Owner: In Debt Because I Like Nice Things URL:http://nicethingsbaddebt.blogspot.com Join Date: Sun, 04 May 2008 18:22:13 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: This blog is devoted to following my journey out of credit card debt and struggle with still wanting the finer things in life. Site statistics:Click here
May 'Dream' Goal Achieved 2008-05-07 15:14:59 Well, I just did it! Make a $3200 payment to the Bank of America credit card. That is a total monthly payment of $3468.83. The balance was $8368.83, and last month there was $68.83 in interest. So my payment this month should get it under $5000 and keep it there even when they tack on the interest.So now the last dilemma is whether or not to shoot for attaining the 'Paid $30000 in debt' milestone. I'm going to think on it tonight. The savings account is completely empty now, and the checking account has about $1300 in it that has to last until next Thursday. Between now and Thursday I have to pay out $150 in groceries (I buy gift certificates every week from a friend for his son's private school), $125 in allowance, and leave a $300 cushion. In addition, we are going to Cedar Pointe on Sat Read more:Dream
Another Milestone May Be Reached 2008-05-07 06:04:40 I have been so focused this week on making my goal for the individual Bank of America card that I kind of forgot about the bigger picture. You know, that big 5 digit total debt! At the end of April we have that debt just narrowly under $40000, and we started at $66187! Pretty good progress for a mere 4 months. However, I just realized that there are two major milestones that we will likely hit by the end of May. The first one is that we will definitely get our total debt under $36187. That means that in 5 months we will have eliminated $30000 in total debt. I'm not bragging or anything, but dang, that makes me feel pretty good!!!!!!!! We'll have a party at the end of the month when I officially update! The second milestone is that there is a slim possibility that we might make it under $35
A Fun Weekend Coming Up 2008-05-09 06:09:33 This weekend is actually going to be fun! I am a huge roller coaster fan. When we lived in California we were always driving down to Magic Mountain or Disneyland for weekend trips. We moved to Indiana 3 years ago and I was so excited because we live only 3 hours from the best roller coaster park in the world: Cedar Point. However, life happens and we never got around to going. Since I know we'll be leaving next year I made a big push to go to the park this year. This Saturday happens to be opening day and so we are going! My husband, our roommate, and the roommate's twin brother are also going. We purchased our tickets already from AAA (using my husband's allowance) and saved $8/ticket. We are going to be splitting the gas and tolls with everyone to save even more money. Also, my brother-i Read more:Weekend
In The News: Americans Relying On Credit Cards to Survive 2008-05-09 05:57:30 CNN is reporting that Americans
are using their credit cards more than they were a year ago, and are using their credit cards to pay for bare necessities. The Federal Reserve is reporting that credit card debt has jumped 7.6% in the first quarter of 2008, compared with the first quarter of 2007. One reason for this increase is due to the fact that homeowners are no longer able to use their home as a source of money. Home equity loans are harder to get, and many homeowners no longer have equity in their home. Fortunately, my husband and I are not in the position to have to charge the necessities. In fact, we are probably bucking the national trend in that we have paid off $30000 in the first quarter of the year. However, one of the reasons that our credit card debt racked up so high is bec Read more:Cards
, Credit Cards
I Am Really Busy This Weekend 2008-05-09 14:44:57 OK, just in case anyone feels like they are overwhelmed, I thought I'd make you feel better by giving you a glimpse into what I am going to attempt to accomplish between now and Monday night:- clean entire house; including washing windows, vacuuming, washing door sills, polishing doors and cabinets, scrubbing floors, washing baseboards. This is my super cleaning that I do once every 6-8 weeks, otherwise normal cleaning is dusting, washing floors, cleaning countertops/sinks, etc., vacuuming that gets done every week. - laundry. I have about 5 loads to do this weekend.- make list of stuff to pack for London and then pack- finish going through photo storage box (started this last weekend and never finished)-set up ebay auctions on Auctiva to start on Sunday night and go for 7 days- trip to W Read more:Weekend
Your Social Security Statement 2008-05-09 13:48:41 Once a year I receive a statement from Social
Security. I am 37 years away from retirement, and have no doubt that Social Security will be long gone; however, it is fun to see how much I would get at retirement! The statement does give a lot of information. It tells you how many credits of work you have earned (you need 40 to qualify for retirement benefits), how much retirement benefits you would get at 62 and 67, how much your disability benefits are, and how much your spouse or children would get if you died. It also lists your earnings since the time you filed your first tax return (or received your first W2). I always have fun looking at that and seeing that number steadily increase the longer I am in the work force. Of course, when I was a full time student I had one year where I had
London's Calling 2008-05-09 12:50:47 Only 4 more days until I leave for London! I have everything ready to go for the conference. My posters are printed and reprints are done. I have all that ready. I pretty much know what I need to pack, I just need to get around to doing it! I need to charge my camera batteries and I'm waiting for Apple to deliver the adapter so I can use my laptop over there! The next 3 days are going to be absolutely crazy busy, especially since I am losing the entire day tomorrow to go to Cedar Point. I have most of my itinerary ready, but I will update everyone on my full plans for London later this weekend!!!! And of course, some tips and tricks to save money overseas....hopefully I can follow my own suggestions! I am soooooooooooo excited! I've been dreaming of this trip for 12 months and now it is a Read more:Calling
A New Day Means More Stuff To Do 2008-05-12 15:37:19 And another new day starts, which means I better start tackling that to-do list! I'll update this post throughout the day with my progress! My list kind of grew too. I now have to stop at the bank today and find a phone card for my trip too.-checked out whether camera will work on hubby's computer; it won't- upper lip wax (7:30 AM)-went to bank (8:00 AM)-morning meeting (9:45 AM)-purchased bus tic Read more:Means
, New Day
May Grocery Challenge: Week 2 Results 2008-05-12 12:19:13 Well, I didn't do as well as I did last week. This week I had to go to the grocery store to get some food to get my hubby through the week. We also went to Walmart for cleaning supplies, and Sam's Club for some bulk food stuff. My goal is to only spend $140/week on groceries and cleaning supplies for a total of $700. Martins (groceries): $55.00Sam's Club: $94.00Walmart: $13.00Total: $162.00Yikes, Read more:Grocery
, Challenge
Great Savings At Saks Fifth Avenue: Is The Economy Hitting Them Too? 2008-05-12 11:49:31 Although I will not be partaking in this event (which does sadden me to some extent), Saks is once again having an EGC (Extra Gift Card) event on Thursday May 15th. This event is great if there was something you were thinking of buying anyways, because you get some free money. Basically, all you do is buy something and they give you a gift card. The amount of the gift card depends on your purchase Read more:Great
, Savings
, Fifth
, Avenue
, Hitting
Cedar Point Rocked 2008-05-11 21:06:22 I got back so late last night that I could barely walk straight, so I thought I would save the update until today! We had an absolute blast!!!!! We stopped halfway there and picked up a friend and had breakfast. We ended up arriving at around 12 PM and I was in line for my first ride at 12:30 PM. That line-up was the worst one: 1 hour and 45 minutes. The rest of our time there the lines ranged fro Read more:Cedar
To-Do List Not Progressing Well 2008-05-11 20:33:46 Well, my to-do list is not getting done as quickly as I would have hoped. I think I am going to go into work tomorrow for only 1-2 hours. Enough time for my quick morning meeting and pick up some stuff I need for London. Then come straight home and start attacking the to-do list! I know I'll get all the London related stuff done, but some of the extra stuff like reading and listing ebay auctions m
Resisting The Urge To Spend Comes In Many Forms 2008-05-11 19:32:06 We all know that I got to where I am because of stupid decisions financially, and a love of some of the finer things in life. Therefore, when I started this journey I figured that I just needed to stay away from things like Saks and Louis Vuitton. Little did I know, that the urge to spend can attack at any time. It can pop up and make you do crazy things! Case in point: Today my husband and I had Read more:Forms
Good Morning & Bon Voyage 2008-05-13 05:53:57 Yes, the day has finally arrived! I have been dreaming about this trip since I found out about it last May! In 3 short hours I will be heading to the bus station to catch my bus to O'Hare, and then my actual flight leaves at 4 PM central time. I did not get through my entire to-do list, but that is typical of me! I usually throw way too much stuff on it. Some of the stuff on the list I will actual Read more:Morning
, Voyage
, Good Morning
, Bon Voyage
Free Money! Free Money! 2008-05-12 17:35:25 By now you should all know how much I love free money! Today was a great free money day! I received a check for $3.00 from Pinecone Research. They are currently accepting applications for new members, so you should definitely check them out if you are thinking of wanting to make a bit of spare change! I also received a $4.00 check from another survey company called American Consumer Opinion! It is Read more:Money
, Free Money
Good Evening From London 2008-05-15 12:27:49 Good evening everyone (or good morning in the USA)! Sorry I have not been able to post updates sooner, but my hotel charges £20/day ($40 US) for internet! One day of internet is not worth 45 days of what my internet costs back home. Therefore, I am at an internet cafe posting. How world traveler of me LOL!Here are some updates on how things are going:1. Our flight was delayed by over 4 hours out
What I Did In London: The Recap 2008-05-19 10:58:05 I wish I had been able to post from London with more detailed updates of my escapades; however, you will all have to make due with a summary! Below is just a summary of what I did and saw, and how much that cost! I'll spend another post breaking down more of where my money went and how I could have saved more money! Oh and I met a Spice Girl (see below)!!!!!Day 1 (Wed)As you know from my previous Read more:Recap
I'm Baaaaaaccccckkkkk 2008-05-19 06:21:28 Hi everyone! I am back safe and sound on US soil! I am so sorry that I wasn't able to post regularly! I am going to be running around like a madwoman today, as I have to go to work for a meeting and prepare for my workshop in Chicago. Therefore, I'll be posting throughout the day updating you on my adventures in London, including financial adventures! So stay tuned :-)
Big Bonus for May 2008-05-21 09:50:58 While I was gone in London my husband received his bonus check for May. It was another big one (around $2500 more than his base bonus) and was almost as big as the April bonus. My husband took his 10% bonus from this (10% is based on how big his bonus was above and beyond his base bonus). I also conceded and am allowing him to buy his motorcycle tires out of the bank account as a bonus for making Read more:Bonus
Almost Experienced a Relapse 2008-05-21 09:47:03 I had an experience while I was in London that I wanted to share with all of you. I often refer to the money-grubbing, super-spending, in-debt person as the old me, and this newly frugal, pay-off-the-debt person as the new me. I've been pretty good over the past 5 months of stuffing the old me down and ignoring her wants. In order to pay off the credit card debt this is a necessity. I do indeed f Read more:Almost
Extra Vacation Money: What Should I Do With It? 2008-05-20 13:22:13 I went to London with just over $800 (which converted to 380 GPB). I arrived home with $210 USD. I will also be getting quite a bit back from my school for the money I spent on food and transportation. I am in a bit of a quandry as to what to do with it. I have no major events coming up the rest of this summer and will still be continuing to get my $25/week allowance. The only thing I wanted to sa Read more:Extra
, Vacation
, Money
Money Saving Tips for International Travel 2008-05-20 13:18:30 As promised, I would like to share with all of you some great things that I learned while on my overseas trip. I typically like to think of myself as a pretty good traveler. I do a lot of research before I leave and try to utilize the concierge (who is typically a local) to help me save money while traveling. Although I do a pretty good job (at least I think so), I still have a ways to go. I reall Read more:Money
, Saving
, International
, Travel
Extra Income Rolling In 2008-05-22 09:09:31 If you remember, last month I listed a bunch of DVDs and CDs on Half.com. I was absolutely amazed at how well they were selling. I just received another deposit in the bank for $78.26 for two weeks of sales. I put a vacation hold while I was gone, but I took the hold off on Tuesday and already have another four sales! This was actually very successful and I highly recommend that everyone try it. I Read more:Extra
, Income
, Rolling
Increased the Snowball 2008-05-24 14:09:33 I have been following the snowball method of debt repayment. Basically this means that whenever I pay off a credit card I take that amount and apply it to the monthly payment of the next credit card that I am paying off. They call this a snowball because it can very quickly accumulate. My snowball is currently at $440. Every month I take that $440 and apply it to the Bank of America card, on top o Read more:Snowball
The Mortgage 2008-05-24 07:19:47 I just realized that I totally forgot to update everyone on our mortgage situation. When the Feds lowered the rate again last month we 100% decided to drop the refinancing idea and cross our fingers that the adjustment to our interest rate wouldn't change. We received our statement for the month of June and there was zero change. As of today we have not received any letters from the mortgage compa Read more:Mortgage
Counting Down 2008-05-24 07:17:48 I love to count down to things. You might have been able to ascertain this characteristic from my posts regarding how many truck payments we have left. Life is really one big countdown when you think of it. Every day we are here on earth is one less day we have left to live. I know it sounds morbid, but it is true. I tend to ignore that countdown, and instead I focus on positive things and big eve Read more:Counting
, Counting Down
The BIG News I Promised 2008-05-23 20:53:20 Many of you will remember that I recently attended a conference in London. This conference was the preeminent conference in my field and all of the big researchers attend. Prior to the conference I contacted several researchers regarding the opportunity for a postdoctoral position starting in summer 2009. A postdoctoral position is basically a research position that lasts for about 2 years. You do
HAHA Bank of America Card! Take That! 2008-05-23 18:52:14 Bank of America
you are the weak one. You cannot stop a girl on a mission. Your silly ploys with 0% balance transfer checks and lowering my interest rate by 3% over the past two months will not tempt me. I am stronger and bigger than you. You started out at nearly $14500 just a mere couple of months ago. Now you are at a measly $4951.25. Your monthly payment used to be $255 and is now only $100. I
May Grocery Challenge: Week 3 2008-05-23 16:33:12 Well, this was a great week grocery-wise. I left for London last Tuesday and went grocery shopping before I left (as detailed in the week 2 post). I got back Sunday night and had intentions to go grocery shopping for some fruit and yogurt to get me through the week. I didn't need a lot of groceries because I knew I was going to be in Chicago most of the week for a workshop. However, I was too busy Read more:Grocery
, Challenge
Some Money in The Bank 2008-05-23 16:30:15 Stopped off on the way home today and deposited $370 in the bank. That money is from some survey checks ($7), money that my brother-in-law gave me for selling on ebay ($150), and the remaining money from London ($210). I also had some dollar bills floating around my purse that I threw in too. I just submitted $52.90 for reimbursement for traveling to and from Chicago. When that comes in it will g Read more:Money
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