Cutting Back On Spending

While getting out of debt, it's important to keep the spending in check.  For me, it was a matter of survival, given what I was making at my job at the school versus how much I was paying in monthly bills.

What did I cut?

I got rid of the smart phone and the Verizon plan and got a flip phone through TracFone.  I could no longer afford to keep a phone with data and a service plan.  I still use it today.

I got rid of cable tv.  I still use Cox Cable for my internet, but I could no longer afford the cable tv, and besides, I wasn't home much to watch it anyways.  I had previously spent money for a digital antennae and converter box when they first came out (you could get coupons from the FCC to get a discount on it at that point in time), so I use that instead.  I still use it today.

I no longer went out to eat.  As it was, I could no longer afford the nicer priced tv dinners, I bought the raw ingredients and cooked, at a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (including my lunches at work) or I ate at Mom's.  I can now afford the tv dinners and will only go out occasionally, perhaps once or twice a month.

I cut out any unnecessary trips with my vehicle.  Thankfully, I had bought a car with great gas mileage, so I was able to go two weeks on one tank of gas.  I can now go out when I want, however I have so much to get done at home right now, I don't go out that often and will still combine trips to fill the gas tank with getting groceries and other items.  I seldom make a trip anymore that is just for one reason.

No shopping for clothes, electronics, movies, music, books.  If it didn't get me to and from work, feed me or pay down a bill, I didn't buy it.  I still limit myself on buying these items, however I did purchase a few things in December with the sales going on.

January 2, 2018 - So Far

Because it is a new year and the HOA where I live selected a new management company to start effective January 1st.  This meant that today is the first business day of the year to get things established with them to handle the automatic payments on a monthly basis.

Thankfully this is a company that already has the groundwork done for online stuff, so I was able to fill out all of the prerequisite stuff online in less than 30 minutes.

I'll know later this month if it actually took.

I haven't pulled the trashbag out yet (the collection people came by this morning so I can't put anything out yet until after a certain time), but I do have a bag set up for donation, per today's challenge from Peter Walsh.  I have started another bag so that as I do laundry, anything I don't want to keep can go straight into the bag located a few inches from the washer and dryer.  No, Survivor the Cat is not going out for donation, however he does still need a forever home.

On top of that, last night I started - and today I tweaked - a filing box I already had, used file folders and hanging folders I already had to create my filing system in an effort to better organize the papers that come in and to actually give them a home, rather than any spare counter top I can find.  I've already started filling it in with financial paperwork, I have a separate file for home improvement, a file for action and a file for each month.  I've also tossed in my Business Card binder, which got me through a lot while I was caregiver for Mom.  I know I'll need to tweak it again and place a spot for legal paperwork.

The idea for having it in a bin like this, rather than a file drawer, is as a part of emergency preparedness, if I need to leave in a hurry.  With all of the natural (and man made) disasters we've had over the last few years, this is probably something everyone should be setting up for themselves, and it costs less than $30.00 to do.

Spending Analysis

Day 2 of the Budget Bootcamp:  looking at how much we are spending on a monthly basis.  My November and December were off the wall.  I overspent on gifts and the continual expenses for the probate.

The analysis is done through a Money Management that is done through my Credit Union's online system.  It's free and it's automatic as far as adding the numbers in via the Credit Union accounts.  I've also used Quicken, however I've been having problems in getting Quicken to download the transactions from the Credit Union.  I'm going to have to manually add the transactions for this year and probably "close" out the existing accounts and re-add the accounts as new.

A free resource, if you are just getting started, for tracking is Mint.

Other free resources available through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Family Finances Participant Manual

One For The Money Guide

Catholic Church:

Navigating Your Finances God's Way

From the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank:

Building Wealth At Home


Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps

Peter Walsh's 31 Days To Get Organized

I haven't made my sign yet, but I do need to get some decluttering done.  Big time.  If you've seen my previous posts over the last little while, you know I've been doing just that.  The struggle continues...

Getting Out of Debt: What Is Your Why?

If you are still working towards getting out of debt, or are just starting out with this as a goal, this series will walk you through everything you need to know about how to do it and ways to stick with that goal.

The first question:  Why do you want to get out of debt?  Create your Budget Bootcamp notebook and start writing a list of why you want to get out of debt.  What has become you sick and tired moment?  It happens with anyone and everyone who is looking to get out of debt.

For me, it was a prompting from the Lord that I needed to get out of debt - fast.  Not as much for me but for Mom.  If you go through my posts over the last 3 - 4 years, you will see where it started, and how my debt free journey ended last year.

Good luck, I know you can do it.

New Year’s day

I don’t do parades, but I did catch up on some of my favorite YouTube channels for the morning.  I decided, however, that I needed to get busy on the condo.  I am running more laundry, but I managed to repurpose the metal magazine holders (I got rid of the magazines last year).  I had already used two to hold plastic wrap and aluminum foil in my kitchen (along with boxes of Ziplock baggies), but I’ve now used the rest of them to hold my empty - and not so empty - packing cubes in my closet.  It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.  With that, my suitcase is now light enough to lift it and set it on the shelf in my closet.  Yay!  I can now reach the back of my closet to put clean winter clothes away and actually walk in my walk-in closet!

With that, I was able to get a few of Mom and Dad’s things put in their new homes and with that and the repurposing of the magazine holders, I’ve cleared out two plastic bins and two office boxes!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I’ve been getting caught up on the basic cleaning, trash, recycling, laundry, dishes, which has now allowed for me to tackle a few needed things to do.

1.  Mom and Dad’s funeral and probate stuff are now in each of their own boxes in the closet.  I will need to go through them again, as I now have a bag started for stuff that needs to go to the safety deposit box at the credit union.  I’m so thankful I had the foresight to rent the box myself and make Mom and Dad signers.  This meant I didn’t need a court order to be able to get to the contents of the safety deposit box to get much needed documents.  If you are in this position, please make sure that the person renting the box is the person who will be handling the estate.  Others can be made signers on the box, which means they have access to add and remove as needed.  This is what I did with Mom and Dad and it saved me when each of them passed away.

2.  Getting the laundry done means that I’ve been able to empty out the filled laundry baskets with the laundered items now put away where they belong. This means the hallway is now dryer sheets free, the trash can for the dryer sheets is now emptied with a fresh bag to start anew.  I’ve also gotten the storage bin with some of my treasures that I want to keep has now been put back in the closet where it belongs.  I still have a lot more to go, but it’s getting there.

3.  I’m also now reclaiming the bedroom linen closet for what it was meant for.  There is still a lot of go through there, but I’ve already filled one bag with a comforter that hasn’t been used in years, and needs to go to a new home where it will be loved and cherished.  :-). Some of the laundry that is still in the guest bathroom (located next to the washer/dryer combo) will go in this closet, or will be added to the donations bags.