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Archive for December, 2015

January 2016 Total Savings

December 31st, 2015 at 03:13 pm

I don't check in on my retirement accounts as much as I should, here is where I am at for all accounts:

Local Savings $2630.00
GC Savings $240.00
Capitol 360 - US $3100.00
Capitol 360 - Mom Payoff $4050.00
Capitol 360 - Rental Deposit $1250.00
52 Week Challenge (2015) $1081.00
52 Week Challenge (2016) $0
Total Regular Savings = $12,351.00

Rollover 401K $800
401K $43,735.04
IRA $10,180.19
Total Retirement = $54,715.23

HSA Savings = $9,798.38

Total Regular Savings $12,351.00
Total Retirement Savings $54,715.23
HSA Savings $9,798.38
Total Savings = $76,864.61

My overall total savings is down about $10K from the same date last year, I am pretty happy with that considering I gained a lot of equity during that time on my home, and also acquired 2 more homes. So overall my net worth is up!

New savings ideas for 2016

December 30th, 2015 at 05:40 pm

I am always on the lookout for new ways to save a buck, and as I look at our goals for 2016 I feel a little overwhelmed!

So here a few new things I am going to try for 2016.

1)Overtime - Treat OT like a 2nd job and make sure I get in 10hrs a week. Since I work from home this really shouldn't be that hard to do if I just make myself stick to a schedule. That would be about an extra $400-$500+ a month! I really do like my job and in 2015 I worked 343hrs OT, so definitely doable for me to get the hrs in! I made myself a daily schedule for "normal" days when we don't have any extra activities going on, and I included OT, working out, time to clean, and time to relax. I think this will help me a lot!

2)Basketball Savings - I mentioned MO is a bball coach. Games cost $6 each, and I recently got a pass so that I don't have to pay admission. I will be putting that $6 a game (About $12-$18 a week) into savings since I would normally be spending that money anyways.

3)Gift Card Savings - I have a huge stash of gift cards ($1500+). I don't like to "fritter away" my gift cards, I like to use them for something important. If someone gives me a gift of a $20 GC to Target, I don't want to use it for garbage bags and milk. It was a gift, so I want to use it for something I normally wouldn't just go buy myself, maybe a new book or a cute cardigan or something....since I have this mentality I have stockpiled quite a bit. (Also because I live an hr away from the closest shopping centers). I did check and none of them have expiration dates. I want to get some of these used up, and as I use them, I would like to match the amount I use on the GC, with a deposit to savings. I should be able to do this with most of them, some of the GCs are for higher amounts, so those I may not be able to match all of the time, but I know I have several $5-$20 GCs for shopping and restaurants that I could match.

4)52 Week Challenge - If you aren't familiar with the 52 Week Challenge, that is where you put in the matching dollar amount to the corresponding week of the year. Week 1 you put in $1, Week 36 you put in $36 etc. There are a lot of different ways to alter this for whatever works for you. It is a fun and somewhat easy way to save a chunk of change throughout the year. MO and I did this last year (2015), and we are a few weeks behind, but will be able to catch up at the beginning of 2016 since the deposits are so low at the beginning of the year. We should be caught up soon and will start the 2016 Challenge right away since it worked so good for us last year!

5)Food Wasting - I HATE when I have to throw food out because it has gone bad. Hate it, hate it, hate it! For 2016, I am going to write it down every time I throw something in the trash that got wasted because of poor meal planning/time+fridge management. I am sure it will be eye opening and hopefully make me be more aware of how many dollars we are throwing in the trash. Another item I want to work on for 2016 is cooking more (I came leaps and bounds on this in 2015!) so that should help me improve on that as well.

6)Gardening - Somewhere around 10 years ago I had a wonderful garden and I loved it and had so many yummy fresh veggies. I was living in a duplex at the time, and after I moved out of that place I never got around to having a garden again. Now that we are in the new house, we have a huge backyard, plenty of room for a big garden. I know there will be initial startup costs, but I think the return you get from a garden, not just the veggies, but also the pride in it, enjoying the "fruits" of your labor, and calming effect it has for me is definitely well worth it.

Anyone have any new money "tricks or tips" they plan on trying in 2016 and want to share?

2016 Goals

December 28th, 2015 at 07:27 pm

2016 Goals

Savings
-Pay in cash for trip to Laughlin
-Pay in cash for cruise
-Keep savings at/above $5K by end of year

Debt
-Set aside money to payoff Appliances Card (We don't have the numbers for this yet since they haven't been delivered yet. It is a 0% card until June 2017).
-Payoff Mom Loan (Current balance $13,741.64)
-Store Loan (From $13,013.05 to $10,094.05)
-HELOC (From $28,830.17 to $25,330.00)
-Rental #1 Mortgage (From $158,190.00 to $154,500.00)
-Rental #2 Mortgage (From $88,051.53 to $86,000.00)
-Our House (From $255,775.94 to $250,000.00)
-STRETCH GOAL Total Debt Balance down to $525K or less. That is down $32,602.33 for the year (Currently at $557,602.33, not counting the appliances yet).

Retirement
-Continue contributing 6% to 401K
-Research and review allocations of ROTH and make appropriate adjustments

Health
-Be positive and thankful for what I have
-Lose 40lbs before cruise (Sept 2016)

Home Improvements and Rental Updates
-Finish unpacking/organizing at new house
-Complete minor repairs at Rental #1 (hole in wall)
-Find renter for whole house at Rental #2
-Complete minor repairs at Rental #2 (porch step, landscaping)
-Plant garden at new house

Debt Update 12/25/15

December 28th, 2015 at 07:16 pm

Hope everyone had a great holiday! Here is my last debt update for 2015.

Celebrations for this update:
-Total debt went down $529.17 this update
-Total debt went under the next $1000 mark!
-HELOC went under the next $1000 mark!
-Race #3 went under the next $1000 mark!


Student Loan $0
Payback Savings $0
David's Bridal $0
Scheel's Card $0
Total Rewards $0
LOC - US Bank $0
Ring Iddeal $0
Loan from Mom $13,741.64
Store Loan $13,013.05
HELOC $28,830.17
MO Mortgage $88,220.70
My Mortgage $158,190.00
Our Mortgage $255,775.94
Total = $557,602.33

$529.17 paid off in the last 2 weeks!!

Starting total was $584,391.18.
$26.788.85 paid off since 6/19/15 (including downpayment on house)

We have $4025.00 in a savings account to pay off my Mom, so the amount we still owe her is $9,716.64.

2015 Goals Progess

December 28th, 2015 at 03:31 am

Since I ended up getting engaged, moving, getting married and moving again....2015 goals did not go as planned since I had so many life changing events. That being said....I am totally happy that I didn't make my goals! LOL I would much rather have MO, and our puppy, and our new home and have the added debt anyday!

Here are the goals from January 2015 and where I ended up on them:


Savings
-Pay in cash for repair and painting of living room, kitchen, bathroom and entry way walls - DONE
-Pay in cash for new garage door - DONE
-Pay in cash for new patio door - DONE (just repaired rather then replaced)
-Keep savings at/above $25K by end of year - This definitely would have happened if we hadn't bought a new house, but since we did, we used savings for the down payment. If we hadn't bought a new house, we would have about $35K in savings.

Debt
-Remain Debt free other then mortgage - Since I "inherited" MO's debt when we got married, I/we do now have a loan from my Mom ($13,770 left), store loan ($13,000 left) and a HELOC (about $28,000 left). Hopefully we can attack those and have them paid off within a few years and then be back to just the mortgages.
-Get mortgage balance to under $160K ($166,850 as of 1/1/15) - DONE - Currently at $158,190.00!

Retirement
-Continue contributing 6% to 401K - DONE
-Restart contributions to ROTH IRA - Didn't do and I don't plan to at this time until we get more debt paid off.
-Research and review allocations of ROTH and make appropriate adjustments - Didn't do, NEED TO!

Health
-Be positive - Still working on this, it is something I work on everyday, I have a hard time with painful, hurtful, sad memories seeping into my brain when I least expect it.
-Work on letting go of the past and embracing the future - See above!
-Lose 50lbs - I am down about 13lbs, need to make this a priority now that we are done with wedding and settled into house
*Sub goals for this are
--Work out at gym at least twice a week - I cancelled gym membership when I moved in April, so that is out
--Quit drinking pop (currently drinking 2 cans a day minimum)Though I saw a vast improvement on this throughout the year, I still fall off the wagon on a consistent basis.

Other
-Find Renter for basement - DONE Renter moved into the basement in April. Now working on either him getting a roommate, or renting out the entire house by March 1, 2016.

Updated Giftcard Inventory

December 28th, 2015 at 12:28 am

I always like to update my giftcard inventory after Christmas, always have a few more to add at that time!

I have used a few CVS cards since last time I updated, I had 3 E-certs that were just printed on paper so was glad to get those ones used because I was worried about losing those.

Next weekend I am going to a movie with my SIL's and shopping with my Mom, so should be using at least 1 movie ticket and hopefully find some after Christmas Deals as well to use some of my gift cards on!

We also have $188 in cash back rewards with Discover Card right now. Normally I would cash in for CVS giftcards by now, but since I can't shop there as often living an hr away, I figured I would wait till I am almost out before I get more. Also we are planning on going to Laughlin in April and there are a few restaurants (Outback Steakhouse and Bubba Gump Shrimp) there that we don't have here and we would definitely use the rewards for that.

The new ones I added are in bold.

Applebees $20.00
Applebees $25.27
Barnes & Noble $5.00
Barnes & Noble $10.00
Bed Bath & Beyond $10.00 - Christmas Gift from work
Bed Bath & Beyond $10.00 - Christmas Gift from work
Coldstone $15.00 - MO BD Gift
CVS $10.00
CVS $10.00
CVS $10.00
CVS $25.00
Drug Store $25.00 - Restaurants.com Deal
Drug Store $25.00 - Restaurants.com Deal
Drug Store $25.00 - Restaurants.com Deal
Drug Store $25.00 - Restaurants.com Deal
JCPenney $25.00
JCPenney $45.00 - Christmas Gift
Lowe's $25.00
Lowe's $50.00
Massage $50.00 - Christmas Gift
MasterCard $100.00
Menards Rebates $45.94
Menards Rebates $69.32
Menards Rebates $114.91
Menards Rebates $146.87
Menards Rebates $146.87
Menards Rebates $214.12
Movie Coupons $10.00
Movie Coupons $10.00
Movie Giftcard $10.00 - Christmas Gift
Movie Giftcard $10.00 - Christmas Gift
Movie Giftcard $10.00 - Christmas Gift
Old Navy $25.00- Christmas Gift
Scheels $5.93
Scheels $25.00
Scheels $50.00 - Christmas Gift
Target $5.00
Target $5.00
Target $5.00
Target $10.00
Target $20.00
Target $50.00
Target $50.00
Texas Road House $50.00
TGIFridays $25.00
Walmart $10.00
Walmart $11.36
Walmart $20.00
Walmart $35.00
TOTAL = $1581.72
Up $421.55 from last inventory.

$20K Update

December 27th, 2015 at 09:20 pm

Current Balance $11,215.00
+$47.00 FB Sales
+$6.00 Basketball Savings
+$2.00 Even Out Amount
Balance $11,270.00

Local Savings $2630.00
GC Savings $240.00
Capital 360 Savings (US) $3100.00
Capital 360 Savings (Mom Payback Account)$4050.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account) $1250.00
Total Savings = $11,270.00

52 Week Challenge
Week 46 $1035(total) + $46(deposit) = $1081

FB Sales Week of 12/20/15

December 27th, 2015 at 08:29 pm

Sales for last week were $124.00!

I don't have much of anything up for sale right now, I have been stuck in bed sick since Christmas evening. Starting to feel a little better so hopefully I can get some items up for sale and start getting my Christmas decorations down soon.

Hope everyone had a lovely holiday!!!

Sale #347 (JS) $20.00
Queen Sheets - I found these when I was moving, they were new in package and I don't have a Queen bed anymore.
Sold for $20.00
Profit = $20.00

Sale #348 (RH) $5.00
Glue Gun - Joint with my Mom
Several glue guns together was $7.00
Sold for $5.00

Sale #349 (SR) $21.00
Christmas Balls - Joint with my Mom
Not sure what we paid for these (she picked them up)
Sold for $4.00 each = $8.00

For My Mom:
Spray Bottle = $1.00
Aleve (2) @ $3.00 = $6.00
Nightlights (2) @ $3.00 = $6.00

Sale #359 (JZ) $39.00
Hallmark Musical Santa Station - Joint with Mom
We paid $3.72
Sold for $13.00
Profit = $9.28

Elf on Shelf Christmas Candy Canes (2) - Joint with Mom
We paid $1.30 each
Sold for $3.00 each
Profit = $3.40

Swiss Screw Drivers for my Mom - 5 @ $4.00 each = $20.00

Sale #360 (KK) $18.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Aleve (6) @ $3.00 = $18.00

Sale #361 (DI) $8.00 - (Sale for Mom)
All-In-One Measuring Spoon = $4.00
Folding Utility Knife = $4.00

Sale #362 (SE) $4.00 - (Sale for Mom)
All-In-One Measuring Spoon = $4.00

Sale #363 (DH) $4.00 - (Sale for Mom)
All-In-One Measuring Spoon = $4.00

Sale #364 (BR) $5.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Meat Shear = $5.00

$20K Update

December 26th, 2015 at 03:17 am

Current Balance $10,990.00
+$25.00 MO Payday
+$200.00 MO Savings on Escrow
Balance $11,215.00

Local Savings $2575.00
GC Savings $240.00
Capital 360 Savings (US) $3100.00
Capital 360 Savings (Mom Payback Account)$4050.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account) $1250.00
Total Savings = $11,215.00

52 Week Challenge
Week 46 $1035(total) + $46(deposit) = $1081

$20K Update

December 21st, 2015 at 03:44 pm

I wish I had $10 to put in to get to $11,000, but honestly I don't even have an extra $10 right now! My checking has about a $30 cushion until payday (4 days away) and I'm not touching that so we will just have to wait till payday to get back above $11K. Smile

Current Balance $10,950.00
+$27.50 FB Sales
+$12.00 Bball Game Savings (2 games last week)
+$.50 Even Out Amount
Balance $10,990.00

Local Savings $2575.00
GC Savings $40.00
Capital 360 Savings (US) $3075.00
Capital 360 Savings (Mom Payback Account)$4050.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account) $1250.00
Total Savings = $10,990.00

52 Week Challenge
Week 46 $1035(total) + $46(deposit) = $1081

FB Sales Week of 12/13/15

December 21st, 2015 at 03:25 pm

Total sales for this week were $65. I won't be posting much for sale this week due to the holiday, but I still have a lot of items that are waiting to get picked up, so I should still have some sales to log next week. Sold a lot for my Mom again, and also one item for my Step-Mom. Smile

Sale #337 (LQ) $7.00
Small Food Processor (When I moved we realized we had 3 so selling this one)
Sold for $7.00
Profit = $7.00

Sale #338 (SL) $6.00
Free Items from Menards
Dupont Water Pitcher - FAR
Sold for $6.00
Profit = $6.00

Sale #339 (DH) $10.00 (This was actually items I sold back last December! I sold them to a coworker and the money got stuck in an envelope with the receipt and forgotten...oops!)
Discounted Items from CVS
Sally Hansen Sugar Shimmer Nail Polish - I paid $1.49
Sold for $2.50
Profit = $1.01

Sally Hansen Satin Glam - I paid $1.49
Sold for $2.50
Profit = $1.01

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength (2) - I paid $1.37 each
Sold for $2.50 each
Profit = $2.26

Sale #340 (AVB) $11.00
Discounted Items from Target
TMNT Toothpaste - I paid .14
Sold for $2.00
Profit = $1.86

Discounted Items from CVS
GUM Toothbrush 2 pks (Joint with Mom) - We paid .41 each (2) - Sold for $2.50 each
Profit = $4.18

Measuring Spoon for my Mom = $4.00

Sale #341 (AK) $4.00 - (Sale for Mom)
All-in-One Measuring Spoon = $4.00

Sale #342 (PM) $4.00 - (Sale for Mom)
All-in-One Measuring Spoon = $4.00

Sale #343 (RK) $7.00 - (Sale for Mom)
All-in-One Measuring Spoon = $4.00
Snowman Nightlight = $3.00

Sale #344 (DT) $6.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Dupont Water Pitcher = $6.00

Sale #345 (LQ) $5.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Kitchen Sheers = $5.00

Sale #346 (BH) $5.00 - (Sale for my Step-Mom)
Christmas Lights = $5.00

$20K Update

December 18th, 2015 at 03:43 pm

Not a good update, but this is WHY we have savings! Soooooo many extra expenses last month and that coupled with Christmas shopping and we had to take a big chunk out of savings. We will have a good amount going back in at the beginning of the year, but then we have some home/rental improvements that will take most of that. Just keep trucking along!

Current Balance $12,160.00
-$550.00 Down Payment for Cruise
-$300.00 Travel Insurance
-$140.00 Uhaul
-$160.00 Winterizing Boat
-$110.00 New hook-up for cable/internet at new house
+$25.00 My Payday to Our Savings
+$25.00 My Payday to Mom Savings
Balance $10,950.00

Local Savings $2535.00
GC Savings $40.00
Capital 360 Savings (US) $3075.00
Capital 360 Savings (Mom Payback Account)$4050.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account) $1250.00
Total Savings = $10,950.00

52 Week Challenge
Week 46 $1035(total) + $46(deposit) = $1081

Pictures of Banker Gurl's Store!

December 18th, 2015 at 01:25 am

I am so excited pictures are working again!!!!!! So catching up.....here are pics of before and after from my "Store"! I love having the organized and clean area for my shoppers and it definitely helps sales!




Pictures are working!?!?!?

December 18th, 2015 at 01:01 am

Can it be true!!!!!!?????

Testing with a picture of my dog when I told her she couldn't sit on my lap right now.

Athletic Pass = Huge Savings for Me!

December 18th, 2015 at 12:41 am

My husband coaches girls basketball and I love going to games. We live in a small community and it's a great way to get out of the house and see everyone and Class B towns have so much energy and love for their teams! So I go to every home game and a lot of the away ones too. What stinks is it costs $6 for admission, even for the B and C games. As someone from a Class A school growing up, they never charged admission and still don't and I think $6 EVERY game is pretty steep when you go to 2-3 games a week. Sometime I would like to get a drink or snack but can't bear to spend more after admission. They also have fund raising activities at most games, bingo, raffles etc so more $$ there too. I had asked about getting an athletic pass but they only sell ones for the entire sports season (boys and girls bball, football, etc.) so it doesn't pay if you are only using it for one sport. I had asked MO a few times about getting a pass since we are married now and he even asked the athletic director but they said no one gets free passes, not even spouses of coaches. Well today I showed up at the game and the head coach somehow got me a pass! Yeah!!! So now I will save $6 every time I go to a game! I am going to put the $6 aside every game I go to and put it in our local savings account!😄

CVS Deals Week of 12/6/15 - Covergirl Rebate!

December 15th, 2015 at 02:32 pm

There is a Covergirl Rebate right now when you spend $15 on Covergirl, you get a $5 prepaid card. Just go to covergirlstarwarsrebate.com to upload your receipts! CVS has a deal on Covergirl again this week so you can still get in on doubling up the rebate with EBs!

I did this deal last week :

Buy:
2 Covergirl Brow & Eye Maker Pencil Sets $4.49 each
1 Covergirl Perfect Blend Eye Pencil $5.99

Use:
3 $1.00 off any Covergirl Item (I had these from some coupon books I got last year)

Receive:
$5.00 EB from CVS for spending $15 on Covergirl
$5.00 Prepaid Card from Covergirl Rebate

Final Price + tax = $2.94 for all 3 items
Just .98 each! (Free on CVS GC)

I did this deal twice, so I have 4 of the Eye Brow Pencil Sets, and 2 of the Eye Pencils.

(Marked Eye Brow Sets $3.00 each for rummage sale)
(Marked Eye Pencils $4.00 each for rummage sale)

$20K Update

December 15th, 2015 at 02:18 pm

Current Balance $12,115.00
+$20.00 FB Sales
+$25.00 MO Payday to Our Savings
Balance $12,160.00

Local Savings $2535.00
GC Savings $1300.00
Capital 360 Savings (US) $3050.00
Capital 360 Savings (Mom Payback Account)$4025.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account) $1250.00
Total Savings = $12,160.00

52 Week Challenge
Week 46 $1035(total) + $46(deposit) = $1081

FB Sales Week of 12/6/15

December 14th, 2015 at 06:18 pm

TONS more sales for my Mom this week, just a few for me. Total sales were $180.00. Really proud of my Mom for getting through stuff, she is working on cleaning out a "junk" room and so far it is very lucrative for her!


Sale #316 (DT) $10.00
Boston Red Sox Hat - MO found on the street when he was running errands
Sold for $10.00
Profit = $10.00

Sale #317 (SDC) $14.50
Discounted Items from Target
TMNT Toothpaste - I paid .14 (I think)
Sold for $2.00
Profit = $1.86

Covergirl Mascara Two Packs (Joint with Mom) - We paid $3.97
Sold for $8.00
Profit = $4.03

Discounted Items from CVS
GUM Brand Toothbrush 2pk - We paid .41 after tax
Sold for $2.50
Profit = $2.09

2 Shirts from my Mom ($1.00 each x 2) = $2.00

Sale #318 (KJ) $11.00
Discounted Items from Target (Joint with Mom)
Christmas Cookie Cutters - We paid .38
Sold for $1.00
Profit = .62

Book Lot for my Mom = $10.00

All of the rest of the sales were for my Mom. She is doing an awesome job at getting things cleaned out at her house!

Sale #319 (LS) $30.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Bassinet = $30.00

Sale #320 (BC) $18.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Shopping Bags (12) @ $1.50 each = $18.00

Sale #321 (LW) $15.50 - (Sale for Mom)
Cherokee Socks = $3.00
Christmas Table Cloth = $12.50

Sale #322 (AVB) $4.50 - (Sale for Mom)
Christmas Jammies = $4.50

Sale #323 (MJ) $6.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Aleve (2) @ $3.00 each = $6.00

Sale #324 (CC) $11.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Battery Organizer = $4.00
Cook Book = $5.00
Boot Tray = $2.00

Sale #325 (JLL) $10.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Balance Ball = $10.00

Sale #326 (SL) $4.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Curious George Book = $4.00

Sale #327 (LM) $4.00 - (Sale for Mom)
All-in-One Measuring Spoon = $4.00

Sale #328 (MI) $4.00 - (Sale for Mom)
All-in-One Measuring Spoon = $4.00

Sale #329 (SA) $4.00 - (Sale for Mom)
All-in-One Measuring Spoon = $4.00

Sale #330 (JB) $4.00 - (Sale for Mom)
All-in-One Measuring Spoon = $4.00

Sale #331 (KA) $4.00 - (Sale for Mom)
All-in-One Measuring Spoon = $4.00

Sale #332 (AS) $4.00 - (Sale for Mom)
All-in-One Measuring Spoon = $4.00

Sale #333 (DA) $3.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Christmas Night Light = $3.00

Sale #334 (VM) $3.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Christmas Night Light = $3.00

Sale #335 (CC) $3.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Christmas Night Light (2) = $6.00

Sale #336 (PDK) $3.00 - (Sale for Mom)
Christmas Night Light (3) = $9.00

Debt Update as of 12/11/15

December 14th, 2015 at 02:33 pm

Celebrations for this update:
-Total debt went down $1027.02 this update!
-Total debt went under the next $1000 mark!
-Bad Debt Race went under the next $1000 mark!
-Mom Loan is "technically" under $10K!
-Our Mortgage went under the next $1000 mark!

I am very excited for next update as lots of balances will be falling below the next $1000 marks!


Student Loan $0
Payback Savings $0
David's Bridal $0
Scheel's Card $0
Total Rewards $0
LOC - US Bank $0
Ring Iddeal $0
Loan from Mom $13,741.64
Store Loan $13,124.16
HELOC $29,079.06
MO Mortgage $88,220.70
My Mortgage $158,190.00
Our Mortgage $255,775.94
Total = $558,131.50


$1027.02 paid off in the last 2 weeks!!

Starting total was $584,391.18.
$25,232.66 paid off since 6/19/15 (including downpayment on house)

We have $4000.00 in a savings account to pay off my Mom, so the amount we still owe her is $9,741.64.

Letting go of people is hard, holding onto them is harder

December 8th, 2015 at 04:06 pm

For those of you that know my back story and drama of my life the last few years.....you know I got divorced due to lots of issues stemming from XH's alcoholism. One of the biggest issues was his infidelity. I don't want to get into the whole big shabang, but basically as we were starting to enter divorce territory, I was informed by several people that XH had made sexual advances at them, and they hadn't told me because they didn't want to "rock the boat" so to speak as from the outside everyone thought we were happily married, and they also thought their encounters with XH were isolated incidences, and they blamed the alcohol. As I was hearing about these more and more, I began to wonder if my MOH (from wedding to XH) from our wedding had ever had anything happen as she was with us ALL the time. Keep in mind this was about 2 years ago now, and I had tried to call her and text her to ask her about it, she wouldn't answer, and when she responded via text she pretty much told me to F off, and told me she didn't want to be involved in our problems. It was totally shocking as I had just asked her if HE had hit on her, I didn't imply in anyway that she had done anything wrong, but her response pretty much shows me that she did...why else would she get so defensive? I had other good friends that he had hit on, and when I asked them about it, or some of them came forward on their own, they apologized for not telling me right away, but I assured them it wasn't their fault that XH put them in an awkward position and as long as they rebuffed his advances I don't feel they did anything wrong as that was a tough spot to be in. Also MOH knew XH was a cheater because she was with on a birthday bus trip I planned for XH when he kissed someone else's girlfriend in front of other party guests! So even if she thought any altercation with him was isolated before, once that trip happened she knew that he was a chronic cheater and could have came forward then IF she wasn't also guilty. And now, 2 years after all of this went on, I now know that XH had inappropriate contact with at LEAST 12 women while we were married, and sent me inappropriate texts while I am now married to someone else and he is having a baby with someone else, and MOH STILL tags him in stuff on FB??? Good friend huh??? So the whole situation is heartbreaking. I am over losing XH, I have someone so much better who appreciates me and chooses me, not alcohol, not other women, not anyone or anything else. But it still hurts a lot to lose MOH, even though, especially typing it out, I can see that she is a terrible person and probably has been to me for a long time without me realizing it. We have been friends for about 15 years, been on lots of trips together, supported each other at family functions, weddings, funerals, baptisms. And I do love her. But I just can't take her awfulness anymore, so yesterday I finally unfriended her on FB. Not sure what the repercussions of that will be yet, as I am good friends with her siblings and parents as well, and we are still on a softball team together. I am guessing she won't even notice as she hasn't "liked" or "commented" on any of my pics or statuses in over 2 years, but constantly "likes" XHs status (which thankfully I don't see anymore since I blocked him) and also tags him in stuff all the time.

I feel she is the last person in my life that I kept even though they were hurting me cause I really wanted her to just one day tell me what happened and say she was sorry, and I would have forgiven her. But I know now that is never going to happen so time to let go and move on to people who care about me and my happiness.

So cheers to mental health and letting go of those that hurt you.

$20K Update

December 8th, 2015 at 03:14 pm

Current Balance $12,020.00
+$45.00 FB Sales
+$25.00 Payday to Mom Loan Savings
+$25.00 Payday to Our Savings
Balance $12,115.00

Local Savings $2515.00
GC Savings $1300.00
Capital 360 Savings (US) $3025.00
Capital 360 Savings (Mom Payback Account)$4025.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account) $1250.00
Total Savings = $12,115.00

52 Week Challenge
Week 46 $1035(total) + $46(deposit) = $1081

FB Sales Week of 11/30/15

December 7th, 2015 at 04:31 pm

Another great week of sales, total sales for the week were $132.50! A lot of the sales were stuff of my Mom's, she had a lot more Christmas items then I did and she is working hard to get through a lot of items in her home and storage so the more we get rid of the better!

Sale #307 (SM)$28.00
Discounted Items from Walmart
Elf on the Shelf Lip Balm Tin - We paid $1.30
Sold for $2.50
Profit = $1.20

Elf on the Shelf Candy Cane Nailpolish - We paid $1.30
Sold for $2.50
Profit = $1.20

POP Book of Nails - We paid $3.96
Sold for $8.00
Profit = $4.04

POP Makeup Kit - We paid $3.96
Sold for $8.00
Profit = $4.04

Free Items from Menards
Dupont Water Pitcher (Me) - Free After Rebate
Sold for $6.00
Profit = $6.00

Sale #308 (KK)$20.00
Discounted Items from Target
Nivea Lotion 21oz bottles - We paid $1.50
Sold for $4.00
Profit = $2.50

Discounted Items from Menards (Joint with Mom)
Hand Soaps (10) - We paid .53 each
Sold for $1.00 each
Profit = $4.64

This person buys for me a lot, so I also let her take a few items for free that were expired, Icool (free to me from CVS) as well as some CVS Flavor Chews (free to me from CVS).

Schick Quatro Razor for my Mom = $6.00

Sale #309 (AVB)$15.50
Discounted Items from CVS
Vidal Sassoon Shampoo - I paid .65
Sold for $3.00
Profit = $2.35

Schick Hydro Razor (Joint with Mom)
We paid $2.04
Sold for $7.00
Profit = $4.96

Elf on the Shelf Lip Balm Set - We paid $1.30
Sold for $2.50
Profit = $1.20

Right Guard Body Wash for my Mom = $3.00

Sale #310 (SM)$17.50
Discounted Items from CVS
Colgate Toothbrush - .51 Money Maker
Sold for $2.50
Profit = $3.01

Tote Bags (5 @ $1.50), Crest Toothpaste ($2.50) and Pantene (2 @ $2.50) = $15.00 for my Mom.

Sale #311 (SR)$29.00
Discounted Items from CVS
Sure Aerosol Deodorant (2) - I paid $1.00 each
Sold for $2.50 each
Profit = $3.00

Glue Gun (Joint) $4.00

Christmas Lights for my Step-Mom = $5.00

Christmas Bath Towel Set for my SIL's sister = $1.00

Christmas Bathroom Set ($3.00), Christmas Bags (14 for $5.00), Christmas Charges ($6.00) for my Mom = $14.00.

Sale #312 (DW)$6.00 (Mom)
Dupont Water Pitcher - $6.00

Sale #313 (FS)$4.50 (Mom)
3 Cookbooks - $4.50

Sale #314 (JS)$2.00 (Mom)
Boot Tray - $2.00

Sale #315 (MG)$10.00 (Mom)
Tool Bag - $10.00

VistaPrint - 60% off!

December 4th, 2015 at 03:53 am

VistaPrint is running a special for 60% off right now! Just enter "Cyberweek" as your promo code at checkout! I assume this runs for just the rest of this week, but if you want to put in an order later, you can use the promo code "bright" for 50% off, that one is good until 12/31/15! I saved more then I spent!

$20K Update

December 2nd, 2015 at 03:20 pm

Whoo hoo have a great update today! Got a bonus at work, plus renter money and we are back at $12K!

Only a few weeks left for the 52 Week Challenge, we actually did it the whole year and I am super proud of us for that! Not sure what we will do with those funds yet, but we will definitely be doing that again next year. I think it is a very fun and easy way to save an extra $1000+ per year!

Current Balance $11,235.00
+$300.00 Work Bonus to GC Savings
+$2.02 Mom Loan Savings Interest
+$42.98 Mom Loan Savings Even Out Amount
+$1.78 Our Savings Interest
+$38.22 Our Savings Even Out
+$400.00 Basement Renter to Mom Loan Savings
Balance $12,020.00


Local Savings $2470.00
GC Savings $1300.00
Capital 360 Savings (US) $3000.00
Capital 360 Savings (Mom Payback Account)$4000.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account) $1250.00
Total Savings = $12,020.00

52 Week Challenge
Week 46 $1035(total) + $46(deposit) = $1081

Awesome Restaurant.com deal!

December 1st, 2015 at 09:23 pm

They are running an awesome deal at restaurant.com right now, $25 gift certificates for just $3! Just find a restaurant of your liking that offers the $25 GC, use promo code "cyber" and the cost is just $3! I just downloaded the app on my phone, so now I don't even have to worry about the paper gift certificate, I can just use it right off of my phone, sweet! I bought 4 so for just $12 I have $100 worth of gift certificates!

Debt Update - 11/27/15

December 1st, 2015 at 02:14 pm

Celebrations for this update:
-Total debt went down over $500 in the last 2 weeks!
-Total payoff for all debt since I started in 2007 reached $115K!
-Total payoff since we combined our debt on 6/19/15 passed $25K! That's a payoff of $5K per month since June!!


I am very excited for next update as lots of balances will be falling below the next $1000 marks!


Student Loan $0
Payback Savings $0
David's Bridal $0
Scheel's Card $0
Total Rewards $0
LOC - US Bank $0
Ring Iddeal $0
Loan from Mom $13,994.99
Store Loan $13,235.18
HELOC $29,079.06
MO Mortgage $88,220.70
My Mortgage $158,490.00
Our Mortgage $256,138.59
Total = $559,158.52


$567.03 paid off in the last 2 weeks.

Starting total was $584,391.18.
$25,232.66 paid off since 6/19/15 (including downpayment on house)

We have $3555.00 in a savings account to pay off my Mom, so the amount we still owe her is $10,439.99.