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Across the Fence:  It's been a LONG Haul!  |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 05:26:59 AM
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Oh ladies! I am so excited!
It has been a long long haul for Doug and I regarding our finances. When we moved to Idaho in 2002, our finances plummeted due to the cost of moving and a hard time finding work. It seemed that we got on a merry-go-round of just barely staying above water at that point. The only thing I think that was in our favor was that we were not using credit cards to survive.
Doug finally had a good job in Idaho when a bill that we just couldn't pay at the time (a credit card from when he had just turned 18) caused his paycheck to be garnished for a LONG time. We finally made the last payment his last paycheck before we moved to Montana.
I hate to admit it, but because of unforeseeable circumstances leading up to the move, we had about $3,000 less than we had expected to have and ended up having to take out a *shudders* payday loan to get into our rental. NEVER EVER DO THAT unless it is a true emergency. I think we have paid more than the original loan in just interest as we have struggled to pay it off.
FINALLY this week we get to pay off the remaining $642 dollars. My husband gets to buy his replacement TV (I made him sell the one he got from his tax refund a few years ago) instead of renting a TV as we have been.
So here is the really good news:
My school money has FINALLY come in (YAY!)
This month has 3 pay periods in it! So we can use the middle paycheck to get our bills paid and a Costco Trip to stock up!
While the 3rd paycheck can go to paying Rent for November!
This is all just with Doug's paycheck. I have a part time job and those paychecks can go to paying off debt that is currently hurting our credit rating!
Because of the way the paychecks are falling we will be able to start paying our bills with the first paycheck of the month and paying rent with the last paycheck of the month, so we will be building in a 2 week grace period before rent is actually due!
I am so excited! We have his paychecks set up to automatically pull 10% into a savings account. We have had to drain savings each paycheck. Now savings can be left to grow and we can take care of past-due obligations at the same time!
I knew this month was going to be a turning point for us, but when I realized that Doug will get 3 paychecks this month, HURRAH!
Oh and the final icing on the cake? I am going to insist that our tax return gets used to pay away debt!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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Ga Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
2355 Posts
Karen
Meansville
Ga.
USA
2355 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 05:36:34 AM
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Oh Alee, I am so happy for you and Doug this is a great month. I hope and pray all will continue to go well for you and those debts will be gone soon!
Blessings, Karen
Create in me a pure heart,O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalms 51:10 http://farmgirlingastyle.blogspot.com/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 05:41:37 AM
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Thanks Karen! We get a great deal on this credit monitoring thing. They send us this nice book bound analysis of our credit every quarter. I am going to contact them to see which of the debts is/has hurt our credit the most. We are going to target those first. I can't wait to see what 3 months of solid "Cannon Balling" of debt will do to our credit rating! I know it won't be too dramatic at first, but I imagine that as several quarters go by, our credit rating will jump by leaps and bounds!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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theknottysheep
True Blue Farmgirl
90 Posts
Kary
knitting in the sea on an island
RI
USA
90 Posts |
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mommom
True Blue Farmgirl
854 Posts
Susan
Lancaster
Pennsylvania
USA
854 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 07:29:47 AM
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| I just love it when a plan comes together! Congratulations and keep up the hard work at paying off those debts! I am working hard at ours, too! Blessings, Susan |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 09:28:57 AM
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Thanks Kary and Susan!!
We want to do our best to "clear our name" so to speak. I lose sleep or have poor sleep because of our financial position and I cringe every time I see our credit report. I feel like it makes us look like bad people, when in all reality, we are just normal people that got in over our head a couple of times.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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bohemiangel
True Blue Farmgirl
2087 Posts
Bridget
Ligonier
pa
USA
2087 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
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Kris Sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
131 Posts
Kris
Chickamauga
Ga.
USA
131 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 12:12:05 PM
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Alee, the key to what you are doing is to stay focused on your goals. You can do it!
Keep up the good work and just don't give up. Ya'll are in my prayers, too. It is exiting when you can actually see the numbers drop. We've been there, too.
Kris
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 2:23:43 PM
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| Good for you, Alee. |
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JessieMae
True Blue Farmgirl
702 Posts
Jessie
Raleigh
North Carolina
USA
702 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 2:45:27 PM
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| I am very, very happy to hear this. I can't think of anything as stressful as financial disarray. Congratulations! |
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whiteraven
True Blue Farmgirl
134 Posts
Christa
Kansas City
MO
USA
134 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 5:18:47 PM
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Way to go Alee! You are a beacon for the rest of us trying to do the same!
whiteraven
farmgirl Sister #320
Life is what you make it! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 9:49:36 PM
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Thanks ladies! Your praise and encouragement means a lot to me. I have been pretty depressed the past couple of months with all this financial mess coming down on us. We made some mistakes and some things we couldn't control. It all can get out of control pretty fast!! Now we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. While October is one of my favorite months, I am almost ready to wish it away so we can be at the end of this Nightmare!!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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lilyblossom
True Blue Farmgirl
416 Posts
Donna
Evansville
IN
USA
416 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2008 : 05:53:09 AM
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Alee, I can hear your sigh of relief. Way to go farmgirl!
Donna...true blue KY farmgirl, farmgirl #86 |
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Past Blessings
True Blue Farmgirl
1083 Posts
Brenda
Orchard Prairie
WA
USA
1083 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2008 : 07:13:11 AM
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Hi Alee,
I am so happy for you . . . you worked hard to get to this place! Now, just continue to take the moneys that were going for the debt that is now gone and apply it to the current ones and the debt will go even faster! We are doubling up on things as we can too and it is amazing how quickly you can knock off a ton of interest. Once we pay off our Prius, we will simply send that extra amount in to the principal of our house. Given our shaky economy, I think the less debt any of us carry the better. Our biggest issue right now is that we had to close our Real Estate Guide due to the economy. We do not believe in Bankruptcy (people really take advantage of this!) so we are paying off all our debts even though we have over $30,000 owed us that we may very well never seen . . . because our debtees don't feel the same about bankruptcy and basically seem to think it is okay to make us pay for thier mistakes (can you tell there is a whole soapbox just waiting to come out of my mouth! LOL!) Anyway, I think in the end, being cautious with your money and honest in your dealings will always be the best in the end.
God bless you and Doug as you continue down this path!
Hugs & blessings,
Brenda
Past Blessings . . . Celebrating Life as it used to be . . . when people loved God, loved their families and loved their country. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2008 : 07:23:56 AM
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Thanks Brenda. I want to make good on all the debts. We have some that are high interest so we want to pay them off first. Right now most of them haven't gotten any money for a while, so we figure, instead of paying all of them a small amount each month and it taking forever to pay down, we are going to "Cannon ball" each of our debts and be rid of them once and for all. If we can get rid of the highest interest ones/ones with most money owed in the next couple of months, the smaller balance ones will be paid off quickly and perhaps even a couple each month. I am really looking forward to getting these taken care of.
The sad thing though, is when we pay off the old debts that are more than 2 years old, it will bring it back to current on our credit report so our credit very possibly might not improve for 2 years. Most of the credit reporting agencies look only at the past 2 years for most credit decisions.
However, once those two years pass, our credit should skyrocket upwards, and if in the mean time some of the bigger ones show us making payments, that should help more immediately.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
5602 Posts
Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
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wild daisy
True Blue Farmgirl
503 Posts
Madelynne
Billings
Montana
USA
503 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2008 : 2:40:41 PM
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Alee I am so glad you that your school funding finally came through. It seems like our goals are always changing, sometimes not towards what one might have had in mind. Remember these times make us stronger.
Madelynne |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
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Across the Fence: It's been a LONG Haul! |
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It's been a LONG Haul!
