How I Got Rid Of My Kidney Stone (read till the end)

So as most of you know I have had a couple of kidney stones.  If you know anything about them they are painful and not easy to pass once they are of  larger size.  My first one was 9 mm and required two different surgeries before it finally came out.  After that I thought I was good to go and would just need regular heck ups to make sure I was ok.

This was not the case.  I ended up with a 6 mm stone at the beginning of this year.  I knew before I even went to the hospital what it was.  The pain was horrible.  If you have ever given birth then take labor pains and times it by a minimum of ten.  After going to the hospital I was given pain meds and told to go to my specialist.  By the time I saw him the pain was better so we decided to wait.  Then a week later I went back.  Not in pain I made the choice to wait.  My Dr. told me if I waited much longer I risked damage so surgery was looking like my only option.  I was told I would need another CT scan to see what was happening then we could decide from there.

Well for a couple of reasons I won't waste time explaining I didn't get the CT for another month.  In that time I decided to do some research on naturals ways to get rid of kidney stones.  I read multiple articles and learned of the same basic ingredients people had used with success.  Mind you there were a lot of opinions on how to get rid of them and how much of certain things you should eat or drink.  Some people swore by methods that were illegal as well.  I was not going that route.  I decided to use the ingredients that came up the most but do it my way.


For two weeks before the scan I used my remedy in hopes that it would at least shrink the stone enough they would let me wait to pass it.  After the scan it was almost a month before I saw the Dr.  I went in that day expecting to hear the words surgery.  I am not scared of surgery by any means but as a single parent it is hard to find a ride and set up a person to be with my princess in case of a seizure.

The Dr. came in ad to my surprise said I was fine.  I didn't need to come back for a whole year.  The stone was gone.  As the nurse was leaving she asked if I had passed it because she had never heard of some one passing a stone that big on their own.  I told her I was just as surprised and told her what I had done.  She was very impressed

So here is what you need to get started.  Lemons, pure honey, coconut oil, and organic apple cider vinegar.  I know seems to easy but it really is.  During the day you will make what I call a tea basically.  Get a coffee or tea mug and squeeze a half of lemon into the cup.  Then put in honey I just put in what looked about a teaspoon.  Then add a tablespoon of coconut oil.  Then fill with hot water.  I used my Kurig.  I filled the cup about half full of water put it in the Kurig then did the ingredients and then pushed start.  Drink the whole thing.  Later in the evening you need a large water bottle.  You put a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in it and fill the rest of the way with water.  It taste bad really I will not lie, but it works.  Do this for 2 weeks.  After that you can do it a couple times a week just to stay flushed out.

Why it works.  Here is what I learned.  The lemon and apple cider vinegar dissolve the stone over time.  The honey act as an antibacterial to keep your tube clean and repair quicker.  Stones have sharp edges that shred the tube as it passes.  This is where the oil helps it lubricates the tube to help the stone slide easier.  So there you have it.  I know this was long but hopefully it can help some one else.

A Money Check In

So I was doing a series of posts on how to pay down your debt and save a little.  I shared how I use my small change to grow my savings and ways that I earn extra money and Amazon points so I can keep up on my spending and putting money away.  I do not make a lot of money by any means but I have putt away $500 in one savings and about $150 in another.  Plus I got all of my daughter's sweet 16 decorations for free so far.  Plus her gifts and I have already started purchasing her Christmas gifts.

I have been able to go without using my credit cards for quite a while now which is raising my credit score.  It is not rising in speedy leaps but it is rising which is getting me baby steps closer to where I want to be.  One of these days I will be debt free and be able to do what I want because my score will be amazing.  It will make it so I can get things I want and have low interest rates which will be like paying same as cash.  A lot of things I will be able to pay cash for because I will have money in my savings to do what I want with.

The secret is that it isn't a race to get there it is about taking the steps to get there.  If you are always trying to put away $20 but have to use it because that is a big chunk out of your budget then what is the point you are getting no where.  If you save a little at a time so that you really don't notice then you will not feel burdened by actually saving money.

Believe me if I can do this so can you.  Even if you just start by saving pennies.  After that you can work your way up.  The hardest part is starting.  it is like losing weight, they say the first 10 pounds is the hardest but once you do your body gets going and you can keep going because you are motivated.  Once you save $10 you will want to do $20 and then $30. It will be exciting to see your balance going up.

Get started.  Do not wait.  If I can do it on a single income you can make it work too.  I am here if you have questions or just need motivation.  Do not hesitate to talk to me.  I am happy to help.

Happy 4th of July

This is just a quick post.  I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July.  I hope you had a great holiday weekend and maybe even got to spend time with family and friends.

I was up north with my parents and daughter.  It is one of my favorite times of the year.  We just forget about what is going on and spend time with each other.  I hope you had that same type of weekend.

A Trip To The Zoo

Yesterday we decided to go to the Detroit Zoo.  It was a great day to go.  It was the perfect temperature so you were not hot or cold.  We got to see a lot of different animals that are not at our local zoo.  They did have the over head viewing tunnels so we got to see the penguins, sea lions, and polar bears swim overhead.  That was fun to see. The sea lions were playing and swimming upside to look at us.

It was a fun day getting out of the house which with all the stuff that has been going on we definitely needed to get out and have fun.  We have not been doing a whole lot of anything lately so for the most part it was really nice.  I am not an out in public type of person so that is a little hard for me.  Not that I am afraid but I get frustrated with rude people who think the world revolves around them so they just do what they want.  Like in the snake exhibit there was a lady that literally kept leaning on me to look over my shoulder because she felt the line was moving to slow.  There were a ton of children so I had to fight the urge to make a scene and say something though.

The other thing is I do not walk that much anymore.  So after 3 hours of walking around I was in great pain.  I could barely make it to the car.  Then after sitting in the car when I tried to get out and walk to the restaurant it was horrible.  Today I am still quite sore so I doubt that I will be getting a whole lot done.  My feet are so sore and my back is in massive pain.

Oh well I guess it is the price I pay to enjoy my friends and make sure my daughter has a great summer.  Plus I got some exercise to say the least so it was worth it I am guessing.  I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Hello

Hey out there.  Sorry it has been awhile but so much has gone on lately.  It is one thing after another around here.  Just when I get one thing done something else seems to pop up.  I know life can be crazy but it is just a hot mess right now.

I have my kidney stone but it is just sitting there and I have had two double ear infections and seriously need looked at and I no longer work.  You may be thinking well go to the Dr. right?  Well that is the next bomb, I was told I make to much money money to get medicaid any longer.  Then I was told I would have to buy y own insurance.

Ok so what money am I supposed to use to do that?  I mean it is not like you get extra money when you get unemployment.  You get less so how is it that when I had a job I was eligible but now I have temporary income and I make to much?  So I am now trying to find insurance which I have always gotten from my employer so I have no idea what I am doing.

In an attempt to get more money I decided to cash out part of my 401K and then put some in my in my IRA to build it up some.  It seemed like a good idea.  I could bump up my checking account and retirement at the same time.  Well something happened and they sent the money to my employer instead but I no longer have an account with them so now I have no idea where my money is.

These are just a few of the things that have been going on.  It has been interesting to say the least.  Hopefully your days are going a little better than mine. :) Next time I hope it will be sooner and I will have something more exciting to talk about.

Something Different

So I am doing something different.  I am trying something new for health care.  It is called Oil Pulling.  It is where you swish oil (coconut is recommended) in your mouth for 20 minutes.  It is supposed to help whiten teeth and pull out toxins.  I have no idea if it works or not but I figure it can not hurt considering coconut oil is supposed to be healthy any way.

So the idea is to swish a tablespoon of oil around your mouth for 20 minutes.  This is a lot of oil and time so I decided on Sunday to do a teaspoon for as long as I could.  I tried to melt it a little before hand in the teaspoon but that was not really a good plan it was a drippy so I just put it in my mouth and began to swish.

I do not even think I made it 5 minutes.  It was sad really.  I have not done it since because it is not part of my routine but plan to do it again tonight.  I did notice my teeth felt different after I did it though.  I am not sure of any toxin release but there are people that swear by this.  I am going to update you as I keep trying it.  I think this time I am going to put some in a cup and melt it a little in the microwave because swishing lumpy coconut oil is not fun.

Keep checking back to see how this goes. Plus check out my posts on saving money and paying down debt.

Getting to Savings

So I hope you are doing well with your savings and paying down your debt.  Even after not having a regular 9-5 job I am still making sure to work on my bills and putting a little away.  It is not as much as I used to do to the circumstances but I have not given up.

I have stayed dedicated to using my surveys and other income earning opportunities.  I just finished buying more medical stuff for my daughter using the points I had and I am on my way to getting her the birthday gifts for her sweet 16.  I am so excited to realize I have more in the bank now than when I worked a regular job every day.  I knew as a kid I was meant for something different but as I have grown and had a child I felt like I needed to fit into the mainstream world.  After the recent events it just confirmed that I am not meant for a typical job.

As I am looking for my great idea, I continue to use the extra income so it does not get eaten up in a month.  Been there done that and it is not fun. So I have given you a few of my favorites so far and now her come a couple more.  These take a little longer to add up but it does add up and you can use them simultaneously so between the 2 of them you can cash out $60.  It may not seem like a lot but when added to the other earnings it can make a difference.   I just used one to buy my daughters expensive vitamins.

You open emails, watch videos, and can take surveys.  The first one is Inbox Dollars (http://www.inboxdollars.com/?r=ref17133614&s=7).  The next one is Send Earnings (http://www.sendearnings.com/?r=ref4476777&s=7).  Each email is $.02, videos depend on the video, and surveys vary as well.  It will not make you rich but again it adds up.  Each cash out is $30 so again the two together mean an extra $60.  Who couldn't use an extra $60.

Ok time to go make some money.  No excuses.  My daughter was in the ER and I knew it would be awhile so I took my laptop and while she watched TV or was getting a test done and the Dr's were not there, I worked on making money.  Remember Instagc that I told you about in the previous post's?  Yeah I have made over $100 this year just using that.  It doesn't include the other sites at all.

We are on this journey together and we will make it.  Share your stories, ask questions we are here for eachother.

Just Talking

So things have been a little crazy.  I have my kidney stone and I am trying to avoid surgical removal but my Dr. is starting to push it.  My daughter was very sick over the weekend and then missed three days of school with it being so close to the end.   I am working with her to try to get her grades to where they should be but it is hard when she is sick a lot between migraines, seizures, and regular illness.  Her grades are not that bad all things considered but I know she wants to do better, and I know she absolutely can.

At least I am home right now so that has been extra helpful during this time.  I am really working on ideas to stay home permanently.  I have already researched insurance for individuals so that I know what it will cost each month to insure us on my own.  Now it is time to start putting my skills to use and seeing what  can pull off.  There are plenty of people who have figured out how to make money at home and still pay bills and such.  If they can I am determined to figure it out for myself.

My next post will have some more helpful hints on how to earn some extra money.  I have been doing very well.  I just bought my daughter some more of her medical stuff she needed and didn't pay a cent and her party is pretty much covered other than the actual day of and a hoop skirt for the dress. I have actually never had this much money in my accounts at once other than tax time.  I have been doing my best to save money as much as I can.  I did spend some more money on a couple of my credit cards but it was for a gift and my house, but I have only used them about 3 times in the month and a half that I have been home.

Our journey together is one that will take some time but in the end will be worth it.  If you have any success stories I would love to hear them.

Health Update

So Friday I went to the ER and found out I had another kidney stone.  I had symptoms for a few days but I am bad about getting checked out.  I always put other things ahead of my pain.  I know that I should listen to my body more but I just have things to do so if it isn't too bad I just keep going.  Well on Thursday night my body was really letting me know it had enough and by Friday morning it was telling me it was time to go, so after the water heater repair people finished I went in.

This is the second time I have had one and it is the worst.  It is the only thing I have found that beat childbirth and that is painful enough.  Although when you understand what is happening with a kidney stone you realize it is about the same principle of pushing a watermelon out a hole the size of a pea.  If you have never had to go through either of these there is really no way for you to understand this type of pain.  If you have done one or the other then you know the pain I am talking about.  If you are like me and have done both, well you deserve and award.

They gave me meds to help and decided this time it is small enough that they hope it will pass on its own.  While I am not looking forward to passing it I am hoping it does because I do not want to do surgery again.  The last one I had was so big that even after placing a stint it still would not pass so they had to surgically break it up so it could come out.  That was not fun and I have had lower back pain every morning in that spot since.

I go see the dr. for a check up in the morning and hopefully it will be good news.  I am hoping they tell me it is passing along well and should be out in a few more days.  Unfortunately between the meds and pain there was not enough energy to make posts so I am hoping to get caught back up soon.
Keep up the good work on paying down the debt and building your savings. You are doing great because you are trying.  We are in this together.

Use Your Opinion To Make Money

So getting back to to making some extra money I have some more ways to help you get some extra funds to help with paying bills and adding to your savings account.  Believe me they work.  I have actually cashed out from everything I am telling you about.  I am only going to tell you about ones that I have actually earned money from.  My two other posts have information about ways that I have actually made money.

As a reminder of one of my favorite is InstaGC (https://www.instagc.com/420755).  I was just able to purchase $140.00 worth of birthday decorations for $10 byways are  using the points I earned to get Amazon codes.  I really like this site because you can get cash or gift cards.  I have cashed out money as well but right now i am working on a sweet 16 party so it is going to that.  I do about $1 a day as my goal but there are some people on there that have made $20 a day.  I just want to do other things during the day.

My other ways are surveys.  They can take some time to complete and it does take some dedication but you can make some money.  One that I started in the beginning is Opinion Outpost (opinionoutpost.com).  You can get cash, Amazon codes, and some other things as well.  You take surveys they send to your email and they are worth different point values once you get the amount you need to cash out then you can get the item you want.  This one is also good because you can cash out $10 at a time which is nice because the others you have to earn $25-$50 before cash out.  That means you can have money faster so it is quite helpful.

Another is Survey Savvy (http://www.surveysavvy.com/?m=5766848).  This is hit and miss on getting qualified on the surveys but the reason I like them so much is because you can cash out for $1.  See I am very inpatient about wanting to cash out so this one is nice because I do not have to wait long.  As soon as my account is credited I can send for a check.  I really like that idea.  So this is a good one if you are like me.

Well if you are like me you don't want to read a super long page either so I am going to stop for now.  I will give you some more options to choose from in other posts so you do not get overwhelmed.  We are in this together and I am here to help.  I want to help you get the freedom from debt you are looking for and I am doing it with you.

Sorry I went Missing

I just wanted to say sorry for not posting in so long.  I need to get back to our debt reduction series.  I hope you are doing well and have been able to save some money and pay down some bills.  I have so much to go over that has happened lately.

To start I am working at home. With my daughter's health and her needing me more I have taken the step of being home more often now.  It has been a little challenging getting started but by the grace of God I know I am going to figure this out.  It will get easier as I get more used to the idea.

I am not losing weight like I had hoped and I have been in a lot of pain so I am back to the Dr. next week.  I know I need to get this figured out but I a a little worried about what they are going to say is wrong.  Hopefully it is not something that is going to be drastic to fix.

Well those are the big changes as of right now.  I am still saving and paying bills although my income is not as big right now but I know it will pick up in the future.  I just have to get the hang of what I am doing but a lot of my friends are working from home now so I know I can do it if they can.  I will be back soon.

We are on this journey together and I happy you are here.

Just A Brief Moment

I am a little behind I know I need to give the next way I earn money.  I am actually doing a lot more, I am no longer working as of last Monday.  It has been great actually other than less money to work with at this point now but I refuse to give up on my debt free journey.  Currently I am working on earning Amazon points to pay for my daughters sweet 16 party.

I am super happy so far not working.  I have been able to be here for my daughter and actually get the rest that I need personally to recover mentally from all the stuff that has been going on.  I am not saying go out and quit your job but, I really feel that some people are not meant to work in a corporate world.  Ever since I was a kid I knew that I was not suited to work for the big companies and after many unhappy long years I am looking into pursuing something that is actually suited for me.

I will be back with more money making opportunities soon so do not worry,  Until then check out the older post for previously mentioned ways to earn and keep on working on the debt free journey.  God did not make you to struggle so stick with me, we can do this together.

Get Money Back From Shopping

I hope you are doing well with your savings and debt reduction.  It is such a great feeling to know that you are getting closer to living the way you want.  You should really be proud of yourself for taking this journey.  No matter how far you have gotten just be proud of yourself that you are continuing to work on it.  Some weeks will be easier and some you may have to make some adjustments due to an unexpected situation.  The goal is to keep going.  I have paid off 2 cards I have about $600 in savings and I am about to pay most of the balance off on another.

Today I am going to tell you how I get money back when I shop.  I like to use Ebates. You can check it out by clicking this link http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=beL25MhNpsK0Et5ppi%2FbBQ%3D%3D&eeid=28187 ( if you sign up I get a referral for this one)  You can shop at a ton of stores online and then depending on the store you will get either a percentage of your purchase back or a set dollar amount.  So far I have gotten back about $30 and my next check is already up to $16 from just making the purchases I already wanted to any way. Also I like that they have a reminder button you can download to your computer so if you are on the site of a company they work with it starts flashing so you can be reminded to get money back.

I have gotten money for buying things from Victoria Secret, Fingerhut, Amazon, Ebay, Kohl's, JcPenney, Jelly Belly candy, and I even got money back for doing my Taxes online with Turbo Tax.  It is really nice to get money back for buying things you need anyway.  Also during Christmas it is great because you can get some money back on all the gifts you buy so it doesn't seem so bad afterward.  Who couldn't use some money back after Christmas.

You are doing great.  Keep up the good work.  We are in this together and I know you can do this.

Making Money For Saving

Ok so now you have had time to go over all the other steps and get used to it.  Hopefully by now you have gotten the hang of things and have a system that works for you.  I know at first it takes some getting used to and sticking to it can be a challenge.  I have faith in you that you got this.  If I can do it I know you can too.

At this point you should have made a few of your weekly payments and even if it is small you should be seeing your balance slowly going down.  This is the goal.  No matter if it is a dollar a week or $100, the objective is to get the balance to be smaller.  It is not about how fast you go but getting the balance down is.  It is about still being able to eat but pay bills and start having an emergency  fund so credit cards are not always needed to solve an emergency.  We want those to be the last resort at this point.

So one way I make extra money is by using a site called INSTAGC.  To visit the site click http://www.instagc.com/420755  This can be used on computer or smart phone.  There are different ways to make money on this site.  You can watch videos, take survey, download games, even print coupons.  It is extremely easy.In my spare time this year I have made over $40.  Roughly $20 extra month so that is pretty good.  You can put that in your savings account or use it to make your weekly payments.  I have made about a $1 a day this month already.  Using my earnings from this site and another I will explain in another post I was able to buy my daughter a new backpack.  It cost $53 with shipping and I paid $0.  To the right is a picture that shows the type she got.  I got it from Amazon so I used my points for Amazon codes and put them on my balance until I had enough to pay for the whole thing.

So even if you only made $1 a day that would still be $30 extra a month.  That is $360 extra dollars a year. Think of what you could do to knock out debt or add to your savings with that much extra a year.  I am earning points as I type by watching videos.  It is really that easy.

In my next post I will go over some other money making tips that add up.  I hope you are learning on this journey.  Remember I am here with you taking the same journey.  We can do this together.

Just Checking In

We talked a lot about how to get started on the debt elimination journey and creating a savings.  I hope things are going well for you and you have started to make a dent in your bills.  Whether you are paying it off $1 or $100 at a time, the objective is to keep going.

To keep you motivated since we started this journey together I have accomplished paying off two cards and have saved almost $200.  I share this because I want you to know that you can do it.  I do not even make $18000 a year so if I can do it I know you can too.

I have faith in you that you can do this,  You just have to stick with your plan.  You made a goal and a commitment to get debt free.  Lets keep going together.  Remember the great feeling you will have once you pay off all the debt you owe.  Knowing you will have extra money each month because you do not owe $100's of dollars to credit cards and student loans.

I am proud of you for the hard work you are doing.  I am proud of you for deciding to finally get out of debt.  You have taken a big step and I know you can do it.  I will be here each step of the way to help you as much as I can.

Soon I will start telling you about the ways that I make extra money in my spare time to help off set the money that I am putting toward my debt.  I am actually buying my daughter a new backpack and because I work to make extra money and gift cards I am getting this $50 backpack for free.  So it is absolutely worth the effort.

Until next time, I am glad we are on this journey together.

The Empty

Most days are ok.  Some days are really good.  Some days honestly suck a whole lot.  I know this is life and everyone good and bad days.  The reality is how every one deals with each.  I do not always have a perky disposition.  I some times feel like the universe is laughing at me.  Most days I can handle the days I have.  Usually it is just a day.  Then there are days like today.

I don't know what it is or really how to explain it to be honest.  There are just days where no matter what I do or do not do I feel like I am wasting the day.  Like I am just burning time until something happens.  I am not sure what it means.  I know I need to get out more and be around other people but sometimes even then I have this feeling so I am not even sure what it is.

I just call it the empty.  It is when my mind and soul has just used up everything I have I guess.  The next day it is gone and I go about my day and deal with what come but on the days the empty is here it is like the world around me has nothing else to offer me.  I stare at the internet and there is nothing I want to look up or know anymore.  I mean really nothing on the internet?  But that is the empty, it is void of anything useful at the time.

Then tomorrow will come and I have stuff to do and the empty will be full and I will not have time to worry about anything else because I will have too much to worry about.

I know this was off topic of what we have been talking about but it was on my mind so I needed to vent it.

On To The Actual Saving

Ok so you now know how much you owe and how much you will dedicate to paying down this balance each week.  You have been thinking about the best way to use your taxes to your advantage.  You have put in the work to take back your money and now we are going to talk about how you can do all this and start to save some of it too.

I know when you are living paycheck to paycheck that building a savings account seems totally impossible.  The truth it is easier than you think.  Remember back when I talked about using cash only so you are more accountable for your money, well this is where that also helps your savings.

I want you to find a container it can be an actual piggy bank or a pickle jar.  It just has to hold money.  Now when you pay for something the change goes in the jar.  When the jar is full you roll it up and take it to the bank.  Now I actually save my $1 bills and my change but if you can not do that at least do the change.  It adds up and then if you need it you will have it.  You need to be dedicated though.  It means just because you want pop that day you can not go into the jar.  The savings isn't so you can buy a new t.v. later.  This is the saving you are building for real future emergencies.

Ok I am going to let all of this sink in.  I may not post for a couple days and if I do it might be on something different just so you can get working on this and get a feeling before I throw more at you.  Next we will start the different ways to earn some extra money to help with all of this.  There are so many different places claiming to pay you but through trial and error I have found some good ones that have helped me build up my cash.

Remember this is a journey and we are in it together.

Start Small

Ok so far we have talked about making your debt pay down book, and finding an amount that you are comfortable paying each week.  We made a quick side step and mentioned using tax money to pay some thing.  We will now get to the next step.  This is where the real work starts.  This is where you will actually start to pay off debt.

Every one has a different theory on this part.  Some say pay the bill with the highest interest rate while others say pay the amount that is smallest first.  Both are good ideas and can work.  I like the idea of seeing real progress though.  I want to know that me effort is making a difference in my debt.
This means I choose to pay the smallest bill first.  I actually just paid off one card and am now working on my second.  I feel like seeing a bill hit zero gives me motivation to keep going.  It is like having ice cream after a long day or your cheat day on a diet.  You can see that you are really making a difference in your debt.

So your job today is to find the bill that has the smallest amount owed.  I do not care what it is it just has to be the smallest.  This is the one you are going to work on first.  Now remember this is on top of your monthly payment.  So if it is big enough you will still get your monthly bill and you will pay the minimum that you always have but what ever the amount is that you decided was your extra amount you will pay this every week.

Currently I am working on my JcPenney bill.  I have $84 to go, so this week I will pay the $20 that I have dedicated to debt pay down.  I will have this bill paid off by the end of the month.  This will be the second bill I will have paid off and it is a great feeling.

Welcome to the journey.  I will be with you the whole way

Tax Season Means Pay Down

Ok so staying with paying down debt but veering a little, I want you to think about your taxes.  It is tax time and for some that means the possibility of extra money.  This is a great opportunity  to pay down a little debt.

It does not have to be your biggest bill or all of your debt.  I personally have picked one that is $84 and another that is $400.  The rest is going to repairs and other things that need to be dealt with.  The objective is to use it before you lose it.

This means pay something off before you end up spending it on some dinner night out and now it is gone with nothing to show for it.  The worst feeling you can get from taxes is when they are gone we have made no progress and are no better off than the year before.  It is better to pay even your smallest bill rather than nothing at all.

So take a look at your list if you have made it.  Now pick one thing that you know you can pay when your taxes come in.  Make this a priority as soon as the money gets there this is the one thing you will pay off.  No waiting just pay it immediately and then you are that much closer to being debt free.

This is a journey.  I am here with you and we are going to make it together.

Make a Commitment To Pay

In my last post I discussed the first step to getting out of debt and saving money.  Hopefully you have at least started putting together your debt down payment book.  I hope at this point you have a clear picture of what you are working with.

Now that you have seen the number it is time to start tackling what you can pay.  I know that having no extra money makes this part tough but you CAN do it.  I know because I am doing it right now.  You have to decide right now what you are going to commit to.  I do not care if it is $1, $5 or $50.  Right now you are making a decision about how much extra you are going to pay to a bill each week.  Yes I said each week.  It can be done and in future posts I will tell you how you can make extra money easily to put toward this.

Right now I just want you to make the commitment.  I personally chose $20.  It is a high number but it is what I chose.  Each week I pay $20 to the bill that needs to be worked on tight then.  This is not extra to every bill you are just committing to pay this amount to one bill so that makes it more achievable.

That is it for today.  I want you to look at what you can do.  Again if it is only $1.00 then that is where you start.  You may have to even buy one less pop during the week but you got this.  I make less than $18000 a year and I have picked $20 so I know you have $1 some where.

I happy to be on this journey with you and sharing what I have learned.  I know we can do this together.  You got this!

Flash Back To Savings

Awhile back I started to do a series where I was showing people how to pay down debt and save money even when you think it is impossible.  I know it is possible because I am doing it very slowly.  I have struggled for years and I am getting back to doing the work.  If I can do it on 17000 a year than pretty much any one can if they really do the work.

Today I am introducing the first part.  It is figuring out just what you owe.  You need to see the big picture in order to get it under control.  When you see it and know if it is growing or shrinking you are more in control of the situation.

How ever you want to to log it is up to you but you have to keep track.  I personally like to use a composition note book and do it by hand.  If you want to go digital that is fine.  Some people are really good at spreed sheets so that might work for you.  Also if you are a part of a couple you need to work together also so you are both on the same page.

You take all your bills and list them and the amounts that you owe.  Then make a column that says total and add them all up so now you can see exactly what you owe.  No matter the number do not beat yourself up.  What ever the number you can do this.  Life happens and you now need to face it and deal with things where they are right now.

Each month you will add and subtract based on  your statement,  You will add interest back to the balance and subtract any payments you have made.  So if you got charged $3.00 interest add that and if you made a $25 payment you subtract that.  Then you go to the total amount owed and do the same.  This way you keep an accurate account of what you owe.

Ok so you now know where to start.  I will keep giving you ways to get out of debt and save money.  If you have questions please comment I am here to help.

Feeling Frustrated

So I am working on a lot of new things this year and honestly it is getting overwhelming.  I have tried being positive more each day, but the reality is that some days are hard.  Nothing seems to be going right and no matter how hard you try you just can not turn things around.  I just had so many plans for this year and it isn't going as easy or as well as I planned.

As a matter of fact everything seems to be heading the opposite way of how I thought it would go.  The more I try the farther backwards I seem to go.  I have been home and separated for four years.  It is time for things to start turning around.  I was headed on a good path and then it is like something snapped and now I am spiraling backwards again.

It is rough to really want to get out of your situation but you seem to just keep repeating the same day over and over.  Some times I feel like I am in the living in the movie Ground Hog Day.  I wake up and do the same thing every day.  If I had a stalker it wouldn't be hard for them to track me down since my schedule is always the same.

Most people fear change.  They want to stay in their comfort zone and never have to do anything different but I am ready for change.  I want a lot of change.  I would be happy with just about everything changing.  I want things to improve.  I have so much that is just making me feel down that if even one thing would start turning around then it would give hope to keep pushing.

I really intend to keep working to be positive and be happy with what I do have because I know things can be a lot worse.  I just do not want things to get that bad because I can not turn things around or think in a more positive manner.  

Serious Thinking

I have so much going through my head lately.  I want a change so I have a lot of things to accomplish ahead.  I could lose my job any day so that really puts a spin on the situation,  I need a job that lets me just work and has structure.  If I could afford to work for myself I totally would because it would make things so much better around here.  Sales jobs are just not my thing.  If some one doesn't want to buy something I am not one to really push the issue.

I want so much more for my daughters future so I have a lot of work to so there as well.  She only has 2 years until college.  It may seem like I have time but if you are a parent you know how fast time flies.  I want to give her the sweet 16 she is dreaming of and also give her the choice of whatever college she wants.

I want a better future for myself as well not just sitting on my couch because I am poor or do not feel good half the time.  I want to be able to enjoy life a little.  I think I need to make a check list of things I want to do do so that I can keep up on my goals, then as I check them off it will also help me have a sense of accomplishment.  I think I just want my life to mean something one day.  I am not saying I need to be mega famous but when my daughter talks about me to her grand kids I want it to be positive things.

I know we all feel this way at some point but I want to do something about that feeling.  I want to actually make that feeling go away and turn it into something positive.  I want to look back on my life and be completely at peace when it is time for me to leave this world.

Slightly Rough Day

So as some of you know my daughter suffers from neurological issues.  Most days are ok with a little confusion over small things.  She does her best to go to school as much as possible and tries to be positive as much as she can.  She is always worried about her friends and would do anything to help anyone.  She is my special princess.

Today was not a usual day.  She missed almost the whole school day and finals are in two weeks so that is tough.  She basically had short term memory loss for the whole day.  It was 9 pm and she still thought it was dinner time.  It is a little scary right now but I am still working to stay positive.  I know God is with us during this time,  I just wish that made me feel better about going to sleep.  Tomorrow could be a completely normal day or this could be the beginning of a tough week,

I think it would be easier to handle if I had more answers.  They can't tell me why she has seizures and migraines all the time.  They can't tell me if she will grow out of it or if we even have the right meds yet.  That is the hardest part for me.  I want to know what is going on and how I can help but I don't and I can't.

I want to help my princess but there is nothing I can do to make it better.  I just have to sit back and watch as she suffers and I can't do anything for her.  She depends on me to keep her safe and I can't against this particular situation.

A Positive Spin

So since the beginning of the year I have made an intentional effort to be more positive.  It has been going well and it is making things seem a little easier.  I have even been making a joke about things that are going bad and not letting them get to me as much.  I know it is only 5 days into the new year but I can see the affects already.  I notice my days are a lot easier and it is not as rough to go to work.  Things are easier to deal with even when it is a rough topic.

I am determined to keep this going all year.  No matter what happens I want to keep a positive attitude.  I am seeking God more in my life and actively seeking the good things that are going on.  I am not letting people get to me with negative thoughts or comments.  It is all in how you look at the world.  I want to see it as a good place.  I want my daughter to go into the world and create a positive space and I can't expect her to see the positive if I don't myself

We owe it to ourselves to have the best life we can,  There is no way to achieve that if we are constantly going around looking at the negative around us.  If we create peace and Joy around us then it will spread, It will infect others and help make the world a better place around us.

Stay true to yourself.  Find your own beauty and dance to your own music.

Getting Going

So I am trying to start the new year by getting my life and home in order.  The hard part is doing it with chronic pain and chronic fatigue.  The problem is you get motivated to get things done but have no energy to do it.  Your body and mind are exhausted but you attempt things any way and that only leads to more pain and exhaustion.

I really do try to keep going and get stuff done. I do not want my daughter to think I am lazy and that it is ok not to get stuff done but then I suffer later and can not do stuff that I want to do with her, further complicated by her seizures and chronic issues we are stuck in a cycle.  I want her to know that it is ok to live but showing her is a little harder than that.

This year I am claiming it is going to be a better year.  I am believing it.  I am going to attempt the gym more and go to church more often.  I want my daughter to know it is ok to be tired but you can not give up.  I am pushing through this year to show her there is more to life than the computer and couch.

I hope you are having a blessed day and enjoying the first day of 2016.

Happy New Year

I just wanted to take a moment to say Happy New Year!  I am looking to this year with a positive attitude and plan to make some personal changes.  I am very excited to see what this year holds.  Last year was rough and I suspect that this year will have its moments.  I also suspect it will be easier to deal with if I choose to have a different perspective this year also.

So with that I hope you have a great year.  I hope you are blessed more than you can imagine and I hope to continue to connect with you more this year.  Thank you for reading.