Me vs Debt Me vs Debt Recent college grad's mission to get out of debt and master personal finance. I want to share tips, successes, and motivation. I also want some public accountability. Mostly I want to use my money to make interest, not pay it. Articles
Diaper Coupon Giveaway
2008-09-03 13:05:00 Anybody out there buy diapers? As I described last week, I'm into coupons and deal matching. But I also have to be selective about what deals I go after. I know for a fact that these will go unused if I don't give them away. No matter how great the sale is, I just don't need diapers!So here's the deal. I have $15 in various diaper coupons (Huggies, Pampers, Luvs). If you think you might use them, leave me a comment. Check back tomorrow to see the randomly selected winner. If its you, send me your address and I'll mail them to you. Hope somebody can get some use out of these : )A winner has been selected and contacted! After such a great response, I will surely hold another giveaway next month. Stop by soon or subscribe to my feed for daily updates. Thanks! More About: Coupon , Diaper
Congratulations on the Raise!
2008-09-02 23:36:00 .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } My man got a raise today. His company put a 3% cap on raises this year because of slowing business. I was mad when I heard about that because he works harder than anyone I know. Its no surprise that they gave the other managers 2% so that they could give him 4%! Not to mention they gave him a rave review.Congrats, D!That should kickstart your progress bar! Good for you : ) More About: Congratulations
Upping the Ante...
2008-09-01 20:05:00 In order to meet my end-of-year debt pay off goal I'll need to make more than an extra $400 per month. I'm adjusting the Monthly Challenge to $650. This is going to be tough to meet, but its worth a shot. I'm not giving up without a fight!
50 Free Minutes on Tutor.com
2008-09-01 18:17:00 Give your favorite student 50 free minutes on Tutor.com while supporting Me vs. Debt. Sign up and use the promotional code MEVSDEBT to redeem. For full disclosure, I will earn a commission on any additional minutes you buy. As a long-time math and physics tutor I can tell you from experience that students love this service. Here are some of the reasons parents and students love tutor.com from the Tutor.com brochure.Top 5 Reasons to Love Tutor.comYou get help the minute you need it. Whether it's homework help at 9:23 p.m. or studying for a test on a Sunday afternoon, you never need an appointment.You connect to a great tutor in minutes - right from your home computer! No scheduling. No driving. Minimal environmental impact : )You work one-to-one with a professional tutor online using IM, an interactive whiteboard and file sharing. Each tutor is fully screened and certified. Every session is saved for later review.You decide how much help you need- a few minutes for a quick ... More About: Free , Minutes
Us vs. Debt
2008-09-01 13:26:00 My boyfriend has been a huge supporter of me and my goals over the past year. Reading my blog has inspired him to make progress on paying off his own debts. He has already made smart moves such as paying off his highest interest debts first and transferring balances to minimize finance charges.Yesterday we talked about our budgets, and set an end-of-year goal for him. He's got two credit cards. The higher interest card has a smaller balance. We think he can pay that off by the end of the year. The other card is at a promotional rate of 0%. He's going to work hard to pay that off by June 2009 - before it starts accruing finance charges.I'm really excited to work out the numbers and set such aggressive goals. A year from now we're going to be in a really good place! Look out for a new sidebar for Dan's 2008 Challenge : ) More About: Debt
Free Music and Cheap Birthday Entertainment
2008-08-31 16:06:00 While searching for new music I ran across a great blog for indie music called MP3Hugger. This is a good (and free) way to find new music. I really like this song by School of Seven Bells. After doing a little background research on this band, I found out they'll be playing a $5 local show the Friday before my birthday at an artsy little venue I've never been to before. Sweet. More About: Music , Entertainment , Free Music , Free , Birthday
Couponing 101
2008-08-31 14:51:00 Coupons. What a great concept. Some little piece of junk mail that can be traded in like cash. Ok, sure, but that's too much work for you. Right? Who has time to clip all of those things and sort through them at every sale? Somebody does. Why not let them do the dirty work for you?I've officially mastered efficient couponing so its time to share the master plan. There will be people out there for which this is not worth the time. Understood. But for those of you that could use the help, here's what works for me.Get Weekly CouponsThe Sunday paper in my area has 1 to 3 coupon inserts: Smart Source, Red Plum, and P&G. I buy the paper each week. Visit your library as an alternative. Ask to see the weekly sales paper to get some coupons for free. Do you have friends or relative that subscribe to the newspaper but don't use the coupons? Maybe they will donate to your coupon cause. Its worth asking!Organize CouponsI write the date on the front of the insert and file...
CVS Freebies 8/31-9/6
2008-08-31 14:05:00 I only picked up a couple of things today - taking advantage of these deals to roll over my ECBs before they expire, plus I found a small money maker. Go here to see all of the deal with coupon matchups...Purchase:(2) Covergirl Wetslick Lipgloss - $5.99 each(1) Colgate Total Advance Clean - $2.99Use Coupons: $2/$10 CVS CouponBuy 1, Get 1 Covergirl Lip Product (In this week's PG insert)$1/1 Colgate (Last week's SS insert) OR$1.50/1 Colgate Printable Here (Requires registration)I used $5.99 in Extra Care Bucks from last week, spent $0.41 out of pocket, then got back $7.99 ECBs for next week. More About: Freebies
2008 Presidential Election Issues - Taxes
2008-08-30 15:42:00 So I don't know about you all, but I think this is set to be the most interesting election in my life time. Either party will represent a historical change for the executive branch. I think that in itself is exciting.I have to admit that I was initially offended by McCain's choice in VP. Does he really think women that supported Hilary are shallow enough to sacrifice their values based on the gender of a nominee? However, the more I read about her, the more I like her. I like the fact that she voluntarily decreased her own salary and called out her own party's misconduct. I don't really like the fact that she denies greenhouse gases effect climate change. Nor do I agree with her support for drilling in Alaska. I definitely think she'd be fun to BS with over a beer. Do I think she's ready to be President of the US (as the press has been so quick to point out that she is a "hearbeat away" from)? I'm not yet convinced, but I do look forward to the debates with unusua... More About: Taxes , Presidential , Issues , Election , 2008
August 2008 - Income, Net Worth, Cash Back Review
2008-08-30 14:49:00 This post pretty much sums up my summer progress. It has pretty much been a flat line for debt reduction. I've had setbacks such as the $1600 in car repairs in June. Luckily that has been paid in full this month. Just in time to avoid interest payments on my new Firestone Credit Card. I guess thats good. Next month I should be able get back on track and start knocking out this last $6500 in credit card debt.Speaking of my credit card debt, this month marks the one year anniversary of my debt-tracking spreadsheet. In August 2007 I reached a breaking point because I was getting nowhere with over $19,000 in credit card debt, $45,000 of student loan debt coming out of deferment, and $5,000 in hospital bills that I'd been chipping away at for almost a full year.I decided to focus my energy on the high interest credit cards. One year later, I've paid off almost $13,000 of that debt! I can't explain how great that feels, but its no time to slack off. I made it my goal to pay ... More About: Review , Income , Back , Net worth , Worth
Freebies at Kroger 8/24-8/30
2008-08-28 14:08:00 This week's freebies from Kroger :French's Mustard on sale for $1Go here, register, and print out up to two $0.50 coupons to getFrench's Mustard for Free (If your store doubles coupons)Cottonelle is on sale for $0.99Use the $0.50 Coupon in last week's Smart Source to get4-Pack of Cottonelle T.P. for Free (If your store doubles)Also, while I was there, I found a $0.50/2 pull-out coupon for Michelena's Entrees near the frozen meals. Two meals for $1. These make decent lunches when you don't have time to pack! More About: Freebies
Paying it Forward: Blog Awards : )
2008-08-27 12:31:00 Pushing 30 had some kind words to say about my blog in her Pay it Forward post. Now its my turn to give credit to some of my favorite PF blogs...Frugal Babe has some pretty inspirational goals! She aims to make her family self-sufficient. She has implemented a hydroponic garden and started saving for a solar panel revamp on her home... all while saving for retirement and her child's education. Right on!Steward at My Family's Money has a little something for everyone. Whether you want to save the world, commute to work on your bike, or you've been thinking about getting a pet monkey! This is the place to go for a wide variety of thoughtful and hilarious tips. Support him as his family awaits their newest addition :)Paula at Monroe on a Budget is a fellow Michigander providing news links and crucial tips for people that are truly feeling the strain of a tough economy. Kudos to you!Krystal at Give Me Back My Five Bucks is another inspirational story. She paid off over $17k ... More About: Awards , Blog Awards , Links , Blog
Inflation vs. My Budget
2008-08-22 13:47:00 I'll be totally honest here: I haven't tracked my spending in months. Around last November I estimated a bare minimum for monthly spending. I was extra careful to stick to it in the following months. I'd turn down lunch invitations, get creative with meal preparation, watch for sales, and put off big ticket purchases. I got so good at it that I eventually stopped keeping track. That worked for a while because I had developed good habits. Maybe I go over here and there, but basically I was doing good. That was the beginning of a slow drift up. So, once again, I'm going to need to make a conscious effort to get back to sticking to the budget. I already have a template, this should be easy.One problem. Things cost more.My monthly rent has increased. My energy bills are higher this year, and somewhat out of my control (i.e. roommate). I'm noticing that I'm having a hard time getting the same types of food as I used to for $25/week. I used to skate by on free lunches fo... More About: Inflation , Budget
On something I don't regret...
2008-08-21 13:09:00 While I was gone I actually managed to 'get away from it all'. This is one financial decision I do not regret. The above picture was taken on the shore of Lake Superior (credit to Dan). Although we didn't write it, we totally agree. This trip was worth every cent we spent on gas...The BF and I made our way up to northern Michigan. We spent a weekend with our families then trekked up to the U.P. for some camping, hiking, and biking. Plus some really great micro brew and probably the best fish I've ever eaten. The trip cost me a total of around $375 (including supplies) .This trip was really a reminder for me that living frugally doesn't have to be any different from actually living. We set up our own lodging at a rate of $14/night. We used the sun to heat water for our showers. We used books from the library and word of mouth to plan our destinations. In case you didn't know, the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is one of this world's hidden treasures. See for you... More About: Life , Spending , Regret
Down, but not out.
2008-08-20 13:33:00 Hello, my name is Amanda and I'm a financial mess.I got carried away this summer and things got off track. I haven't worked towards the monthly challenge in months and my credit card debt has been stagnating in the $6 k's ever since my car problems in June. This month I'm going to have a really hard time paying the credit cards that do not usually carry balances! Its pretty clear that my progress started flat-lining about the same time I stopped posting here. I've got a load emails to answer and I'm going to need all the help I can get to meet my goals this year.Is anyone still out there?
Cheering Up With a CVS Shopping Spree
2008-06-29 17:04:00 I'm such a dork. I've been really down the past couple of weeks because of the huge expense of my car repairs and the poor decision of driving to work when I can ride my bike.First of all, as a reader pointed out, wear and tear on the car should be considered into the equation. The problem I paid to fix was pre-existing and totally necessary, but really thats just the beginning. I bought my car used. Its a 2001. There are bound to be more problems and the more I drive the more they quickly they will pop up.Second and more importantly, lazy people (like me) are major part of the reason gas prices are so high in the first place. Just because I am lucky enough to be able to afford to drive to work doesn't mean I should. I am young and healthy enough to ride my bike. I chose to live 10+ miles from work, I will bear the inconvenience of the ride as long as I can bear it and weather permits.My apologies to the general population and the environment for thinking about that probl... More About: Shopping , Spree
Car Problems and No Emergency Fund
2008-06-18 15:36:00 I had some car problems last weekend on my way home from a friends place. The damage cost me about $1600 to repair... ugh. As soon as I'm starting to feel confident about my progress something like this happens. And you know what I decided to skimp on? My emergency fund. That means my debt reduction money is going to have to be re-directed for car repairs for the next month or so. There was a moment where I thought to myself, Stupid! Everyone told you to keep an emergency fund and this is why! Firestone offered me a 10% discount if I opened a card with them and put it on. Plus 90 days interest free. I'm going for it. Luckily my interest rates on my cards and loan are pretty low. I have 5.99% on $1400, 3.99% on $3500, and 8.70% on $2500. I'll be paying minimum payments on those until I have enough saved up in my ING savings account to cover the car repair. Then I'm going to keep that there until the 90 days are about up and pay it off in full before the 21% APR kicks... More About: Problems , Fund , Emergency
Don't panic.
2008-06-13 16:21:00 .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Now I see why they recommend checking up on your stock portfolio VERY infrequently. Every day I watch my 401(k) and Roth IRA slip a little farther into the red. My mind races with second guesses... shoulda, woulda, coulda... that kind of thing. The bottom line for a twenty something like myself is that you shouldn't be investing money that you may need right away anyway. I'm going to be a net investor for the next 20-30-40 years. As Warren Buffett would say, I don't care what is happening in the next quarter. I care about whats happening in the next twenty years. I see some of my major investments as outperformers for the long term. That's whats important, not the day to day drama on Wall Street... (Photo originally uploaded by chrisfriel.) More About: Economy , Stocks , Panic
The Cost of Comfort
2008-06-08 15:39:00 I had big plans to ride my bike to work this summer. Although I have been riding quite a bit, it hasn't been for my commute. I know I could save $100-$150 per month by riding to work. Plus its a great way to stay in shape. In stead of riding to work, in fact, I started paying $30/month to use my University's recreational facilities as an alum. That's $130-$180 per month that I am spending that I could be saving. Why would I do this? Seems like a bum deal. Oh the cost of comfort...Not only would the commute to work on bike take almost two hours out of every weekday - precious time of which I have little - but I'd also have to deal with showing up to work... um in need of a shower. That means I'd either have to stink up the place all day or equip my bike so that I could bring a change of clothes and shower supplies. Plus leave an extra extra hour early to give myself time to get ready. These extra hours before work pretty much eliminate my morning tutoring. That's ma... More About: Cost , Time Management , Comfort
The 401(k) Match is Here!
2008-06-07 15:32:00 As a full time employee for my company, I am entitled to a 100% match on my 401 (k) contributions up to 5%. However, it was not due to kick in until I had worked there full time for 13 full months. This is the month and I've been looking forward to watching my retirement savings grow a little faster.My first contributions started back in September. Before that I had wrote it off completely because my top priority was debt reduction. I was inspired during a Retirement Planning Seminar at work from a local financial group. I always sign up for these because of the free lunch, but come away with peaked interest in the subjects they discuss and a better understanding of what I should do with my money in my life after debt reduction.This particular time it hit me, I should be saving something. If I could make due with my current budget, then I could certainly spare a couple percent. I settled on 2.5% which worked out to roughly $35 less per paycheck. At the time, that contribut... More About: Match
I Heart CVS (6/01/08)
2008-06-01 15:46:00 For reals...This is too good, I have to share. I made two sets of purchases to get over $60 worth of of stuff for $28 out of pocket plus $28.47 in savings for my next trip. Pretty much free stuff plus a little extra for the effort, awesome!Purchase 1: (1) Bounty, 8 Rolls @ 5.99 (3) Charmin, 9 Rolls @ 4.99 (1) Newspaper (for coupons) @ $1.50 (1) Listerine Smart Rinse @ 3.49Subtotal $26.45Coupons: $5 off $25 CVS $3 off $15 CVS $1/1 Listerine (here) ($1/1 Charmin AND $1/1 Bounty were in the paper today, but I didn't know until it was too late!)ExtraCare Bucks From Purchase 1: $10 for $20 Purchase of Bounty and Charmin $3.49 for Listerine Smart RinseAnd another $5 off $25 CVS CouponPurchase 1 Cash Out of Pocket $18.50Savings ready to go for Purchase 2: $18.99Purchase 2: (2) Dawn Dishsoap @ $1.00 ea (2) Swiffer Duster/Refill @ $5.99 ea (1) Listerine Smart Rinse @ 3.49 (2) Oral B Toothbrush 2-pack @ 6.99 ea Subtotal: $33.66Coupons: $0.20/1 Dawn from todays paper $0.50/1 Dawn Ultra from... More About: I heart , Heart
Something to Make Your Problems Seem Small...
2008-05-29 16:21:00 Space. More About: Life , Small , Problems , Make
May 2008 - Income, Networth, Cashback Review
2008-05-29 13:31:00 Bittersweet month here. A large chunk of the debt reduction funds came from the economic stimulus check. Having that extra money encouraged me to spend more - even though I tried hard to fight it! When did I become a typical consumer, susceptible to the same old boring mass psychology as the rest of America? Grrr. Since I make most purchases on credit for the rewards, we won't really see the impact until next month. I'll be able to pay my balances in full, but there will not be much leftover next month.Good news is that I am down below $7500 debt to be paid. Thats over 61% paid so far! Now if I can only get back into good habits I just might pay it off before January. Here are the rest of the numbers in this month's monthly review...May ChallengeGoal: $400 Additional Income Actual: $482.61 I rocked my extra income goal this month. This is largely from tutor.com. I spend just about every morning waiting to help kids with algebra. I don't mind it... as long as I get my c... More About: Review , Cashback , Monthly Review , 2008
Time to Fess Up
2008-05-29 12:45:00 My simple formula has gone terribly wrong:(Still Spending) + (Not Making Money) - (Time I Could Have Spent Doing Something Useful)^2 = ?I couldn't even make it a whole week with out spending. Grrr. I gave in and went to the grocery store on Saturday. Then, since I already broke my no-spending streak, I ended up going for ice cream on Sunday and drinks on Monday. Hey, its not the end of the world, but its pretty clear that I've developed some bad habits.Oh and online surveys? Not worth my time. So far I've taken a look at:Cashcrate - If you are thinking about trying one of these I suggest getting an additional email account. You'll be putting your information all over the place. Fill out forms, surveys, or register for lists for $0.25 to $2.00 a pop. I can think of a million other things I'd rather be doing...Inbox dollars - Have you ever wished you could get 0.02 for every spam email in your inbox. Here you go. There are other ways to make money here - complete offe... More About: Life , Fess
No Spending + Money Making = Major Debt Reduction
2008-05-23 13:27:00 I'm still on track with my No Spending Week. On Wednesday night my boyfriend and I ate at his restaurant. That gets comped so we both ate for free. That still counts right? I didn't say I wouldn't consume, just that I wouldn't spend : )It just so happens that when I started to slack, the bf started to slack too. He was making strong progress on his own debt reduction up until recently. Part of that is due to the 401k contributions that are now being taken out of his check. When you're on a tight budget, that 5% can make a big difference. If you don't figure out how to compensate for that deduction its likely that you'll keep spending the same and the difference will show up in your bill paying funds. I think thats what happened for him. We talked about sitting down and doing budgets together. What a romantic way to spend a no-spending Friday night, don't you think? Ha.Another thing that came up when he and I were talking was extra income. Sometimes I take for gra... More About: Money , Debt , Major , Reduction
Its Official...
2008-05-22 13:24:00 Its official, my Prosper Loan has been paid in full! The payment cleared today and my balance is now zero. Hey, I'm all "interest order", but I see where Dave Ramsey is coming from. It feels awesome to knock out a balance. Totally empowering!I'll be proceeding as planned to eliminate the Lending Club balance. That means I'll be saving up to make a large payment on the next due date. I took my own advice and compared the estimated interest payments for each scenario. I'll save about $40 on my finance charges by paying this loan off before my promotional balance credit cards. More About: Official
So Far, So Good
2008-05-21 13:22:00 Day one of not spending went well. At the last second I remembered that I wasn't spending and said no to a malt at lunch. Things got a little bit more difficult after pulling an extra long day at work. I didn't really feel like going home and cooking so the thought of stopping somewhere to get food crossed my mind. I restrained and went home to a tuna fish sandwich. Easy enough.As for this weekend, I forgot about that its Memorial Day! Luckily(?) I don't have any plans. I do have a couple of really important grants to write for work. What better time to crack down and be productive? Doesn't sound like much fun, but I need to do it. Getting ahead in my work will take loads of stress off for the rest of the month, plus I'll have some time to cook up a batch of my poor girls chili : ) More About: Good
No Spending Week
2008-05-20 13:43:00 Back in November I set up a budget as a guideline for how much I could spend each month and still meet my goals. At first I tracked every penny and stuck to it as closely as possible. I said no to more than one lunch out per week. I just didn't shop. I bought only absolute necessities at the grocery store. Once I got into the habit of responsible spending, I let myself stop tracking.The situation has deteriorated. I've been spending too much. Little things here and there add up. Its time to revisit the budget. And for this month? I've gone over already. I hereby declare this week, No Spending Week ! My car is full of gas and there are random cans of food buried deep in the back of the cupboards. I have plenty of fun things to do here at home, for free. One week, no spending. Here goes...
Her Love Affair with Industrial Shelving
2008-05-17 15:16:00 Myscha from Wisebread sold me on her love affair with industrial shelving. I've been thinking about getting a table or stand for my plants and herbs. Right now they are lined up along the edge of the door wall on the floor. I had this image of exactly what I wanted - the shelves would be open on both sides so that I could water and maintain from inside and they could get plenty of sun from the other side. I thought that a little extra shelving on the bottom would be nice so that I could keep the watering pot, plant food, and soil handy. I cruised a couple of second hand stores, but I haven't found what I'm looking for. I was considering designing my own, but alas I think this shelf from lowes will work perfectly. Its simple, cheap, and multi-functional. If I find a better plant stand or decide to make my own later on, this baby can go just about anywhere. If I wait until my Discover Card is switch to the Get More program - after June 17th - then I can get an additional 5... More About: Love , Plants , Industrial , Affair
Making the Switch Back to Discover More
More articles from this author:2008-05-17 14:53:00 A couple months ago I switched my Discover More card to a Discover Open Road card. The Open Road Card offers 5% cash back on up to $100 of gas per month. That's just not cutting it for most people these days. When I talked to the customer service rep she told me that many, many people have called in requesting an increase in the eligible cash back amount. If they've already been calling for a while I can only assume that it isn't going to be resolved anytime soon.On that note, please switch me back to the Discover More card. It will begin offering 5% back on gas and hotels from July-September up to $400 per month. Even though I plan on riding to work, I have a couple of vacations coming up so it would be nice to know I can a discount on the gas. With gas at $4/gallon thats a twenty cent discount. It helps! More About: Back , Switch 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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