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.

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.