Each time, I think it should be the last. Our weight is out of control (again) and we have to do something.
Additionally, we've let our stockpile get way too low. It makes D happier to have certain items built up - and me too. Things like soaps, laundry stuff, coffee, paper products - these are all things we need on a daily basis and we just don't have enough right now. So, shopping trip in order later today once D is done working.
We have also been lax about getting items for the church pantry and following our budget. I had to re-work that today to get things figured out - and stretch my paycheck for 6 weeks, including trying to build up the stockpile again. I've done a quick inventory and made a list of things we are really low on, and then starred items that we are out of or very low on that are a priority.
I'm feeling the need to purge - purge stuff that we don't need, get things cleaned out and cleaned up. I think it always happens this time of year, as we get ready to embrace the new year, we don't want to carry all the stuff with us that we don't need from the old year. So, I've purged all old coupons we don't need, and then I'm looking at the new fliers that we have and figuring out what we need to keep and for how long. That has also gone on the list.
On a different note, we are doing financially better. We should be able to pay cash for our vacation/first anniversary trip/delayed honeymoon. We are pretty close to on target for all that. I'm truly hoping D's work picks up significantly in March before we leave. It's always weather dependent :P He go lucky today as we actually have a nice day in the 60s. I have very little "revolving" debt left - just over $3300 - $500 on a line of credit and $2800 on the last credit card that has been closed down for forever. If all goes to plan, both should be done by June, at the latest, and we can move onto D's debt - which isn't horrible (and I'm hoping his work picks up significantly so he can start working on it sooner) and then my student loans. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Once all that is done - we are free of debt forever! It's nice to finally be able to see the end. Once that is done, it won't take long to save up our full emergency fund - maybe 3-4 months. Then, we can start planning and investing for our retirements.
Now, we need to not only focus on our weight and getting healthy, but getting things cleaned out, and continuing to focus on our debt and getting free of that. I think this will be a good year for getting all of this done. And, we get to celebrate our first anniversary :)
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Status Check
We have started the FPU course again. We missed the first class - we were supposed to have it at our normal church, but it got cancelled without notification, so we found our "old" coordinators from the first class we had taken and they are doing it at a different church. A little bit further of a drive, but definitely worth it. We've done 2 weeks so far - I look forward to it each week even though it's 2 hours in the evening, and it's a rush because of my schedule.
I was curious as to how far we've come - both together and since I "sort-of" started doing this back in 2007. In 21 months - we paid off $11,000 + saved $10,000 for our wedding - so just about $1000 / month going to debt and savings. Since 2007, I've paid off $54,000 - I'm down to the last $4000 (or a little less really) in debt from a line of credit at the bank and a final credit card. This doesn't include my student loans. D has only about $10,000 left. Right now, we are doing a "projects" fund - so we are paying what we can on debt, but we have a goal to save a minimum of $6000 for an upcoming surgery I have to have and our vacation/delayed honeymoon/first anniversary trip next year. Dad gifted us timeshare points that we had to book or he would lose them - so off the islands we go! The room will only cost $270 - which we already paid. So, we just figured out expenses for a rental car/gas and spending money and airfare. At the end of the month, I'm hoping we can go ahead and do the airfare and get that out of the way.
After we take our trip, we will have to sit down and discuss a plan to get the final "liquid" debts paid off - which I don't think will take long. Then, we will start in on my student loans. If work goes well for D, and I can pick up some extra work teaching either online or a night course at a local college, we could probably knock it out in 18 months. I owe right about $50K total - $19K on the smaller one, $36K on the larger. After that, EVERYTHING is done and we will be DEBT FREE!!!
I'm excited today simply because we have sat down and really talked about money again, we have moved back to the envelope system to pay for expenses, and the line of credit at my bank - which used to be $10K is now UNDER $1K. My goal is to get that paid off in the next four months. Again, dependent upon me picking up some extra work, or D's work going REALLY well so he can pick up more on the bills. But, I think it's do-able. Then, that $$ can be lumped onto the last credit card I have, and get that done even faster. Once the trip is done, we should have (just on my salary) an extra $1000 / month (minimum) to put towards debt.
This is a long road for us - and has been for me. After furlough days, losing my supplement at work, and D's work dropping to pretty much nothing for the past 3 years - it's been hard. But, living on one paycheck, we have still managed to pay off over $20K in debt AND have a beautiful wedding for under $10K. Most couples would never have gotten that far. We thank God that we are able to discuss money and finances without arguing. It was hard at first - admitting to those large numbers and not even being married! But, it was important to both of us so we knew everything and didn't have anything hidden going into our marriage. So many times my parents fought about money. I don't want to be do that. I'm the nerd - he's the free spirit. I'm more of a saver, he's more of a spender. But, we know this and have talked about it. It has made our relationship stronger. As Dave Ramsey says - If money is the biggest cause of divorce, it has the potential to be the strongest aspect of your marriage. As long as we continue to work together, I think we will knock it out quickly.
So - roughly $64K left to go - that's a lot less than the $118K it was 7 years ago! Little by little - it's going away. And we will NEVER let ourselves be sucked into debt like this ever again! It feels so good to be able to have extra money - we even have "fun $$" in our budget to go out and do things so we can enjoy our lives, not feel guilty or wonder if we can pay bills that month if we go to a movie. It's very freeing to be able to plan where our money is going, and "not wonder where it went." And even nicer to have "more money than month" - it used to be the other way around!
I was curious as to how far we've come - both together and since I "sort-of" started doing this back in 2007. In 21 months - we paid off $11,000 + saved $10,000 for our wedding - so just about $1000 / month going to debt and savings. Since 2007, I've paid off $54,000 - I'm down to the last $4000 (or a little less really) in debt from a line of credit at the bank and a final credit card. This doesn't include my student loans. D has only about $10,000 left. Right now, we are doing a "projects" fund - so we are paying what we can on debt, but we have a goal to save a minimum of $6000 for an upcoming surgery I have to have and our vacation/delayed honeymoon/first anniversary trip next year. Dad gifted us timeshare points that we had to book or he would lose them - so off the islands we go! The room will only cost $270 - which we already paid. So, we just figured out expenses for a rental car/gas and spending money and airfare. At the end of the month, I'm hoping we can go ahead and do the airfare and get that out of the way.
After we take our trip, we will have to sit down and discuss a plan to get the final "liquid" debts paid off - which I don't think will take long. Then, we will start in on my student loans. If work goes well for D, and I can pick up some extra work teaching either online or a night course at a local college, we could probably knock it out in 18 months. I owe right about $50K total - $19K on the smaller one, $36K on the larger. After that, EVERYTHING is done and we will be DEBT FREE!!!
I'm excited today simply because we have sat down and really talked about money again, we have moved back to the envelope system to pay for expenses, and the line of credit at my bank - which used to be $10K is now UNDER $1K. My goal is to get that paid off in the next four months. Again, dependent upon me picking up some extra work, or D's work going REALLY well so he can pick up more on the bills. But, I think it's do-able. Then, that $$ can be lumped onto the last credit card I have, and get that done even faster. Once the trip is done, we should have (just on my salary) an extra $1000 / month (minimum) to put towards debt.
This is a long road for us - and has been for me. After furlough days, losing my supplement at work, and D's work dropping to pretty much nothing for the past 3 years - it's been hard. But, living on one paycheck, we have still managed to pay off over $20K in debt AND have a beautiful wedding for under $10K. Most couples would never have gotten that far. We thank God that we are able to discuss money and finances without arguing. It was hard at first - admitting to those large numbers and not even being married! But, it was important to both of us so we knew everything and didn't have anything hidden going into our marriage. So many times my parents fought about money. I don't want to be do that. I'm the nerd - he's the free spirit. I'm more of a saver, he's more of a spender. But, we know this and have talked about it. It has made our relationship stronger. As Dave Ramsey says - If money is the biggest cause of divorce, it has the potential to be the strongest aspect of your marriage. As long as we continue to work together, I think we will knock it out quickly.
So - roughly $64K left to go - that's a lot less than the $118K it was 7 years ago! Little by little - it's going away. And we will NEVER let ourselves be sucked into debt like this ever again! It feels so good to be able to have extra money - we even have "fun $$" in our budget to go out and do things so we can enjoy our lives, not feel guilty or wonder if we can pay bills that month if we go to a movie. It's very freeing to be able to plan where our money is going, and "not wonder where it went." And even nicer to have "more money than month" - it used to be the other way around!
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Hit goal - but had a plateau
I finally hit my first 10 pound goal this week - I had a week where I was in a plateau, so I didn't write or update - too upset with it :P I was briefly in the "teens" this week - then I went back up - not sure why. I've been pretty good on eating and we did (finally) take a walk this week. It's been hard with my schedule and getting things ready for the wedding to get walks in! After the wedding, I think it will calm down more and we will be able to make time to do it.
So - next ten pound goal to go - down to 210.
I have lost more inches though - down 2 inches total this week - especially off my natural waist and "fat" waist. From where we started in February, I'm down 9 inches overall - so that's not too bad! A full inch off my fat waist, and 1.5 inches from my natural waist. Doesn't sound like a lot, but it seems to make a difference. Clothes are still fitting better and I'm finding different shirts and pants I can wear to work.
Won't be logging at all until after the wedding. Hoping to not go crazy and gain in the few days before. Hoping we will be so active snorkeling, walking and doing whatever we can that the weight will stay - at the very least - the same.
So - next ten pound goal to go - down to 210.
I have lost more inches though - down 2 inches total this week - especially off my natural waist and "fat" waist. From where we started in February, I'm down 9 inches overall - so that's not too bad! A full inch off my fat waist, and 1.5 inches from my natural waist. Doesn't sound like a lot, but it seems to make a difference. Clothes are still fitting better and I'm finding different shirts and pants I can wear to work.
Won't be logging at all until after the wedding. Hoping to not go crazy and gain in the few days before. Hoping we will be so active snorkeling, walking and doing whatever we can that the weight will stay - at the very least - the same.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
So close to the first goal!
I came very close to hitting my first goal in 19 days! 0.4 pounds to go. I set it at 10.6 pounds so I could end on an "even" (non-decimal) number. Silly, but true. So, I'll just go with it.
So far, I've lost 10.2 pounds. My clothes are fitting better. This week, I was able to wear a pair of pants that I haven't worn in at least a year or more. Same for a shirt. It was snug, but it fit and wasn't uncomfortable. There was another shirt I tried that did button, but it was obviously pulling - so I'm thinking the next 10 should allow me to get into some more clothes :)
I'm going to set the next goal at 10 pounds again - then a short 3 pound goal. Why? That's going to give me my first 10% weight loss of 23 pounds.
D has also lost quite a bit - he has 2.5 pounds to go to the first 10, and he's lost inches this week too - especially his waist. I only lost 2.5 inches this week, but that's fine - again, the clothes are fitting :) He said he's noticing a difference in his shirts more than anything.
We have 19 days to go until we start in for the wedding. I've lost 10.2 in 19 days - hoping to lose the same in the next 19!
So far, I've lost 10.2 pounds. My clothes are fitting better. This week, I was able to wear a pair of pants that I haven't worn in at least a year or more. Same for a shirt. It was snug, but it fit and wasn't uncomfortable. There was another shirt I tried that did button, but it was obviously pulling - so I'm thinking the next 10 should allow me to get into some more clothes :)
I'm going to set the next goal at 10 pounds again - then a short 3 pound goal. Why? That's going to give me my first 10% weight loss of 23 pounds.
D has also lost quite a bit - he has 2.5 pounds to go to the first 10, and he's lost inches this week too - especially his waist. I only lost 2.5 inches this week, but that's fine - again, the clothes are fitting :) He said he's noticing a difference in his shirts more than anything.
We have 19 days to go until we start in for the wedding. I've lost 10.2 in 19 days - hoping to lose the same in the next 19!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
wow
Okay - just had an interesting phone call from a friend. I have to preface this by saying I showed some incredible restraint in not being snarky.
She called to complain that, for the first time ever, she has to PAY taxes - and it's a good chunk of change. I then had to listen to her complain about how many deductions she couldn't take because she and her husband make too much money. Yes, I said that correctly - she can't take any deductions because she makes too much money. Can you see how I had to hold my tongue?? Wow. To put "too much" in perspective - she makes $30K MORE than I do - and her husband makes the same. So combined, they make around $188K PER YEAR. After taxes, they probably pull in $10K a month!!!
I don't make a lot of money. In fact, D and I have been surviving on my salary for the last 3 years due to his work being so hard - read: lack of jobs. However, in that time - thanks to Dave Ramsey - we've been able to pay off a significant amount of debt and save up to pay cash for our wedding.
This same friend often complains about a lot of things about $$. How much daycare is going to cost, how much formula and diapers cost, how much the matron of honor dress she bought (we found one for $50 online that fits) - I hear all about it. I've sent her coupons for diapers, wipes and formula to try and help - and I'll continue to do that. But I don't have too much sympathy anymore for the "we don't have money calls."
Here's the reason they don't have any money and why I hear all this - they don't budget like we do. If they actually sat down and did a budget, they could save up enough money to buy a home, with cash, in about 4-5 years. She told me they'll have to take the $$ out of their house savings account (this is what they are using to save money in for a DOWN payment - and then will still have a mortgage!!!) - it's $5400. Um - you're pulling in $10K a month - cut down on your expenses for one month and just pay it.
I'm so glad D and I are on the same page with money. She and her husband are NOT. His motto is "I work hard, and I make lots of money so I should be able to spend it however I want." Okay - I get that. But you still have debt and a car loan and a mortgage. All of that could go away in 2 years or less if they just would live like normal people (read - like D and I that don't have a lot of money and have to budget each month).
So - this entire thing makes me 1) grateful that D and I are together and even though we've had struggles, are on the same page with $$, 2) grateful that D and I don't waste money and 3) grateful that D and I have a plan to get out of debt so we will no longer be "slave to the lender."
It was a frustrating conversation, but I'm almost glad it happened. In a few short years, D and I will be on much firmer footing with half the salary that they have, and I can guarantee we will be a lot happier and in a lot better financial shape.
She called to complain that, for the first time ever, she has to PAY taxes - and it's a good chunk of change. I then had to listen to her complain about how many deductions she couldn't take because she and her husband make too much money. Yes, I said that correctly - she can't take any deductions because she makes too much money. Can you see how I had to hold my tongue?? Wow. To put "too much" in perspective - she makes $30K MORE than I do - and her husband makes the same. So combined, they make around $188K PER YEAR. After taxes, they probably pull in $10K a month!!!
I don't make a lot of money. In fact, D and I have been surviving on my salary for the last 3 years due to his work being so hard - read: lack of jobs. However, in that time - thanks to Dave Ramsey - we've been able to pay off a significant amount of debt and save up to pay cash for our wedding.
This same friend often complains about a lot of things about $$. How much daycare is going to cost, how much formula and diapers cost, how much the matron of honor dress she bought (we found one for $50 online that fits) - I hear all about it. I've sent her coupons for diapers, wipes and formula to try and help - and I'll continue to do that. But I don't have too much sympathy anymore for the "we don't have money calls."
Here's the reason they don't have any money and why I hear all this - they don't budget like we do. If they actually sat down and did a budget, they could save up enough money to buy a home, with cash, in about 4-5 years. She told me they'll have to take the $$ out of their house savings account (this is what they are using to save money in for a DOWN payment - and then will still have a mortgage!!!) - it's $5400. Um - you're pulling in $10K a month - cut down on your expenses for one month and just pay it.
I'm so glad D and I are on the same page with money. She and her husband are NOT. His motto is "I work hard, and I make lots of money so I should be able to spend it however I want." Okay - I get that. But you still have debt and a car loan and a mortgage. All of that could go away in 2 years or less if they just would live like normal people (read - like D and I that don't have a lot of money and have to budget each month).
So - this entire thing makes me 1) grateful that D and I are together and even though we've had struggles, are on the same page with $$, 2) grateful that D and I don't waste money and 3) grateful that D and I have a plan to get out of debt so we will no longer be "slave to the lender."
It was a frustrating conversation, but I'm almost glad it happened. In a few short years, D and I will be on much firmer footing with half the salary that they have, and I can guarantee we will be a lot happier and in a lot better financial shape.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Back down and then a little more
Third morning after cheat day (Tuesday AM) - down 0.2 from Sat AM weight :) Hoping for another loss tomorrow.
Had my final dress fitting tonight. Consultant could tell that I had dropped some weight - she said the dress was looking much better! The seamstress was very adamant that I NOT lose much more! I think she was concerned about where the seams would fit on the side. I'm not that concerned. The dress is a corset back - so it can be done snug. Plus - the good news is I'm losing inches more on my belly than anywhere else - so that doesn't affect the dress as much in terms of where the seam is located. I'm still shooting for at least 10 pounds - anything else before the wedding will be a bonus :)
That's the quick update. Tired tonight - LONG day at work and then straight to the fitting. Didn't actually get home until almost 7:45 or so. Ugh. But- worth it :)
Had my final dress fitting tonight. Consultant could tell that I had dropped some weight - she said the dress was looking much better! The seamstress was very adamant that I NOT lose much more! I think she was concerned about where the seams would fit on the side. I'm not that concerned. The dress is a corset back - so it can be done snug. Plus - the good news is I'm losing inches more on my belly than anywhere else - so that doesn't affect the dress as much in terms of where the seam is located. I'm still shooting for at least 10 pounds - anything else before the wedding will be a bonus :)
That's the quick update. Tired tonight - LONG day at work and then straight to the fitting. Didn't actually get home until almost 7:45 or so. Ugh. But- worth it :)
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Easier to get "back on the wagon"
First day after an okay "cheat" day - we weren't really craving anything, so eating was more for "we're hungry and need to eat" vs "let's stuff ourselves" - we actually had really simple meals yesterday.
Today was much easier to get back on track than I was anticipating. I'm not really craving anything in particular - not even sugar :) I have been reading some other blogs, and one that struck me was her "secret" to dropping 35 pounds - she quit eating sugar - basically her idea was that it's an addiction and, like any other addiction, it can be broken. I'm thinking she's right. There is some research to indicate that eating sugar creates a temporary situation in your body where you crave it even more, so it's a positive feedback loop. The more you eat it, the more you crave it. So, if you quit eating it, you no longer have the "drive" for it and the craving ceases. I'm finding this true with kicking the soda (coca-cola) addiction. I'm not sure when I even had one last - but it's been several weeks. It feels good to be off of it. I have more energy and I don't have the "crash." I was craving it one day last week - I was just overly tired and wanted the "pick me up" that I knew it would provide. I texted D and he immediately sent me motivation to NOT do it. I felt better about myself for not getting one. It wasn't easy, but I made it through the day and didn't crash.
I don't normally weigh myself after cheat day - there's just no reason. I will get back to it tomorrow just to see where I am - if I'm close to pre-cheat weight or not. Hopefully I will be - I'm usually within a pound or so. We did walk today - it's gorgeous out and too pretty to not take advantage of the brief break in the weather. It's supposed to be rainy and crappy again tomorrow :P We'll try to walk Wed this week, and then again either Thursday, Friday or Saturday. We're trying to get in three sessions of walking a week. Right now, we're only doing one loop of the neighborhood - which is still pretty intense with the hills we have in here. After this week, we're going to try and lengthen them at least one day to that plus the very back of the neighborhood - which should take us to about 45 minutes total. Pending the work I have to do at night, that may be a "weekend only" kind of walk - we'll see. I'm just about over work right now and have put myself on a goal to become a published author and be financially stable with that career in 3 years - then I can retire and be fully vested and just get out of the classroom. The stress and work load associated with my job are overwhelming, and I'm just not sure it's worth it anymore. The ultimate goal is to become expats and live in the Caribbean - more on that later.
Right now - feeling good with the walk. Still super happy that I've lost 4 inches :) and I'm 4.2 pounds from the first goal - so 60% there :) Then, I'll set another 10 pound goal - with the goal to do that before we leave for the wedding. If I get in 20 pounds of weight loss - that will be close to 10% (23 pounds would be 10% if I want to be super technical) - but I'm okay with the 20 within the next 4-5 weeks.
Overall goal - I need to lose 66 pounds from my last starting weight. I've seen blogs where others have lost a heck of a lot more - so that is really motivating to know others have done it the same way we are - eating clean, exercising and just generally being smart about portion sizes. Size goal is to go from my current 18 (which honestly - I was pushing into size 20 - and now my 18 jeans are fitting a WHOLE lot better - no super-suck-in to get them zipped) down to at least a size 12 - shooting for a 10. Not sure how I will get to a 10 - that's really super skinny for my frame, so if I can get to a 12, then most, if not ALL, of my really pretty clothes will fit and I think I will be very confident with how I look and feel at that point. So - 3 sizes to go - already gone from a 20 to an 18, so if you do 4 sizes total, I'm 25% towards that goal :)
Today was much easier to get back on track than I was anticipating. I'm not really craving anything in particular - not even sugar :) I have been reading some other blogs, and one that struck me was her "secret" to dropping 35 pounds - she quit eating sugar - basically her idea was that it's an addiction and, like any other addiction, it can be broken. I'm thinking she's right. There is some research to indicate that eating sugar creates a temporary situation in your body where you crave it even more, so it's a positive feedback loop. The more you eat it, the more you crave it. So, if you quit eating it, you no longer have the "drive" for it and the craving ceases. I'm finding this true with kicking the soda (coca-cola) addiction. I'm not sure when I even had one last - but it's been several weeks. It feels good to be off of it. I have more energy and I don't have the "crash." I was craving it one day last week - I was just overly tired and wanted the "pick me up" that I knew it would provide. I texted D and he immediately sent me motivation to NOT do it. I felt better about myself for not getting one. It wasn't easy, but I made it through the day and didn't crash.
I don't normally weigh myself after cheat day - there's just no reason. I will get back to it tomorrow just to see where I am - if I'm close to pre-cheat weight or not. Hopefully I will be - I'm usually within a pound or so. We did walk today - it's gorgeous out and too pretty to not take advantage of the brief break in the weather. It's supposed to be rainy and crappy again tomorrow :P We'll try to walk Wed this week, and then again either Thursday, Friday or Saturday. We're trying to get in three sessions of walking a week. Right now, we're only doing one loop of the neighborhood - which is still pretty intense with the hills we have in here. After this week, we're going to try and lengthen them at least one day to that plus the very back of the neighborhood - which should take us to about 45 minutes total. Pending the work I have to do at night, that may be a "weekend only" kind of walk - we'll see. I'm just about over work right now and have put myself on a goal to become a published author and be financially stable with that career in 3 years - then I can retire and be fully vested and just get out of the classroom. The stress and work load associated with my job are overwhelming, and I'm just not sure it's worth it anymore. The ultimate goal is to become expats and live in the Caribbean - more on that later.
Right now - feeling good with the walk. Still super happy that I've lost 4 inches :) and I'm 4.2 pounds from the first goal - so 60% there :) Then, I'll set another 10 pound goal - with the goal to do that before we leave for the wedding. If I get in 20 pounds of weight loss - that will be close to 10% (23 pounds would be 10% if I want to be super technical) - but I'm okay with the 20 within the next 4-5 weeks.
Overall goal - I need to lose 66 pounds from my last starting weight. I've seen blogs where others have lost a heck of a lot more - so that is really motivating to know others have done it the same way we are - eating clean, exercising and just generally being smart about portion sizes. Size goal is to go from my current 18 (which honestly - I was pushing into size 20 - and now my 18 jeans are fitting a WHOLE lot better - no super-suck-in to get them zipped) down to at least a size 12 - shooting for a 10. Not sure how I will get to a 10 - that's really super skinny for my frame, so if I can get to a 12, then most, if not ALL, of my really pretty clothes will fit and I think I will be very confident with how I look and feel at that point. So - 3 sizes to go - already gone from a 20 to an 18, so if you do 4 sizes total, I'm 25% towards that goal :)
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