Pay day!

Pay day the day where you get paid for all the hard work you put into the week. Then sadly send that hard earned money out to the bills that makes your life your life. lol. hmm. 

This week is a short pay week for us. So I have decided to make this week as much as a free week as  I can. Going to find free things with my coupons, free or cheap entertainment. Not We need entertained mind you. We have work to be done around the house and I have a project to finish. So that most likely will be our entertainment. lol.  

Since this is short pay week I only pay out the 1/4 of our house payment. But I think I can find an extra 5-20.00 to send to a bill this week as well. I figure even the smallest of payments add up over time. At this point something is better than nothing. 

Nothing new on the Student loan crisis that is earth shattering news at this point. I hope that one day we can all wake up and find out some good news on this crisis. But I have come to the conclusion that it will not happen anytime soon. So move ahead and do the best I can to pay on my loans and hope that it does not mess up my life too badly. 

The one thing this mess had done is make me take a hard look at our finances and forced me to take action against our debt. And I am not sad about that at all. I welcome the challenge now even though to get here was a hard road. I got organized and now can see the small changes to our debt.  Even the smallest of payments makes a difference.  As each day or week passes I am thinking of ways to make an extra dollar, save an extra dollar and hope to see those debt numbers go down as each month passes. 

I say it all the time. This is hard and scary. But not impossible. Just do something about it. 

Debt reducing binder.

This is my plain Jane debt reducing binder. After researching daily planner, budget binders and things in that nature I have come to the conclusion that these are things that I would end up spending more money I do not need to spend on. So I kept mine simple and used things from around the house. First is the basic black binder I got at the Dollar Tree for a buck. 

This is a notebook that was decorated by a friend. I had it for a long while and hardly used it. So I put it to use in my binder. Why not have something pretty to use when working on your debt right. 

 Just plain lined paper on the inside. I can keep my notes, goals and accomplishments here. And any lists I might need to make.

I did add a little of my artwork  I did in here. Just things I drew on scrap paper. Just makes me a little happier to see if when have to deal with the bills and debt. 

These folders I had already from another file system that did not work for me. They was only 1.00 for 3 or 4 at Walmart at the time. They are pretty and good quality. I just punched holes in them so they will stay in the binder. I put on the side what bills is in that section. 

See the electric bill section. I just punch hole in the bill and stick it in here. I will write on the bill how much I paid and when to keep track of it myself and then compare the next bill when it comes in. 

Same with my cable bill. But this one mostly is just another bill that just gets paid. Nothing hard about it. 

More fancy folders and each section has my dr bills and then on the end the Student Loan and school debt. uggg. That one just makes me sick. The huge mistake in my life. But I need to move on. 

So all this is in one binder right by my computer. So each week or a few times a week I can look though it and take note of what I paid and what needs paid and all that good stuff. I might need a bigger binder but that is something we do have around the house that I can repurpose. 

So no post it notes, fancy pens, or stickers either. I just got a 3 hole punch from walmart for under 3.00. So I just punch the holes and in goes the paperwork into the binder. 

Today this came in handy because I have an extra 5.00. I know its not much but well I have bills to pay so every little penny counts right now. I figure I can send it off to a dr bill at least. I flipped to that section and found all the information I need. I'll be sending that money off here shortly. I only send in 5 or 10.00 to that account weekly anyways so they are used to getting those small checks from me. I'm not sure if they like it but its money and the amount I owe gets smaller each month. That is all that counts. I wish I could do the same with my SL but 5.00 would disappear into the sea of interest and not make a difference in the least. But that plan for that SL is developing and will be started in the next few months. 

If you are thinking about starting a system I say keep it simple. You do not need to buy out the office supply section at the store to get organized. Just a binder, old note book and some file folders and a hole punch. Ok add some art if you want but its not necessary. 

This whole paying off a huge amount of debt thing is a challenge. Its scary and stressful. But you have to see it for what it is and deal with it. Nothing in life is impossible if you just do something anything about it. 

Took a small step today toward paying off debt!

I have been paying on my debt but I made that decision to move forward and start paying extra on small bills I have. My car payment is first because its the smallest amount I owe right now. If I just pay the extra 40.00 a week  it will be paid off by the end of NOV!!! It was nice to watch that number go down today even though I already made my normal payment I jumped in and sent another 40! And I survived.

Now Dave Ramsey says to build a 1000.00 emergency fund. Sounds crazy when its hard to save money. But makes sense too because stuff happens and there is nothing more stressful than trying to figure out how to get the money to fix the car or furnace or what ever. So that will be something I am going to work on.

I got my binder all organized. It is not fancy at all. Just simple. I put my bills in there and write on them when I sent the payment and write down the owed amount in the calendar part.

I put my financial goals in there also.

Working on the non student loan debt first will make facing that student loan debt a little easier. I am still looking and learning what is the best way to tackle this debt when I am ready to tackle it.

The hardest part is seeing what I am paying in these things and thinking how stupid we are to get to this point. Because we could be saving that money instead of paying off debt that we should not of gotten into in the first place. But it is what it is and it needs to be taken care of. Still its sad. But we will live.

Just taking that next step is the hardest.

Facing the debt monster on paper.

In my quest to figure out how to pay off my debt I am facing a few challenges that I do not like or care for or really hate seeing. 

I have not done this in a long time and its way way past time since I should be doing this. WRITING DOWN ON PAPER WHAT MY DEBT IS!  And folks is a scary not pretty and its a pretty ugly site. In fact my stress level starts to go up. My heart beats faster, my breathing is slowing down I feel faint. I hate it. But its necessary and needs to be faced head on! 

Start with the small stuff first. Things like the cable is behind a month, the electric, what is left of the car payment. All pretty much easier to handle at this moment. Take a look at my income do a little math. And well its not as bad as I think. We could be watching what we spend each week. So there is a little extra to do a little with. But I have to heat my house yet so well.... Another demon I rather not talk about. A necessary evil in the winter to keep warm. Anyways still there is a small amount left. 

The plan! I have a plan in the works! But its only on paper so far. I need to crunch a few numbers yet to get this in action. The goal is to have these small debts paid up or off by December! Crazy I know its the holidays people! But hey its not enjoyable when you owe a butt load of money to Sallie mae! So why not. 

In order to face good old Sallie in the near future again I have to take care of what is lingering around right now. Facing it is the first step. Then make a plan, go over the plan and then pick a date and put the plan into action. Mark it on the calendar and have a date to which you pay that last payment. Start small and move forward. Its not easy, its scary, but it can be done. 

I figure I can come up with 40.00 extra a week to put toward a debt. I figure that I could spend that much on eating out twice, buying things I do not need at Walmart, buying a few things at the thrift store, extra gas to get somewhere, a day out doing something on the weekend. There are lots of things that 40.00 can go for so fast and easy so instead of eating out I'll put it toward my debt. We can cut back on eating out no problem. We need to stay home and work around the house anyways and get things done here. 

So 40.00 a week for the next 8 weeks if 320.00. I have 429 to pay off my car loan. I think I"ll start there and pay it off early. Goal one is decided! Wish me luck. 

Todays thoughts.

This is Bill Dog and he says hi. :) He smiles like a person. lol.

Today I was listening to one of Dave RRamsey'svideo's on youtube. There are many just plug in his name. But it stuck me today that in order to get out of debt is to make the first move and make a plan.

I have been thinking on this for a while and I thought how to get everything together in order to keep track of it. I got me a binder and put all my bills into it. And its full. That is because I also put in all the student loan papers and information I collected throughout the years. I figured out that student loan stuff needs its very own folder. Go figure.

As I build these binders, make a get out of debt plan I am starting to see how things are really. Its not pretty. In fact its ugly. But its not impossible to tackle. It will take work and lots of it.

What I need to do and have not done yet is build a savings of 1000.00. And I tell you what its not going to be easy. As I write this I am thinking of the car repair I need done on my car. uggg. But I do plan on starting that savings this week and add to it.  This is so hard for me because we do not have much money. And it seems when there is a little I can find something to spend it on. But I am going to learn how to change my spending ways.

This is so important to make these first steps toward the big goal. I am ready to face those debt demons head on. I am ready to figure out my lowest bill to pay and get working on it. Then celebrate when Its done then move onto the next one. I hope that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel at some point in the next year. My goal is 5 years. Its scary because a lot can happen in that time.

Building the binder was a step into taking responsibility for us. To have it all in one place to open up and see it. Not having enveloped piled up on the table or desk somewhere. The loan information I will look at again with new eyes I think. Because this is my biggest scariest debt demon of them all. Its what is driving me to take control here and get rid of it.

I know we all are wishing for the government to come in and save us from this debt, I know we wish that someone will just take it all away. Or that the school will close or we get into a class action suit. But the reality is that these things are not happening and that we need to take  care of this our selves. No matter how we feel about how we got there. After all no one forced me into this, they did not force me to sing the loan papers. I was talked into a lot of things and I was stupid to listen to them at the time. Time has come that we need to own this. If in the event something happens along the way to help then that will be a blessing. Until then help yourself.

Why the book list?

Just wanted to tell you why the book list off to the right. In all this crazy mess of mine I decided that I had to do something to take my mind of things if even just a little while. I love to read and have not read what I enjoyed all during when I was taking classes. I decided I would try to read one book a month or two and keep track of it. Its nice to get away in your head for a 1/2 hour or so out of the day to take your mind off of your troubles.

Looking over the full picture.

I have been kind of out of the loop for a few weeks. Not feeling well with a backache and panic attacks. I saw my dr and have been feeling better and ready to face some of my life challenges.

I need to get a handle on what my debt is over all. So I am working on a debt journal of sorts. I searched the internet for tips and idea's on how to make a personal planner. Only to find that this is a thing these days to spend a lot of money on to get organized and in control of your time and money. Well since I"m a crafter and need to use up supplies as it is I decided to save my money and take a more simple  approach to this. I got a 1.00 binder from the dollar store, a 3 hole hole punch and that is it so far. I looked up a sheet for Dave Ramseys Snow ball repayment form and printed it out.

The hard thing is being honest with yourself. Sure we can look up how to pay off debt and find loads of useful information and how to's and what not but none of it works unless you put it to use and keep up with it. And take the time to go over it to make sure its still working for you.

I wrote down all my school debt and another bill and put the amount owed, what I am paying. The reality is not pretty.  The money I am sending out for no degree for nothing I could be saving. And nothing is getting paid off fast. At least at this point in time. I need to change how I am going about this. Time is not my friend right now to be honest. But I do what I can.

In my journal I will keep track of all my debt, what I am paying and the paperwork like the bills I get in the mail. This is why the 3 hole hole punch is nice. Just punch in the holes and stick it into the binder and you are done. All this is in one place not in envelopes, in files, in a closet somewhere. I stick the binder on my shelf near my computer where its easy to find and open it up.

In there I will also have a calendar so I can visually see that I am making payments. I have all this set up on line but its nice to have a quick visual to check from time to time.

This is not a fancy set up. Just keeping track of things monthly and have a way to go back and see the progress or not so much progress. At some point something will get paid off so I can then take that money and roll it into the other debt and so on. The key is getting the first bill paid off! hahaha.

The plan is not set in stone and is flexible. Our income is not the same all year round so I will have to make adjustments.

I kid you not this is scary stuff. Its reality people. Student loans are no joke and well lets face it no one is going to pay it off for us. I know that is my case so I need to take the steps to take care of it myself so that I have a future somewhere along the way. I mean I want to take a vacation and enjoy going toward my retirement knowing I will not have this hanging over my head.

As scary as this is to do. It also is good to have it there to see weekly. There is also things being paid off. Its not much at a time but the amounts is going down so  that is encouraging at least.

Life just sucks sometimes. We are tested to just see how far we can go, how much we can handle and how we overcome this stuff.  Sometimes I would rather not be tested for a long long time and just live life and enjoy it for awhile.

As I think about this it stresses me out big time. But this student loan and debt will not take care of itself.

Just have to make up you mind to do something about it.