Dimples Divine Domain

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5 Point Meme
2008-04-23 03:40:00
I was tagged by Debt Fighter for the 5 point meme. Here we go......The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people, posts their names, and then leaves a comment on their blogs, letting them know they've been tagged. ButWhat was I doing 5 years ago?I was learning how to be a single parent, college student, and employee all at once. It was my first semester back from having my daughter.Five things on my to-do list today ( or things I did today):1. Get resume ready2. Order business cards3. Clean my apartment4. Finish database project for work5. Start job searchFive snacks I love:1. Toffee peanuts2. Trail mix3. Blue corn chips (Archer Farms)4. Baked wings with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (I am sad that I can't have this no mo...not the bbq anyways)5. Ritz crackers (can't have this no mo either...)Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:1. Pay off all my debt, my famil...
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Damn I am hardheaded!!
2008-04-22 00:51:00
Ok.This past week has been an eye opener. I had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday (pap smear) which didn't go so well. My blood pressure was high, I mean scary high. I was a little apprehensive about my visit (I am a big scaredy cat) and that might have played a small role in the high reading. But I also haven't been taken my medication or watching my salt intake as a should be (yes I know that probably contributed a lot......like the title says....I am hardheaded).Anyways I immediately set up an appointment with my doctor for that Friday. At that appointment my blood pressure was still high but not as high as it was at the visit to my gyno. So why did my doctor proceed to go off on me?!! I mean not in a mean kind of way but in a fed-up mothering kind of way. I came to grips that I was seriously setting myself up for severe medical problems when I get older (and some even now) and that I needed to wizen up and make some changes fast.Sooo...........I spent this weekend cle...
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Crockpot recipes of the week: Garlic Chicken, Curry Chicken, and BBQ Chicke
2008-04-18 03:00:00
chicken, Chicken , CHICKEN everywhere!!!!tee hee. I know I haven't posted one of these in a while. I took the pics when I made these dishes but I just have been too tired and too busy to do a post. Well here is 3 for you guys. Enjoy!!!!GARLIC CHICKEN (whole)Ingredients:1 whole hen = $2.212 garlic cloves, sliced = $.10salt and pepper to tasteTOTAL COST = $2.31 (approximate)Prep Time = 5 minCook Time = 7 hours on lowDirections:Turn on crockpot on at the low setting. Add chicken to crockpot. (Remember that I clean and season my chicken the day I buy it so my chicken was already prepared. I just needed to defrost it and I did that by moving it from the freezer to the fridge the night before.) Cover and let it cook.Results:I winded up making some smaller meals from this larger one. I cut out the breast meat and cut them into slices for sandwiches for lunch this week. I then took the wings and drumsticks off and had those that night with some sweet potato I baked. I took the remainder of...
More About: Recipes , Garlic , Curry , Week

Making some money
2008-04-17 01:28:00
I have been on my money making grind this month. It is only the 16th and I have already brought in $182.51 ($132.51 in cash and $50 in gift cards).Breakdown:-$42.51 from Textlink Ads-$50 from Vindale Research-$40 from Revolution Money Exchange-$50 in gift cards from CVS (for new prescriptions)If you don't know about the various offers out there for free gift cards just for filling out a new prescription, get on it now. I had two prescriptions to fill out for my daughter. I remembered I had 2 coupons from CVS for a free $25 CVS gift card for filling out a new prescription. I took the coupons and prescriptions and filled them at a CVS across the street from me. Sure enough, I received my gift cards when I picked up the prescriptions. I used those two cards and purchased some household stuff (toilet paper, cleaners, laundry detergent), beauty stuff (deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, new bath sponges, etc.), and stocked up on a lot of water (they were having a nice sale). Thi...

Free $25 expires today!!!
2008-04-15 13:58:00
Edited:ENDS MAY 15!!!!!(They extended the date)Revolution Money Exchange is back again with their $25 referral bonus offer!!!Here is a quick summary of the company:"Very similar to Paypal, Revolutionary Money Exchange (RME) allows you to send, request, and receive money from RME account holders for free. Register, send money, receive money, and transfer money to your linked checking account for free. Sign up is simple, secure, and fast. For a limited time, you can get a $25 bonus by emailing me for a referral. Once registered, you can refer all your friends and family members and make up to $500. I signed up today and received my $25 instantly." The offer expires April 15th (this coming Tuesday). If you are interested in this bonus offer then click on the referral banner below:Act fast and get your hustle on!P.S.I have made $105 with them so far. If you are like me and want proof, then check here and here.
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It is over lawd!!!!!
2008-04-15 01:26:00
Thank you to all my well wishers. I did better than I thought I would. Doesn't say much but we will see in 3 months. I missed out on a very successful and fantabulous Lady's Day program that the women of my church threw. And I am not a happy camper.Taking this test has made me realize a couple of things.........1. I don't want to go back to school. I am serious. I really don't. The studying, the test taking, the anxiety, the waiting (for your grade). I mean that test had the ability to put a damper on my whole week. I do not like that at all. I mean the same could go for anything important thing in life really but I would rather it be something I want. Not something "recommended" by someone else because they think it is essential to have.2. I don't like that so much "emphasis" was put on this test when it is not a "requirement" for our job. It is good to have. Been even as I think about it. Do I really want to become a PE and sign off on important documentation t...

Wish me luck!
2008-04-12 06:06:00
I am going to be taking the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam in 7 hours. - I haven't studied like I should have.- I just got home from a bbq.- I lost a friend this week and I am in a "blah" mood.- I am ticked that I am missing this awesome luncheon being held at my church tomorrow.Wish me luck!!!!!!LOL!
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Credit Score Update
2008-04-11 03:45:00
I haven't done an update of my credit scores in a while.March Score s:Transunion: 659Experian: 646Equifax: 616April Scores:Transunion: 675 Experian: 657 Equifax: 624I would take credit for the high jumps in my scores but I think the fact that my car loan is not exactly included in my report at the moment may have played a big role. Statefarm shows my car loan as being paid off but there is no account for my credit union showing up. So I basically look like I have $20,000 less than I actually have (debt wise). Oh well........I can bask in the "good" credit light for a little while can't I??
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Free $25 anyone?
2008-04-11 01:27:00
Revolution Money Exchange is back again with their $25 referral bonus offer!!!Here is a quick summary of the company:"Very similar to Paypal, Revolutionary Money Exchange (RME) allows you to send, request, and receive money from RME account holders for free. Register, send money, receive money, and transfer money to your linked checking account for free. Sign up is simple, secure, and fast. For a limited time, you can get a $25 bonus by emailing me for a referral. Once registered, you can refer all your friends and family members and make up to $500. I signed up today and received my $25 instantly." The offer expires April 15th (this coming Tuesday). If you are interested in this bonus offer then click on the referral banner below:Act fast and get your hustle on!P.S.I have made $65 with them so far. If you are like me and want proof, then check here and here.
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April 08 Budget
2008-04-08 06:19:00
April's Budget A couple of changes this month:Car Note: I have no car note this month. My first car payment is due May 10.Gas: I don't even wanna get into. Medical: This month I am catching my daughter and myself up on our health check-ups. I have made appointments with the dentist to get my teeth cleaned and my daughter's examined. She will go to her pediatrician for a wellness check-up and I have an appointment with my doctor for a check-up. I need to set up an appointment with a vision center to have my eyes checked and get some new glasses and contacts. And it's time for my yearly pap smear. My budget will account for the copay for all those visits and 3 prescriptions (if needed).Clothing: It is about that time. The Florida heat has come back and my daughter's long sleeve shirts and long jeans will not be cutting it. And I need some new blouses for church. Hence the new temporary category.Alrighty yall. Night
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End of the Month Report - March 08
2008-04-04 00:44:00
I was so bad this month. I mean REAL BAD!! I should be spanked for the ish I pulled this past month. And not spanked in that kinky sort of way..........anyways I digress. Let's get started shall we....... Income: I had $1227.82 left over from my tax refund. On top of that I brought in $337.41 in extra income that consisted of sales I made on Amazon and eBay, income from my side business, and blog income. Rent & Utilities: Everything but my damn cell phone bill was cool in this area. I am about fed up with Cingular. I keep getting these weird charges (like being charged twice for a text message) and every time I go to fight it, the only option I am given is to upgrade my plan in order to cancel out the overages. So I upgraded my plan from 450 anytime minutes and free nights and weekends for $39.99 to 900 minutes and free nights and weekends for $59.99. Why isn't there a middle plan for 650 minutes for $49.99??? Anyways my contract with them ends January of 2009. I...
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Check Em Out!!!
2008-04-03 00:46:00
I appreciate all who left a comment to be featured in my link love post. I have added you to my blogroll. If I missed you then hit me up with a comment and I will add you on. Alrighty. I decided to change up my post. I have been reading some pretty great post over the past few weeks and I decided to feature some of them here. So here they are:CT Mom's Family Financials - CT adjusted her debt goals and can now see the light at the end of the consumer debt tunnel. Get it girl!!!Spilling Buckets - Shift Happens. Gotta check it out. What do you think about the change in our global market?Last In Line - What are you aspirations? Read Lilo's here.High Class Low Income - Love her blog name. Grad School Woes. Homegirl misses learning and studying???? Say it aint so!!! LOL. If you have advice on taking the GRE or applying for grad school hit her up.No More Spending - Chica is contemplating getting a new job. I gotta say that the arm robberies would have done it for me. I wou...
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Link love and other ish
2008-03-28 11:36:00
This post goes everywhere and back again. Hang on tight.I am feeling giddy this morning so I thought I would spread some love. LINK LOVE that is!!!! I have a lot new subscribers. If you would like to be featured in DDD's first ever humongous link love post then leave a comment and I will add you. You have until 11 pm tonight to leave a comment. I will compile list after that and hopefully have the post up before the day is done.*WARNING* - I can tell the difference between a regular ole blogger and someone trying to spam my blog. I have seen an increase in spammers over that past week. Of course their comments get deleted. This post is no different so don't try it. Test me if you wanna. This week has been hella crazy so I apologize for the lack of posts and for not visiting your blogs. It is hard trying to visit EVERYONE's blog but I do try. I shop to damn much!!!! I mean I have been spending some of this extra money that I have been bringing in when it should go towa...
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She gone yall!!!
2008-03-24 03:36:00
My crockpot is GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *sniffling* oh........HAPPY EASTER ERBODY!!!! *sigh* Before I left for church this morning I put a whole chicken in my crockpot wrapped in foil around 9 on high. Well after church my friends decided to hit up Red Lobster. I haven't hung out with them in like 3 weeks and dem cheddar bay biscuits were calling my name....mmmmmm. I had put the crockpot on high and it had already been 4 hours. So I was like ok, we'll eat and mingle for about 2 hours at the most and I'll go home and just put the food away for tonight or tomorrow.That plan sounded so good in my head but ish ain't work out that way. My friends can talk and we had a lot of catching up to do. Needless to say I didn't make it home till 5 pm, 8 hours after I put the chicken in. Part of the foil and chicken had burned into the crockpot.........I couldn't save her. Had to send her to the crockpot heaven above.So now Dimps has to get another crockpot. Anyone know if t...

Trimming the fat off of your monthly bills....
2008-03-22 18:12:00
One important step I take towards becoming debt free is to find extra money to pay down my debt. I have been doing this from the beginning. There are many different ways to find that extra money but one way that can work for a majority of people is to trim the fat off of your expenses.First, track your expenses. If you already have a budget in place then your golden. If you don't, then track what you spend on bills in one month. This is what my monthly expenses looked like a year ago: BILL Amount Rent $800 Cable $70 Electric $160 Phone $60 Cell $90 Car Note $532 Daycare $410 TOTAL $2122 Second, analyze your monthly expenses and find areas where you can "trim the fat". If you are willing to make sacrifices then do so. Analyze each category and find cheaper alternative. Here is how I trimmed m...
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One Year Blog Anniversary
2008-03-20 22:13:00
and I am 5 days late........LOL! My one year blog anniversary was March 15th. I didn't realize that until today. Oh well......I can still celebrate and I plan on doing so.YAY ME!!![image credit: MySpace]
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Monday Randomness
2008-03-18 02:28:00
Warning!!! This post will be going all over the place. Tee hee........have fun.Sweet & Spicy Garlic WingsI made some tonight. It was off the chain. Mmmmm. All I did was season some chicken wings (whole) with some cayenne pepper, garlic salt, chopped garlic, and pepper. I put them in a baking dish, drizzled some olive oil and honey on them, and baked them in the over @ 400 degrees for about 25 min (or until cooked). When I took them out, I drizzled a little bit more honey on them. Oh my goodness!!! Those wings were soo good. eBay and AmazonI am pretty sure most of you guys do this already but if you don't here it is: ALWAYS check out eBay and Amazon before purchasing something online. I am so mad at myself for not doing this last month. I purchased some hair products from Carol's Daughter and spent $48. Well the exact same products were on sale on eBay for half the retail price. DAG-NABBIT!!! I could have saved $24. Needless to say I have learned my lesson.Invest...
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Crockpot Recipe of the Weekend - Seafood Chowder (Dimples' Style)
2008-03-16 19:15:00
Ingredients:2 tilapia fillets = $.831 cup of shrimp = $.502 cups homemade chicken broth (or one can of store bought broth) = $01 cup of chopped carrots = $.251 cup of chopped snow peas = $.821 can of cream of mushroom soup = $11 medium size onion, chopped = $.151 box of sweet corn = $.751 cup of water = $0TOTAL COST = $4.30 (approximate)Prep Time = 15 minCook Time = 4 hours on highDirections:Turn on crockpot on at the high setting. Add homemade chicken broth to crockpot. Chop up carrots, snow peas, and onions, if you haven't done so. Cube fish. It can be thawed or still frozen. Add everything to crockpot. Distribute cream of mushroom evenly in pot. Cover and let it cook.Notice that I didn't use any seasonings. The homemade chicken broth and cream of mushroom added enough flavor for me. Of course if yours needs some then add salt and pepper to taste.Final product:This was good and hearty. I could smell it coming up the walk way to my apartment. It smelled so good. I ad...
More About: Recipe , Style , Seafood , Weekend , Chowder

Everything Happens For A Reason
2008-03-14 14:52:00
Yes it does! And God is so good that I can't help but just be in awe of him.Let me hip yall to how good he actually is.I did a post earlier this week giving an update on my car situation. Due to the speediness of some awesome chicks at my credit union and the grace of God, my refinance was completed rather quickly. This allowed me to NOT have a car payment for this month. This meant I now had $550 dollars available to use at my discretion. And of course, in accordance with the theme of my blog, I planned to apply $400 of that towards my credit card debt. The remaining $150 was to be used towards my car maintenance for this month (I wanted to get some tints on my car).Well my car has been acting funny. It would make this clicking noise every time I made a turn. And yesterday it started shaking. I called up the Honda dealership and set up an appointment to get it checked out. I went in this morning and an hours later this is what the service tech told me I needed:-Two new t...
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I need a good skincare line to start my skin regimen - Any advice
2008-03-12 03:56:00
One of my 2008 Goals is to start and stick to a skin regimen. Well I need to find some products to use before I can even think about a regimen. Unfortunately, I have EXTRA sensitive skin. Some days my skin is dry as all out doors. Other days it can be real oily. But between those two, my skin is more dry than oily.I have been using AMBI for the past 6 months or so. It has been an okay product but it is not giving me what I want. I am looking for the following things:-Even out my skin tone.-Moisturizes my skin.-Will NOT break me out.-Fades away my blemishes. (I don't have a lot but I do have this bad habit of picking at my pimples.... TMI I know!)-Take care of the dark circles around my eyes. (I need to get more sleep)Dang, you would swear I look like an old hag after reading that. But whatev! I'm cute!!!! LOLIf you know of a good skincare line that will take care of the things that I listed above or even products from different lines, please feel free to drop that informat...
More About: Advice , Skin , Skincare , Start , Good

Laptop for $360
2008-03-12 03:44:00
Anyone looking for a laptop?MicroCenter has one on sale for $359.99.(Hat tip to Hustler)Check out the specs: Intel® Celeron® M Processor 540 512MB DDR2-667 RAM 80GB 5,400RPM Hard Drive Combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW Drive Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 10/100 Network 802.11b/g Wireless Network 14.1" WXGA CrystalBrite Display Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic SKU: 394965 Mfr Part #: LX.AKZ0Y.169 UPC: 099802364373 $359.99
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March 08 Budget
2008-03-11 04:56:00
Better late than never.Everything is pretty much the same with the exception of my car payment and car maintenance this month. I am going to take my car in and get a thorough check-up. I have noticed that my car is driving a lil differently and I want to make sure everything is running smoothly. I think it just might need a new tire or two. Anyways, since I do not have a car payment this month I am going to put some money to the side just in case the check-out doesn't turn out okay. Oh and I think I may get some tints.All other categories and sub-categories are pretty much unchanged except for a few tweaks here and there.
More About: Budget , March

Car Update
2008-03-10 02:09:00
As you all know, I decided to trade-in my vehicle for a less expensive one. I currently pay $532 a month for my 2006 Honda CR-V. Ridiculous I know.I called my credit union on Monday and applied for a $10K loan over the phone. The loan officer called back in 2 hours and said that I had been approved. She put me in touch with a company the credit union worked with that would be able to get me a car at a wholesale price. The guy took my info and looked up the trade-in value of my car. He called me back and said that the trade-in value on my car was $13,500. Mind you, I owe a lil over $19K. I would basically be almost $6000 upside down on a loan for a used 2001-2003 car. Can we say UH NO!!!Dude advised me NOT to go this route and to just keep paying down my car for a lil while longer. He kept it real and I appreciated that. I am so glad that I decided to talk with his company first instead of going to a dealership with my freshly approved loan and walking away just plain ignora...
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Crockpot Recipe of the Week - Sweet Chicken
2008-03-07 01:09:00
Ingredients:1 whole hen (make sure it fits in your crockpot) = $3.021/2 cup of organic dried fruit or you can use fresh fruit (dates, cranberries, apricots, raisins, apples) = $.501 apple, peeled and chopped = $.251 cup of chopped carrots = $.251 sweet potato, peeled and chopped = $.353 tablespoon of honey (optional) = $.10Spices = pepper, salt, 2 cloves, parsley, 1 chicken bullion (all to taste...not too much)TOTAL COST = $4.47 (approximate)Prep Time = 15 minCook Time = 6-8 hours on low (all depends on if you want the chicken to remain whole or want it to fall off the bone) I cooked mine for 6 hours.Directions:Turn on crockpot on desired setting. Rub seasoning on chicken. Put to side. Add dried fruit, apple, carrots, and sweet potato to bowl. Add honey and seasoning and distribute evenly. Add some of the mixture into the chicken (like you would stuffing). Put remaining mixture in crockpot. Add stuffed chicken to crockpot. You can add liquid to the crockpot BUT be ...
More About: Recipe , Sweet , Chicken , Week , Crockpot

End of the Month Report - February 08
2008-03-04 18:44:00
BUDGET RESULTSFebruary was a great month. I brought in some extra income and received a chunky tax refundIncome: I brought in $395.26 in extra income and I also received my tax refund of $2629. The extra income consisted of sales I made on Amazon and eBay, bonuses from Revolutionary Money Exchange, mileage reimbursement from work, and blog income.Rent & Utilities: Everything but my damn cell phone bill was cool in this area. I am highly upset with Cingular AT&T or what ever the wanna call themselves today. I supposedly went over my text messages and when I checked the bill it seems I was being charged TWICE for each text message. I called to inquire about this and got the run around. I was leaving to go out of town in a couple of hours and I did not want them to cut my phone off while I was out-of-state so I went ahead and paid the ridiculous $195.89 bill. I called them today and they are going to go over my bill and call me back tomorrow. I want to cancel my contrac...
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Deal or No Deal: Trading in for a less expensive car
2008-02-18 02:28:00
I was posed a very good question by Millionaire Mommy on my new budget post:"I have to ask, have you considered reducing your car payments by driving a less expensive make/model? Or is your life energy (time price tag) a good fit for you in this category?"I never considered getting another car. I thought the only way I could reduce my car note was by refinancing my loan to get a lower interest rate and hence a lower car payment. I seriously never even thought about getting another car.I really would like to look into this. Especially if it means of having my $532 car note cut in half or more. I know so much more than I did when I purchased my car in December 2005. Back then I had just graduated from college and landed a good job and my only concern was to get a nice, reliable car.I see roadblocks though:1. I may wind up upside down on my new loan. The Kelly Blue Book trade-in-value of my 2006 Honda CR-V is $15,500 yet I owe $19,157. I could sell my car privately. It's priva...
More About: Trading , Deal

Crockpot Recipe of the Week - Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo
2008-02-14 23:35:00
Ingredients:2 cups of chopped organic baby carrots (organic is optional) = $.752 cups of chopped celery = $.502 cups of chopped sausage (whateva kind you feel like) = $.902 cup chopped okra = $.981 cups of shrimp = $1.641 chopped vine ripe tomato = $.331 cup chopped onion = $.102 cans of chicken broth = $1 ($.50 a piece)4 tbsp flour mixed with 1/2 of waterSpices = pepper, salt, red pepper, chicken bouillonTOTAL COST = $5.20 (approximate)Prep Time = 15 min Cook Time = 8 - 10 hours on low or 4 - 5 hours on high (all depends on you)Directions:Turn on crockpot on desired setting. Add everything to the crockpot. Season. Cover and let it cook.Recipe onlineThe online recipe calls for a roux to add to the gumbo. I decided to not make that because I didn't want my gumbo too thick. I just added the flour mix. You do whatever fits your fancy. You can also serve this with rice.It was good and hearty. I have a lot of this left. I packaged up some of the broth. It makes an exce...
More About: Shrimp , Week , Sausage , Crockpot

I made the Top 50 Business Plan Posts: 2008
2008-02-13 22:49:00
YAY!!! Yours truly made the list of the Top 50 Business Plan Posts of 2008 @ EvanCarmichael.com. Here is an excerpt from the site:"Looking to write a business plan for your startup idea? Trying to revamp your current business plan to help bring you more money? Look no further than our list of the Top 50 Business Plan Posts of the Year. We've searched through millions of blogs to find the best individual posts that deal with writing a business plan over the past year. Some are by well known bloggers while others are new upstarts but, either way, you are sure to get valuable information on how to kick your business plan into high gear this year! Enjoy!" My post, Steps To Becoming My Own Boss, came in at #27. I received an email from Evan Carmichael himself letting me know the good news. I am so excited. This is definitely a sign that I am going in the right direction with my plan. For all who do not know who Evan Carmichael is, read about him here. If your thin...
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Gotta see it to believe it??
2008-02-13 22:39:00
Are you one of those folks that need to see it to believe it? Well if you are and you were skeptical about Revolutionary Money Exchange, here is proof that they're bonus offer is legit:I joined them on 2/3/08. I received my bonus money the same day. And after I verified my checking account, I transfered the $25. That posted to my checking account today. I also have a $10 bonus, from a referral, that I transfered to my account today (Thanks to whoever that was!!). That money should show up in my account by Friday. In other "Side Hustle" news, one of my items sold off eBay yesterday. I made $10. Not much but a whole lot better than zero.It is only 13 days into the month and I have already made $188.04. Shawty is a TEN!!!!!LMAO
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Debt vs. Savings
2008-02-11 13:11:00
I have been really contemplating putting majority of my refund ($2000) into my emergency fund. That would bring my balance a little over $5K. I would then use about $500 to pay down my credit card debt and then use the remaining $129 for myself. It is just a thought I am entertaining at the moment.I know I should probably use all the refund to bring down my debt. I have two weeks to make a decision.Question for my readers: Debt first or savings?Don't limit your answer to my current situation. For anyone dealing with debt, how do you prioritize between becoming debt free and building a sound safety net (i.e. Emergency Fund)? Especially when you have children?
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