I have not done a blog post since last February. It has really been one year since I checked in here. The good news is, Andrew and I are only in $1,200 worth of debt one year later and it will be paid off this month. It is my van. The only other debt we will have is the house. It’s amazing how much of a difference one year can make. We will be 100% debt free minus the house. FINALLY. After 13 years of working and paying and budgeting.... we are here.
The biggest thing now is, well, me. I have to make sure I still stick to a budget even though we’re out of debt. I need to be smart with money. We can start making extra payments on the house. We can save up for vacations or something nice. It’s going to be so wonderful. I have to stay on track, though. We all know I am the one that gets easily distracted.
Carson and Dean will be starting a new Autism Clinic on Monday! I have been waiting for this day for a couple of months now. I am so excited for them. They do so well when they’re in ABA. I know ABA is a controversial topic, but for my boys? It’s helping. They’re thriving. Dangerous behaviors almost disappear when they’re in ABA. I’m very thankful for that.
I want to do another purge of stuff in our house. I know Andrew just loves that. I’m feeling crowded and overwhelmed again so I know it’s something I need to do. Minimalism is still something I strive for.
I quit Hy Vee after 4 years. Was I mad at them? No. Was I unhappy in accounting? No. I just needed something that worked better for my situation with my foot and my kids. I found a part time job working at Butler Funeral Homes in their administrative office and I love it there. It is an amazing company to work for and the schedule works out perfectly for what we need as a family. I work 8-5, two days a week, no weekends. Holidays are an on call rotation and so far, I haven’t had to go in.
The only other big update I have is that on January 13, 2020 I had a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. VSG surgery if you will. It’s a bariatric procedure that removes 70-80% of your stomach to assist in weight loss. I am 3 weeks post op and I am doing well. It’s been one of the hardest things I have ever done and it takes a lot of planning and patience..... but I am glad I did it. I’ve lost almost 30 pounds so far and I already feel better physically than I have in a long time. I had been working towards this procedure since August of 2019. To anyone that says this is an easy way out....... you can shut up because you have NO idea how hard this has been or how hard it will continue to be. Once I’m close to a year out - the magic is gone. Yes, the stomach is still small.... but it can easily be stretched back out and I could easily fall back into old habits and gain the weight back. It’s just as hard to lose weight this way as it is any other way - it just physically keeps me from overeating. I puke if I eat too fast. I puke if I drink too fast. I puke if my stomach doesn’t like the food I put in it..... there’s a lot of pain and a lot of puking. But again, I don’t regret it...... most days.
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Saturday, February 2, 2019
It's February!
Hello and Happy February! Everyone always talks about how long January seems... but I'm not really feeling that at all. I guess it's because I feel like my life is spent running around like a crazy person. Ha!
Debt Paid off as of 2.2.19: $702.91
Total Debt with the House: $128,277.45
Total Debt without House: $76,632.09
I truly wish we could have done better than that. However, some unforeseen things came up and we had to roll with what life handed us. I sent out a stack of bills the other day. Eight total.... FIVE of those were medical bills for Carson. One was a medical bill for me. The other two were living expenses. So, 6 of the 8 were medical. I am totally fine letting the consumer debt wait to take care of the medical bills. That is one thing I will not let sit. Why? I don't know. I know there isn't any interest on them unless you let them go for a LONG time but I don't want to do that. With the amount of medical bills that will continue to come in for Carson, it would be stupid for me to just let them pile up.
Also, my hours were cut at Hy Vee at the beginning of the year which hurt us pretty badly on the debt snowball. That situation has been remedied though and all will continue as normal. Yay!
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Other Life Things:
Meh. My foot is still problematic, however, surgery is scheduled for this Thursday 2.7.19 at 11:30am! I cannot even begin to describe how happy I am that this is finally happening. Since I'm working on year two of this ridiculous pain; I am ready for it to be fixed. I will be in a boot for 4 weeks after surgery. I will be able to walk, but will need to take it easy. I'll have two incisions, one in my foot and one in my calf. Then hopefully the weather will start getting nicer, my foot will be better, and I can finally take the boys outside for walks again! Man do I miss getting out and moving around without hurting or needing to take a break.
The boys are doing fine. Carson did get diagnosed with strep last week but the antibiotics kicked in quick. That and the fact that my son never acts sick means he really wasn't "down" for long. Dean is still doing great with the tubes and his therapy is going swimmingly!
Other than that, we're just trucking along. I haven't been taking many pictures (shame on me) so sorry the past couple of posts have been a bit blah. Thanks for sticking with me though!
Debt Paid off as of 2.2.19: $702.91
Total Debt with the House: $128,277.45
Total Debt without House: $76,632.09
I truly wish we could have done better than that. However, some unforeseen things came up and we had to roll with what life handed us. I sent out a stack of bills the other day. Eight total.... FIVE of those were medical bills for Carson. One was a medical bill for me. The other two were living expenses. So, 6 of the 8 were medical. I am totally fine letting the consumer debt wait to take care of the medical bills. That is one thing I will not let sit. Why? I don't know. I know there isn't any interest on them unless you let them go for a LONG time but I don't want to do that. With the amount of medical bills that will continue to come in for Carson, it would be stupid for me to just let them pile up.
Also, my hours were cut at Hy Vee at the beginning of the year which hurt us pretty badly on the debt snowball. That situation has been remedied though and all will continue as normal. Yay!
_____________________________________________________________________________
Other Life Things:
Meh. My foot is still problematic, however, surgery is scheduled for this Thursday 2.7.19 at 11:30am! I cannot even begin to describe how happy I am that this is finally happening. Since I'm working on year two of this ridiculous pain; I am ready for it to be fixed. I will be in a boot for 4 weeks after surgery. I will be able to walk, but will need to take it easy. I'll have two incisions, one in my foot and one in my calf. Then hopefully the weather will start getting nicer, my foot will be better, and I can finally take the boys outside for walks again! Man do I miss getting out and moving around without hurting or needing to take a break.
The boys are doing fine. Carson did get diagnosed with strep last week but the antibiotics kicked in quick. That and the fact that my son never acts sick means he really wasn't "down" for long. Dean is still doing great with the tubes and his therapy is going swimmingly!
Other than that, we're just trucking along. I haven't been taking many pictures (shame on me) so sorry the past couple of posts have been a bit blah. Thanks for sticking with me though!
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Mid Month Update
Hello all! Where is this month going? Between all of the appointments, working, and craziness at home I'm not sure where the time goes anymore.
I don't have much to update on the debt free journey as the last set of paychecks went to living expenses. Mortgage, heat, power, water, etc. We will both get paid again this month and after paying the rest of the bills (insurance, a few medical bills), and filling the envelope with our cash, I will pay another big chunk to the debt. Woo!
I had mentioned before that I was using EveryDollar to do my budgeting, but I am an Excel junkie and made my own fantabulous spreadsheet that I am now using. It's one less thing to log in to and one less password for me to remember. I still love Every Dollar and recommend it to people just getting started with budgeting (since it's free!) but for me... I like to customize everything to my liking and my aesthetic tastes........ plus I'm addicted to Excel spreadsheets.
Dean had his check up for his tubes and there was some blood in his left ear so we are putting some drops in them to try and clear that up. He is doing amazing, though, and we have noticed such a HUGE change in his demeanor and even his personality. He's so much happier and is talking so much more!
I had my meeting with Carson's therapists at The Autism Clinic and his scores have improved dramatically in the 6 months that he has been there. Everyone at the clinic adores Carson and he is definitely a favorite. He's such a sweet and lovable boy. I'm so proud of him. When he first had his assessment he was at an 18 month level and now he's gone up to being at a 2-3 year old level. He's improving!
I have finally gotten in to see a new podiatrist about my plantar fasciitis and had an MRI done on Tuesday so that the doctor could take a look at all my tendons and muscles and recommend which type of surgery he thinks will be best! *insert happy dance gif here*
This doctor can do one of two surgeries. He can either cut the fascia completely so it can no longer pull and get tight OR he can make an incision, poke holes in the fascia and cauterize them and then make an incision in my calf and cut that muscle to loosen it up. The first surgery would require me to be in a cast for 2 weeks and I wouldn't be able to put ANY weight/pressure on my foot. The second surgery would put me in a boot for 4 weeks but I would be able to walk on it right away.... carefully. I am all for the second method of surgery since I have children and being off my foot for 3 weeks?! That'd be kind of difficult....... especially since I don't like to sit still.
My current struggles (because I said I'd be completely honest) are:
I don't have much to update on the debt free journey as the last set of paychecks went to living expenses. Mortgage, heat, power, water, etc. We will both get paid again this month and after paying the rest of the bills (insurance, a few medical bills), and filling the envelope with our cash, I will pay another big chunk to the debt. Woo!
I had mentioned before that I was using EveryDollar to do my budgeting, but I am an Excel junkie and made my own fantabulous spreadsheet that I am now using. It's one less thing to log in to and one less password for me to remember. I still love Every Dollar and recommend it to people just getting started with budgeting (since it's free!) but for me... I like to customize everything to my liking and my aesthetic tastes........ plus I'm addicted to Excel spreadsheets.
Dean had his check up for his tubes and there was some blood in his left ear so we are putting some drops in them to try and clear that up. He is doing amazing, though, and we have noticed such a HUGE change in his demeanor and even his personality. He's so much happier and is talking so much more!
I had my meeting with Carson's therapists at The Autism Clinic and his scores have improved dramatically in the 6 months that he has been there. Everyone at the clinic adores Carson and he is definitely a favorite. He's such a sweet and lovable boy. I'm so proud of him. When he first had his assessment he was at an 18 month level and now he's gone up to being at a 2-3 year old level. He's improving!
I have finally gotten in to see a new podiatrist about my plantar fasciitis and had an MRI done on Tuesday so that the doctor could take a look at all my tendons and muscles and recommend which type of surgery he thinks will be best! *insert happy dance gif here*
This doctor can do one of two surgeries. He can either cut the fascia completely so it can no longer pull and get tight OR he can make an incision, poke holes in the fascia and cauterize them and then make an incision in my calf and cut that muscle to loosen it up. The first surgery would require me to be in a cast for 2 weeks and I wouldn't be able to put ANY weight/pressure on my foot. The second surgery would put me in a boot for 4 weeks but I would be able to walk on it right away.... carefully. I am all for the second method of surgery since I have children and being off my foot for 3 weeks?! That'd be kind of difficult....... especially since I don't like to sit still.
My current struggles (because I said I'd be completely honest) are:
- Food. Still. I am a binge eater. A food addict. I haven't lost any weight since November.... but I also haven't gained any weight since November. I'm at a stand still. I need to focus and get my butt in gear.
- Sleep. Carson is still waking up most nights from 2am-5am. It's making both Andrew and I zombies and some days I just want to scream and cry.
- Work. It's frustrating me right now because I'm not as happy as I once was at Hy Vee. Sometimes working in Customer Service makes you angry. Most days all I hear is "bitch bitch bitch. Me me me. Complain complain complain." and although we have some AWESOME customers, it's hard to block out all the negativity.
- Work. In the sense that I'm not making a ton and I wish I could contribute more to our family finances. However, I am needed at home. Every week is full of appointments. There isn't a day that I don't have something to do. Except Sundays. Sundays are my saving grace.
- Autism. Autism is hard. Autism is expensive. Carson is an amazing little person but he's not easy. Some days I lose my cool and snap at everyone around me. Imagine having a 4 year old with the developmental mentality of a 2 year old. It's. Hard.
- Spending. I still have trouble with buying things I don't need. Am I going over my budgeted amounts? No. But I could be using the money more wisely.
I know this wasn't a very exciting update but I promised to take you all on this journey with me so here we are. Happy Hump Day, everyone.
Friday, January 4, 2019
2019 - Day 4
Good day, blog readers! I hope everyone had a safe and Happy New Year! It's 2019! Andrew and I have big goals for this year, as you saw from my last blog post, and I'm very excited to continue on this journey. Updates as far as the beginning of the month:
Debt Paid off as of 1.4.19: $257.65
Total Debt with the House: $128,722.71
Total Debt without House: $77,077.35
BOOM. One card paid off just like that. So, our snowball amount was bigger than that, so the remainder of the snowball will go to the next smallest debt. Then, that $257.65 will be added in to next month's snowball amount. This is why the debt snowball is SO powerful. To see debt get paid off quickly at the beginning (the smaller amounts) makes the momentum and motivation of the journey seem not as daunting. Now, when we get to my student loan it will be hard. Until that point though, it's going to be EPIC paying off the smaller debts that I was dumb enough to get. Not Andrew. None of this was Andrew's doing. It was all me. I'm thankful to have a husband that is understanding and forgiving. He knows that I am better than I used to be, but still have some bad habits that creep in. He's my motivation and driving force most days. I don't know what I would do without him.
__________________________________________________________________________
Other Life Things:
We've been busy the last few days. We started off 2019 with a funeral. She was basically family, but not blood relation to me. She was my cousin's grandmother and I loved her like my own grandmother. We spent MANY days at her house growing up and she treated us like her own. Grandma Nonie was a beautiful, loving, sweet woman that will be truly missed. I adore my family. I hate that I only get to see them at weddings and funerals, but travel isn't exactly in the budget right now. My 5 wonderful cousins happened to all be in Iowa for the funeral and seeing them filled my heart so full.
My mom does a great job getting candid photos. She knows just what to say to make us all laugh or look around. Those are the best photos. I spent a lot of time with my cousins when I was younger. My uncle David and Aunt Mary (my mom's sister), would drive all 5 kids up from Missouri either in the summer or at Christmas and it was mass chaos. I.Loved.Every.Minute.Of.It. Not only that... with Mary's kids and us there were 8 kids. Throw in Kim, Scott, Pam, Richard, and Josh.... there were 13 of us running around. Again.... it was bliss. I love having a big family. Please keep in mind, that this is only on my mom's side. I won't even get into the cousins on my dad's side since he's 1 of 7 kids in a catholic family. I have cousins I haven't even met on his side.
My kids are doing wonderfully. Dean is saying more and more words every day. The tubes are helping!! So is his behavioral and speech therapy, too. I met with Carson's lead clinician yesterday and he's DOUBLED his score from when he first started! The first thing I ever say to people when they ask me what Carson is like is "Smart." He is SO SMART. Stubborn.... but smart. They are going to move him into the next level of ABA which is a school preparedness program and I couldn't be happier. He's completing all of his goals and everything they're teaching is carrying over at home. I am so thankful for Hope, The Autism Clinic, and couldn't imagine where he'd be without them.
Dean is still a turd/human tornado, though. Some nights Andrew and I just sit on the couch and stare at each other like "where did this kid come from?!".
We were watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Andrew got the Blu-Ray box set of the Harry Potter movies and we've been watching them at night. I need to try and sell Andrew's surround sound now. There's nothing wrong with it, it just took up WAY too much space and Dean wouldn't stop stuffing toys in the sub-woofer. Hopefully I'll get a decent amount of money out of that. I'm also doing a Focus on Finance Challenge from Fun, Cheap, or Free and she is having us try to sell a certain amount of things in our house. Challenge Accepted.
Debt Paid off as of 1.4.19: $257.65
Total Debt with the House: $128,722.71
Total Debt without House: $77,077.35
BOOM. One card paid off just like that. So, our snowball amount was bigger than that, so the remainder of the snowball will go to the next smallest debt. Then, that $257.65 will be added in to next month's snowball amount. This is why the debt snowball is SO powerful. To see debt get paid off quickly at the beginning (the smaller amounts) makes the momentum and motivation of the journey seem not as daunting. Now, when we get to my student loan it will be hard. Until that point though, it's going to be EPIC paying off the smaller debts that I was dumb enough to get. Not Andrew. None of this was Andrew's doing. It was all me. I'm thankful to have a husband that is understanding and forgiving. He knows that I am better than I used to be, but still have some bad habits that creep in. He's my motivation and driving force most days. I don't know what I would do without him.
__________________________________________________________________________
Other Life Things:
We've been busy the last few days. We started off 2019 with a funeral. She was basically family, but not blood relation to me. She was my cousin's grandmother and I loved her like my own grandmother. We spent MANY days at her house growing up and she treated us like her own. Grandma Nonie was a beautiful, loving, sweet woman that will be truly missed. I adore my family. I hate that I only get to see them at weddings and funerals, but travel isn't exactly in the budget right now. My 5 wonderful cousins happened to all be in Iowa for the funeral and seeing them filled my heart so full.
 |
| L to R: Mat, Nate, Me, Danielle, Sarah |
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| L to R: Aaron, Isaac, Dean, Me, Mat, Nate Front: Sarah, Danielle |
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| L to R: Photobomb by Dean-o, Me, Danielle, Sarah, Carson's head |
My mom does a great job getting candid photos. She knows just what to say to make us all laugh or look around. Those are the best photos. I spent a lot of time with my cousins when I was younger. My uncle David and Aunt Mary (my mom's sister), would drive all 5 kids up from Missouri either in the summer or at Christmas and it was mass chaos. I.Loved.Every.Minute.Of.It. Not only that... with Mary's kids and us there were 8 kids. Throw in Kim, Scott, Pam, Richard, and Josh.... there were 13 of us running around. Again.... it was bliss. I love having a big family. Please keep in mind, that this is only on my mom's side. I won't even get into the cousins on my dad's side since he's 1 of 7 kids in a catholic family. I have cousins I haven't even met on his side.
Even though traveling is exhausting, I got to see my family and even got to spend a little time with my friend Valerie! Man do I miss her. Valerie has been a friend of mine since Jr. High School. Every time I'm in the Quad Cities I make it a mission to see her. If my best friend, Sydney, hadn't moved away to Des Moines, I'd make it a mission to see her too.
______________________________________________________________________
The Boys:
My kids are doing wonderfully. Dean is saying more and more words every day. The tubes are helping!! So is his behavioral and speech therapy, too. I met with Carson's lead clinician yesterday and he's DOUBLED his score from when he first started! The first thing I ever say to people when they ask me what Carson is like is "Smart." He is SO SMART. Stubborn.... but smart. They are going to move him into the next level of ABA which is a school preparedness program and I couldn't be happier. He's completing all of his goals and everything they're teaching is carrying over at home. I am so thankful for Hope, The Autism Clinic, and couldn't imagine where he'd be without them.
Dean is still a turd/human tornado, though. Some nights Andrew and I just sit on the couch and stare at each other like "where did this kid come from?!".
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| Carson & Dean in the church nursery. They didn't want to be quiet during the service. |
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| BLIPPI! |
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| We downsized to our previous TV (much smaller than the one we traded with my brother), and got rid of our surround sound system. Traded that out for a Bose Sound Bar with Christmas money. Best decision EVER. It feels like we have so much more room at the front of the house now. The Bose is AMAZING. |
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Starting Over - Welcome!
Welcome to my blog! I have changed the name of this blog to Becky on a Budget.
Let us pretend that you and I have never met. You know nothing about me and I am introducing myself to you for the first time.
Hello! My name is Becky. I am a 33 year woman born and raised in Davenport, IA and currently living in Springfield, IL. I am happily married to my husband, Andrew, and we have been together for almost 12 years and married for almost 8 years. Together we have two amazing children, Carson (4) and Dean (22 months), two insane cats, Hobbs and Butters, and a dumb but loyal shih tzu, Walter.
I have many interests and hobbies but mostly my life revolves around my family. My oldest son, Carson, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 3 in March of 2018. He was diagnosed with needing substantial support in communication and daily activities. I was also told he had a Global Developmental Delay. I have pages upon pages of reports telling me all about my son... however, I can sum up my son in a few short words. Amazing. Talented. Smart... and above all, he brings such joy to my life that I don't care what any diagnosis says. Carson was nonverbal until he was 3.5 years old. Now that he is enrolled in 35 hours of ABA Therapy every week he is able to say a handful of words and hearing that little voice say "mommy" or "daddy" is the greatest gift I have ever received.
Living with an autistic child is not easy. We have days where we sit and cry because the life we dreamed for our son will be different and need a little more work to obtain.... but we will get there.
My youngest son, Dean-o, is a ball of energy and has me on the edge of my seat most days. He's a climber, a dare devil, a choco-holic, a human tornado, and I love him to pieces. Recently he had tubes put in his ears due to chronic ear infections and concerns with speech delays. He is also in speech and behavioral therapies but I am most certain he will grow out of needing the extra help now that he can hear better.
___________________________________________________________________________
As the description of my blog says, I am trying my best to live a more minimalist life and I also try my hardest to eat a whole food plant based diet. Many people know that I try to eat this way as much as possible. That being said, you can't be perfect in an imperfect world and I go day to day making the best decisions I can without being hard on myself. All of the research and evidence I have opened my mind to has shown how a SAD (Standard American Diet) has led to the rise of so many diseases that kill us on a daily basis. Therefore, I have cut all meat and most dairy out of my diet. Dairy still sneaks in because.... cheese.
Now, the main reason for this blog will be to document daily life with my family as well as give a detailed encounter of our debt free journey. You can read previous posts to see some of this information already, but my husband I have been on this journey since we got married and we haven't been 100% committed to it which is why we are still on it.
I am going to be brutally honest and open about everything we go through because I'm tired of watching these YouTube channels of people that only give you the good. The stuff they can all do NOW because they're debt free. What about the struggles? What about the daily life stuff that makes you sit and cry and wonder if you'll ever be OK? That's the stuff that inspires me the most. Yes, people who have made it to the other side also inspire me... but I like to see the nitty-gritty. The real life. So.... here goes:
When we started in 2011 we had over $95,000.00 of debt ... no house.
Total debt with the house: $128,980.00
Total debt MINUS house: $77,335.00
Most of that debt is my student loan. The rest is regular consumer debt which got worse after Carson was diagnosed with ASD because I went to working part time, gave up on everything except him, and used credit cards just to buy diapers, groceries, clothes, and crap.
As of January 2019, I have committed to a new way of doing cash envelopes that will take SO much stress off of having a ton of envelopes. Give a big shout out to Jordan Page from Fun, Cheap or Free. She only uses ONE envelope for TWO categories. GENIUS. (You can watch her video here.) One category is for Groceries/Consumables (paper plates, paper towels, diapers, etc.) and the second category is for Other. Those random miscellaneous things that just happen. She budgets $100 per person in your house per month. So, we have 4 people in our house times $100 each = $400. Guys, I can make that work NO problem. When I plugged those numbers into Every Dollar I had SO MUCH LEFT OVER TO THROW AT DEBT.
Now, I use Every Dollar to budget because I love it. I use an Excel Spreadsheet to keep track of what bills I have and when they are due. I am a total NERD. Most of our bills are taken out automatically or I pay them on line. We use cash for everything else in those TWO categories listed above. I used to have 8 or 9 envelopes and it got SO confusing. This new method is a game changer.
I am going to blog as much as I can, and I am going to try and devote more time to my vlog as well. I have a tendency to sit on my iPad at night after the kids go to bed and I could definitely use my time more productively.
I hope you stick with me on this journey and I hope that it gives you some inspiration or tips to maybe get you to a better place financially as well! Until next time!
Let us pretend that you and I have never met. You know nothing about me and I am introducing myself to you for the first time.
Hello! My name is Becky. I am a 33 year woman born and raised in Davenport, IA and currently living in Springfield, IL. I am happily married to my husband, Andrew, and we have been together for almost 12 years and married for almost 8 years. Together we have two amazing children, Carson (4) and Dean (22 months), two insane cats, Hobbs and Butters, and a dumb but loyal shih tzu, Walter.
 |
| Madison, WI trip 2017 - its really the best we could get. |
Living with an autistic child is not easy. We have days where we sit and cry because the life we dreamed for our son will be different and need a little more work to obtain.... but we will get there.
My youngest son, Dean-o, is a ball of energy and has me on the edge of my seat most days. He's a climber, a dare devil, a choco-holic, a human tornado, and I love him to pieces. Recently he had tubes put in his ears due to chronic ear infections and concerns with speech delays. He is also in speech and behavioral therapies but I am most certain he will grow out of needing the extra help now that he can hear better.
 |
| Just having a blanket party on top of daddy |
As the description of my blog says, I am trying my best to live a more minimalist life and I also try my hardest to eat a whole food plant based diet. Many people know that I try to eat this way as much as possible. That being said, you can't be perfect in an imperfect world and I go day to day making the best decisions I can without being hard on myself. All of the research and evidence I have opened my mind to has shown how a SAD (Standard American Diet) has led to the rise of so many diseases that kill us on a daily basis. Therefore, I have cut all meat and most dairy out of my diet. Dairy still sneaks in because.... cheese.
Now, the main reason for this blog will be to document daily life with my family as well as give a detailed encounter of our debt free journey. You can read previous posts to see some of this information already, but my husband I have been on this journey since we got married and we haven't been 100% committed to it which is why we are still on it.
I am going to be brutally honest and open about everything we go through because I'm tired of watching these YouTube channels of people that only give you the good. The stuff they can all do NOW because they're debt free. What about the struggles? What about the daily life stuff that makes you sit and cry and wonder if you'll ever be OK? That's the stuff that inspires me the most. Yes, people who have made it to the other side also inspire me... but I like to see the nitty-gritty. The real life. So.... here goes:
When we started in 2011 we had over $95,000.00 of debt ... no house.
Total debt with the house: $128,980.00
Total debt MINUS house: $77,335.00
Most of that debt is my student loan. The rest is regular consumer debt which got worse after Carson was diagnosed with ASD because I went to working part time, gave up on everything except him, and used credit cards just to buy diapers, groceries, clothes, and crap.
As of January 2019, I have committed to a new way of doing cash envelopes that will take SO much stress off of having a ton of envelopes. Give a big shout out to Jordan Page from Fun, Cheap or Free. She only uses ONE envelope for TWO categories. GENIUS. (You can watch her video here.) One category is for Groceries/Consumables (paper plates, paper towels, diapers, etc.) and the second category is for Other. Those random miscellaneous things that just happen. She budgets $100 per person in your house per month. So, we have 4 people in our house times $100 each = $400. Guys, I can make that work NO problem. When I plugged those numbers into Every Dollar I had SO MUCH LEFT OVER TO THROW AT DEBT.
Now, I use Every Dollar to budget because I love it. I use an Excel Spreadsheet to keep track of what bills I have and when they are due. I am a total NERD. Most of our bills are taken out automatically or I pay them on line. We use cash for everything else in those TWO categories listed above. I used to have 8 or 9 envelopes and it got SO confusing. This new method is a game changer.
I am going to blog as much as I can, and I am going to try and devote more time to my vlog as well. I have a tendency to sit on my iPad at night after the kids go to bed and I could definitely use my time more productively.
I hope you stick with me on this journey and I hope that it gives you some inspiration or tips to maybe get you to a better place financially as well! Until next time!
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| The closest they've ever been to each other |
Monday, August 13, 2018
Day 5
It is Day 5. That went by kind of fast didn't it? So far, we are kicking butt. I haven't purchased one unnecessary item since we started this and boy have I wanted to. It's amazing to me how much of an impulse shopper I am or an "Oh, that would be nice, I could really use that!" shopper I am. I did two groceries trips: one to Aldi and one to Hy Vee for the things I can't get at Aldi. I didn't buy one thing that wasn't on my list. *high five*
If you're curious how we budget, we do the written Monthly Cash Flow Plan from Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University If you've never been through his FPU, you're missing out. It's a GREAT course with a ton of information and boy does it get you motivated. Andrew and I have been through it twice. Loved it both times. We also use EveryDollar on the computer and on our phones. It's a fantastical little app and if you don't link it to your bank account... it's FREE! We keep our written budget on our fridge as a constant reminder and we use our phones/computer to be able to see it on the go or when we are at a store. We do try and use cash for most purchases: groceries, pet supplies, kids, misc. items, etc. It helps. It's so hard to spend cash guys... it hurts more. Swiping a card has no emotional impact. Trust me and try it sometime.
We have been on this debt free journey since 2011. So far we have paid off about 20% of our debt. I would love it if that number was more, but alas, it is not. In the last 7 years we:
If you're curious how we budget, we do the written Monthly Cash Flow Plan from Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University If you've never been through his FPU, you're missing out. It's a GREAT course with a ton of information and boy does it get you motivated. Andrew and I have been through it twice. Loved it both times. We also use EveryDollar on the computer and on our phones. It's a fantastical little app and if you don't link it to your bank account... it's FREE! We keep our written budget on our fridge as a constant reminder and we use our phones/computer to be able to see it on the go or when we are at a store. We do try and use cash for most purchases: groceries, pet supplies, kids, misc. items, etc. It helps. It's so hard to spend cash guys... it hurts more. Swiping a card has no emotional impact. Trust me and try it sometime.
We have been on this debt free journey since 2011. So far we have paid off about 20% of our debt. I would love it if that number was more, but alas, it is not. In the last 7 years we:
- got married
- went on a Honeymoon
- bought a house
- had two children
- had a car stolen
- lost jobs
- got new jobs
And all of those other life things that happen. Not to mention that we found out about Carson being Autistic and I went on a downward spiral of getting a credit card and buying whatever the fuck I felt like buying..... so, I added to that debt. *headdesk*
However, I'm here and ready to dig my way out of it.
Starting Debt: $83,000
Current Debt: $66,324
That includes a credit card, the van, and my student loan. It does not include the house. My student loan is most of that number. It's nauseating, isn't it?
We are set to pay off $632.00 of debt this month.
Since Andrew and I have paid ahead on the student loan (8 months ahead), we are skipping a few months of that payment to get everything else taken care of.
During this time, and the last 7 years, we have also had out $1,000 emergency fund which has been used and built back up multiple times in emergency situations. Especially for car repairs and unplanned/planned medical expenses.
I'm excited to see where this journey takes us and how quickly we can get this taken care of now that I am dedicated. I know it's not going to be easy, and I know people will probably think I don't like them because I will say "no" to a lot of activities that involve money.... but it will be 100% worth it in the end.
As far as my minimalist journey goes, I went on a cleaning spree yesterday and worked on the bathroom, my closet, the linen closet, and the kitchen. The back end of my van is full with stuff to take for donation. Feels good to get rid of excess stuff.
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