I started the day thinking that I wasn't going to spend a dime. I didn't need gas, bought cigarettes two days ago and still have almost a full pack, and knew that I went to the store and spent $200 the day before.
Well, after a short trip to take the boys to Grandma's, I stopped in at the Dollar General.
Bought a clearance belt for $3 and some Easter cakes for $1.50.
Why?
Why did I stop?
Do I need that belt? No, but I noticed my fiancée wearing my work belt because it is real leather and his is not.
So I got a new one for me for work.
And the cakes, well, I wanted one. That's why they are put there, to tempt me into purchasing.
I will control my spending!!!!
I will not stop next time!!!
I will be responsible!!
Next time!

And was shocked!
I thought I was getting a good deal, for the channels I get, speedy internet, and all that jazz, it was almost $80!
I had it down to around $69, but I guess my free HBO and Showtime is over. Now those channels are $10 each.
I will have to rethink this, as we are not spending any time watching those channels, but it is nice to use the On Demand part for movies when we have the time and inclination.
I will have to pay $46 for my plates in two weeks. I will also have to get a new license with my new address on it.
Woo Hoo. Then I'll be officially and totally settled in here.
I hope that the tennis ball sized hail we just had didn't damage my roof too much. I wonder what it did to the car. Too late to check. I'll see it in the morning.

I tried to post this in the forum, but I guess I still can't post new threads.

When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

I am TRYING to close on a home that was purchased by a bank from a Sheriff's sale. I assumed it was a foreclosure. Now, the title company says that I can not purchase this because they have recorded that there is more land attached to it. Funny thing is that someone else says they own that land. It has the same address, is located directly behind the house, and is legally attached to the house. Why can't I get a clear title. I have to register my children for school by the 28th of this month, due to close for the second time today. This will not happen.
Any suggestions on how to fix my delima?

So, my house is not coming as soon as I had hoped. Why is the housing market not trying to unload those houses they are saturated with sooner?
The mold guy is taking his sweet time in returning his report and the plumber said that he wrote the letter saying my floor drains work. The assessor valued the home at $95k, so that is good, since I am buying it for $89k.
Be patient I tell myself.
I am not a patient person and never have. Since I can't do anything until they do their thing, I will be forced to wait. I guess this gives me more time to pack and get things just right.
Looking forward to getting air and a cool basement by the middle of summer. The house has been about three degrees warmer than outside and the kids are restless. Sprinkler time is not as fun, since it is so hot when we come back inside.
We can tough it out for two more months.
We have to!

Well, I guess this is my chance to prove to myself that I am responsible with money now. Since I only have around $1,500 to save and not blow on the holiday season, I think that I should be cautious to stay out of the mall, the stores, and especially the grocery. For some reason every year I always want to be the one to bring the best snacks or treats at a holiday party. This year I bought some pretzel rods and fancied them up with icing and chocolate. I promised myself and family that this was the only thing I was making. Then, I bought cookie mix and marshmellows to make some frosted flake wreaths. I am not very good about making promises to myself. I will keep this promise to my kids that I will have some money when the new year comes around. I already have bills that need to be paid too.
I WILL NOT OVERSPEND!
I WILL NOT OVERSPEND!
I WILL PRETEND THAT I AM AS BROKE AS I ALWAYS AM.
I WILL NOT BUY MYSELF MORE THAN TWO PRESENTS THIS YEAR. I WILL NOT!!!!!!!!!
(thanks for listening)

With all the problems the entire world is having with their money, I haven't posted in a while as I didn't even want to think about MY finances.
I am a grownup and will face it like a woman.
So, my credit stinks, my longest open card just closed on me and won't reopen it. I have been hanging on by string, but still making it. I also have gotten a new job. My training starts after Christmas. I am excited about that.
I worked Saturday night at my current job. I hadn't worked before then since Oct. 30th. Wow!
I am not worried a bit about Christmas as we know we are not getting much. Our drawing for the adult kids is going strong again for the third year in a row. I am not worried about school either. I am certain that I will pass with flying colors. My hope that I will do better next year doesn't seem so bleak. I could be way worse off.
On a better note, i am saving with SmartyPig and my Santa savings I just opened will be mighty full by next Christmas!
I am also taking part in a drug study that will pay $1115 after 8 months. I am happy with that too. It is for a weight loss drug. So, I want to win two ways. One to lighten my load and one to fatten my savings wallet.
The sun is shining...

I paid $660 to have hot water. I am thankful. I am a little pissed about how ghetto the operators were to me. After I took my dishes to my grandmother's to do them, I told her that I almost felt sorry for making fun of my ex-sister-in-law for trading sexual favors to get her utilities turned back on. Almost.

Lights and gas paid. Water and phone are next. Maybe a credit card will get paid next month.

I guess that's where an emergency fund comes from. I only have $25 in mine and my man's transmission in his work truck went out Friday. Now he is driving the gas guzzler loaded down with hundreds of pounds of tools. No extra spending!

I returned a car part that was purchased but not needed. That was $42.
I worked from 6:30 to about 10:30 and made $25.
I did not buy any cigarettes or alcohol today, which is awesome for me since I am feeling down.

I contacted my cable company and they told me that in order to get service without buying a box for digital signal, my bill will be raising on September 11th from $33 to $45. "You get more channels." Don't you get that I am trying to go cheap? I guess I will see when those digital boxes are less and get a coupon for reimbursement or something. We can live with Fox and public television but with nothing even I will go crazy.

I tried to call my college today and it was a weird conversation. They changed the name of my school, which is cool, but I asked to talk to some really well known people in the office and the girl answering the phone did not know who I was talking about. So after asking if the dean was the same, she explained that there was an entire staff meeting and she was filling in. I asked her if there was a list of people's extensions so that I could leave a voicemail and she was looking at the list and no one I mentioned was on it.
Weird. I will call again tomorrow and get the down low on what I need to do to start up again this September 29th. Before you jump my case about needing work worse, I can't afford to start paying my student loans, which are about $10,000.00. I have only two months until my six month grace period is over. Really, it is over in August, but I will be registered by then. I forgot that I found two pennies on the ground today.

GO ME!!!

Paying off cards to get the credit card companies to stop calling me 20 times a day hardly seems worth it. I am now $200 lighter and my life seems bleak. Rent is paid, but we still have no hot water. The cable company is going to shut us off and repo our box. I don't know how much longer I can take this. My children have started school and their supplies and textbook fees really strapped me. At least I don't have to pay the $50 a week for Kindergarten this year.

$658 for gas due
$117 for cable due
$132 for phone due
$156 for lights due
$50 for one credit card due
$40 for another credit card due
$101 for yet another credit card due
$60 for my major credit card due
$18 for my last credit card due

My head is above water for now, but it won't be soon. My kids keep me going. My job lets me hang on. My sanity is still in check. Without those things, you would never hear from me again.

What is the name of my blog? You must first help yourself, which I have been doing, by doing a minimum of 20 hours of job searching every week. That is time I could be working and earning money, but my job isn't the best about giving hours. It isn't their fault. I will continue to look, since I am to be starting school again this fall.

Wish me luck!

Well, my lease is up in October. I really want to leave this dump, but it's cheap and has a great school for my little n's. Without finding a full time job that pays at least min. wage, I can't afford to go anywhere. I say at least minimum because I could be a waitress and make a few bucks. That won't be enough.
Right now rent is cheap for the good area I'm in, but I think my family needs more. I know that we should be happy for what we have, but my 6-y-o told me that our house is too small to get away from his brother. Two bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bath. That is a really tiny place when you write it down. I guess I'm not counting everything. There's a small bathroom, smaller laundry room, and a hallway connecting the four major rooms. I found a place with three bedrooms, fenced in backyard, attached garage, with new windows and insulation. $560 to $875 is quite a jump. DH won't let us move because he is the only one really working. My job is a joke. I work one week and not for two. Since I get paid bi-weekly, it sort of doesn't pay at all. I have to drive 45 miles to get 6 or 7 hours in and then drive home at 1 in the morning, and for what? To get a paycheck for $100 twice a month? Yes. At least I have that. I have to remind myself to be thankful for what I have. Maybe I'll find a cute small house for the same amount of money in November. I'm sure that my landlord will be flexible with me. I am their best tennant.
I am happy we have a house and aren't living off our parents.

We haven't rented, bought, or even thought about spending any extra money on our gaming systems.
That is good for me.

We tried to use a game system for a reward system for our DS7 who was having accidents. We have since had to come up with another reward, since we can't afford what we set out for him.

He understands about money being tight, and sees what else we have sacrificed for it. It would be hard to say we don't have the money if we were buying other things. It's hard owning up to a little kid, especially if they catch you in a lie.

How come we can't get my game but you can have new (fill in the blank)?
They used to harp about my cigarettes, but I have been slowing down, trying to quit. I made it 4 1/2 days before caving. I am now on little cigars and they have no nicotine in them, being made of mostly natural materials.
Saving money is hard now, but I guess it could be worse. I could be scraping together our change for gas money. I remember those days.
Doing better, but still could use some extra $. I work two nights this week, so that is good.

Today my city's Children's Museum is free. The boys and I are going. I thought about taking them to Chuck E Cheese, but that isn't free!
Bills are paid and I feel good. I just hate that we are going into months of suffering for my buying habits.
We are STOPPING eating fast food. We can't afford it and we are suffering the weight consequences. I guess since I am working more, I will have to freeze meals to bake by themselves so that anyone can do it.
If I fail at this, I am breaking a promise to myself. That won't be cool. I can do this!
I have faith in DH too. He can eat out at lunch at work, but for dinner, or the weekend for the children, we are to stay home and fend for ourselves. They have plenty of places to request foods for that weeks grocery list.
There's where more money will be going. I spent $120 there on Saturday night, and we have gone through about 1/4 of the food. I'll have to par down the consumption and buy only what we really NEED!!!

Why oh why do I always say I will do something good with my money and then always blow it.
I can't say that I always blow it, but I do burn it up quickly.
Fast food:$38 and change at White Castle, $6 for McDonald's for one just a minute ago. $7 and change for McDonald's last night for two.
Gas spent going to these places:$.50 for the White Castle, at least. $.25 for both McDonald's.
Well, that is way to much to be throwing away.
That's only two days and three different stops.
Granted, the kid's nuggets were for quickness, but the laziness for dinner last night was all mine.
I have shamelessly posted my wares for sale on this site, as I have lost resources at my job. My schooling is doing good, but I have put a lot in my lap and now I have to put it away in proper order. My classes are getting harder now and winter is taking it's toll on us by being couped up all day and night. My children need to run. I should take them to a gym somewhere.

I am very proud of myself for not buying alcohol for two weeks straight. My cousin who lives next door wants to drink at night. I already feel guilty for not spending any time with my DS2BH, so to do that, either here or there isn't being with him. I am not going to Girlz Nite this Tuesday either. I am staying here and putting the kids to bed early.

I shall get my effects in order, since it is coming up on tax time and all. I do it as soon as I get it. My refund comes faster and it is done and out of the way.
My credit card should be arriving soon, which is cool, but my interest rate is going up. That is not cool.
To that I bid ado.

I love clearance!!

I bought a ton of stuff for next year. I have added up on my receipt and found out that I only spent $32.75(not including tax) on about $100 worth of stuff. The little line that states you saved this much said that I saved $61.07(not including tax).
That is a lot to me. That is why I wait till now to buy those items. I found 6 rolls of 90 square feet of wrapping paper for $.70 each.
I did have to spend $13 on a new paper holder, but the one I had was too short anyway. I was upset when I got home and the paper I had didn't fit. The new one is almost as tall as me and I think it will be perfect.

I will also have to sort out the gift bags I got so they aren't folded in the cold and heat in my shed. Soon, I will be getting summer stuff out and will have a better idea on how much holiday stuff I really have.

I am not going anywhere today.
I don't think shopping is worth all that crap. I am watching the news and they are talking about the lines being long and horrible.
No Way!
I am glad that I have most of my gifts wrapped. I didn't get any GREAT deals like these people think they are getting, but, I didn't blow a budget with one shopping spree either.
I love sleeping in.

I cleared my savings to pay off credit card debt.
I had it for so long too.
I saved it for almost two months. It was exactly two months, if you want to say it doesn't clear until tomorrow.
I will take this lesson, with all it hurt me, and learn from it.
Never again will I run up a bill and not pay it in full. I won't fall for the catalogues promises of cheap costs.
Right!
I won't buy if I don't have the cash.
I also can't let myself fall for a scam again. I am in some trouble over a $5,000 internet scam.
How foolish!
At least I've learned my lesson, and I am growing up.
And my mom said that it would never happen.

I haven't been adding my found money to my challenge. I am sorry.
I found two nickles at the Walmart after spending $195.
I found 16 cents in the washer yesterday.
I found $4 in a pair of my jeans after washing them today.
I wish I was thinking about it more when I find it. I really just stick it into my piggy bank at the end of the night, and that is when it hits me that I should post it.
Oh well.
I'm already on my way to bed now.
I'll do it tomorrow.
Find more money, post them both.
Here are three finds that are behind the times.


I did have to pull $200 out of my savings account today for a radiator for the work mule's car. I feel sorry for my DS2BH. He is working so hard, taking care of the three of us. Our boys are growing, so they are eating more. Gas went down, but that doesn't matter when it still guzzles it down.
I know it sucks to work all week and have nothing to show for it.
He wants to go in with his dad on a gun, but it won't be here, he won't use it, and it will set us back $150.
I guess he will sacrifice his new truck for it. I told him that if I could buy a new washer and dryer, I would buy him a truck. I bought the parts instead.

I hate to play the your money my money game anyway.
I have worked hard to get him to stop that anyway.
It wouldn't be fair if I started it now.

Besides, after this week, there is no more surplus money. The last of my land sale money is gone. I have paid off on credit cards, bought Christmas presents for all, and paid back my Grandma.
That was a large load off my chest.
I still owe credit cards, we will still buy more presents, and I still owe Granny, but life isn't as bad as it was.


BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE, INSTEAD OF HOW MUCH YOU WANT THAT!!!


Treasure your relationships, not your possessions.
— Anthony J. D'Angelo

I finally caved in and paid for my credit reports and score.
It was only $14.95 and I will use it.
Equifax TransUnion Experian
Total Balance $6,889 $7,404 $7,908

These are the total balances for my three reports that it says I owe to my 6, 8, and 6 different accounts.
I believe that I will wait out this financial drought for at least five years before I try any serious credit moves from now on.
I didn't know my debt was this high.
I knew that some of my accounts were charged off, but this is outrageous.

I will enter the average of these numbers into my NetWorthIQ page on my sidebar.

I have been spending money again. I went to the store and shopped for things that I didn't need.
I thought I had stopped this foolish behavior. I had frozen my spending except for essentials for the home. I had to buy toilet paper and toothpaste. Shampoo and conditioner seemed to be used faster and faster.
Why now, am I blowing without remorse?
I do feel remorse. I DO! But I can't let my little relapse defer me from my goals!
I think when I laid down $313 for a washer and dryer, I could afford a couple more bucks.
That way of thinking has got to go. I have to get to work on my credit card debt.

I still feel broke. I don't think this bail out is going to bail me out at all. What do you think, George?

My washer broke again. DS2BH wants to weld something on to it so that it won't come apart again.
Why can't I buy a sensibly priced economic and enviromently friendly product and use it.
I believe that my washer is not saving as much water as it could.

I should buy a set and just suprise him when he gets home.

Don't you think he would be mad?
Technically it's not his money I would be spending, but I would be asking for money for the bills soon enough.

Why should I have to suffer with 10-year-old hand-me-down set of appliances from his mom?

I want new ones!
I need new ones!
The money that it will save us on our utility bills alone is the reason I want to buy them. I still think that we should consider a new one.

I did find some money in the last load that broke the washer's back. It was a dime.
That's the only reason I do laundry anymore.
Add that to the Challenge!

I don't need a new dryer, I just want one. My washer was broken down. I couldn't stand not having my own washer. I was bumming my cousin's next door, since she did mine. I still didn't want to wait until she wasn't washing. I wanted to be able to do it when ever I wanted to.
I asked for my washer to be fixed. I threatened to buy a new one. He knows of my thing about having a matching washer/dryer. I was going to buy one when I bought my freezer in the scratch and dent, but he didn't want to spend the money then either.
I am glad he fixed the one I have.
It did save me about $400. I know I would have gone all out and bought $500 matching ones and it would have killed him.
I keep telling myself to leave my money in savings, but the other voice says,spend, spend, spend!
I hate it, but I have very little self control. I often act before thinking. I know this. I need him to tell me not to spend and fix the old one I've got.
Thanks so much, honey!

I called and cancelled my fitness thing in time and they said they could give me a full refund.
Whew!!!
I also have been doing my extra payments on two credit cards.
Today I called and asked for some help on one, she gave me a deal.
"If you pay $29.00 today, I can put a credit for an over-the-limit-fee of $29.00."
"So it would count as a $58.00 payment?"
"Yes, but I have to add the $7.95 pay-over-the-phone fee."

Well, some help is better than none I guess.

I also mailed off an extra $10 to my other credit card.
By January, I should be all caught up.
I need to pay off:$312.49 on one and $502.83 on another by January 09.
I am also saving up for rent, school fees, and the like. I hope I can do it. If I would quit spending like a fool, I probably could.
I believe I will count that $29.00 she credited me to my $20 Challenge balance. That will raise it up a bit.

$83.15 Previous Challenge total
+$29.00 Add this money I "found"
-------
$112.15 New total for Challenge since June 08

My first day of school was awesome.
I did hurt myself though. I was trying to get into my car in a parking lot where spots are small and cars are big. I ripped my earring out of my ear and lost it.
It was actually quite painful.
But besides that, I have two classes on campus and one online. My professors are both fun and talkative, which I am too.
I feel that I will have a ton of fun this quarter.
I have been stupid with my money.
I spent $158 to a stupid fitness thing online. I didn't have to spend that much to get the info that I could have gotten for free. Hell, that could have paid for a year at a gym.
Boy I feel dumb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ten things that helped me to...

Rack up Credit Card Debt.

10. I spent way too much money on clothing on my children when they were small. I should have been doing what I do now. Buying second hand and perusing clearance isles.

9. I cared about what other people thought about me. I spent money on things I didn't need. I didn't try to impress, but I didn't want people looking down on me.

8. I had a love affair with the dollar store. I went when I was upset, sad, bored, or didn't want to go home because it was nasty and full of clutter. Why was it full of clutter and hard to clean with two toddlers there? Due to my love affair with the dollar store.

7. I lost my job. That means that gas, groceries, cigarettes, and everything else that wasn't a bill went on my card. I opened up card after card, knowing that I didn't have the money to pay it back.

6. My live in partner and baby daddy didn't have a job either. There's more gas and expenses that I couldn't keep up with.

5. The ease of ordering things online. I could click and get. That is very tempting to do when you are sad about your situation.

4. Therapy shopping. That is the base of 4 or 5 of these. When I couldn't afford it anymore, what did I do? I spent time with my kids. They made me more happy then for some reason. Not that they didn't make me happy before, but they would upset me more often in the past. I think we were all going through some stress, with bills, clutter, and school issues to deal with, it's surprising they didn't take up smoking.

3. I thought if we had it all, we would be happy. How wrong I was!

2. Interest rates on maxed out cards are outrageous. I was buying $300 worth of stuff and paying $500 for it. DUH

1. I blame myself, but also the way I was raised, people I hung around, and way I looked at myself. I had to take a class in college that told us that our self esteem has a lot more to do with our lives than just your teen years. If you constantly tell yourself that you will not be able to do something, guess what, you can't do it. I told myself that things would make me happy. I told myself that people liked me because of what I had or how much money I had. I didn't want to instill that into my children, so I changed.

I bragged about selling my textbooks online at Amazon. I made a good hunk of change.
$365
I have not received my funds that were due on 9/11/08.
I understand about waiting to clear. I remember the pending transactions of $1.00 from amazon but there was never a clearing from them. The transaction was a debit of $1.00. I figured that it was to verify my account. No problem.
Instead of me seeing money in my account, I receive an email that states my account info is not accurate due to a mis-key. Not likely. I double ch3ck all of my letters, numbers, and passwords. I cannot log into my amazon account to figure out what is wrong. It keeps saying that my password is wrong. I know it is right.
I request a new password sent to my email. It says wait for one. One never comes. I called the company who sent the email, they stated they are the company who accepts payments for amazon. I read her the email word for word to let her know this is the number it said to call. She gives me another number anyway.
I call it. She has no idea what I am talking about and keeps telling me that she is not the company I want. I tell her that the company I want gave me her number.
She transferred me to an Amazon.com Customer Service Representative.
This person can help me as little as possible, and is from the original company!!!
She cannot log into my account because it is on hold and under review. Why would it be under review? She doesn't know why they do it.
She will forward my issue to an account specialist. They will email me.
No. I am talking to a real person about this. Transfer me or give me another number to call. I will not wait another three days to figure out what you are doing with my money.

Due to the nature of their jobs, the account specialists do not have phones.

Are you fricking kidding me???

No.

Why is this happening to me?
I just want my money that I get for selling my books. You made your money off of me, since you get a commission off of sales, but no charges until a sale is final and paid for. It sounded perfect. One could say it was too good to be true. And you know what they say about something that sounds too good to be true don't you?

I have received mail from several credit card companies saying that I am about to go under.
I have set up payment plans for them, with one, I can even get my card active again once paying down my balance.
One plan is $30 a month for 6 months.
The other plan is pay $20 now so that they don't charge the account off and when I get my money from selling my land, pay off a settlement of $450.
That works for me. Why would the credit card company tell me that if I pay $20 every three months that they could never do anything against me.
What about all that interest and late fees that you tack on??!!
Also, I would like to add $.92 to my challenge money before the month is up. I found more change on the ground at work.

For the last two weeks I have done nothing but school. Today, Friday the 13th, I get to work tonight. And it is an early call so I should get an extra hour or so. This starts a few weeks of working that I have not had for a while. You don't know how depressing it is to pick up your bi-weekly check and see five hours on it. Last Monday's check was okay, for 28 hours, but that is for two weeks. This is my lucky day and many more work hours are to come. After finals, I can work all day, except for the weekends, where my children have little league baseball. That still leaves my Saturday nights open to work, and that is when most events are anyway.
DH has been asked to start working overtime soon, and I will be pushing towards it. Now, I know that I will be doing extra around the house to make him happy when he gets home, when I am tired from working, but he makes twice what I do and works twice as hard. I can make that sacrifice.

Finals are next week and I couldn't be more thrilled. I am doing great in my classes and I am looking forward to a week out of school.
I do wish I were working more often. Right now, I can barely pay the rent, with DH making $15.00 per hour.
That is sad. For 4 years, I made everything happen for $6.50-$8.00 per hour, and that includes all food and extras that were purchased in that time. I am a little resentful that DH has money in his pocket now, while that whole time and now I have nothing but change.
He does know that it is rough and I am not working as much now, but he doesn't think that he should have to give all his money to the family. I know you need gas money, I know you want to buy lunch with the guys at Dick's Bodacious Bar-B-Que, but that isn't fair to me or the children. I didn't have "spending money" forever. I still don't and that is why my credit cards look the way they do. I have put my foot down and refuse to borrow any money from my mother or grandmother. I think that he will have to exhaust his parents and family the way I have mine.
With him working so much and making twice what I did, why are things so hard? What is happening that I didn't see before?
I'll make it, I just don't want to stress anymore.

I haven't been posting for a week or less, and my money is slipping away. Ever so slowly, I am not accountable for my money actions, so, I don't think about it.
I don't have to tally up anything on My Balances Page, so there's nothing to worry about right?
I wish I had maybe been writing it down, saving more receipts or something. But no, I didn't want to stick to budget or stop spending.
I will slap my wrist and get back into it.
I hope that I do not have to go the library to post next week. I let my bill go and they canceled by cable, and my cable modem. That'll teach me to slack off, won't it?