How is everyone doing? Any goals/updates/vents/etc you want to talk about?
I just checked our account and I actually had to move money from savings to get us by. Normally that would make me upset but all considering it's been a good month. We have ate out more this month and used more fun money then normal, but we also had $800 in extra random expenses (insurance deductible for my car, pay the vet when we had to put down our dog, etc) that we have been able to pay out of our checking account until now.
So yes, we can do better, but man I'm actually feeling pretty good about it. Helps knowing our tax refund will be coming in and that will make up for taking money out of savings.
We are started to actually talk about money without arguing. It's been a long time since we could do that.
We have moved around some of our money, basically we paid off both of our credit cards with our line of credit. (Going from a 19%, and a 11% rate to a 3% and 4% rate.) So a lot more of our payments are going towards principal!! Yay!
We have a fully stocked pantry and 2 deep freezers so we are trying to only buy fresh fruits and veggies to add to our meals, and so far it's allowed us to only spend $200-$250/month on food. (We are only in our third month of doing this.) We are putting the remainder of our grocery budget on our debt.
We also just drained our emergency fund to pay for our plumbing issues, so I have upped our efund savings contribution to $250/month until it's back up to $1500.
We do also have some separate savings for our truck repairs, which we have enough for. And we are also saving so that we can pay for our roof. (Once we have enough for our roof we will be increasing our debt payments by $$$.
bk1 - Did I miss that you had to put down your dog? I'm so sorry.
Thanks. It was back at the beginning of February, the day after G's birthday. We had to put down our pitbull. He was really sick and barely eating. Our vet is wonderful. She sent us a card right after and waited almost a month to bill us.
awick14 Sounds like you guys have a great plan! I'm so glad you have been able to talk without arguing. DH and I have been working on that as well. I've had to loosen up on things so he isn't feeling like he never gets to spend money. Of course that means he has spent over $100 on games this month :/ but oh well.
And thanks about my pup. He was a good dog and greatly missed.
MrsMB We are so close to paying off our hospital bills. I have the money to do it but it's 0% interest so just making payments and focusing our money on credit card debt. I feel ya!
Post by estrellita on Mar 27, 2016 18:26:20 GMT -5
We're doing ok. I'm very much enjoying H's higher commissions and my higher paychecks! I am thinking of paying off H's smallest student loan when we get our taxes back. It's at about $800 something. We could pay it off now but I'm also looking into getting a new laptop. My power cord barely works. I could try a new cord but I'm not sure if it's actually the cord or where it plugs in to the computer. I do still have my Christmas money and a little more from Easter I can put towards it.
Anyways, I'm hoping once we pay off H's smallest loan we will start putting that extra money towards the next smallest thing.
MrsMB We are so close to paying off our hospital bills. I have the money to do it but it's 0% interest so just making payments and focusing our money on credit card debt. I feel ya!
That makes more sense to me to do it how you are doing it!!
Oh! and I have a theory that once we get our hospital bills paid something else happens. It's been like this for years. So that's another reason I don't pay them early. Last time I paid them off early DH ended up in the ER with chest pains the next month.
I just paid off my CC and my house downpayment fund will be complete in four days when my next check comes in! Next steps are opening a 529 and rolling over an old 401k, and updating our wills.
krystee Aren't you just rocking at life right now?! Awesome!
Thank you for saying that because most of the time I feel like I am drowning! Messy house, crazy busy job, always needing something from the grocery store, choosing between sleep and the gym (guess which one wins every time...), so you have made my day!
Trying to stay on budget for March. Only a few days left - looks like we might make it!
I need to do our taxes to find out if we are getting a refund or owe. Depending on how that shakes out, then we have to decide how much to pledge to our church's current capital campaign.
I've been buying a lot less stuff in general which is helping our bottom line. I did spend $25 on like a year's worth of toilet brush refills from Amazon. It seemed like a lot of money to spend on what is basically a convenience item, but I'm rationalizing it because it's cheaper than paying a house cleaner. Yes, I'm over here trying not to feel guilty about buying cleaning supplies.
DH finished filing our taxes today and calculating our total refund. It'll be enough to pay for the new Mac we want/need soon. I've been feeling guilty about since my laptop is the one that died thus causing the decision to put the money there rather than towards his student loan.
Other than that, I've been purging our excess stuff again and I'd love to turn the extra small kitchen appliances into cash. I haven't had much luck selling online previously. I've heard FB groups are better than classified ad sites?
Keep it up all, everyone seems to be doing so great!!!!
Updates with our finances: Positives: 1) With our tax refund we are able to fully pay off H's C/C. I'll be making the final payment within the next week!! YAY, then we will be debt free. I will definitely be doing a debt free scream FOR SURE haha! 2) I managed to cut down our budget of overall expenses by a little bit and will be able to do this again after we get our own internet and change phones/plans. I am hoping both of these can be done in April. Then our overall expenses minus gas and food will be only $930 dollars! SO exciting! Negatives: 3) Even with having a fixed computer it is still causing trouble so we will need to start saving up for a new one... 4) Our E-Fund isn't making as good of progress as I would like but at least we haven't had to draw any money out of it with random expenses that popped up this month.
Things I need to improve upon: 1) Budget better. I make a budget almost every month and I try so hard to follow it but all these random things always pop up. It's getting so annoying! 2) Out to eat. We don't even go out or get take out a lot but still more than we should. I need to have a better plan in place for H to be able to make food when I'm at work so we don't get take-out after I get off work or he does if we don't feel like cooking. My work schedule is slowing down since I cut my hours at my 2nd job. I think this will greatly help with being less tired to prepare and cook food. 3) Stay alive the month of April. It's an expensive month for us. H's birthday, Car insurance and renters insurance due, license plates renewal, hotel stay (not for pleasure, to take care of something for H in another town).
bk1, we've had hospital bills for the past 6 years- since DD1 was born. IDGAF. We pay them down and then something else happens, ER visit, Tubes, another birth, more tubes, etc. I seriously pay like $75 a month and it will take years to pay them off. But like you said at 0% interest I just don't care. That money can be better spent elsewhere.