Look into your crystal ball!

I probably shouldn't even acknowledge it, but I am sorry I haven't been posting... at all! I am sure I have lost a ton of readers. Hopefully my female readers can sympathize somewhat. Starting a new job AND finding out you are having a baby is a BIG change. Anyhow. I am not promising anything but this is an article that has been simmering for a long time so here goes!

There are not many times that you can actually see into the future. However, sometimes with finances you can. So what can you do for motivation, after the month's bills are paid and you are cashless again trying to get your debt paid off? Pull out your old crystal ball. Or just some credit card statements and a calendar. I did this some months back and figured I could be nearly debt free in FIVE years. That sounds crappy but considering I haven't really been paying enough attention to my finances for the past ten years, it really isn't so bad.

I listed all of my debts, how much I owed, what I was paying monthly and for those debts that would end after a certain amount of time I wrote down that date. At first I tried to figure out the plan with a debt snowball, but I actually found that in paying off some of my smaller debts, my larger debts (ex. car) would be paid off around the same time anyway. That may not be the case now, because I won't be able to put as much money toward my debt with the added expense of daycare, but it gave me a light at the end of the tunnel.

Also, when I first did my snowball end date I had not figured my husband's debt into the equation. With his debt paid off and just some of mine we may actually be able to afford a new house!!! That would be awesome.

The point here though is that sometimes you need a little pick me up. If you have a lot of debt look at your smallest debt first. Paying as much as you can, find out how long it will be until it is paid off. Once you pay it off maybe you could even treat yourself to a special purchase with ONE month's worth of that money. After that, though, put it toward you next debt.

I think it is important to look forward to and celebrate these little accomplishments. Personally, I fall into a slump after months of paying on a bill only to see the amount go down slightly. By looking ahead you have something to look forward to. (Even if it is five years, or more, down the line!)

Look into your crystal ball!

https://picturewealth.blogspot.com/2007/10/look-into-your-crystal-ball.html

Cash4Books Insurance

If you sell books to Cash4Books and I know some of my readers probably do, you need to know that you can get insurance on your package. My last shippment was stolen by someone at the post office. My box, which was wrapped VERY securely, in fact more securely than my first, was found floating around in Memphis. I got a nice little letter saying that I should be more careful next time and make sure I pack my package along with the label. Uh, DUH! Who would accept an empty box at the post office anyway? Well, I emailed Cash4Books just to let them know what had happened and that I didn't just forget to send the package. They let me know that they have information on their website with the exact postal code to give the cashier if you are told you cannot put insurance on a pre-paid label. Apparently many of thier customers have been told this and it is not true. I will not make any more shippments to them without putting insurance on the package. It is not that expensive and is well worth it if your items are stolen like mine.

Cash4Books Insurance

https://picturewealth.blogspot.com/2007/09/cash4books-insurance.html

Ways to Waste Money

You know I have never really thought of this until today. I mean I know it is a waste, but I had never thought of it as a waste of money.

I am talking about letting food spoil before it is eaten. This week I went shopping and bought things for two new recipes I wanted to try. I also bought some other odds and ends. Well, the bananas I bought are sitting on the counter getting browner and browner (only two left, but still). The meat I bought I just checked and it expired two days ago. I don't know if I can use it or not now. I know those dates are kind of just guidelines but I don't chance it when it comes to our health. Luckily I put the fish in the freezer so it is still okay. However, I am so aggrivated with myself because it was such a waste of food AND money.

So of course I thought well, if I didn't eat that food I obviously ate something else right? And, more important, did that cost me more money? Yes and no. I bought more things for breakfast which is why the bananas did not get eaten. And, especially since I am pregnant I don't really think the cinnamon strusel cake was a good choice over the banana! Also one night my husband didn't want to wait for me to cook so I went to taco bell. The meal I was going to prepare with the now spoiled meat was going to be low fat and low sodium.... oh well. And the reason I say we didn't spend more money every night is because one night a friend came over and he bought pizza so on that night we didn't spend any extra money and I even took some pizza for lunch the next day.

Wow, I just realized that not only are we spending more money but I am really eating poorly.

So how do I fix this? I bought less food last week knowing that a couple of times we would probably do take out. So that was good, but I let the food get ruined. The meat is easy enough. I just needed to put it in the fridge. As for the bananas, one meal I never plan for is breakfast. I need to start doing that too. Actually I need to make a little menu and stick it on the fridge. Since I have been pregnant I haven't wanted to eat anything in the morning. Not morning sickness, just being hormonal I guess. So maybe if I make a menu I will just make myself what is on it. I will try that this week.

If anyone has anymore foodwise money saving tips I would love to hear them! I hate wasting money. Don't you?

Ways to Waste Money

https://picturewealth.blogspot.com/2007/09/ways-to-waste-money.html

Update. My survey earnings

I haven't talked about my big plans to become rich taking surveys in quite a while. Ok, so I never really expected to get rich, but I thought you might like to know exactly how much I have made. Well since March of this year I have made a grand total of...... 40.50! Wow, I'm rich! No, no I'm not. :) Anyway, while it isn't very much, it was very easy and hey forty bucks is forty bucks. I still do the surveys. In fact part of that total includes a $10 survey I took just a few weeks ago. Would I be willing to take more surveys to increase this total? Probably not. I did say it was easy but it drives my husband crazy when I am sitting on the computer for 20 minutes answering a bunch of silly questions. So I am not planning on joining any more companies. I think the ones I have joined already are some of the best. If you would like to make some cash of your own look on the sidebar and click on Survey companies I use. There you will find the ones I am allowed to tell you about. I am also a member of another group that pays five dollars per survey but I am sworn to secrecy. If you head over to the Volition forums you can probably find the one I am talking about and tips on how to get an invitation.

Update. My survey earnings

https://picturewealth.blogspot.com/2007/09/update-my-survey-earnings.html

What Happened to Pear Budget

I had a really bad mix up last month. Two weeks before the month was over I only had $60 left in my account. I went over things again and again but I couldn’t figure out what happened. I don’t want to just come right out and blame the Pear Budget software I started using this month, but I put in every single thing that I spend and it is still telling me I have money left over. If I go by this that means that on my $60 I should have been able to pay two more weeks of daycare, and two more weeks of gas. Now, gas alone was going to be $80 so something obviously went wrong. Next month I am going to use it again, but I am also going to keep up with my paper budget that was working so well before. I can’t have a screw up like that again. I ended up having to pull close to $200 out of my emergency/crisis plan savings to cover it. That is really not good.

On the up side. I will have an exact total of what I spent on groceries and gas. I have found that there is no way for me to save as much as I was planning each month. I am going to try to do as much as possible but it won’t be near as much as I was hoping for.

Anyway, I still think Pear Budget is a good tool. I am sure somewhere I just messed it up. I will try again next month and see how it turns out.

I would be curious if anyone else has used this program and experienced any problems.

What Happened to Pear Budget

https://picturewealth.blogspot.com/2007/09/what-happened-to-pear-budget.html