Well, it's almost the end of the year and it seems to be a good time to take a broad perspective look at things.

1. My b-day is tomorrow. Yes, that number on the left side of the screen will change to 37 tomorrow. I will be an old woman. ;P

2. My credit card debt has not decreased a lot, but it has gone down to $1658. I don't know what my balance was last year, though. I did get the APR on my card lowered by 3%, so this should help a lot. See my blog from yesterday about that.

3. My medical debt has gone down quite a bit to a total of $4041.18.

4. My retirement has increased to $9376.80. I am really impressed. I haven't really been checking on it or doing a lot with it and I have only been contributing since July 2006.

Cool. I am happy with what I have done with my finances this year.

My goals for the coming year include:

1. Find a way to increase the amount in my short term savings (i.e., emergency savings). I don't really like to call it emergency savings, because that puts it out there that there might be an emergency.

For some reason, I can't seem to accumulate the recommended $1000 that Dave Ramsey talks about. Something always seem to come up that snatches that money away. The most I seem to be able to get to is around $300.

2. Continue to pay off the medical debt. In July, I should get a raise, after which I will double the amount I am paying on one of the medical bills.

3. Continue paying off the credit card debt. I am making one big payment for the paycheck of the month, then a smaller one for the second. In between, I am also sending small payments when I get a survey check or something.

I got a check from a survey company in the mail. I took it right to the bank and put it in my money market account. It's only $5.00, but it's $5.00 more than what I had before.

Yippee!!

Howdy, friends and neighbors.

I just got back from the grocery store and I have to tell you about some really weird stuff about my shopping trip. I wasn't really looking for any special bargains. I did take a long some coupons that I got from Kashi, but I just put it out the universe that whatever I needed would be provided to me. For once, I didn't really concern myself so much with the cost, but whether I got everything I needed. I didn't bring a calculator and didn't stand around debating the per unit cost of anything. Everything I needed was on sale. I just got what I needed and would up spending under my allotted amount for the week.

I had a coupon for $1.00 of 2 packages of Farmland sausage. Farmland sausage was on sale Buy One Get One Free, so I got 2 packages of sausage for $1.29 total, when they normally are $2.29 each. I also had a $.40 cents off coupon for 2 cans of Manwich. Manwich, which is usually $1.31, was on sale for $1.00 per can, so I basically got 1 can free. I had 2 $1.00 coupons for Hungry Man or Swanson dinners. Swanson dinners were on Closeout for $1.79 each, so I got two dinners for $0.79 each.

The other weird stuff is that I am one week from payday and I have approximately $300 in my checking account. I just got a hospital bill in the mail. I think I will go ahead and make a payment. This is so weird, but I am not knocking it.

Ever since I started with the Secret Challenge, money seems to be multiplying in my checking account. I am not doing any really extraordinary, just thinking about it differently. I don't allow myself to worry about credit card debt. I just pay it like I would any other bill and get on with life. I am not allowing myself to worry about money anymore, like whether we will get a house or not. Does everyone need a house? Not really. I am just turning all of those stuff over to the larger powers in the universe and allowing them to decide how it is all going to come out.

At my work the other day, I saw an email where a group is collecting canned goods for the poor. I have decided to share in my bounty and buy some extra canned goods and take them to the group.

Howdy, everybody. I have a Secret.

My DH just sent me an email about a free online course about The Secret. You will receive six, easy to complete lessons by email and learn how to create anything you want to in your life.

All you have to do to sign is click on the link below and complete the simple form. Be sure to sign up quickly, as it is available for free for only a limited time!

The Secret Online Course

Up until recently, I had been keeping all of my appointments, reminders, etc. on a palm pilot. Well, one day I went to check for the time and day of something and it seems all my data on the palm is toast. I have no idea how it happened, but it did. I had not backed it up to my computer in months, as I never could get it to back up correctly. Anyway, I have chosen this opportunity to simplify my life. The frequent beeping of my pilot to remind me of something or another was always a little annoying.

As I am trying to be frugal, I did not go out a buy a new calendar or planner. I have located a number of free sources where you download what you need, print it, and put it into an existing or new notebook or something of the sort. I had one of those professional portfolio things that I used when I went to interview for my current job. It has a 3-ring binder inside, so that is what I am using. I was so grateful to have found these wonderful options, that I knew I had to share it will all of you.

DIY Planner
http://www.diyplanner.com/

Calendars - Print Free
http://www.printfree.com/Calendar_files/2008calendars/Calend...

Oh, and on other stuff, my debt amount is down to $6,938.83, becuase I paid some on all of my debts yesterday. I also rolled $5.50 to deposit to Short Term Savings today. This feels great and I feel really properous. I have enough money for everything I need right now and I feel terrific.

Happy February, Everybody!

Hey, I was just doing the laundry and found $1.30 in change in pockets of clothes. This brings my Challenge total for the month to $18.30.

This is fun!

Howdy, folks. Well, the sad story is that I had to use my $38.20 in Challenge Money for a trip to a nearby city to take my husband to a doctor. However, I did find $17.00 cash after searching through my purse, pockets, etc. which I am going to deposit to checking on Monday and swiftly send it to the credit card before it can be spent. This brings my January challenge amount back down to $17.00 and my credit card balance to $1961.83. I also made payments on our medical bills, bringing our total debt to $7080.20. Yeah!! I don't think I can go to the bank until Monday, though, because there is a winter storm warning in effect and our car is not starting reliably. The storm is supposed to pass around Monday, I heard. The roads are also icy and makes even walking somewhat treacherous.

I also reinstituted a rule I had been using for awhile. At the end of a pay period (day of payday), whatever money is leftover in my checking from last payday I will divide up equally among my Dream and Short Term Savings accounts. For awhile, I had not had any leftovers or at least not much and so had not done this. I had $62.76 leftover in my account Friday before payday, so I divided it and put it into the two accounts. I like this game.

Hi, everyone. I just got my copy of my AAA magazine, Journeys, for this month. There is an article on saving money that I thought other people might find valuable.

Make Money Matters a New Year's Resolution
http://www.aaajourneys.com/readweb.asp?articleid=145&activeblock=1

See you later everybody.

I have another $4.05 to add to the Challenge. That makes $31.77 for a monthly total so far.

I like this rollercoaster ride!

Howdy, all.

Well, the end result with my $20 Challenge is a surprising $18.50. Not bad, I say, seeing as I started it on Dec. 26th, I think. I had budgeted $100 to the cc, so I sent that plus this $18.50 to the cc. I'm feeling really jazzed.

Add on top of that the fact that the college I work for has health insurance, which we only have to pay for twice a month. Since I got 3 paychecks in the long month of December, I have about $27.00 extra in my account. I am putting that on my $20 Challenge for January. Wow. That's cool. I've already met my $20 Challenge for January. I'm not stopping there, though.

I went grocery shopping this morning and saved $14.55 with store specials, my store card, and using my own bags.

I also made regular deposits to my Dream Account and Short Term Savings Accounts.

My husband will get his first paycheck, probably about $250, from his new job on Tuesday. It is the first step to getting our truck fixed so we can drive it. In the meantime, our car is also not very reliable, as we think it may have something wrong with the transmission. I have been riding my bike to work for the last 2 weeks (yes, it has been very cold, and some days, very warm here in the midwest) which has not only save me a lot of gas money, but has given more strength and stamina. (I have asthma, so this is important.)

Despite the car and truck problems, I feel really fortunate and blessed to be a part of this group that shares ideas about how to save money, the struggles to pay off debt, and create a better life. I want to wish the best for all of you and your families for 2007.

I feel really happy with my life right now and grateful for all the many blessings that I have. I have a really great job with a lot of job security. I work with some really great people who like working with and for me. I have a wonderful husband who has really been there with me through the thick and the thin. I am grateful for the friends I have that have been there for me in the last year. I am grateful that both of my vehicles are paid for. I am grateful to have a computer at home so that I can read email, surf the internet, and pursue my education.

While I have everything that I really need, I also want:

both of my vehicles in good working order by the end of February

a different house to live in in my current town

have enough money that we don't have to borrow money from anyone by the end of next year

to start a second master's degree program in June next year

I don't know how I am going to make this happen, but I can definitely visualize these things. Since I don't know how it will happen, I will let the universe decide how to make it happen.

Hello. I am starting a New Year's Resolution.

I am beginning a resolution to save an extra $20 per month and pay it towards my credit card. This extra money will come from pocket change I will toss in my piggy each night when I come home from work, rebates, refunds, and unexpected money. We are also going to cancel my cell phone, since I don't use it very much.

I have been maintaining a payment of $50 per month without fail no matter what the balance is. From now on, I will continue to make that $50 regular payment, but also pay a separate $20 payment.

My current challenge balance with all the pocket change I have is $7.59. I know it's the 25th of December and I may not make $20 by the 31st, I am going to try to accumulate as much as possible. I will report my progress here on the 1st of each month.

I don't usually like shopping, especially right before a holiday. I hate crowds, waiting in line, and everything that goes along with it. But today was a great day.

To start the day off, I went and cashed in my lottery ticket and got $7 cash. Whoopee.

I took that $7 along with $5.50 in rolled coins to the bank. It's going straight to the credit card later today. Yes, I know that $12.50 doesn't sound like much, but it is something.

Then, I went to Walmart. I don't usually shop at Walmart because I hate walking through a huge store just to buy one thing I couldn't buy at some other store. I bought Vive Pro shampoo with a $1.00 off coupon, two boxes of Chore Boy scour pads with 2 $0.75 off coupons. I also bought a very small can of hairspray for those cold days when my hair is full of static when I get to work.


Next, I went to the grocery store and got everything I need for about $62.00. I saved over $15.00 between the coupons I used, my store card, and bringing my own bags.



I also went to three different thrift stores to look for a thermos with a glass liner. My doctor has told me to, if at all possible, avoid cooking in microwaves and avoid plastic food containers. Well, I wasn't able to find a thermos with a glass liner, but I did get a thermos. I will keep looking for another one and upgrade when I do. I also snagged a couple of coffee mugs for $0.19 each.

I am a happy camper. Now to update my spreadsheets and send my online payment to the credit card.

Hey, everybody. I just realized when looking at my Financial Freedom Plan spreadsheet today that the debt amount in my info at the right is wrong.

Somehow, I had not included credit card debt in that calculation. Anyway, it's updated now.

I just got paid on Friday. I sent off the final payment for one of my medical bills. Woo-hoo! I'm excited. So far, I have 4 out of 8 debts paid in full. On Monday, I will deposit some spare change in the amount of $5.50 to checking. When it clears, I will send an online payment to the credit card.

I saved $15.92 between coupons and using my store card for grocery shopping yesterday.



I also made regular deposits to my Dream Account and Short Term Savings.



My mother sent me $150 for Christmas. Whereas I really want to send it directly to the credit card, I have to use a small part of it on a trip to a nearby city to take my husband to a doctor. The rest is being allocated for repairs to my truck. It won't pay for the whole thing, but it will pay for part of it.

Someone asked about what my Dream Savings Account is and what I do with it. Well, I haven't done anything with it yet, because there is not much money in it. But it is for all those things that we dream about: house, different car, vacation, retirement, and whatever else you can think of to dream about. I decided to call my Dream Savings rather than Long Term Savings to make it sound more interesting.

I nicknamed my other account Short Term Savings instead of Emergency Savings because I don't want to be putting idea out there that I will have an "emergency".

Someone asked about the significance of the Wall Street mint silver bar and whether that is something I advise not to buy. On the contrary, I want to buy less of stuff I don't need so I can have a lot more money. I do own some silver coins, but nothing like this Wall street mint silver bar.

I saw that someone else did this for their blog, so I thought it was a great idea.

1. Maintain a positive attitude about finances. However bad it seems now, I will keep my mind focused on it turning out right and being grateful for what I have.

2. Accumulate $300 in my short term and dream savings accounts combined.

3. Pay off credit card in full and then hide both cards (mine and my spouses's) in a place known only to me so it cannot be used except in extreme emergency.

4. After credit card is paid off, divide money previously paid to credit card among medical bills, short term savings, and dream savings accounts.

5. Deposit amounts for all rebates into either short term or dream savings accounts.

6. Take change out of my pockets every night and put it into my piggy. At the end of every week, be sure I have dumped all pocket change and bills into it. Deposit it into short term savings.

7. On payday, evenly divide the "remainder" left in checking from the previous payday and transfer to short term savings and dream savings accounts.

I saw that someone else did this on their blog and thought it sounded like a good idea, so here goes.

Trips to a Professional Salon (beauty school only)

Makeup

Perfume

Laundry Detergent (found alternative)

Limit Lunches Bought Out to 1 per week

Clothing (limit myself to underwear, socks, and thrift store shopping only)

Books (borrow from the library I work at)

Magazines

purses

shoes (have 2 great pairs of shoes)


Other Things I Will Not Do in 2007

Take My Husband with me when I go shopping

I just did this and spent about $20 more than normal. Plus, he hates coupons and store discount cards and would have a fit if he knew I used them.