper, paper plates, and I will have to buy some meat.)


I am going to meet a friend for dinner tonight. I found $10 in a coin purse, so I am using that to pay for it. So it should be a good time and I don't have to worry about paying for it.

I am really looking forward to having no debt. It would feel great to have extra money at the end of the week. I filled up my gas tank and kept an extra $10 just in case. I have our mortgage payment ready...paying extra. Have to pay misc bills, buy dog food, and our $20 out to eat splurge. I'm left with $11. Even putting a tiny bit in savings. I just can't wait until I don't have debt.


So very randomly my sister asked me to house/animal sit. I have to stay overnight 2 nights, but she is willing to pay me $150.00. Interesting that the cost of my brake repair happens to be about $150.00! So we will be taking the money from Savings and replacing it in 2 weeks after I complete the job. I'm still not ahead, but at least I am not behind. And luckily I didn't have to try to shave off more from my budget these next couple of weeks.


But in 3 weeks we have an extra pay period. Although, it really isn't extra. But there will be a little bit of wiggle room. I'm going to add a little bit of a cushion to my jars, put some in savings, pay extra on my credit cards, and maybe have a little leftover.


And our shop is getting busier. So maybe I can start to pay myself just a little bit. HOPEFULLY!

Ok...so I had $30 of the $79.00 Annual Fee set aside. Instead of sending the whole $30.00, I sent $15 and put the other $15 to the credit card my step daughter used. Since the Annual Fee was credited, I am still up an extra $15.00. Hope that was the right decision.


I made it to work today with my gas light on. Luckily I was able to put a very small amount in using my work's credit card, which should last me until tomorrow afternoon. At that point I can just fill up instead of Friday morning. Let's hope that plan works out.


And today is a NSD. The fact that I have nothing to spend probably has a lot to do with that. But I'll take it.

I have not been at my best the last few days. Lots of bad choices....too much money spent and the need to spend more money.


My step daughter was with us this weekend. I ended up having to give her my credit card to buy lunch and gas....my husband didn't put gas in the truck on his way home. So that was $30 that I didn't plan on spending and definitely didn't plan on putting on my card. And I have zero extra right now...so I am going to see if by Friday I can come up with a way to shave $30 off my budget. I already tightened the budget to come up with the extra money for the HSBC card. Maybe I could split the extra money between the 2 cards? Still make extra progress on HSBC and pay part of the other money back?


Also realized now that I need new brake pads and rotors. Pads on front and back. Rotors just on front. It will cost about $150 (husband can do the labor). I haven't started an Auto jar, so somehow I have to come up with it. I really don't want to take it from savings because we only have $1184 in there.


And my mom had to go to the ER yesterday. So my plan of being extra careful about driving this week isn't going so well. I had to drive from my work to the hospital and back home. The good news...my mom is ok. (Just stress) The bad news...I have a quarter of a tank of gas to last me until Friday. Its Tuesday... and there is no way.


So....I don't know. I can only throw a pity party for so long because I am in this position because of decisions I have made. And I know it could be worse.

Talked to HSBC today. Asked for my annual fee to be waived. He said no. So I said..."What is the benefit of me having this card? You won't lower my APR. I have to call long distance to talk to a person. And you charge me a $79.00 annual fee." So he agreed to give me a credit for half. Which helped. Then he said he went ahead and credited the WHOLE THING!! So if I still come up with the $79.00 then I will be further ahead. WOO HOO!

Ugh! Somehow I had forgotten that my stupid HSBC card has an ANNUAL FEE. UGH! And its $79.00!!!!! How am I ever going to pay this card off? Soo....its not a great plan, but I have tweaked my budget (which is very tight right now!) so I could come up with the $79.00 by the time it posts to my account in March. So I won't be ahead, but at least I won't be further in the red. Jeez!

Sent my found money to my credit card this morning. I know $15 isn't a lot, but I know if I keep doing that, I will knock it out. My Ebates total is only up to $9...not the $11 I was hoping for. But still...there is another $9 I can send to the card.


I think I am about to give up on Swagbucks! I watch the Swag TV and try to do surveys and do the daily poll but I only have 144 points!!! I just don't get it. Maybe its just not meant to be. Or maybe I am not doing enough? I have never met my Daily Goal...ever. I think today it said my goal was 90! How do you get 90 points in one day????

We survived dinner last night. I was able to pay for my family's dinner plus split my mom's check with the cash I had. No extra left over, but at least I had enough!


I bought some household items yesterday on drugstore.com through Ebates. I think I will get another $3.00. Add that to the $8.00 I already have - that's $11.00 I can put towards the credit card when I get the check!! I also decided to split the "found" money from yesterday. I will put $16.00 towards the graduation savings and $16.00 towards the credit card! I am kind of liking these snowflakes!


This week will be really tight. After everything is paid (or budgeted) I will have $6.00 left. Not much wiggle room at all on this one. But at least I am in the black (at least for the budget).

Well, I came across an account that I had and it has $33.39 in it. Not sure if I should 1) Treat it as a snowflake and put it towards debt repayment 2) Put it towards Savings or 3) Xfer it to my step-daughter's graduation savings or 4) Stick it in checking to add the cushion. So many options for $33.


And my mother invited us 2 days ago for a birthday dinner for her husband tonight. *Sigh* I didn't have money budgeted for that. And we already used my $20 out to eat allowance for the week over the weekend. And unfortunately the place we are going is not the cheapest...about $15.00 a person. So I cashed in some change and came up with $45.24. And I signed up for their email club and got a $5.00 coupon. I am hoping the 3 of us can eat fairly cheap and maybe I will have some left over?? And at least I will have leftovers for lunch tomorrow?

Day 2 of the fruit cleanse. I have a little bit of a headache, but overall its going ok. I am pretty hungry though! I am taking this time of cleansing to also think about money and taxes and life. There is so much I want to achieve!


Nothing new on the finance front. Everything is paid...and I think I have $7 left again until Friday.

This weekend was so busy. I cleaned all day Friday. Hand scrubbed all the floors and baseboards....just really cleaned. Saturday I worked at our shop all day. Then Sunday I cleaned more. I finished all but one room! So today, my plan is to clean that room, do my 19 minutes of cleaning the rest of the house, do yoga, and tan before my husband gets home at 6:45. As for tanning, I don't pay for a membership. My neighbor/friend has a tanning bed, so I am just going to walk over there and tan.


I should have NSD for the next 2 days. My husband and I are doing a fruit cleanse, so I can't eat anything other than what I bring with me. Unfortunately I had to buy some things this weekend, so won't have the cushion I was hoping for. But I still have my lottery winnings to either put towards savings or debt repayment. Luckily it hasn't melted yet. But I want to do something quick.


I also saw on Ebates that I will be getting $8.11 back so far. Plus my $10 card for signing up. Hopefully I can use Ebates to buy my household stuff and then use the checks to put towards my credit card.

I bought a scratch off ticket. I couldn't help it....it was screaming my name. And I won $50.00. Of course I know that lottery tickets are not a good thing to spend money on, but at least I came out $48.00 a head. Going to keep $8.00 in my wallet and put the rest somewhere so I don't spend it.


I went through my budget and reduced my planned income. My hope is that I can train myself to live off less. It wasn't a lot, but if I act like the money isn't there, then maybe I can build a cushion in my checking account that I can later use for debt repayment? I don't know....that's just what I am thinking for now.

Ok. I feel like I have lost a little bit of financial confidence. I had to take $234 from savings to pay for the hospital and an unexpected pest control visit. When Friday comes around and I pay all of my bills and take out my "jar" money, I will have $40.00 left in my account. So at the end of next week, should I apply what's left to debt or put it back in Savings? $30.00 is automatically going back to Savings already.


We are also doing our taxes for our business. Sure hope we find some expenses! Never thought I would say that!