Showing posts with label getting out of debt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label getting out of debt. Show all posts

Monday, April 29, 2024

You Really Can't Do Everything

 

It's funny that my post from two weeks ago was labeled "Time Keeps On Slippin'." 

After having Becca (my Personality Strengths guru) mention the book 4000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman for the bazillionth time (okay, not really), I finally decided to check it out. As luck would have it, one of my online libraries carries the e-version and I was able to ... check it out. :0)

The title alludes to the fact that as a general rule, we humans live for approximately 4000 weeks. I've been alive for around 2900 weeks, give or take a few, as of this blog.

In referencing the second part of the title (time management), the author's most salient point (so far) is that we can't get everything done no matter what time management plan we pick. We just can't. Some will work better for others, depending on your Personality Strengths, but the problem remains, we don't have time to accomplish everything we'd like to. Pick and choose those things that are most important to you and go from there.

For example, if a clean house is vying for your time and attention against spending time with family or friends, maybe you live with a slightly less clean house (or pay someone else to do it).

In recalling my many laments about my own housekeeping, this was a bit of validation if you will. :0) I would like my house to be cleaner, so I'm hoping for some elbow room in the budget to pay someone to do some of the heavier duty stuff.

For full disclosure, I'd only read through chapter five when I determined that I really wasn't in the right head space to push through, so I'll check it out virtually from the library again later and make further headway.

* * * * *

Speaking of elbow room in the budget, we've finally started disbursing the money from the sale of my mom's house. The first payment was just reimbursement for things we paid for on her behalf. So the first credit card is fixing to get paid off. The next wave of disbursements will be 90% of the "inheritance" portion and several more credit cards will then get paid off. Then that money that pays those credit cards will be rolled over to the next credit card in line. I'm very excited to finally get this process rolling.

I can't just start spending the money, though, on house cleaners or anything else because that would defeat the purpose of rolling credit card payments/paying down debt. But I'm creating a bucket / line item in the budget and will figure out a plan to make it happen.

* * * * *

In other news...

A) My boys in Victory Green clinched the top spot in the Western Conference meaning they have home ice advantage through at least the first three rounds of playoffs.

I'm not sure what happens if they meet the team who clinched the top spot in the Eastern Conference and who also has home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Final. I'm sure there's some sort of determining factor.

B) They're still in the middle of Round One, having lost two and winning one. Game Four is tonight (the date of this posting) and they need another win badly. They'll head home for Game Five. I'll keep you posted.

* * * * *

And last but not least for this week's edition of the blog...

DD and I started a new show: Manifest on Netflix and it's super compelling.

The gist is (from its Wikipedia page:) It centers on the passengers and crew of a commercial airliner who suddenly reappear after being presumed dead for five and a half years.

For the passengers, they take off in one airport and land in the next (as one does) and it's as if no time passed--but for the rest of the world, it's been five and a half years.

Once back and trying to integrate back into lives that have moved past many of them, some of the passengers start having what the show calls "callings." Basically, passengers have premonitions or hear voices or see images about people who need help and they try to figure out what the mostly vague calling means.

As I said, it's compelling; the writers have done a great job with the plot threads and cliff hangers.

* * * * *

And that, dear friends, is that for the week. Hope you're all well. Take care.

 

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Waiting stinks...


Okay, so I've got this groovy new software for tracking my money and divvying it up for bills and savings and emergency funds. But I've got to wait for the money to come in before I can do anything with it.

And I've got this exciting new career as a freelance proofreader to help augment my day job income. Except, it seems as if I do a lot of waiting for the jobs to show up...

Luckily I haven't had to wait (much) for payments once the jobs are done. But, man, I badly want out of debt and some savings built up!! I know these things take time. I do. But ugh... Okay, enough whining. I shouldn't have gotten into so much debt in the first place, right? Right!

I think I scared off one gal the other morning. We emailed back and forth a couple of times and then she asked about cost. Actual cost was almost double what she estimated. Haven't heard back from her, and it's been almost two days... I also had a guy e-mail me and when I told him how much, I never heard back. You know, a simple, "I can't afford that right now." would have been polite and courteous. And I would have understood. I'm not the most expensive proofreader on the planet, but services aren't cheap either.

I've thought about adjusting rates again. I mean, several jobs at a slightly less expensive rate are better than no jobs at any rate, right?  I'll see how it goes. I've only advertised one place and the rest have been word of mouth jobs from my critique partners. That was before I raised my rates. One job (still waiting for it to arrive) since I upped them.

On the other hand, I've been reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I've gleaned that faith is a core component of achieving your goal. The other thing is, I'm a good proofreader. I'm worth what I'm charging, which is not the cheapest, but not the most expensive deal in town either. Tough call, though. In addition, I've been listening to some marketing webinars. Mostly for DH and targeted at the IT industry, but some things cross industries. And now I've got a few marketing ideas. I have to be careful still since I'm only one person and still working that day job.

In the meantime, I'm trying to expand my range of services, which will, of course, increase (hopefully) the inflow of cash.

What services would be helpful to writers, freeing up their time to actually write??

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

What's Going On Wednesday...?


Last night DH, DD and I watched Sonshine get inducted into the National Honor Society. I'll admit I was surprised because while he's smart enough, he's not always diligent enough in keeping his grades up. But hey, if they want him, so much the better for college applications.

Here's my boy, signing the EHHS NHS Chapter Register.


In the last couple of weeks, we've also attended the Band Banquet and the Spring Concert.


Sonshine playing both trumpet and French horn.


We're on the downhill slide toward the end of the school year and we're all very glad.

In other news, the plants and flowers I planted are doing well! Nothing has died on my watch, so that pleases me. In fact, the Gerbera daisy my daughter gave me several months ago re-bloomed. That surprised me because that one just looked like it was going to wither up and die on me. But with a little TLC--okay, just regular waterings--it decided to stick around.



They don't look so great, but hey--it's alive and blooming. I'll take it. An aspect of flower beds and gardening I'd forgotten about and hadn't taken into account: weeding! But I've managed to stay on top of it despite all the rain we've had and all the watering I do. I need to get after the stuff growing beneath the bird feeders now.

In years past, when DH and Sonshine go work the fireworks, I've taken on projects around the house. Don't you know it's just easier to get it done without the men around asking questions and just generally getting in your way? I've got a couple of projects in mind: re-organizing the master bedroom closet or adding a shelving system to the living room. I'm really leaning toward the closet just because the need is greater. Believe it or not, DH has way more clothes than I do and they're smushed together on his side of the closet.

My proofreading is going well so far and I've gotten another awesome project creating a series bible for two different series for an author friend.

It's been a while since I talked about getting out of debt, but most of the money I'm earning from my new "career" path is going to go towards paying off debt. I mentioned a specific credit card a few months ago and that bad boy will be paid off at the end of June. I'll roll its payment over to another debt. Anyway, I'm so excited about this. It feels good to be able to truly actively work at this, rather than just pay monthly and wait for things to get paid off in due time. Speaking of paid off--we'll also make the last car payment in June as well. Of course we're going to need to put some $$ into the all the vehicles soon. Now I just wish I knew something about investing. Something else to learn in due course.

And that's all for now...time to get Sonshine out of bed and off to school.

How are YOU???


Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Getting out of debt..


It's been on my mind of late. More so than usual, though I'm not sure why. DH and I reviewed our finances at the end of 2011 and re-did our budget in an effort to put money aside both for emergencies and for retirement. The chances of Social Security being around when it's time for us to retire are slim and none, so we need to ensure our own ability to support ourselves.

Last year, 2012, was better than 2011. While our retirement fund holds exactly the amount it should, the emergency fund does not. But that's what it's for, right, to pay for life's surprises. Try telling DH that. He gets upset when we spend from it, but it's there so we don't get off the budget. It's there so we can pay the regular bills when we can't get our regular paycheck.

We did a minimal amount of paying down debt last year. Instead, we focused on establishing the two safety funds and making them a part of the monthly budget. Although, we did receive a health insurance rebate check towards the end of the year and I did, in fact, pay off a gasoline credit card. I took the payment from that credit card and rolled it over to another credit card, increasing the amount I have been able to pay toward it.

This year, my goal is to focus more on debt reduction, now that the safety funds are established.

A few weeks ago, I received money from the bank that holds our mortgage. That went towards this next credit card. I also filed some AFLAC forms for annual doctor/dentist visits and got money back. Guess where it went? Yeppers, to this same credit card. In the last month, I've been able to cut the balance in half. I have one freelance editing job in the hopper and when I get paid, that money will go straight to this CC as well. I should have it paid off no later than June. Woo hoo. That really makes me happy.

Once I've paid it off that money will roll over to the next credit card with the lowest balance. Unfortunately, with just this additional money, it's going to take fourteen months to pay it off. That's a bit more daunting, but if I get the Final Line Editor position with Samhain Publishing, then all that income will go towards eliminating this debt as quickly as possible. (My goal would be December2013 or January 2014 (as the due date is early in the month)).

After that, well, you get the idea.

I know there are other things I can and need to do, but I need to figure out what and then how. Any suggestions would be most welcome. (Just FYI, while we haven't cut them up, we rarely use our credit cards anymore. Mostly minor online things. Like my RWA membership.)

Sad to say, we exceed the average debt amount. And I'm trying to change that.

Wish me luck!