Well I added $19.28 to my EF to make it an even $1400.00 this is the most I have ever saved since I can rember. Other than tax returns I have never had over $200 in my savings account just sitting there..this year has really been a year of accomplishments and I am so happy. I also paid $15.88 on cc reducing my overall balance to $2287.83...wow I feel like I will be reaching my goals after all. I am hoping to have atleast the cc's paid off by December 31 and $3000.00 in my EF so I can start socking away my checks for a house

Wow, it's payday and I had a total of $49.00 left over I also paid all my bills that are due next month and now I have $200.00 left even with the extra $172.20 on cc's so I am tapping myuself on the back

well as you all know I got a raise last pay period and I made some changes this week, I decided to save the difference, which is about an extra $60.00 a paycheck. So I changed my automatic transfer from
$75 to $150 EF
$30 to $10 Misc Account
$20 to $25 IRA

I never experienced paydays when I am not broke. Since I have taken on this seriousness with my finances I always seem to have some cash left over until the next pay period. I just checked the bank and my funds are there from the part-time job ($234.90). So to even everything out I paid $34.90 on the cc debt.

Previous total: $2584.36
New total:$2549.26
Challenge total:$393.15

I went to the mall to get my free undies and past through Macy's I kept looking at one particular dress and then placed a skirt on hold, but I did not get them Boy did this take some discipline but I am happy I just kept asking myself "need or want" " no cc debt or cc " house or live at home the rest of my life" needless to say I will not be back tomorrow to pick up the skirt. They'll be others

Today is July 31 and I must say I think I did pretty good this month, here are my totals:

Total income $1829.58

expenses
Gas:$121.05
Bank Charges: $133.00 my mistakes
Interest Paid (cc) $77.33
Fixed Bills:$118.98
Charitable Donations:$21.00
Clothing $9.50
Dining Out $43.81
Gifts:$33.10
Groceries:$207.31 ;( I did not use coupons
Healthcare/insurance: $221.65
Household Cleaning/laundry:$18.70
Hurricane Supplies:$9.88
Job exp (non Reimburse) $5.99
Leisure: $8.24
Misc: 30.54 this is way down
Personal Care $43.36
Sales Tax: $9.52
Federal Income tax: 164.32
Medicare: $25.64
SS $109.66
Total: 1482.58

Income VS Spending Difference: +$397.08
So some things I went over but a lot of things were cut. Atleast I have funds saved

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 have come to the realization that you really cannot save if you have all this damn (pardon me) cc debt. Even though I only have two active accounts left to pay off and then one charge off, in which I have not included in my balance due for CC ...it is enough to drive you crazy. I plan on paying off CC2 next pay period if it kills me. I just realize as well, that school will be starting really soon (August) and all I have saved is $107.00 towards my tuition which is not even equivalent to half of my tuition or books, so I have to up my game now seriously. I mean I have got to cut corners some place. Since the new month I have not eaten out so that is a plus and I have been eating leftovers since Sunday; I can't imagine what else to cut. I refuse to buy any books this month, and I refuse to deduct from the challenge/new home account unless it is an extreme emergency. So we will have to wait and see. Hopefully I will have at least $75.00 left over by next pay period and I can add that to the education account

Well went through my egister and found the $11.00 (additional to the challenge) I made an extra $15.00 on my part-time job and transferred $11.00 of that to the challenge. So I am glad it wasn't an error in which I would be deducting this amount from my challenge, I just forgot to add it so the total of $234.92 is correct On 6/8 I had $837.15 in the challenge account and was fustrated about all the money I owe on CC's and decided hey pay off the CC then I only had $49.00 now I am back up to $234.92 less than a month I was able to save $185.92 in about 3 weeks not to mention teh money I saved in My Misc account, Education account as well as my personal account totaling about $625.00 for the month So I did very well for June

Ok just entered my paycheck into my register not including the part-time job'spay and paid all bills even extra on the cc's. So here we go

$75.00 EF
$30.00 Misc Account
$20.00 Personal Account
$20.00 Eduction account
$20.00 IRA
$25.00 Challenge/New home account
$134.54 lights
$40.00 water bill
$20.00 Tithes/offerings
$40.22 on CC 1 ( bal: $1944.32)
$40.00 on CC 2 (bal $871.00)
$40.00 C-phone #1
$52.00 C-phone #2
$39.85 Cable

Previous balance on CC:$2895.54

As you all know I am in the process of cleaning up my credit. Any way there are a few MD bills being reported which I do not doubt, but the only thing listed are the amounts and not the original creditor or cotnact information.So I am disputing these charges with Equifax, the only one reporting the bills. I think it is from my car accidnet when I went to the hospital but I am not sure hopefully they'll eithre validate or remove it all together.

Next I went through my up coming bills and realize by July 16 at the rate I am going I will have CC 2 paid off ($911.00 balance)and one left to go ( about $1900.00 balance) so I am excited about that.

Gosh I can not wait to cream " I am debt free"

Well I was complaining about all the money I have been spending, but I also have been paying down debt as well as paying my offerings/tithes. Well I was rushing today to get to my part-time job and my mom handed me a check from my insurance company for $187.50 Last year or the year before I was in a car accident and totaled my car well my insurance company fought the other company and apparently won the case and I got some of my deductible back yeah!!!!!! I am so happy. So I look at it as a blessing all my charitable contributions were given back to me 4x more than what I actually contributed, boy am I thankful. I have gotten my overall debt down to about 3000.00 in the last month or so boy it really feels good. I can�t wait to call in on the Dave Ramsey show and yell I am debt free. So I am adding my refund tomy EF account

Well I was trying to beat the CC interest rate and pay off my cc at $406.00 but no such luck. My billing cycle ended 6/19 one day late so it cost me $411.13 to pay off this cc but atleast it is paid. So now I am down from $3302.44 in CC debt to $2895.54 which I am sure will be more than that because of the interest accrued but my goal is to have them paid off by August and then I can really start saving for me a house and a car(thank goodness my car is still running). I do see what every one means by paying off cc first, what sense does it make to earn 4.75 or less in a savings account when I am being charged 18%+ on CC debt. So I am glad I am able to pay off off my debt. With out God , you guys and my part-time job I would probably not be even close to debt free or home ownership the way I am now
Thanks

Thank God it is Friday, I am sooo tired I just don't know what to do. Went through and looked at all my bills, everything seems to be current just have a few things to pay on Monday but other than that everything else is paid. Looks like I am meeting my goals. I paid off another CC, well as of the 22nd ( I post dated the online payment) which leaves with me 3 active CC that needs to be paid first and then 1 charge off, an old cell phone bill and 1 student loan, my goal is to have everything paid for no later than October. I guess Dave's plan works after all by tackling the small accounts first I have paid off a lot of debt a total of 6 CC and 1 student loan about $2500.00, so I feel really good right now. Can't wait to check my credit score next month. And thank goodness my car seems to be running ok except today I hit a curb not once but twice at the bank and nw there is a funny sound

I have more problems with my full-time job and payday more than anyone I know. Well we got our paystubs and my check was $1089.99 about 12.00 less than I calculated and I got my reimbursment for marketing at total of $63.90 but guess what the $1089.99 won't be deposited until Monday because that is when the check was dated, nice. So I decided to post date all my online payments and I figured I will pay the following
$40.00 Home Phone
$40.00 C-phone 1
$40.00 Cable
$130.00 CC1 (paying extra on this)
$75.00 EF
$20.00 IRA
$30.00 MISC Svg
$25.00 Challenge
$20.00 Education account
$20.00 Personal Account
$20.00 Tithes
$35.00 Renewal for Sam's Club
$328.93 CC 2 (Paid in full, thank God)

Credit card payemnt:$927.70 (3 paid off)
Groceries: $98.86
Leisure:$$29.67
Job Expenses: $10.64
Student loan;$280.07 (paid in full)
Water & Sewage: 40.39
Gifts: $24.27
Charitable Donations: $20.00
Gas: $18.01
Auto Maintenance:4.79
Hurricane Supplies: $4.47
SS Tax:$16.47
Medicare:$3.85
Fed tax:$16.37
Cleaning suplies: $11.85
Personel Care:$10.40
Dining out $9.04 Way less than usual
Sales Tax:$7.15
Misc: 1.57

Well I did it, I did not want to wait until pay day to pay off one of my student loans, so I transferred funds from my EF to pay my debt. It feels soooo good
Now I only have one more to go, this one cost me $280.07
EF Balance $282.61

Well I went ahead and paid off CC5, $125.84, I figured it is better than waiting until next week (payday)especially since I am in attack mode. Now I only have 4 more to go and next week (payday ) I will pay off CC6, $944.67

I usually calculate my hours a few days before payday (well in this case a week) just to see where I am at and what to look forward to. Well all that complaining I did about paying off that cc was a waste of time and energy becsause this is one huge check...a total of 104 hours yeahhhhhhhhhh!

Now I figure, after taxes I should be getting about $1100.00 (Yeah!!!) plus an additional $228.00 from the part-time job
Anyway here is what I am looking at :
Water & Sewage: $40.00
C-phone#1: $40.00
Home Phone: $30.00
Cable: $40.00
Savings #1: $75.00
Challenge: $50.00
IRA: $15.00
CC2: $33.00
CC:3 $52.00
CC4: $20.00
CC5: 125.00 (paid in full)
Sam's club renewal: $35.00
Dental Ins :$12.00
Leaving me with about $761.00
Now I am thinking if my brother pays me what he owes me ($265.00) I can use this amount + the $761 to pay off cc2 ($944.45) leaving me with $82.00 for two weeks but at this point I do not care because I am sick and tired of these bills and I am not sure as you know how long my car will be around and I sure don't want a lot of bills if I get a new car

Well I was a little nervous but I went ahead and paid off one of my CC's $797.61
I transferred the money from my EF because the money I keep in the challenge account is located at ING and will be a few days before it's actually deposited into my linked account, so I figured before I chicken out I'd better pay it now that I am serious. So now my new total for the challenge is $237.46 this difference is not available for withdrawal as of yet but that is fine with me. I get paid next week from both the part-time and full time job and will deposit the full amount from my part-time job to my EF making up the difference next I will work on another card ASAP. God I hope my car keeps up

I must say I am blessed and sometimes I do forget. Got my first paycheck today from the part-time job...$228.94 and was able to give $20.00 for Tithes because I am thankful. I was not looking for a part-time job and my sister gave my name to her boss at her part-time job (same place) and I was hired. Then a week later I was told I need a new car; so guess what the money I make here will be used towards car payments once I get a car, so yes I am blessed. Then I transferred $8.31 to the challenge giving me a new total of $737.04 placed $150.00 in the EF leaving me with $50.00 for myself. Boy, am I thankful

Once again you guys gave me a new idea, I think now I am going to save all soda cans and turn them in. I drink a lot of oda and figured I'd better get some of my money back. I 'll have to research as to where I can turn them in and how much per pound ( Iwonder if it will be worth it) but I will add what ever I get to my challenge money

Well today we took a co-worker out for lunch, (she's leaving Wednesday for PT school) anyway the boss bought lunch today...yeah!!! I did not have to spend a dime. So I figured with my coke and sandwich it would have been about $7.00 so guess what I did , added that amount to my challenge money now brining my total to $385.17. Boy am I glad I am back on track

Boy am I on a roll, I treated a co-worker to lunch today, her last day is next Wednesday I will miss her a lot...but the money that I would not have normally spent I also added to my challenge money which was $6.55 ( now whatever I spend that I normally would not I will add that amount also to my challenge money,because it's money that could have been saved) anyway my total is now $355.41. I am so happy because I will think twice about blowing any money; with my new way of thinking because basically I will be spending twice the amount

For a minute I was slipping but now I am back on track with my saving plan I did not buy breakfast this morning and packed my lunch. Now I have added 4.27 to my challenge money again rounding up brining my total to $348.86. I will definately meet my $100.00 goal a month. It feels good to be refocused

Just rounded up my change and made a few deposits to my challenge money brining my total from $321.79 to $339.59 only about $60.00 more dollars to go before I meet my monthly goal of a $100.00 a month deposited to this account. I even gave my self a new alternative that if I waste any money such as shopping eating out etc I would deposit the same amount that I spent to my challenge money because that could have been money saved. Looks like I am back on track

Well I upped my challenge money to 325.77 from 321.79 a difference of $3.98 simply by rounding up. I am feeling a lot better today than yesterday when I was going over all the money I spent for clothing. But since then I can't wait until payday b/c I will be able to pay off 2 cc

I don't know if you guys remembered but I finally reached baby step one (1000.00 EF) and because of my little spending spree last month I used cc and not cash that I should have had, now I had to take money out of my EF to pay CC' s leaving me with $900.00 I used 3 different cc's and was only able to pay off 2 the third has a balance of 125.00 which will be paid next week, payday. I was doing so well and then bam! I don't know what happened. I was thinking about cleaning outmy $20.00/ New house account to pay off my Student loan but now I will pass I really need to get these CC's out of my hair...and I am still waiting for the 225.00 from my brother it seems like I won't see that anytime soon. That is enough of venting now

Ok I went back and reviewed all bills paid since the 1st (online) which came to 2.73 in stamps; if I would have mailed my bills out so I added that to my challenge money as well as $1.03 from earlier now bringing my total to $321.79 now that I have added another option in order to save/add to the challenge I should reach or come close to my $100.00 a month goal (money to be added to the challenge). It feels good to be back on track again, boy did I waste a ton of money last month

Thanks to Boomeyer's previous post I decided any bills I pay online (no stamps) I will add what I would have paid in stamps to my challenge money. I already round of the change this will give me an additional $7.00+ each month now I got the hang og adding well coming up with new ideas to add to my challenge money
Thanks again