I am quitting my job in January, so our plan/goal right now is to figure out how we can live on 1 paycheck. SO:

1. ALL of MY paychecks right now are going to debt. All of dh's paychecks are going to household expenses. As long as he works enough to cover our basic monthly bills, I can worry about every thing else ATM.

2. I have a small personal loan I took out last year. I have been been paying much extra each month to get it paid off as quickly as possible. Each week I get paid, I put aside a little bit to add onto the payment when I make it. I plan on having it paid off by the end of Sept, there is only $800 left to pay on it.

3. Our car has another year of payments on it. We decided rather than spend all our tax refund on other things this year, we will use that check to pay off the balance of the car. Once the car is paid off, that is $350 a month that will not be going toward a bill and can be saved or used in another bill.

4. Dh has a bunch of small hospital and dr bills that add up to quite a bit, about $600 worth from when he was sick a few months ago. I have been paying them when they come in from my paychecks, so that they don't sit and end up costing me more in the long run.

5. I went ahead and paid ALOT extra on my oil bill this summer to get a head start for the winter. I am on a budget plan, I make monthly payments anyhow, but I paid $100 over each month and as of this month, I am $800 AHEAD and I havn't had an oil delivery since March.

6. I've been trying to NOT grocery shop if I can help it, and if I do, I have been buying with sales and coupons stuff we use alot of to help get ahead for this winter as well.

7. The cc is minimal, but we still have some. I DO use the cc, but try to pay it off monthly. Of course this doesn't always happen, but I always pay way more than the minimum.

8. We took out a home equity loan 5 years ago to pay off cc debt. The interest rate is rediculous right now so I'm trying to refinance it for a lower interest rate and a shorter term.

I'm still stressing, as I will be until at least 1 of those bills is paid off. LOL But we have a plan, I've been working hard at not spending and saving to be able to STICK to the plan. LOL

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan8.Samantha7,Cameron4

SAVE HANDMADE TOYS!!

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/sav...from_the_cpsia

Well, we did it. We became debt free in April. A big part of it was just deciding that it was a priority and doing whatever was needed to get the job done. We did it the Dave Ramsey way (I know a lot of you don't like his methods, but they work) with a budget, debt snowball and small emergency fund. We really wanted to be saving for a house instead of sending all our money out the door with someone else's name on it, so we go fired up and intense and now it feels so good to be debt free. We will never have cc debt again, owe family members money or have a vahicle payment ever, EVER again!

We still have debt but I can finally see the end.

We paid off my van.

I have stopped shopping for fun or because I am depressed.

I shop only with a list!! (this is a big one)

I took on a part-time job last year that has been a huge tool in getting some of our stuff paid off.

I am working on using less of everything and making what we need. Bartering has been a good tool too.

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A Family of 5's quest to forget the Joneses.

Working on the side at home, at night after my regular job ends and my mommy duties end to try to earn some extra money to supplement my income.

We actually have shredded all but one of our ccs -- that is our best thing that we have done so far --- we need to do better!!!

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"I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them." ~ Phyllis Diller

We have stop spending money frivolously and track all our spending. I have begun a debt snowball Dave Ramsey style, except I'm doing highest interest rates first. I started babysitting to increase our income, but allow me to continue to stay home with my kids.

So far, we've paid off one personal loan and we're halfway through one credit card. My goal is to be debt free by Dec. '09!

We follow the debt reduction play by Mary Hunt.

i am in possession of dh's credit card ( and its hidden) and the line of credit has been closed so he cannot get money from it anymore( we both signed off and we both have to sign onto it again and i will not).AND i will be going back to work full time to pay for his credit card and line of credit bills..i hope to have them both gone by the time i am 55( i will be 45 come october)...both are racked up to the limits..and yet he has very little to show for it..i have not bought anything off the line of credit( credit card i did 4 years ago (twice )but i paid it off when the bills came in).