2 posts tagged “finances”

I thought I'd give a little update on my finances.  I decided to follow total money makeover plan after reading Dave Ramsey's book (that I checked out of the library, of course).  If you can get past the Christian slant of his show, it's quite entertaining and informative.  So, when my tax refund comes (which better be soon since I filed 2 weeks ago online) the money will go directly into my emergency fund instead of to a credit card.  That kind of kills me, but I do see the value in it, especially since I have gone off of credit cards.

So here's the low down:

Chase Amazon account:  $7, 149 (getting ready to transfer balance to 0% interest card)
Chase Visa:  $2,074

Washington Mutual:  $2, 239 (down from $3,000, with another $300 payment pending)

Gap Visa:  PAID OFF $1750

American Education Services:  about $100,000

Xpress Loan Servicing (servicing my Sallie Mae loans):  $43,000

Savings:  $120 in ING CD

Checking account:  $800 (but I do get paid today yay!)

Today a speaker from some law school is coming to our office to discuss the new Loan Forgivenes act passed last year.  I'll defintely be bringing my calculator to see how I'll be affected.  I'm desperately hoping it will lower my $1070 a month loan payments. 

I signed up for some weekend work shifts (aka Night Court) to bring in an extra $200.  It's suprising what a big difference that makes in my paycheck.  I was hoping to get a shift for some weekend prison client interviewing, but I didn't get to the sign up sheet in time.  I'm still looking for some additional part time work,  but having a hard time finding it.  I've been trying to spread the word that I'll do basic tax returns.
Today I plan to take some more clothes over to Buffalo Exchange so I'll have some pocket change for the weekend.

I did my budget for this month, and it looks like I'll have about $600 after bills are paid to go towards credit card payment.   The longer I do this, the more horrified I become at how carefless I've been with tracking my money.

Did I mention this in my last post?  I can't remember, so I'm going to post about it anyway because it makes me so happy. 

I was a gold freak back in the '80s.  Yeah, think Mr. T.  Me and my gold rope chains and gold hoops.  Well, all good things come to pass - now I HATE gold and the price of gold is high.  I haven't worn gold since 1980 and I never will ever again.  Blech.

So, last week I gathered a few old 14 K gold rope chains and 4 rings that ex-boyfriends gave me.  Tacky, tacky, tacky jewelry.  I saw that a nearby jewelry store was buying gold, so I figured I'd sell it.  I thought at most I'd get $30-40.

I walked out with $430.  Cash.

I immediately crossed the street to the bank, deposited it, and transfered that $430 over the my Gap Visa credit card, which had a balance of $1700.  Wahoo!

The good fortune didn't end there!  I then called my cable company to downgrade my cable.  Basic cable in Philly starts at about $60.  I also have internet and On Demand.  My bill was $130 a month.  I was going to downgrade to the most basic of basic packages.  Fortunately for me, however, the employee on the phone couldn't figure out how to enter the right codes into the computer to downgrade my package.  After a few minutes, he gave up in frustration and gave me a new 6 month promotional package -- for only $69 a month I'd have the EXACT same package that I was paying $130 for!  Wahoo!

I then hiked over to Urban Outfitters to return a sweater I'd gotten as a Christmas gift.  I only wore it once and the seaming had come undone.  Normally, I probably would have stashed it in the back of my dresser and forgotten to return it until it was too late.  I took it over, made my exchange, and got some $ back because the sweater was now on sale!  Wahoo!

Then I darted on over to ING and got a free coffee.

I went home over the weekend to collect the rest of my gold.  Based on what I sold last time, I think I have well over $1000 in jewelry.  Well, let me rephrase that.  Chase Visa will have about $1000 in jewelry.

I've also been putting up some things on ebay  - yarn, computer stuff, crafting supplies.  I'm making quite a return on the yarn.  Stuff that has been sitting in the attic for the last 2 years.  I never realized the amount of EXCESS I engaged in....It's kind of disgusting.  There's just so much STUFF.  Stuff I don't need. Stuff I bought to feel better but never really felt any better after I had it for a while.  Kind of like how gum loses the flavor too quickly.  I'll post more on this later - my tendendcy to engage in retail therapy.

It's a new way of living for me.  Bringing my lunch to work, not eating out, not buying 2 starbucks everyday.  I thought it would be really hard, but it's kind of liberating.  For the first time this month I won't be panicking when my student loan payments are deducted from my checking account - there will be at least $300 left over so they won't bounce.  That feels a helluva lot better than any new pair of Steve Madden shoes feel.

By the way, these  things really do work.  (Just saw an informercial on them, thought I'd pass on some good $$$ saving advice).