Grand Plan....Foiled Again.

I seem to have all these grand plans for saving money and somehow by some minor detail they get foiled....

It's happened again.

I have a local grocer that by every $100 spent you accumulate $0.10 off in fuel purchases at their gas stations...
It's wonderful.  Especially since my husband and I both commute to work. 

They had a recent advertisement that showed a visa gift card that you could get 4X the points for and numerous other gift cards that you get double points for...
Well I had a great idea. I would purchase 2 of the visa gift cards and the better half and I would use those to fuel up as well as getting a lot off in our gas purchases.

I joyfully headed to the register and checked out...all smiles...



My joy comes to a screeching halt once I realize there is a $3.95 activation fee.....

@#(*#@)!$     #)%((@*)$#(    @)#($* #)(@$*


There goes all my savings....ugh....activation fees....ugh...

My grand plan of saving money....foiled again....In the morning when I get off work I'm headed to the grocery store to get a few necessities and the Sunday paper....hopefully this time it will have ads in it....There aren't any holidays tomorrow right???

Ways to find extra money

Well as most of you have been able to tell from this blog.....I'm desperate to find some extra money.

I have come up with a few ideas to help in this matter.

1.  I'm going to have a garage sale in June.  I have to wait until I'm done with school. 

This is hard for someone like me because....I have an extreme dislike for garage sales.  I always have.  I'm not sure where it stems from but I have never liked them.  I don't go to them. I don't have them and I don't like everything surrounding them.  But......like I said....I'm desperate.  Therefore, I will be having a garage sale.  There are lots of things I have and I don't need.  I'm setting a very modest goal of $200  in earnings.  I just keep thinking that it's a waste of time after you consider the hours you invest in those things...but.....I'm going to do it anyway.

2.  Selling books on Amazon

This will also be hard for me....I love books.  I have an unhealthy love for books on a bookshelf and just seeing the line of books.  I don't need these books.  I've already read them and I may or may not read them again.  They are just taking up space. 

3.  Selling DVD's on Amazon

This will not be as hard as the book thing for me because I'm not a big fan of movies but I plan to part with a lot of them.  I don't need them.  I don't watch them, they are taking up space and I probably won't watch them in the future as I like TV less and less all the time.  After all if I get the urge to watch something I can always stick it in my Netflix que and watch it in a day or so. 

4.  I just realized we have two Nintendo DS that we could sell.  My husband and I used them to lay in bed and play scrabble against eachother. (stupid spending huh!)  Anyway.  I'm going to be selling those on Amazon too!  I really forgot we had those so they will be good additions to the Amazon account. 

Other possibilities include selling our TV downstairs.  We have a second TV that we never watch.  It is just there.....The only problem is without the tv it really would render the downstairs useless with a really nice sectional staring at a blank wall....hmmmm




Work called me this morning since they knew I was in the hunt for extra hours and I'm working 11p-7a tonight....which translates to overtime with weekend and overnight pay differential.......big big bucks!! WAHOO!!!!!

Off I go to the shower this girls earning some big bucks while the rest of the world is snoozing or partying!!

The realistic game plan

The new game plan...well it's the more realistic game plan.

Not to work on getting out of debt....yet
Get current on all bills
No more overdrafts!


At this point I am not working on paying down my debt...I'm working on paying my current bills and getting by 3 more weeks when my husband will be done with school and able to work more.

I am excited to be working a few extra hours this week and 12 extra hours next week.  My husband also picked up a few extra hours that were available. YEAH!!

I called my bank and we are skipping one payment on a small loan since we have never been late we qualify to do so.  The banker is extremely nice and supportive she told me that she went through the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University also and she really learned a lot from it.  She encouraged me to call her if we need anything or if I just need to cry.  She has known my husband since he was in junior high school! 
I appreciate her support and kindness so much. I have known  a few bankers that were so mean.  It's nice not to have that. 

I did some research and there are some FPU classes coming up starting June 2nd....so I signed up. 
I at least feel like I'm doing something about the mess I'm in. 

Still no word on the hunt for a second job.  I have called and tried to see if I can get some old friends to put in good words for me.  Fingers crossed it works.

looking ahead

I'm trying to remain somewhat positive and looking ahead knowing things will get better.  It is so hard sometimes.  Especially this week.  My husband and I get paid next Friday (every other week) so it seems we are always struggling on week 2.  Only during the winter though...my husband is a full time student so he isn't able to work as much during the school year so it tends to get pretty tight for us.  This year has been worse than last.  Ugh.
Despite my attempts to really tighten the budget the past month it still seems like things aren't getting better.
My internet was shut off yesterday.  Ugh....this cannot happen. My husband needs it for school and so do I.  I am going part time to finish my bachelors and take advantage of the financial aid to help pay for his school too.  It's crazy.  I can't believe it's gotten this bad.  Well I called and had it turned back on.  I made a payment that will send our account overdrawn but I felt like I didn't have a choice.  We simply must have internet for school and we live in the country so it's not really feasible for us to go to a library,coffeeshop and use their wifi since we live so far away.  I did call and work had an opening from 3-7pm today so I'm working that and I picked up an extra 12 hours next week too. 
I just keep trying to tell myself that in 3 weeks when finals are over we both can work more and get caught up.  In the meantime I have a call into my bank....I'm going to ask if I can pay my mortgage on Friday of next week instead of Monday since I will not have any money in the account to cover it.....sob......
This is so hard for me.  I've been crying for the past 2 or 3 days about it. 
I hate this so much.  I hate hate hate this.

Busy and ideas

I've been busy today taking a recertification class for work.  It is pretty boring but necessary and at least it will allow me to have four more hours than usual on my paycheck!  Bonus!

I have recovered nicely from my breakdown yesterday and I feel at little better.  I'm so thankful to have a very supportive and understanding husband.  I am also truly touched by the outpouring of support from the blogging community.  It really helped.  I feel like with the support of my husband and this blog I really can make my financial goals happen this time.

Anyway...I have an idea to help me out.  I saw on someone's list that they had the normal prices and sale prices in a little table on their blog.  I decided this would help me out a lot.  I have a hard time determining if something is really a good deal when it goes on sale.  In today's mail I got a few grocery store ads so I am going to search through them, create a spreadsheet and try to become a more educated grocery shopper. 
I am really wanting to hit my grocery budget and focus on it.  I feel like I do a lot of spending and wasting and I need to plan ahead more and better utilize my food purchases. 

Have a wonderful day my fellow bloggers and thanks again for all your support.  ((HUGS))

I've lost my mind

I think I've lost my mind.  I spoke with a cousin last night that I am very close to.  We laughed and joked about my desperate and failed attempts to use a coupon and be a savy shopper.  I also jokingly told her that I have an addictive personality.  Well maybe obsessive is a better word.  I was so bummed about yesterday's Sunday paper not having any coupons.  I just kept thinking about the fact that I purchased a Sunday paper last week for my mother in law and left it at her house.  I was certain that her paper was still in the recycled paper box in her garage.....the obsession was on.   I debated in my mind between waiting for next Sunday's paper or going to reclaim my coupons!  I laughed with my cousin about how ridiculous it was that I was even debating of going to my mother in laws to reclaim an old paper.
So what did I do???

I called my mother in law today and she was home....so I went over there.  I picked her brain about tips for being more frugal and then I lost it.....I did far more damage than planned.....I started crying.  I have no idea what happened.  I told her that it's hard for me to budget and I hate it.  I told her I wanted to try Dave Ramsey's plan and I asked her advice about it.  She and my father in law have been through the Financial Peace University.  I felt like such an idiot....there I was sitting in front of my mother in law....crying about money.   My husband and I never talk about money with anyone other than each other and we don't do really well with that!  So this was dreadful.  She was of course really nice....surprised....and I think didn't know how to react.  She asked if our mortgage was being paid on time and how bad things were....which in all reality they aren't THAT bad.....I just feel like they are. 

I did manage to leave with my coupons from my old paper but in the end it felt a little ridiculous.  I went there for my coupons....ended up making a crying idiot of myself...probably scaring my mother in law since this is quite out of character for me (as far as they know) ....and left.

I've lost my  mind.

my first attempt at coupons

Last night I attempted my first shopping trip with coupons.  I went to my local Kroger store (Dillons) and I had numerous digital coupons loaded onto my shopper card.  I was quite excited to use my coupon for Tide laundry detergent.  I was shopping looking at the detergent, checking out my options.  I have always used liquid detergent and decided to be shoppy and checked out the powder....what have I been missing!!!  It was much much cheaper it was 120 loads for $17.96 versus 96 loads for $17.96.  So I purchased the powder detergent only to discover when I got home my coupon was only for liquid detergent.
My first attempt to use coupons foiled by liquid versus powder.
Oh well.  I will be happy I did get $2 by using my shopper card and by switching to powder I'm getting much more loads for my dollar. 
I did manage to stick to my grocery list last night and didn't get a few things until I could check for coupons today. 
It's Sunday...so it will be my first day of getting the Sunday paper and clipping coupons.  WAHOO

I'm quite proud of myself because I did stick to my list and for me that is really hard.  We had "food day" at work today since it was Easter.  Food day is normally an expensive endeavor for food I'm not particularly fond of so I try to avoid partaking.  I did volunteer to bring a dessert and while I was at Dillons they had cake mix for $1 and frosting for $1.50  so my contribution to food day was only $2.50!!!! Wahoo!!

I'm making slow progress but it's progress!!

On a second note.....I guess I won't spend my money to get the Sunday paper because it says there are not coupons on a holiday Sunday paper....Argh....attempts at couponing spoiled again!

Hustling for another job

I've been applying for several second jobs and I haven't had any luck so far.  I've gotten desperate.  I'm educated and in a field that is supposedly in high demand....I'm not sure why I'm not having any luck finding a second job.  Ugh. It's so frusterating because I'm feeling trapped.  We desperately need more money being brought in especially if I want to widdle away at our debt. 
So, I've been hitting up co-workers and professional friends about a second job.  If they know anything to keep me in mind.  I was trying to keep my desperation somewhat quiet but I've resorted to asking them for phone numbers, references and help.  I do have one possible lead.  I'm not going to call it promising yet.  It would definately not be in my ideal job environment but I'm desperate and it pays well.  That's what happens when its hard to find employees....the pay gets better.  Well, I'll take it!  I can't take anything yet because I just called the director and left a message on his voicemail.  I'm hoping it will work out because we are getting further behind financially.
  DH (dear husband)  is in college full time and isn't working much....especially with upcoming finals. 
I don't want him to be too stressed over our finances because I would really like him to focus on school but secretly inside I'm freaking out!!!!
I just have these little day dreams of a second job bringing in that extra money and finally getting caught up and making progress on our debt! 

Fingers crossed all my blogging friends that something will come of my second job search soon! 

A poem to Debt

A poem to Debt

It is because of you I have regret

I have sworn I needed a bedroom set

I justified an overstuffed closet

All in the name of debt

You have made me crazy

Made me walk through Target feeling hazy

You almost had me convinced

That I in fact was lazy

Well not anymore

I'm here to settle the score

My creditors will think I'm a bore

Because paying my bills

Will no longer be a chore!

I will be high as a kite

Because I will win this fight

Each credit card will have

It's own little burial site!

I can see it now

Me hanging out with the cash cow

Finally feeling free

And out of money misery

Celebrating with my better half

Sharing a moment and having a laugh

So here's to you debt

May I have no more regret

Any may you lay to rest

In some other persons nest!