I'm baaaack!

Wow! It's been FOREVER since I posted. Well, brief update: I got married, moved to Northern VA, got a job working on "the Hill," learned how to navigate the public transportation system, bought a dog, and am in the process of buying a brand spanking new townhouse (ground breaking is next week or so).

I decided to get back to blogging because I've committed myself to a "no-shopping" binge until we move. Ironic that my last post before my unintended hiatus was about laying off the shopping. Guess old habits die hard?

I am proud to say that the reason I'm laying off shopping this time is space related and plain old self-discipline! (okay, and a little bit of items that need to be paid). The hubby and I have been doing AWESOME with our finances. When we first got married, we committed to saving his paycheck and living off mine (and saving as much as we can from mine). It was amazing how quickly our money started adding up. When we get ready to move, we should have a nice nest egg saved up (not counting the cash needed for closing costs and the down payment). I'm so proud of me and my honey!

Speaking of my honey, can you believe we are approaching our first year anniversary! My, my, my, time flies. Well, now that I'm not so "independent," I may just have to change the name of my blog... Hmm... I'll ponder on that some.

Smooches!

True Confessions

Guys, I've fallen off the bandwagon. I can't even remember what I bought, but I definitely have bought something!!! BUT, I haven't bought anything for the last two weeks. And I'm staying out of the mall!!! NO GOING THERE! It's trouble.

I moved home last Saturday. My lease was up and it just made more sense to move home and save money than to try and lease an apartment for five months without a roommate (my roommate wanted to move home, too). I'm going to save at least $500/month on rent alone!

But, back to the no shopping strike. I'm back on it and more committed. I'll keep you posted!

Shopaholics Anonymous

Okay.... so, my finances are on track and I'm still socking away money to expand my emergency fund (my goal is to increase it by $1500 before I get married in August). But, I can't seem to stay out of the mall and off the internet! So, as of today, February 7, 2009, I am declaring a shopping ban (retailers, I'm sorry) for three months until May 7, 2009, with one exception: A pair of reasonably priced black pumps.

Why the exception? I NEED a new pair. And by need, it's not just a strong urge or desire, but a necessity. My pair is so worn out, the sole is completely worn at the tip (I mean, white material is showing!), and I've replaced the taps on the heel at least 3 times. It's time to give it up! I have my eye on a pair that are around $35.00 and I'm hoping to find a coupon to get an addition % off.

Other than a pair of new black pumps, I can't buy any other clothing item or accessories for myself (I won't be able to buy a brown bag until May). My purchases are limited to toiletries (nothing extraordinary), food, and items for my wedding.

:::: Sigh ::::

This is going to be tough, but I'm going to do it! Every time I resist the urge to buy something, I'm going to put the money into a new savings account just to see how much I would've spent on shopping! LOL!

Wish me the best!

Frugal Tips

It's been forever since I posted, and I apologize. Life has been busy. But, I wanted to share a few frugal tips that I use.

1. Shop on Ebay - Ebay is an excellent resource where you can find small, inexpensive items like electronics accessories. Why pay $10.00 at Target for iPod earphones when you can buy them on Ebay for half the price (including shipping)? Or why spend $20.00 at Sprint to buy a case for your Blackberry when you can buy one on Ebay for $4.95 (shipping included)?

2. Before you buy anything online at a store (i.e. Gap, Banana Republic, JCPenney), run a search in your favorite search engine (google, yahoo, etc.) for coupons. You will usually be able to find coupon codes that can save you the cost of shipping or more.

That's all for now. I'll update you on wedding details and financial fitness goals later!

Happy New Year!

A new year is here. A fresh start. A time to evaluate progress towards old goals and implement new goals. I didn't set any new year resolutions last year, but I did set a few goals around mid-February

1. Fund a $1,000 emergency fund - ACCOMPLISHED I was able to meet this goal by pairing down my expenses and funneling any extra money into a high-interest savings account.

2. Pay off my credit cards - IN PROGRESS I didn't reach this goal. However, I am very excited and pleased with my progress - as of today, my credit card debt is $2,742.00. I've paid off all but 1 card!!!! And my debt has been reduced from $7,986.22! I've paid off a total of $5,243.22! Even though I didn't meet my goal, I have significant progress towards it! I'm so encouraged. I'll have the rest of it paid off by March.

3. Pay off medical bills - ACCOMPLISHED Unfortunately I didn't write down the total amount of past due medical bills. I know I had three bills and I'd estimate the total was between $600 and $800. I set up payment plans with each provider, and stuck to my set payment amount of $50.00 until the bills were paid in full around August of 2008. YAY!


I'm very pleased with the progress I made towards reaching my goals for 2008. My goals for 2009? Planning a wedding and finding a job!

Christmas: did I stick to my budget?

Christmas has come and gone. And now, most Americans are looking at their bank accounts wondering how they managed to over spend again. I decided to take a look at my spending and compare it to my set budget and was quite surprised. My budget was $300.00

After tallying all of my receipts, I spent a total of $312.00 for Christmas. I bought gifts for 15 people and was quite proud of my gifts.

One way I tried to stick to my budget was by buying Dollar Tree toys for my nieces and nephews (all ages five and under). They were so excited about their toys! It's proof that you don't have to spend $20.00 on a toy for children. The younger they are, the less complicated toy buying should be.

I also looked for inexpensive perishable items that many people enjoy but aren't expensive (i.e. peanuts). For my Mom, Aunt, and soon-to-be grandmother-in-law, I bought inexpensive flowers from the supermarket. I was surprised at how much they loved the flowers!

Finally, I graciously told my extended family and friends there was no need to exchange gifts. They're love and friendship was a gift in and of itself. (Well, at least that's what I hope they understood).

Overall, I enjoyed Christmas shopping this year. I purchased all but two of the gifts on the day before Christmas Eve (surprisingly, the stores were not insanely crowded). I thought of innovative ways to wrap the gifts (I wrapped most of the gifts in colored tissue paper tied with a bow). And I didn't stress by trying to find the perfect gift! I bought things that I thought each recipient needed or would enjoy. Most importantly, I learned that you can stick to a budget at Christmas!

Even though I overspent by a slight margin, I'm happy that I set a budget and was able to come very, very close to sticking to it.

Were you able to stick to your Christmas budget?

Got's to be mo' careful!

There is a Bible verse that talks about how money sprouts wings and flies away towards heaven. I'm pretty sure I know EXACTLY what that means. I FINALLY got my check from the blog I write for. $300 smackaroos. And what do I have left? $19.51.

Yeah. I know. What in the ham sammich did I do with it? I have absolutely NO clue! Y'all this isn't good AT ALL! My bills are paid (at least), but that money was supposed to a) be for Christmas presents or b) pay down debt. And I've done neither. Let's look at my bank account and figure this mess out:

Initial deposit: $280 ($20 for cash)
-$17.00 (gas)
-$20.00 (money borrowed from Big Brother cuz I was too lazy to go to the ATM)
-$16.00 (Boy scout popcorn) (technically this should have been covered by funds in my account before the check)
-$5.00 (Parking)
-$102.27 (check for my guy's HOAs) (again, this should've been covered b/c he put the money in my account the day I wrote the check)
-$5.93 (Lunch)
- $12.23 (lunch at new trendy spot)
-$44.84 (gift for Boss Lady (I'll get $29.88 back from co-workers b/c we split it))
-$97.15 (Cable)
-$12.00 (parking)
-$7.54 (lunch)
-$12.00 (parking)

*** My spending totals more than $300, but my roomie also gave me her half of the bills and I had a check from my part-time deposited within the last week for another $175.00.

Umm... yeah. My unnecessary spending is out of CONTROL and needs to be fixed. Like, yesterday.

True confession: I did a "no, no" and dipped into my Fit Fund to tide me over until my check came in. THAT should've been my first clue that I was overspending. Well, my check has come and gone and I STILL haven't replinished my fund.... I get paid Tuesday and priority numero uno is to replenish my Fit Fund (it's coming out of my spending budget since I SPENT it).

Cheap buys

With a tanked economy, everything (and I mean everything) is on sale or reduced. If you're in the market for a house or car (and have a strong credit rating and down payment) you can find AMAZING deals on not only the cost of a home, but also the the interest rate on a loan.

But, the point of this post isn't to talk about housing. It's to emphasize that you can find deals on everything! Including bridesmaids dresses (you know wedding talk was coming). Yesterday, I ordered a dress for each of my attendants for $28.00 from Ann Taylor. Yes, you read that correctly - $28.00. The total for seven dresses was $212.00 (that included tax and shipping and handling). We're talking about dresses that originally sold for $198.00. Basically, I saved my bridesmaids over 85% on their dresses.

Not only is the dress re-wearable and pretty, it's so low cost, I could easily give the dresses to my girls as a gift! I haven't been in any free weddings - ever. So, I could be the one bride who bought her attendants their dresses....

Anyways... here's a pic of the dress:




I LOVE IT!!!! What do you think?

Random

Saturday, I woke up to an unworkable phone. The only thing I could do with it is accept incoming phone calls. No texting, placing phone calls, returning phone calls, checking voice messages. Nothing. So, I began using creating communication techniques.

1. Landlines. Hey, I almost forgot these things existed! I've never used my office phone more.

2. Chat Functions - I'm HUGE fan of Gmail's Gchat, but I had to get used to yahoo chat, too. I could send messages to my intended through yahoo chat (gotta keep the lines of communication open)

3. Gchat's text function. Talk about innovative! I can use gchat to send a text message to anyone's (in the US) cell phone and receive a response. This beats going to Sprint or Verizon's website and sending a text simply because you can actually get a response back!

4. Email. An old stand-by, I've used it to let people on my "most called" list know I wasn't ignoring them if they happened to call, but my phone was dead. Didn't want any hurt feelings, you know?

How does this relate to finances? Well, obviously I've done fine communicating without a cell phone for 5 whole days. Maybe I really don't need one THAT bad...

Wedding Budget

Wedding plans are getting underway. We've got a target date (8.1.09) and a budget. $10,000.

Let's marinate on that for a minute. $10,000! That's a LOT of MONEY for ONE event!! LOL! But, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event. We're looking at around 200 guests (or thereabouts) and around seven attendants. So, of course I've been doing my research. Here's the suggested budget breakdown for a wedding:

Transportation: 2%
Ceremony: 3%
The rings: 3%
Stationary: 3%
Gifts: 3%
Flowers: 8%
Music: 8%
Finery: 8%
Photography/ Videography: 12%
The reception: 48%

So, with my $10K budget, and my percentages for each category in hand, it's time to figure out how I can have the wedding of my dreams without spending all of my moolah!

Do you have any tips or tricks to save money?

6 things that make me smile

1. Looking at my credit card statement and seeing a $0.00 balance.

2. Knowing I only have three more months before my credit cards are paid off.

3. Having the power to close my credit card account when my credit card company will not lower my interest rate.

4. Not needing to use my credit card when unexpected expenses pop up because I have an emergency fund.

5. Watching my credit score rise as my debt lowers.

6. Knowing I'm on my way to financial freedom!

I LOVE paying off debt!

Hi to all of my uber fab readers out there! I know I haven't been posting like I want (i.e. 3-5 times a week). Life has gotten so busy for me! Not only have the usual end-of-the-year rush at work and the holiday hustle and bustle started, but I'm actually beginning to plan my wedding!

But, to not lose sight of our focus, I have an update on my debt snowball progress: As of Monday, I paid off TWO MORE cards! Woohoo!!! Y'all, it's like I can't wait to get paid because I get EXCITED about paying off my credit cards! You know why?!?!? Because once they are paid off, I can use my money for whatever I want. And you know what I want! Yep, that's right. A FAT bank account. AND I don't have that chain around my neck! It's like being an independent woman! ***all my ladies, independent***

Anyhoo... I will update my networth info later. I'm a few days off from a month from when I updated it last. From now on, I want to update after I've paid my bills and the payments have posted for my credit cards. I guess I should do it on the last day of the month before payday then, huh?

Well, next up, I'll keep you posted on my wedding budget (and woes), Christmas shopping, and job search updates.

Oh, just in case you wanted to know, my favorite word for the day is Fiance'! LOL!

Who doesn't love a raise?

The State FINALLY gave me BOTH of my raises. One was my annual raise, and the other was a 2.5% raise to give my position a more competitive salary. I'm not complaining either way. After Uncle Sam got his part, and the State took its part for my "retirement," I'm looking at an additional $200/month. Not bad.

You already know the drill: That $200 has already been sucked up into my debt snowball! Which means I hope to reach my goals just a little faster. The faster I pay off the credit cards, the faster I'll be able to start paying for my wedding! *Grinning ear to ear*

Oh, Happy Day!

Sunday was my birthday and my guy asked me to marry him! Yes!!! I'm getting married! I'm sooo excited and happy and overjoyed and filled with emotions! I love him so very much and he's made me so happy! He proposed in the most special way and did an excellent job selecting the ring! It's absolutely STUNNING!! I LOVE IT!

We're shooting for a summer wedding and we'll probably foot most of the bill. This new development will definitely change my financial goals for 2009! For one, I won't be able to save as much money because most of my expendable income will probably be dedicated to the wedding.

We haven't set a budget or anything as of yet. Once we get everything settled, I'll post it here and track our progress. I plan to continue to save a small portion of my income - I can't go through 2009 without making ANY progress towards my goals!

5 things to do with my (unexpected) tax return

So, I just got a small ($102.55) income tax return that I wasn't expecting. Woohoo! I'm rich! Well, not really. But, I wasn't expecting to get this money so, now I need to decide what to do with it. I thought of five options:

1. SPEND IT - my birthday is Sunday and I can think of a number of things I want.

2. SAVE IT - My fit fund is currently sitting at a cool $1,000. It'd be nice to see that grow. Or I could put it towards other funds.

3. GIVE IT AWAY - I really haven't given much this year, and I can think of a few people who could use a little extra cash.

4. CHRISTMAS SHOP - The holidays are just around the corner. I could use this towards my holiday budget (which I haven't quite settled on).

5. DEBT REDUCTION - Since I'm still chipping away at my credit card debt, this could be a nice psychological boost to keep me moving.


What would you do?

One down . . . nine to go.

I just called and closed one of my high interest rate, low credit-limit cards. And boy were they trying their best to keep my business! It's funny how having a balance of $0 changes your bargaining power!

Just a few months ago, I called the same credit card company and asked for a lower, more reasonable interest rate. The answer? No. I even asked to speak with a supervisor and was given the same response. They said there was no better interest rate available. Ha! That's some BULL!

Fast forward a few months to tonight when I called. After explaining to the customer service rep that I wanted to close my card, I was immediately transferred to their version of the customer retention department. The supervisor immediately offered me a 8% interest rate AND 2% cash back on all purchases. It was too little, too late. I'd already paid off the card AND I have a card with a much larger credit limit and a lower rate. He tried to persuade me to keep the card because its been open since 2005. But I have at least two other cards that have been open for longer and frankly, I don't need a card with such limited resources. Besides, if he offered me those benefits on a card with a small credit limit, I can only hope some other credit card companies will offer something even better. Needless to say, I closed the account.

I'm just glad to have those people out of my hair! BTW, I made sure to ask that a note be included on my credit report stating that the account was closed per my request.

If only I didn't have credit card debt . . .

*SIGH*

Happy Veteran's Day

Today we honor the brave men and women who have fought and continue to fight for our freedom as Americans. Whether you agree with the current war or not, let's not forget to honor those who have sacrificed so much on behalf of our country.

Weekend Spending

My money leaks on the weekends. Here's a recap of this weekend's spending:

$22.00 (mini mani/pedi)
$17.00 (Hair appointment)
$25.00 (wedding gift)
$18.00 (Mac&Cheese ingredients)
$14.00 (Car wash)
$4.00 (Chick-fil-a) (unexpected trip to WS)
$22.00 (gas)
$30.00 (gas) (had to refill my hunk's car when I drove it to WS)
$2.00 (canned food)
Total: $152.00

*Shaking my head*

Weekend Recap
I went to a "free" party. Free is in quotes because I had to bring two canned goods. Sadly, I didn't have two canned goods in my pantry but had to buy two from the store. I guess I really like fresh (or frozen) food. At the party, I refused to pay $10.00 for a drink so asked for sprite and cranberry instead. Apparently soda is free at the bar. I like free.

I also attended my co-worker's wedding. Of course I had to look fab for the event! The wedding accounts for the mani/pedi and wedding gift. Oddly enough, I didn't have my hair appointment until the next day. Don't ask...

This weekend was also my uncle's 72nd birthday! Hence the $18.00 mac and cheese. I've been making homemade mac&cheese for about 10 years now. My family DEMANDS that I make it and bake TWO 8x10 pans. Now they've upped the request to three! I need them to know that cheese ain't cheap!

I got my car washed this weekend because me and Allie (my car) are sticking it out for the long haul and I thought it only fair that she get some pampering, too. Besides, my backseat was beginning to look like a closet. Clean car = happy me!

Budget Busters

I have a confession: I just paid $65.00 for parking tickets. *SIGH*

Talk about a budget buster! Goodness! I racked up one ticket each week for three weeks in a row. THEN I was lazy (yes, the L word) and didn't pay one of the tickets until the $20.00 late fee kicked in. The doggone late fee was more than the ticket!!! I'm sitting here seething because IWASTED $65.00! Oh, what I could do with $65.00. But I'm not going to seeth long - the past is the past, right?

Now that I've thrown the L word out there, I want to share my two cents about it. Laziness in its many forms (procrastination, forgetfulness, etc) is one of my biggest budget busters. When I'm lazy, I don't pay my bills on time, and get hit with a late fee. When I'm lazy, I don't look for good deals and pay more than need be. When I'm lazy . . . well, you get the picture. Defeating laziness keeps me on top of my bills, helps me save money, and has really PUSHED me to pay off my debt. And keeps me on my budget.

*Oh, what I could have done with $65.00 . . .*