Amber's Personal Finance Blog

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

Just added $1.25 to the challenge upping my total to $281.12

Boy do I love the free stuff, today I did not bring lunch and a patient brought us home made lasanga, boy was it good and I will be having some for dinner tonight

Now don't get me wrong I love my little nephew, but I am always stuck baby sitting. My mom says she'll do it but I am the one who he seems to be attached to the hip. He's 3 and I needed to run a few errans which always slows me down when I have him. I have to buckle him in, move extra slow, he wants this or that etc...Seems like we well me, have had him at least twice a week for the last month and it puts a toll on if you're working 2 jobs. But according to my mom my brother needs a break...well what about me?

Well today ended up being a really good day. One of the patients bought me lunch ($6.00) I actually bought my lunch to work and he gave me $6.00 to buy lunch so that was nice, of course I added this amount to the challenge as well as .67 from rounding up my change

New total: $279.37

Spent a total of $32.11

Groceries $27.11
Misc $4.48
Sales tax $.52

Plus I added a total of $26.89 to the challenge
New total $272.70

Just viewed cc1 statement and I was charged $77.33 fianance charge and .14 finance charge from a cash advance I did years ago, actually when I first got the card you would think it would have been paid by now. Then I was charged twice by Krispy Kreme $5.99 so when I get the statement I will dispute.
Then there was an extra charge of 9.95 for AOL being the nice friend that I am I added a friend to my aol account as a user so because we both can't be online at the same time she added this service, well I call her up about the money and she thinks it is funny and will bring me the money so she says but I know I wont see...so I am cancelling this service
Now my previous balance was $2690.32
Now it it is $2715.47 a difference of $25.15

I was so proud of myself for not eating out but today I did, $3.26 at Dunkin Donuts. All because I was too lazy to get up earlier. Now I have to add $3.00 to the challenge matching what I spent as well as .71, rounding up the change

New total :$245.81

Well I do not know what I said, but I was not chosen for jury duty. We were released about 12:20 and I decided to take the entire day off. I am not going in today so, i'll kick my fet up and finish my book