I think I am going to revamp this for March... start as I aim to continue!

I think we did an awesome job with our Allowance... (the kids didn't get theirs due to behavior, so it went in their Savings Account) and our overall debt reduction.

I felt like we needed a good base point, so I ran our FICO scores. These do not include our 3 credit cards we just paid off... so it will be interesting to see how that changes things.

Just a note, before we lost our car, they were in the 500s (515 - 520 range). And now after the car (which does show up on our credit report), they barely dropped in my opinion. I thought they would have been a lot lower.

I am not proud, but as I told my husband, we can only go UP from here. We have been doing everything right since November, I am proud of that.

So here they are:

JJ:


DH:


Oh, and our total debt:

Orchard 4 (because there are four, total) is GONE!

Paid it today ($488), and had DH close it!!

Wahoo. Only 6 little cards left.

I love it. Payday's make me so happy.
I recently posted that I would be paying off the $60 for Capital One on March 13... well, I completely forgot about our payday's today! So, it will be closed today!!

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This is sad.... Traffic was horrible and freeways were closed this morning. Some stupid-head (censored)threw a woman out of the car on the freeway, she was then trying to crawl her way to the side of the road, but was hit several times by oncoming traffic. She did not survive. =( What is wrong with people?

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Our weekends are packed the next several weeks! We will have to be VERY careful with spending... But we can do it!!

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I start training for my new position on April 13. Very excited about that. It's nice to know I can keep working on my Baby Steps!!


Well, off to go buy my team some Bagels (yes, I will be filing an expense report).

But, it WAS good news!!

We've been mapped to Bank of America! They found a position in our same campus, for a bit more pay, M-F. I will no longer be a manager, but I am okay with that. I want to focus on school anyway for the next 20 months.

The position is with the Mortgage department, and it's NOT sales.

I can continue to pay all my bills off!!! Wahoo!!

Snowball alert!

$626.94 tuition reimbursement check in the mail today!!

Paid off 1st Premier (total paid = 268.26) - Cut up and oh-so-CLOSED!

Paid down my Capital One (total paid = 358.68). Balance owed on Cap 1 is $60. I will pay and close that card on March 13!!

Wahoo!

I have no idea if we are getting a tax refund or not, but I hope so!! I would love to attack a few more bills!

YAY!

The $2K I spent in cash to fix my truck was stolen from me. He (a horrible shop owner) kept telling us we needed more money, that we have unexpected expenses, more fees, more parts. I did a search on the BBB last night, and he has 17 complaints in the last 24 months for doing this to 17 other people. My husband accidently reviewed the wrong business... and normally he is so thorough... He is so mad at himself. I don't blame him though.

I was finally able to get my truck this morning, but it does not have the new engine, he wouldn't give it to me. And he would not give me my money back. It was a huge, nasty fight. He put in Paid Invoice number on the copy of the estimate my husband first signed, "showing" we paid for the engine and rcved it. It's a blatant forgery. He has done this to so many people. I am so sad. We had to pay $100 to get it towed out of there... now I have a truck with the old engine in the bed, in peices sitting at my mother-in-laws. I guess our carpooling days AREN'T over.

That $2K was the most money we ever had saved. And now it's gone.

I am going to pay off the loan that holds the lein in March, and then I think we will sell the truck for its parts (it's a 98 F-150, not worth much). The body is in perfect shape, hopefully we will get something for it. And then we have to save to buy a used car.

On top of all that, I ran into a fence post, when trying to help put the truck back in its spot at my MILs. Hard. And it hurts! I think I am getting a black eye. =(

Not a good day for me.

I can picture your avatar now!
Thank you for the advice (

Click Here)! I always welcome ideas!

I have already gotten rid of one vehicle, and no longer have that $455 payment. I am not yet ready to give up the van, we will drive it until it is dead, and never finance another vehicle again. And as of right now, we owe less than what it is worth (not a whole lot, but still!). We will spend 2010 paying off the van, and it will be paid off 4 years early. We are very excited about that.

I just sunk 2k into our 98 F-150... the engine died. Otherwise it’s in excellent condition. We used cash. I have never been able to do that before!

In regard to Verizon, Internet, Allowance, and Satellite...

The allowance amount is not very much compared to what we would spend if we didn't have it budgeted. $50 is for my husband, $50 for me, $20 for my teenage son, and $15 for my ten year old daughter. If they don't behave or complete their chores as assigned, they never see the money - it goes straight into their ING account. I've seen the damage we can do; I think the allowance amount is small compared to others I have seen. And as of right now, we both have those fifties in our wallets -- still not spent.

The other items you listed are all things I would love to cut back on (or out completely)... however, I do need Internet for school and work. I will check to see if I can save some money by omitting the never used Caller ID, Call Waiting, and VM. That could save me abt $10, I think.

For Verizon and Satellite - we have contracts. To get rid of Verizon, it would cost us $200 a line ($1000) to cancel the contract. We have a line for my mother-in-law and sister-in-law to share. They watch my son during the day, and they don't have a phone (they can't afford even a basic one from the local phone company) - I am their only source of income at the moment. I take the $10 it costs me per month and reduce it from daycare costs, so it works out in the end.

I have to check with DishNetwork to see what we have left on our Contract for HD. My husband works with them, and we get a $40 credit each month, so as soon as we can, I will be knocking down our programming to the bare minimum, so if there will be an amount owed, it might be for a Pay Per View movie or something.

I am proud to say, our snowball is currently $860 a month. January was an "off" month for us, but we are back in the game... We will be debt free (except the van and school loans) by the time I am laid off in September.

They are raising my interest rate.

And here, I thought it couldn't get any higher.

After 1st Premier and BofA this month, both of our Capital One's are next on the list.

We are having a budget meeting to discuss what to pay off next month. We will have our tax refund (amount unknown), tuition reimbursement ($632), our snowball ($850), and three normal payments to our American General loan by mid-March. That would wipe out that debt. The reason I consider it first is because the monthly payment is $256 a month... that's more than my little 9 credit cards' monthly payments combined.

So... we should have our budget meeting soon.

Praying for a nice refund!

As I have mentioned in the past, I having my given my notice at work. Sad, but true.

A few weeks ago, I was watching a recorded (DVR'd) shows, and once it was done, the show that was currently airing happened to be the morning news. They were in the middle of an interview with a young woman who became a teacher through a internship/fellowship process. I was intrigued. I've always wanted to obtain my teaching certificate.

I went online, and after a few days of research the program, I applied. The application and question were lengthy. Well, when I got home from work yesterday, there was an email from the director of this program. I have been invited to interview for an Elementary teaching position at a high need school in Phoenix. I am very excited.

My Basic Skills tests are on March 28, and my interview (6 hours, different tasks) is on March 29.

I have a lot to study! It's been forever since I was in Elementary school! lol... I am going to have my kids help me! Along with the traditional interview, I also will have to teach a lesson plan I create, and write an essay.

Now... the spending money part. The basic skills test through the state is $105. And the fingerprint clearance card is $69. :/ Thankfully, I am getting my work bonus this week.

If I am selected to do this, they will forgive some of by undergrad student loans. In addition, I will be attending a Masters of Arts in Education (MAEd) program through Arizona State to obtain my license to teach in any school, and no longer as an "intern".

There is a 5 week (paid) training course this summer, and then I would be in my own classroom in August.

While I am practicing positive thinking, if for some reason I do not make the program, I will still go on to obtain my MAEd. Either way, it's what I want to do.

Did I mention I was excited?

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Payday is JUST around the corner. I cannot wait to get the first of the month's bills done and paid.

We are still waiting on our truck to get out of the shop. It's funny, I thought I'd miss that $2k a lot more. Out of sight, out of mind - I guess.

Not pretty, but it is what it is.



click to make larger

DH and I are on the same paycheck cycle right now. On Friday, we each get a paycheck and I get my annual bonus (kind of nice considering I have been issued a pink slip of sorts). Paycheck one is estimated, it could be more, but never less. Paycheck 2 is right on.


Here is what came of our Feb Pay 1 and 2 Budget meeting:

The bank and its Portfolio feature clearly tell me.

$545 last month in eating out.

O.M.G. We did so good in November and December. January was just a bad month. I can't afford anymore of those.

February is a no eating out month. Meals are being planned as I type.

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So, my little one is sick again. Another fever and throwing up. We were up at 1am and then again at 3. At 3, he decided he was hungry and was crying hysterically for a cracker. He hadn't eaten dinner, so I gave him some Ritz crackers and apple juice. And at 4:00 am, he threw it all up on my bed. Needless to say, daddy is staying home with him today, and at 4:30 am I already have a load of bed stuff being washed.

I wish I could stay with him (for selfish reasons, too) but I have already missed so much work lately. It's time for daddy to call out.

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My end date with my company is still scheduled for Sept 18, and my it's right around the corner. It's gotten so bad at work, I doubt they will keep my team past April. I have been looking at jobs with less pay now; I need something. I am getting turned down left and right for being over-qualified, which is so unfair.

In the midst of all this, I have decided to pursue my dream. It's something I have wanted to do for a long time, but the pay was always less than what I was making. I've decided, in light of everything these days, I don't care. I decided to enroll in school again to become a teacher. I start my Masters of Art in Education - Elementary Education in April! I am so very excited. The program only takes 20 months, and when I am done, I will be certified by the state to teach. However, the last 16 weeks, I will have to student teach, which means I will have to quit my full-time job (if I even have one then). So, we will have to start thinking about that pretty soon; we will need to create a plan.

In Credit Card Debt.
Gross.

We are getting back on track though, so that's a good thing! We are scheduled to pay off Bank of America and 1st Premier this month! And then we have to add money back into Savings (for Baby EmerFun). We had to use our $1000 plus another $1000 cash to replace the engine in our truck.

Back in the game.