I was going to buy a new phone because mine was acting crazy. The button is not working, but Thank God I found a solution. I just don't lock my phone. I set the screen to NEVER go off and to alleviate me purse dialing someone, I just deleted the calling icon from the home screen. I have a windows phone, so there are tiles on the opening screening like Window 8.
Also, I've been reviewing my plan and right now I'm on the $50 prepaid plan with AT&T Go Phone and I don't use very many minutes, so I'm going to go down to the $40 plan which gives me 500 min of calling, unlimited text and a certain amount of data. This will save me about $120 a year. Every little bit helps!!
Posted by
I Hope
,
9:44 AM
I have been moderately strict on my budget. Some things I have just stopped doing because I want to be debt free. Movie going is one of those pleasures that I stopped, but I didn't just stop for my budget, I stopped because I had no time and to go and there was nothing that I wanted to spend $8-$15 to see.
But, this weekend I went!
And I loved watching the Equalizer with Denzel Washington. I didn't quite like th ending, but it was an action packed movie. I stopped at Taco Bell, as usual, to get something to munch on while watching...Hey, I'm budgetting, I can't affored movie theatre popcorn!!!
October is here. Well, not exactly. I have 5 days, but because I get paid on the 13 & 28 (or the Friday before if either of those days land on a Saturday or Sunday), my month starts early. An off I go on my budgeting journey.
My first purchase...
A new cell phone. UGH!!
I just bought this phone a year ago and it's crap. I keep pushing the button to turn it on and it won't come on. The only way I can get it to come on is to plug it in. OMG. So, I need to clump down some ends to get a new one. But, since I'm on a budget, I'm simply going to get the same phone that is $39.99. I bought it for $100 in August of last year. And since there is a new model for $100, this model is on sale. I wonder if I can get it cheaper, for like $10 plus shipping. Ima check Amazon.
One of the reasons Ima stick with this phone is because it's cheap and I just bought a case for it for less than $5 so I'm not gonna buy some other phone that I need to buy a new case for.
My next purchase after that would be a NEW PLACE TO STAY.
Yes, I have to move!
I've been trying to move since April, but now I really have to. My roommate is going to be moving in with her mom who seems to be ailing and she keeps asking her if she would move in with her. So since she is leaving, I am too, but I think my roommate wants me to take over her lease. NOPE. Not that I don't want to, but I really don't want to. The apartment is cute, but I like ther other one better and if I could get this house, I'd go for it!! But it looks like the apartment will be what I will be moving to....
Happy budgeting!!
I have been working my butt off. My goal is to work over a 100 hours this pay period. I won't see the check until the end of October, but I need it to pay down my debt. I have two weeks left in FPU and I've only paid $180 on my debt, so I want to be able to pay $1000 on my debt in addition to my tuition which is about $2000 this semester because I decided to drop my other health insurance and use the school health insurance which is cheaper.
I did get a little off track in September with my budget and that's because I zeroed out my envelops when I gave an offering at church, so I need to keep my focus even in giving. I keep listening to the debt free screams on Dave Ramey's radio show and it keeps me motivated. One day that will be me!!!
I'm speaking optimistically and faithfully because this budget stuff is for the birds, but I'm going to do it because I AM A GAZELLE and I'm NOT gonna get tired of running.
I got a little off track because I gave an offering for church from my envelops. My heart was in the right place, but it screwed me up. Dangit. So, now I need to get back on track.
God, I NEED YOUR help to get back on track.
I have been doing well on my budget, but I might have run into a few snafus....
My tooth hurts and it NEEDS to be fixed and I don't have dental insurance. My car NEEDS an oil change and it NEEDS to be fixed ASAP. Dag, I don't want to have to use my emergency fund for this, but it looks like I might have to.
GOD HELP ME, PLEASE!!!!!
I am in Baby Step Two: The Debt Snowball.
The concept is that a person would list their debts from smallest to largest and attack them one at a time, regardless of the interest rate as to pick up momentum in paying off debts.
If a person had a $200 medical bill and was paying $50 a month, a $600 credit card bill and was paying $80 a month and a car loan of $10,000 and was paying $150 a month. The would list them like so:
$200...$50 per month
$600...$80 per month
$10,000...$150 per month.
The person would then do all they could to pay off that $200 bill, in addition to trying to add to the $50 per month all while paying the minimum on the other debts. Once it was paid, the person would add the $50 payment to the $80 payment so pay $130 on the $600 bill and anything extra that they could get their hands one. Then, once that is paid, the would add the $130 to the $150 per month to pay the car off. So that snow ball would get bigger and bigger until all the debt is paid.
The problem with my debt is that I only have one, so it's one HUGE snowball. So, I just need to do some heavy lifting to get this thing rolling. And it's heavy, but I'm lifting!! My goal is $1000 a month on my debt. At that rate I should be able to pay off my loan in less than 5 years, but we will see!!
As of September 1, I am officially using the envelope system. And it is work. I got so used to just checking my account everyday instead of balancing a checkbook, I forgot how tedious it is. The envelope system is reminds of balancing a checkbook because you have to record what you spend the money on. But, I'm doing it because I'm a gazelle and I want to GET OUT OF DEBT ASAP!!!!
I have had to move some money around just for times sake, but I'm keeping a record. Debt free, here I come!!!
This budget thing is a challenge. I'm in month two of doing a zero-based budget. August was a fail. I was either over or under. The problem is I get paid on the 13 and the 28 so my months overlap. I can't quite seem to get it to line up right. So I started again for September and since my take home income is approximately $4000 a month, I decided to just do 25% for each category.
Charity--25%
Living--25%
Debt--25%
Personal--25%
Charity is everything I give to the church and other people.
Living includes my rent, utilities, food, anything that is a necessity,etc.
Debt is anyone I owe and
Personal is more of the wants and things that fluctuate such gas, work expenses, restaurants, etc.
Hopefully this will help me with my budget.
