Amber's Personal Finance Blog

I guess my attempt a few weeks back to give blood piad off, because we were all given a coupon for free and and milkshake at Chic fil-a, well i used mine today and had lunc on the house. I am so happu especially since I only have 8.69 to last me until tomorrow

I work with a girl who is soooo lazy I do not know why she is here. She walks back and forward all day long and adding paper to the copier. I mean be for real. Then she goes this is going to be a long day there is nothing to do Dhe drives me bonkers. I have filed, called patients did laundry all in the last 2 hours and all she has done was place paper in the copier

Well I disputed 2 medical bills on my credit report which was validated, any way I tried several times to contact the company in order to pay and guess what no response. So I mailed a letter certified mail of course requesting that they validate the debt (step 2 of the validation process) now they have 30 days to respond if not I send a copy of my letter along with the return receipt from the post office and the CRA has to remove it. Now I know they received the letter because I got my return recepit today. So we will see

Wow, thank goodness I have a part-time job because I only have $8.69 left in my accounts until pay day ( not including EF and Challenge accounts) payday is Thursday so that will give me $228.00
And then next week is payday from the fulltime job. I have about $11.00 left on my Olive Garden GC the food is terrible, I guess I'll get a sald or use my Chick Fil A coupons for a free sandwich amd milk shake then that way I won't spend anything for lunnch I was simply to lazy to cook dinner tonight, so no left overs

My sister is something else, I totally forgot I let her borrow $10.00 today at the thrift store. No matter where we go she never have enogh money she is always short by a few dollars. But I lied to her and told her the $10.00 was my mom's and that I needed to make a deposit in her (mom's) account. So hopefully she will pay me back. Fo some reason she always has demetnia when it comes to money

Well this week is tax free here in Fl on clothing/school supplies. So anyway I hit the thrift store and made out like a bandit; 3 pairs of phants 1 blouse all for $9.50

I got a pair of Guess Jeans, Joes Jeans and and Anne Taylor slacks we all know these would have easily cost me atleast $100.00 a pair. People laugh because I go to the thrift store, I have gotten to the point where I do not even tell my friends but look the same $200.00 she spend on a pair of Joe jeans I got for $2.00 I guess I am laughing

For the month of July I have been keeping track of what I spend in sales tas, thus, far it really was that much only $7.93 but I figured it would be way more than that. I mean we complain out sales taxes and in FL it is 6.5% but it really isn't that much for the individual. I was just really surprise

Since I work a part-time job and I am down to one active CC, I decided that after I pay all bills due and deposit my regular savings to each account will add what ever is left from my full-time job to the CC balance and live off the part-time check. I think I can get the CC paid off by Septmeber, no later than October I am just hoping this plan works. I mean it should

MD called my paps came back abnormal so I�ll see her next week ($40.00) for additional tests. I hope it�s not cancer L so keep me in mind

last week Friday I added my weekly $25.00 to the challenge, I totally forgot so my new total is:$339.57

I am sure I have vented before about my friend but she drives me crazy. Nothing is ever her fault it's always some one else. If my ex would send the child support on the 1st versus the 5th I can pay my bills, the money I lent my cousin ( 100.00) is the reason I am in the hole, I don't have any one to help me, if I can find a man to help me pay my bills. That was the straw that broke the camel's back, why do you need a man to help you pay your bills when he did not help you get them. I mean would you really want to be with someone with almost 20,000 in debt and have nothing to show for it. I said to her have you tried looking in the mirror and ask what am I doing wrong, like a cell phone I don't need, or cable I hardly ever really watch, or is it the fact that I buy breakfast 5 out of 7 days a week oh that's not it I just bought sandals that I needed but my CC bills and rent are behind oh not that either I need a break and I am going to Jamaica. I mean get your priorities in order. I am so sick of her with all the excuses. I told her about this site, you think she has post anything, I mean this is a good form of financial therapy in which she needs...it took me a minute to wake up and smell the coffee, basically stop wanting what everyone else has and look at myself and where I want to be. She got a big check form her divorce and she can't tell you what she did with it, yeah she has nice furniture, but here is the kicker it is too big for her place.

looking at my spending habits it seems a though I get really lazy at the end of the month and start dining out a lot more, but so far I have done pretty good for this month:
So here we go:

misc: $20.5
personal care:27.10
leisure:3.75
home expenses (cable,phone etc)$145.90
Gas: 77.04
Dining out: 30.23
Groceries: 149.98
Gifts: 33.10
Healthcare: 221.65 (100.00credit)
Hurricane Supplies: $9.98
I think I did really well this month, especially with the dining out. I still have a few bills to pay but I am happy

The girl at my local library are so nice, one knows exactly what I like and put the books on hold for me, and if she sees that one is coming due and I have not returned as of yet she renews them. I think I may take some fruit in next week or lunch for them, I mean look at all the money I saved by checking out books versus buying them. I also rented two movies, Seabiscut and the 1st season of 24 So I guess I can say I made out like a bandit today Who said being frugal was not fun I disagree totally

My goal is to be debt free by 2007 and money in the bank. So I started with the debt validation process, first I disputed some things on my credit reports; Equifax was the first to respond. There are two MD bills, which I am sure I owe from the car accident I was in about 2 years ago. Anyway Equifax validated the debt, I have tried contacting this company since Monday...you are only able to leave message. So now I have decided to send them a validation letter, certified mail of course, in which they have 30 days to respond to my request, if not it gets deleted from my credit report. Can you believe I actually called them to pay the bill but they will not call back so hopefully they will not be able to validate and then it is gone. Next I sent out 12 letters all certified requesting that inquiries in which I did not authorize be removed, now that should boost my score

It is so funny I have been working off paying all my debts I am down from about 9 active cc that carry debts to 1. I also have 1 charge off and a cell phone debt (this is a phone I got for my ex who did not pay the bill) but it's funny because just last week I sent a letter to the original creditor Verizon offering to pay this debt at 70% of the actual balance. Well I have not gotten a response but I did get a call from the collection agency. When I informed him I dealing with the original Creditor he started yelling, " why don't you just pay your bills and you know this call is being record,� I mean over and over. I then said well, because you and I know that it is against the law to harass me and I consider your method of collection as harassment. Anyway I mailed a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, my attorney generals office and the collection office
I can't believe them and not only that in Florida it is illegal to record any conversation without the other party's consent. Boy was I ticked off

Usually when I go to the mall I always find something and today was the first time in a long time that I have actually gone to the mall. But the kicker is, is that I did not see a thing. I don't know if it's because I am more frugal minded than before or what, but I can tell you this I am very happy I did not buy a thing

I do not care what any one says D. Ramsey's plan work. I think working from smallest to largest paying off debt works. Yes it is a mind thing but it keeps you motivated. I paid off another CC ($650.28)and got 1 more to go and then I will work on the charge off (445.00 cc) and the cell phone ($750.00, I go t this for my ex, never again will I be a fool for love)

Now I will be unable to add my weekly $25.00 to the challenge and $20.00 to my personal/me account but at this point I do not care because my cc is paid off


New CC balance:$1999.76

I am soooooooooo happy

I just realize that I used the wrong account when I paid an extra $20.00 on my cc cosing me to bouse two checks at 30.00 each. I paid my bills online all the time and did not realize that my default account was my personal (me account) which I never use to pay bills except for once in a blue moon. Damn now because I did not verify the info when I hit the enter button it cost me a total of $60.00 on bounce check fees, now the $50.00 that my dad gave me was used to pay the damn bank. Boy am I po'd

My sister in law is one of those people who wants the biggest house, the nicest car, take all the trips and keep her kid in private school ( which they can not afford). However, my brother just told us her sister bought a house a few years ago at $100,000 (great price in FL ) but here is the kicker she owes over $200,000 on it. She took out a HELOC for all her upgrades, trips an a new SUV..can you believe it and my sister in law wants what she has I guess she will be happy owing $200,000 on a $100,000 house...that is crazy

$24.69 Spent today and added $1.31 to the challenge

$10.00 Medicate
$3.26 Dining Out
$2.99 Personal care
$3.26 Gift (lunch for dad)
$4.49 Groceries
$.63 Sales Tax
So I am happy that means on Sunday I won't spend anything

I help my dad out as much as I can and today he just gave me and my sister $50.00 each for helping him out. I took him over to his property that he rents which is about an hour drive away, I sure needed the money I have some meds to pick and no telling when the boss will take care of the payroll. So I added $20.00 to the personal account and $30.00 to my every day checking account

totals
personal account: $54.00
Checking $144.00

Well I went to Olive Garden because I had a GC the food there is not like it use to be, but hey it was good enough because I spent zero and lunch came to $8.47

Boy have we had a ton of excitement these last few days. Last night I was up late and heard a lot of talking which I thought was the neighbors, well I wake up this morning ad a ton of cars on my block was tagged (spray painted) all but ours I guess the kids were afraid since my room light was on and thought someone was up. I feel bad for the others, I wish I had looked out when I heard all the talking

Payday today from my part-time job, a deposit for $248.55 So I transferred $75.00 to the EF, added $28.00 to personal account to cover the $28.00 paid on CC2 and $20.00 to church for my offerings leaving me $125.00 for myself until payday next week from job #1

Well it feels really good to cut a check as soon as the bill comes in the mail. I received my CC2 bill today and paid $28.00 on it (amount due, minimum is $20.00) I only paid a little more than the minimum but next week is payday from job #1 and I plan on paying at least $200.00 on this $678.00 bill, I was really hoping to pay it off but because now I need dental work (finishing what I started) I paid $100.00 yesterday to the dentist to have a credit so that when I go on the 1st I won't have to pay so much for my crown

Previous CC Balance:2715.47
New Balance:$2694.16

I just realize we are whining down to the end of the week and did not add my weekly $25.00 to the challenge, brining my new total to $307.12 I am soooo happy. I went from about $797.00 last month to about $35.00 (paid off a cc) now I am back at $307.00 less than a month. Wow I guess you can really save if you put your mind and heart to it

Boy did we have some excitement in my neighborhood; my neighbor's daughter is five months pregnant and was kidnapped by her boyfriend. I never even knew he had two older daughters I only knew his 4-year old. Wow what happen to the days when everyone knew everyone in the neighborhood. But thankfully the daughter was able to escape and they are still looking for the idiot

It's been a awhile since I have had a "no spend day" and today was one of them, thank goodness. So I added a dollar to the challenge bringing my new total to $282.12

Oh boy yesterday I spent $60.00 in non cancellation fees at the doctor. One I know I did not cancel costing my $40.00 the other I did cancel costing me $20.00. The girl stated I did not it was my word against hers of course, but you better rest a sure this will not happen again.

I am only half way through the day and thus far I have sent $204.69
$140.00 Dentist (40.00 for an appt not cancelled )

$40.00 MD appointment
$1.85 Groceries
$7.80 Stamps
$15.00 Gas
$.04 Sales tax

I am just a little angry with myself re: the $40.00 because I forgot about my dentist appoint