Living frugally I think is a great idea, and so many people are choosing to live this way. I can think of some ways on my own:
1. Get what food you can at Food Pantries, and Food Banks first like staples
2. Shop at Farmer's markets for fruits/vegtables
3. But Meat when it is less than $1.00 a lb and buy in bulk
4. Get a deep freezer for stocking up
5. Shop at thrift stores and goodwill, some have clearance days too!!
6. Shop at Dollar Stores for house hold items before going to retailer stores
7. If you have items in your home, sell them and make $
8. But in bulk at Costco paper products, laundry detergent, for the entire year
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Save big in January
You know, I get a ton of advertising emails. But they are keeping me up on sales. The best time to shop is Janurary, their are so many sales. Stragety that i was thinking about is claming 0 on your taxes every year. When you collect it the next year take that money and buy everything you need for the entire year. For example, buy in bulk at Costco, things like Laundry Detergent, paper towels, paper plates, shampoos/conditioners. Things like this you can caluate how much you use and buy for the year.
Also investing in a deep freezer is a great idea. I did this. Mine hold 150 lbs of food. In it I keep only meat, I also freeze bread. I stock it full I find that Food 4 Less has cheap meat prices for meat in bulk. I buy it when I see it onl sale and stock pile it. In my normal fridge in the freezer part I keep frozen vegtables and stock up on them when also on sale.
Bath & body Works was having a sale on their Body Wash foam. I love the stuff. its normally $12.50 a bottle, but in Janurary they are selling now for $3.00 a bottle. So I bought 10 of them. They will lat me for the rest of the year. Now I don't need any soap!!
Try to buy items at the beginning of the year when stores want to get rid of inventory from the last year. If you use your income tax return then its not like your loosing money, you never had it in your account anyway. Think of the things that you can buy and store that won't go bad (toothpaste, paper products, detergent, cleaner) then you can save all your paychecks for the rest of the year!!!
Also investing in a deep freezer is a great idea. I did this. Mine hold 150 lbs of food. In it I keep only meat, I also freeze bread. I stock it full I find that Food 4 Less has cheap meat prices for meat in bulk. I buy it when I see it onl sale and stock pile it. In my normal fridge in the freezer part I keep frozen vegtables and stock up on them when also on sale.
Bath & body Works was having a sale on their Body Wash foam. I love the stuff. its normally $12.50 a bottle, but in Janurary they are selling now for $3.00 a bottle. So I bought 10 of them. They will lat me for the rest of the year. Now I don't need any soap!!
Try to buy items at the beginning of the year when stores want to get rid of inventory from the last year. If you use your income tax return then its not like your loosing money, you never had it in your account anyway. Think of the things that you can buy and store that won't go bad (toothpaste, paper products, detergent, cleaner) then you can save all your paychecks for the rest of the year!!!
Life Happens
So I got my paycheck this week, and who knew it was LESS than my 418.00, by half. Its horrible when your trying to plan to pay off debt. But my next check will be $418. Now I have to figure out how to get buy with $263 until I get paid, so much for paying off debt, it will have to wait.
Today, to help save money I went to the church and collected food. I have written down all the food bank days, as well as church pantries on a calendar, so are once a month and others are once a week. But I typcially end up going to about 11 different places each month to collect food bags. I do this so I can collect whatever I can. This way I am only buying things like milk, eggs, and meat with my own checks. It helps to stretch money even farther. Going to food banks or food pantries I can get noodles, canned vegtables, bread, fruit, beans, canned fruit, and some meats. These are the exact same items I would be paying for. Its nice to get them for free.
Getting help with food from pantries and food banks allows me to stretch the little money I have.
Today, to help save money I went to the church and collected food. I have written down all the food bank days, as well as church pantries on a calendar, so are once a month and others are once a week. But I typcially end up going to about 11 different places each month to collect food bags. I do this so I can collect whatever I can. This way I am only buying things like milk, eggs, and meat with my own checks. It helps to stretch money even farther. Going to food banks or food pantries I can get noodles, canned vegtables, bread, fruit, beans, canned fruit, and some meats. These are the exact same items I would be paying for. Its nice to get them for free.
Getting help with food from pantries and food banks allows me to stretch the little money I have.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
First Pay Check of 2010
Ok, so I was a day ahead. Now I'm back on track!! My frist pay check of Janurary will be comming soon. I have been thinking about what to do with it. My goal is to pay off debt, and after going through my cuboards I have plenty of food and things so I don't have anything to buy for awhile anyway.
My total of debt that I can start working on paying off totals $3,037.00 This does not incude two credit cards that are closed in an collections for $2,200 and a studnet loan in collections of $5,500. So I guess he real total would be about $10,000 (oh that's a lot).
But atleast I can work on the $3,037.00 for now. The frustration is trying to figure out which on to pay off first. Tax Lien, parking tickets, medical bill, dentist bill. I mean do I pay off the $86.00 medical bill, or the tax lien first for $220? Often I hear people like Suzie Orman say pay down which ever is gaining interest, but doesn't that go towards credit cards? She's never said anything about other debt that is just sitting on my report. Things that are on my credit report are not gaining interest. So I guess the next most important is who can garnish your wages.
So, I am out to figure this alone, and do the best I can. What I decided is that if you have a tax lien on your credit report it will stay on their for 7 years (stinks I know.), but they can garnish your wages if you don't pay it. That is the last thing I need, I collect disbility and its not much.
Clark Howard has said to always pay yourself first. And always take .10 cents of every dollar out of your pay check and stick it into savings. My first check of Jan. will be coming at the end of this week. It will be for $418.00 my plan is to put $40 into my savings account, and pay the first tax lein I have for $250. This will leave me only $128.00 from my check until I get paid again at the end of the month. My check of $418 is a disability check because I am in congestive heart failure and have heart disease. I cannot work anymore. My husband's pay take care of all of our main bills, and I pay for food and household items with my disability. But its still so hard, because I cannot get any more money.
I have to make the best of what I have and strech it as far as it will go. I mean I have heart failure and a pacemaker, my liver is also failing to, and I have debt. But you do what you can with what you have and God will do the rest.
Currently:
11 Items on Credit Report
Total: $3,037.00
My total of debt that I can start working on paying off totals $3,037.00 This does not incude two credit cards that are closed in an collections for $2,200 and a studnet loan in collections of $5,500. So I guess he real total would be about $10,000 (oh that's a lot).
But atleast I can work on the $3,037.00 for now. The frustration is trying to figure out which on to pay off first. Tax Lien, parking tickets, medical bill, dentist bill. I mean do I pay off the $86.00 medical bill, or the tax lien first for $220? Often I hear people like Suzie Orman say pay down which ever is gaining interest, but doesn't that go towards credit cards? She's never said anything about other debt that is just sitting on my report. Things that are on my credit report are not gaining interest. So I guess the next most important is who can garnish your wages.
So, I am out to figure this alone, and do the best I can. What I decided is that if you have a tax lien on your credit report it will stay on their for 7 years (stinks I know.), but they can garnish your wages if you don't pay it. That is the last thing I need, I collect disbility and its not much.
Clark Howard has said to always pay yourself first. And always take .10 cents of every dollar out of your pay check and stick it into savings. My first check of Jan. will be coming at the end of this week. It will be for $418.00 my plan is to put $40 into my savings account, and pay the first tax lein I have for $250. This will leave me only $128.00 from my check until I get paid again at the end of the month. My check of $418 is a disability check because I am in congestive heart failure and have heart disease. I cannot work anymore. My husband's pay take care of all of our main bills, and I pay for food and household items with my disability. But its still so hard, because I cannot get any more money.
I have to make the best of what I have and strech it as far as it will go. I mean I have heart failure and a pacemaker, my liver is also failing to, and I have debt. But you do what you can with what you have and God will do the rest.
Currently:
11 Items on Credit Report
Total: $3,037.00
Monday, January 4, 2010
What's in the Kitchen Cuboards?
Who knew how much work it would take just to want to take control of your financial life?
I decided that in order to take back my financial status pulling my credit report was not enough, I needed to know what I have in my home. I went through my kitchen cuboards today and found I have a lot of spagehtti, peanut butter, plastic plates and silverware, and beans to last me a life time. I have alot of snacks, so why do i think in need to buy more when I go out? I did this awhile back to once with my bathroom and laundry closet. I found 6 bottles of shampoo, 4 bottles of conditioner, 8 bottles of toothpaste, 4 bottles of Axe body Wash, etc.
And ever go out and walk past Bath and Body Works? The smells alone make you think you need another bottle of body wash, or lotion. Come to find if you look in your bathroom or closets you probably have 4 bottles or more of the stuff, so why do we buy more? I found about 9 bottles of B&BW in my home. So I donated some to the thrift Store on on Marine Corp base.
You cannot save money if you don't know what you have already in your home. Maybe I should just take all the doors off my cabinets so I know what I have!!!!!
I decided that in order to take back my financial status pulling my credit report was not enough, I needed to know what I have in my home. I went through my kitchen cuboards today and found I have a lot of spagehtti, peanut butter, plastic plates and silverware, and beans to last me a life time. I have alot of snacks, so why do i think in need to buy more when I go out? I did this awhile back to once with my bathroom and laundry closet. I found 6 bottles of shampoo, 4 bottles of conditioner, 8 bottles of toothpaste, 4 bottles of Axe body Wash, etc.
And ever go out and walk past Bath and Body Works? The smells alone make you think you need another bottle of body wash, or lotion. Come to find if you look in your bathroom or closets you probably have 4 bottles or more of the stuff, so why do we buy more? I found about 9 bottles of B&BW in my home. So I donated some to the thrift Store on on Marine Corp base.
You cannot save money if you don't know what you have already in your home. Maybe I should just take all the doors off my cabinets so I know what I have!!!!!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Pulling my Credit Reports
Well, as the New Year has come and gone, 2010 is here. This weekend i decided to pull my credit reports (all 3 of them.). I cannot tell you what a hassle it is to have to check three reports, some sharing information, and others having a balance on it that the other three don't have. Go figure, what a headache!!!!
I decided to put everything on Excel to figureo ut who's got what on their reports. As I can figure, I have a total of $7,000 of debit sitting in collections on my credit report. This makes up a couple tax liens, parking tickets, medical bills,and a dentist bill that never got paid. I also have two credit cards totaling about $2,100 that shows being charged off (does one have to pay on that?) not sure yet.
This has lowered my credit score down to 450-500 range. Not good, but I'm being honest. Its not a lot of debt, but I still have student loans, and a jeep that has payments too. How are people suppose to pay down debt, when so little money comes in and that has to go for current monthly costs?
Atleast I know where I stand as of today...
I decided to put everything on Excel to figureo ut who's got what on their reports. As I can figure, I have a total of $7,000 of debit sitting in collections on my credit report. This makes up a couple tax liens, parking tickets, medical bills,and a dentist bill that never got paid. I also have two credit cards totaling about $2,100 that shows being charged off (does one have to pay on that?) not sure yet.
This has lowered my credit score down to 450-500 range. Not good, but I'm being honest. Its not a lot of debt, but I still have student loans, and a jeep that has payments too. How are people suppose to pay down debt, when so little money comes in and that has to go for current monthly costs?
Atleast I know where I stand as of today...
Why am I doing this?
I cannot beleive we are four days into the new year. So, why am I creating this blog? I have decided that I am tired of debt, being held back by money and bills and I want to get things right.I know that I have great ideas but I need to put things into action (the part i lack on.)So my goal for this year?
1. To live as frugally and get whatever I can for free
2. Get real with myself
3. Pay off Debt/create savings
4. Find extra money to pay towards debt
I will be completely honest about my life and financial situation. Why not? You cannot change what you don't acknowldege anyways.
I am 34 and in heart failure because of a genetic disease.I just got a pacemaker and might need a heart transplant. While others lost their jobs from the economy, I lost my job with my company yof six years because of my heart failure. I no longer work and am on permenant disability at 34, collecting a check for only $800 a month. That's not a lot of money to pay on debt each month. Only my husband works now and he will be leaving for Afganinstan soon for the entire year. So, here I am (or will be) alone with the cat & dog to conquer debt, conquer my heart failure, and raise my credit score. It's my 2010 life challenge....
1. To live as frugally and get whatever I can for free
2. Get real with myself
3. Pay off Debt/create savings
4. Find extra money to pay towards debt
I will be completely honest about my life and financial situation. Why not? You cannot change what you don't acknowldege anyways.
I am 34 and in heart failure because of a genetic disease.I just got a pacemaker and might need a heart transplant. While others lost their jobs from the economy, I lost my job with my company yof six years because of my heart failure. I no longer work and am on permenant disability at 34, collecting a check for only $800 a month. That's not a lot of money to pay on debt each month. Only my husband works now and he will be leaving for Afganinstan soon for the entire year. So, here I am (or will be) alone with the cat & dog to conquer debt, conquer my heart failure, and raise my credit score. It's my 2010 life challenge....
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