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Alright, here it is

December 17th, 2007 at 08:03 pm

Alright, so how the heck could I possibly run up that much on the c.cs in a year knowing that my stuff had been paid off. Well, I went back to school. I only have a couple of classes left so it was foolish not to finish. I do that online on my lunch at work so I can have time to play with my son when I get home. I get grants to pay for tuition but not enough to really cover books and supplies. I needed a laptop. So I got one. Since
the tution isn't that much ($565 full-time) I couldn't get a student loan. Maybe I didn't try hard enough. Anyways, some of it of it went to the wedding. We bought clothes, stuff on Ebay (more so a lot on Ebay). In a nutshell it was stuff we really didn't need and I would probably stretch to say that I indeed have a compulsive spending problem. Now it wasn't always something for me....since I grew up w.o a lot of things I wanted, I'm really spoiling my child which I know is totally not the way to go. Especially since he's only 19 months. What do I have to show for it?
Nothing really except for a huge headache everytime I look at the bills and boxes of toys I'm taking to Goodwill this weekend (at least I can get the tax deduction) I don't have an emergency fund. Believe me I know how important this is. I had to have emergency
surgery back in April so now I have about $5000 (uninsured) I've been paying on that. I do have an ING savings account but it only has like $157 in it. Oh and I have my IRA I just started with ING (work doesn't offer it) and it has like $257...not much but it's something

What's sick about this whole situation is that we have friends who are married and have taken a total of 3 mortgages out on their house (total I'm gonna guess about $240,000). They have 2 cars totalling about $1000 a month and various other store c.c's. All they do is spend spend spend. Everytime she shows me something new, later on I talk to my husband and declare what fools they are (recent purchase: matching Iphones). She owes me
$100 for her bridesmaid dress I bought her since she didn't have it at the time. Instead they bought $1500 worth of hardwoods for their living room....so I'm gonna stretch and make a guess she has no cash. Granted, I'm not that bad in, but I'm on my way there and I know better!

So what am I doing about it? Well I'll go ahead and say that we're very dedicated people when we have a plan. Just haven't gotten that far yet. We're both so stressed about this that we're ready to make a change. Alright, I'm a very avid Ebay seller so I sell stuff on there. I have also refrained from doing any searches which may tempt me. Within the past two weeks, I have signed up
for accounts with Inbox Dollars, Hit4Cash, and Cashcrate. Little bits of money here and there. I am also becoming more consious of spare change so I'm picking that up as I go. Below is my bills to give a better picture. I don't have a real "budget" just my excel
file of my bills that I must pay and what's left over to do other things with.I have decreased our cell phone bill by $20 and I have decreased our internet by $10. I'm still picking at the bills to see what else I can cut. I need to figure out a better way to go about my food budget since the baby now eats "real" food. I need to learn how to cook more with less. My husband and me were legally married 2 weeks ago *ssshhhh* the family doesn't know. We did that because open enrollment for health/dental insurance at his
company is in January so for an extra $50 a month I can be fully covered not to have another disaster (my son is already covered). I don't have coverage at my job.

Here are my bills:

House: 1206
Trash Service: $45
Water: 40
Internet: 57.95
Power: $140
2 Cars: $565
Land we own 5 acres on lake in SC: $235
Car Insurance: $171 (I have gotten quotes, this seems the cheapest)
CC 1: $280 (15,084)
CC 2: $200 (9,950)
cc3: $58 (1,879)
cc4: $50 (1,471)
cc5:$30 (1,236)
Daycare: $608 (this is paid in one payment a month to save about $50)
Hospital Bills: $50 (this is $10 a month to each dr) (5,000)
Cell: $66

Work Income: $4,142 (Bring home and adjusted for health insurance)
In addition to our regular income, we also get $250 a month until Sept 2008 for my car
I sold to a friend.

The land we have is land my husband bought before me. It was 5 acres lakefront for $15,000
His sisters moved trailers onto the land because they hit some financial troubles (one sister is going through divorce while other is married has 3 kids and
had a foreclosed home and bankruptcy). *I DON'T WANNA BE LIKE THEM!!* His family bought up the land down there so they
all stay down there. These sisters get free everything (i.e food from parents and childcare) Don't get me wrong, I think that's great family can come together. However, they kind of take advantage of the system. I told my husband maybe it would be good if
the sisters could team up togther and pay something/anything for using the land. Granted, they do pay the taxes each year which is like $200...but I mean since they use it and if we wanted to sell it, we couldn't...just something since we're stuck with the payment and can't use
it for anything. He doesn't want to....but I'm still working on it.

In writing, my fianances look pretty bad. I don't count in Ebay until I actually have it transfered to the bank. Here lately it's really pulled us through. Like I said, I really need to pick at the bills see where we can get by with less (Daycare isn't an option.
Mommmy likes to work and baby has devloped remarkably well/fast and this is the cheapest with the greatest ratio to quality)

7 Responses to “Alright, here it is”

  1. madhaus90 Says:
    1197924199


    Welcome - seeing it in black and white can be sobering.
    As far as cooking, check out hillbillyhousewife.com (or org) She has basic recipes that can be dinner a few nights a week. I know I struggle with the grocery area of my budget.

    Does DH's company offer flex spending where you could pay for dependent daycare while reducing your taxable income?

    What is the balance on the land? Can you see sell it to the sisters who live on it? Sounds like this is money that you could be using in other areas of your budget.

    Good for you for getting an education - I'm now a SAHM with a master's degree (and student loans) and I feel that was money well spent (compared to charge card purchases from years ago that I spent on ....?)

    As far as seeing your dear friend and her situation, it is good to learn from other's mistakes. Maybe you'll be a good influence on her.

    Congrads on the marriage.

  2. disneysteve Says:
    1197928441

    You are a regular ebayer and yet you plan to take boxes of toys to Goodwill. Forget that. Put those things on ebay and get some money. You don't need a little tax deduction. You need cash. And that goes for any other unneeded items around the house.

    As for the land, you say if you wanted to sell it, you couldn't. Why not? The land belongs to you. If you need that money for other things, sell it. Give the family members living on that land first shot at buying it. If they don't want it or can't afford it, let them know that you've decided to sell it and they will need to move once it sells. It is great to help out family, but only if it isn't negatively impacting your own situation.

  3. Ima saver Says:
    1197928502

    Congratulations. You are doing great at making a new start. Hang in there!!

  4. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1198001008

    Can you reel in your plans for the wedding? Spend no more on it than you already have? Sounds like at least part of the family might be unable to attend (the folks living on the lake property), and perhaps it will even be difficult for your SO's parents to afford the trip, as they are helping to support the sisters and grandkids now. You have had to subsidize your bridesmaid's dress. Sounds like quite a few people around you are having hard times right now. It can be expensive for them, too, to attend a wedding. This may be the time to enjoy the beauty of simplicity. Maybe it would be a relief to all if you just tell everyone that you "eloped" to city hall.

    Are you finishing with school this year? I ask because if your grants were federal ones, then next year you might not qualify for those since you got married this year. Your applications will need to have your joint income on them, not just yours. More income might put you beyond the qualifying line. That's just something to keep in mind as you work on your budgeting and loan payoffs.

    You say you like spoiling your child since you grew up without a lot of the things you wanted. Well, there is at least one other way to approach that. If you can teach your child satisfaction in what he has, he can grow up not feeling so much that he is not getting what he wants. Because he want want so much. Actually I think the kinds of parenting books that tell all kinds of activities to do with your child, and money saving ways to make toys and amusements can help an awful lot with raising a child who is a thinker, creative, and resourceful rather than bored, envious, and always looking to be entertained by the manufactured fad stuff. There are some great books like that out there. And you can buy them second hand! It can become a satisfying hobby for you to read them all and find the coolest ideas.

  5. monkeymama Says:
    1198009210

    Oh, on the spoiling I know so many who feel the way you do. The thing I don't get is they spoil them when they are too young to know any better. Then they are completely broke when they are older. Just keep that in mind. It doesn't make any sense.

    It is far wiser to teach your kids contentment. Joan - that is a good point. I know people are always asking me why I Am so content. I always say it was because I always had just enough to know that "things" don't make you any happier. I was always full aware what little my grandparents lived with, and how lucky I was to have what I have. I am sure I threw quite a few tantrums for not always getting what I wanted. But I REALLY appreciate is an adult. I used to think it was my families' poor backgrounds and "rags to riches" (rags ot middle class anyway) that made me very appreciative of what I have. These days I realize it has nothing to do with I do or don't have. But the attitude my parent's raised me with is everything.

    Anyway, welcome!

  6. baselle Says:
    1198043011

    I did a quickie addition on your expenses and found that you have a $700 surplus (more money coming in than going out). How much fun (aka miscellaneous) spending is there? Do you guys go to the ATM often and autopilot?

  7. disneysteve Says:
    1198072456

    baselle - Look again and you'll see there are a lot of things not on that list like food, home maintenance, car maintenance, gas, any entertainment costs, newspaper/magazine subscriptions, clothing, etc.

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