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Archive for July, 2006

Saving Money!

July 13th, 2006 at 02:16 pm

My part time job is really great. I work for a grocery chain in their gas station. They do something really neat -- they give discounted gas.

If your grocery receipt is for:
$0.01 to $50.00 you get $.05 off per gallon of gas

$50.01 to $100.00 you get $.10 off per gallon of gas

$100.01 and up you get $.15 off per gallon of gas

As an employee, I get $.05 off per gallon normally, but I had a receipt for $68 dollars so I got $.10 off my purchase. I saved $1.27 (which doesn't seem like a whole lot) but essentially I got my gas for $2.74 instead of $2.84!

Things elsewhere are going along all right. We've got a few minor home repairs to take care of but we've been saving for it so I don't anticipate any disruptions to my new budget system.


I haven't thrown in the towel even though I want to.

July 11th, 2006 at 09:54 pm

I haven't quit yet. I'm still here. Still figuring it out. Still kind of bummin' that it's not perfect yet, that I'm not in the black yet, but it's getting easier.

I know that each step I take is for a larger goal, one that will reap rewards not just for my sanity but for my whole financial well-being.

Next paycheck I am paying off a credit card and saying goodbye. I don't need it. I'm snowballing my debt and hopefully in a few months I'll be able to post a success story.

It feels good to be in control. Today I made coffee and breakfast at home instead of spending $6-8 to have the people at Starbucks do it for me.

Baby steps, folks. Baby steps.

Furious: I've Hit My Breaking Point

July 5th, 2006 at 02:17 pm

Have you ever had an epiphany? A shining, pure moment where you realize something that changes you forever?

I had one of those experiences this weekend.

I was feeling stressed (which isn't unusual) about the bills I have to pay with this coming paycheck and I just blanked out. I thought 'there has to be a better way'. And there is, of course, but the change has to start with me.

I downloaded You Need A Budget because I've tried everything else and this looked the most painless to me and so far, I really love the way it's laid out.

It was really painful adding up exactly how much money we owe on our credit cards and our car loan, but the truth hurts and now I at least have formulated a plan. Since we are new homeowners, I recently took a second job to help cover some minor expenses, so I think I will stay on at my second job until our debt is more manageable. We make all our payments and no one calls us or anything, but we carry a balance every single month and I'm tired of it!

So here I am, world. I'm ready to learn, ready to listen, and ready to change my financial life.

-Lindsay