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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Feeling Pretty Good

So for a long time things were really rough.  Then all of the sudden the other day I was sitting here doing my surveys and such and it hit me.  I was fine.  I wasn't stressed even though a lot of things were crazy.  I was relaxed and at peace with my situation.  I didn't care that things were going wrong. I was just enjoying sitting with my daughter and doing my thing.  It was a great feeling.

As you all know it has been a long time that things have been going crazy for me.  Every day I woke up worried about what was going to go wrong and would I make it just one more day.  This day it was all gone.  I wasn't worried, or stressed or anything of the sort.  I was just at peace.  It was an amazing moment for me.  It has been so long but I got there.  Every day since I have thought about that feeling and I keep it going.  Not every day is perfect and sunshine but I am still here.

I am also thinking about taking a big step into a career change where I am in charge.  I want to help people.  I want it to be in a big way though so I am thinking of becoming a life coach.  I can help people figure out what they want to do and how to get there.  I am not sure this is my true calling but it has been on my mind day after day for at least a week now so I am researching the topic.  I think it would be amazing to help others find their true passion and how to get there.

I am ready to change and do big things with my life.  I know I am poor in money but I am rich in faith and spirit.  I am going to make it.  So will you.

Holding On By a Thread

Lately it has been one mess after another it seems like.  This has been an extremely challenging year.  There was my daughter and all the sinecures she was having.  Her health was beginning   to decline and I was scared that she may not make it through the year.  It was an extremely hard point in life.

Then there was the baby.  It is still haunting me almost every day.  I always think about it and how things would be different if I was still pregnant.  I know things happen for a reason but it doesn't make the situation hurt any less. My uncle that past away in June would have had his birthday yesterday.  We decided to have a small family dinner in his honor.  My cousin had his new baby there and I couldn't even look at it or go int the same room.  It was horrible.

People who I thought were my friends have basically cut me off and no longer really even acknowledge me because they feel I don't have time for them and such.  I guess that isn't too bad considering they have not taken me and my daughter into consideration and feel like we should worry about them more even though my life has been a mess.

The topper is now I am on the verge of losing my job.  I do not make enough really as it is and now I might lose the only income I really have. I already owe like everyone a ton of money so losing my job is not really feasible. I have no control over it though at this point which makes it tough.  They will either keep me or they won't.

So This year has not been one of my favorites.  It has been one of the most trying, yet here I am still.  I have no idea why I am here or what my purpose is but I am here.  I will still take each day as it comes but what my reason is right now I do not know

Happy New Year!

So it is 2015.  Hopefully you have learned a few tips to give you a great year.  I am really excited about this year.  I feel like I am going to get somewhere.  I feel like that My debt is going to be gone this year other than student loans.  Those are going to be the last things I tackle.  I will be using the many I get from saving so much to make the payment.  It will be refreshing to know that is the end of my debt.

I hope that you guys will have a great year and start to get ahead on your debt.  It is really a great feeling to get to keep some of that money you work so hard to make.  It is tiring to go to work every day and have nothing to show for it.  I will be so excited when I start getting paid and the money is actually mine to do as I wish not figure out who I can pay this week and who will have to wait until the next payday.  I get 3 pay checks this month and taxes are right around the corner.

The best thing about taxes is you can pay off something.  I don't care if it is the smallest bill you have, pay it off.  That will free up not only your money but it will help free you from stress.  Then you can concentrate on other bills.  I already know what I am doing with my taxes.  I have been planning it for months.  I know what I want to accomplish when I get my return.  I know what I need to do to get ahead.

You should sit down and make a list.  It doesn't matter if you don't know how much you are going to get.  You know what you need to pay off.  So put it in writing from most important to what you would like to pay off but can wait a minute.  The goal is to be ready so when that money gets there.  You will have a set plan.  Then you follow it.  That is all there is too it.  Now if between now and then something major happens you can adjust the list but the main thing is to be ready and have a plan.  The problem is that most people get so excited about getting them they start thinking about all the stuff they can buy.  They make these purchases but never take care of the old debt so then they have all this new stuff but still no money.  Not a good plan.  You just start regretting what you did and then you really can't enjoy the new stuff.

So I hope you will join me this year in making this year our best debt free year ever.  I hope that you will find your way to becoming debt free.  What ever works for you I hope you will use it and get to a comfortable relationship with your money.

How To Pay Your Bills

Ok so now we have talked about saving some money, so now we can talk about ways to pay bills.  Everybody has bills to pay, the ability to pay them is what what causes the issue.  When you have very little to work with it can become very difficult.

I get paid biweekly.  I make roughly $175 a week after all my deductions.  This is definitely not a lot and then paying bills makes it even more challenging but it can be done with a little skill.  First make phone calls.  Some times if you call you can get companies to adjust your payments.  You can get it switched to a different day if you have too many due at the same time.  You can ask for a cheaper plan on cable or phone. Sometimes you can get a better interest rate on a credit card.  Even if they say no you still have to call to find out.  If you don't call you don't know.

next you have to know your minimum payments and your due dates.  Most of your payments are going to stay the same every month.  This is the payment and due date. Once you know what these are you need to start getting your mind wrapped around when and how much you will pay each pay date.  Not on the due date but on the pay day that falls before it is due.  For example you have a bill that is due the 20th but you get paid on the 10th or the 24th.  Well anything that is due after the 10th is getting paid on the 10th.  If you have anything that is due after the 24th then those bills will come out of your second check.  There may be some weeks that you have less money but making sure your bills are paid is what is important.

Eventually if you are paying off a credit card or something like that it will be paid off.  Then you can use that money to pay off the next thing.  There is debate over whether you should pay off the smallest balance first or the highest interest rate item.  I personally feel that it is better to pay off the smallest balance item first.  This way you will get something paid off quicker and that money can go toward the next item.  The faster you can pay stuff off the sooner you will have more money.

When I pay something off I like to use the 50/50 rule for the money that would have went to that payment.  I put half of that payment toward the next bill to be paid off and the other half in my checking or saving.  The reason for this is it makes you feel better and more comfortable about moving forward.  You want to feel like you are freeing up your money so if you give yourself some then it is extra money each pay period so you feel  like you are succeeding.  If you can put more toward paying off the bill that is great but you don't want to feel like you are never going to get any where either.

So here are some small tips for paying bills.  If you have more questions or suggestions please share.  Lets get saving.

No Card No Problem

So I explained to you how I have ditched my Debit Card and use cash now.  I do have a couple credit cards for emergency purposes.  I would just like to clarify that.  I love using cash for many reasons.  I can see it go.  I know exactly what is happening to it.  When it is gone it is gone so there is no over drafting my account on accident.  As stated in my article about how to save money we don't have it helps me build up my savings with out even noticing it is gone.

When you use your debit card you just swipe but you do not really have that connection of giving it away.  When you have to physically give it to some one it clicks a little different and when they hand a little less back than what you gave them, that is a connection.  If you are out shopping and only have a certain amount of cash on hand to spend you know you can not go over.  There is no picking up a few extras because you know you don't have it.

Another question is now how do I pay my bill?  Well there is the old fashioned method  Write a check and mail it to whom eve you need to pay.  This does require buying stamps and with a few companies envelopes.  If you have a Dollar Tree near you this  is a great place to save money on stuff like that.  Then there is the newer method.  It is electronic withdrawal which the company can set up over the phone or you can set up an account with the company and make a payment each month or  there is .online banking.  I still have a checking account for certain things so I use my online bill pay.  My money get directly deposited in my account on pay day and then I go into my bill payer and tell the bank when I want the money o be sent to the company I am paying.  It is super easy and convenient.  You can even make payments to people so if you need to pay back "Aunt Jackie" who you only see like maybe once a month you can put her in your bill pay and then she will get a check right from the bank.

You have many options to help deal with this new adventure.  It does take some time and a little effort but if you stick with it you will find that you will see progress that is actually getting you some where.  It didn't happen over night but slowly I have figured out what is working and I am getting there.  Next I think we will talk about how to tackle paying bills in general especially if you get paid less than weekly.  Thanks for reading and lets get saving.

Hi

So I stopped writing for a bit because it looked as if I was only writing to myself.  I have since seen that there have been a lot of page views.  Not sure if I am really helping or not but with more people reading it can't hurt to keep going.  I will be writing another piece shortly.  This one will be No Card Got Bills:  How do I pay them now?

I will be discussing exactly how to pay and manage your bills even with out having your debit card to take care of it.  I know it will be tricky at first as most of us rely on our card.  I still have not reordered one and it has been at least 6 months now with out it.  I am actually enjoying it.

How Do We Save Money We Don't Have

So there are articles everywhere on how to save money.  They explain how to save a bunch and get your debt paid off.  The problem you ask?  Well they always use big number like saving hundreds or thousands at once.  Sometimes it is even you should save 50% of your income.  Well if you are like me you don't have that kind of money.  If you put that much in savings your bills would never get paid off.  So what is the solution?

Well I have tried a lot of things.  One thing that was useful was the envelope system.  This is where you take out the exact amount of money you will spend from your pay check and label an envelope for each thing you would spend money on.  For example your car loan, groceries, eating out if you intend on doing that.  You only take cash out of the envelope that you intend on using it for.  Once the envelope is empty you have no more money for that particular activity until you get paid again.  In theory it really does work, if you can stick with it.  I was able to for  little while but then I found myself sneaking a dollar from this envelope to go to the other envelope and then I gave up.  If you can do it then by all means go for it.  Just wasn't my thing.

What did work you ask?  Saving the money I already had.  Didn't I just say I had none to save?  Well that is the trick.  First you get a jar and a savings account.  Preferably find a saving that you will earn decent interest from.  Then comes the easy part.  Say you have a $20 and you spend say $13.75,   You now have 6.25 in change.  Take the $1.25 and put it in the jar.  Every time you get coin or dollar bill you put it in the jar.  You are less likely to miss small change than you are trying to put away a $10 each time.  Then when your jar is full you take it and put it in your savings.  Then the best part it is so easy.  You leave it there.  For me it is a little easier because I work at a bank so I can deposit mine as soon as I get them.

The beauty of this is that you don't really notice your money going because it is such a small amount at a time.  I mean will you really notice that $.20 cents is not in your pocket.  Most likely not.  It is actually nice to not carry around loads of change.  It adds up quicker than you think.  Before you know it you will have saved $100 easy.  Now you have options once it builds up.  My advice?  Leave it alone as long as you can.  Although if you have saved $100 and have a bill that needs to be paid off then do it.  The nice thing is what you can do with that extra money.  This will be the topic of my next post.

Remember if you have ideas please share.  We are in this together.  You may have a suggestion that I have not even thought of.  Thank you for reading and see you next time.

Just Checking In

So I have given you a lot of advice in my last few posts.  I am just wondering if any one has started using them or has any success to share. Have you tried a budget yet?  How does your family feel about cutting back?  What have you decided to save for?  I would like to hear your thoughts on things.  Do you think these are good or bad ideas?

These are things that have helped me.  I kept looking for help myself but all the articles seemed to be geared toward people with a lot more money so I decided I would share what I have learned and used as a person that has very little wiggle room for saving and spending.  I only work part time and have a daughter to support so a big budget is not something I am accustomed to.  I wanted to help other people so I hope I am getting out to at least even one person to make a difference.

Ditch The Debit Card!!!!!!

Ok, so I know what you are thinking,  This lady is crazy!  You can not possibly  make it through the day without your little plastic friend.  It would bring an end to your world if you didn't have that little rectangle available at all times.  If you could not simply swipe the card through the reader then what would you possibly do?  It is ok I have a plan and a reason.

So true a debit card is convenient.  Yes it is way more simple than carry around cash. The thing is that problems can also arise out of a debit card that can really wreck your road to recovery.  Debit cards are so easy to use that a person can get carried away just swiping all the time.  One little mistake and you could be cleaning up the mess for an extra month or more.  Who wants to deal with all of that when you are already trying to get your budget together.

 1.  You go on a day of errands and have to hit 5 stores that day. You do good on the first couple of stops making sure you put your receipt away but by the 4th store you are tired and just want to be done and forget to get it.  While this seems easy enough, what if it is for gas and it only shows up as 0.00 because it is still pending and you wait 2 days to fill in your check book.  You forget how much you spent and guess you are $3.00 off on your guess now your book is wrong and you go about your spending.  Then BAM!!!! Over draft charge.  You may even forget to write it in all together in the first place and there it is a fee just because you forgot one transaction.  Now you are negative and either have to keep using the card and make it worse, use your credit card which will now incur interest or dip into your savings.  All of which defeat the whole purpose of what you are working for.

2.  You buy a trial of something because you can put it on your card and it seems cheap.  Then you forget to cancel it and now you are paying $80 for a trial item because they have your card number and can automatically bill you.  Once again you are hit with fees and looking to pay for everything you just did again defeating the purpose.

3.  As we have found time and time again they are not super secure either and when you are trying to save money because you don't have any, you can't afford an act of fraud.  Depending on the situation it could take 30 days before you get your money back.  My guess is if you are reading this then you can not afford to wait 30 days to get your money back

Now lets get to what you should do.  CASH!  That is right plane old paper bills and coins.  This is the perfect way to stay on track.  I am not saying no electronic use.  You can pay your bills online to save driving every where and wasting gas which of course costs money.  You keep track of how much you have after bills by doing that in a check log.  What is left after you get paid and deduct your bills is the cash you have to spend until your next payday.  THAT IS IT.

You only get what your check log says you have.  You then take out the cash and that is what you use.  This is also helpful because it is more visual too.  You are physically giving away your hard earned money which can be harder the less you have.  When you actually have to hand over a $5 for that one cup of coffee it starts to sink in that you are giving away a lot of money for one little thing.  You go out to eat and you have to use a $20 and only get a $5 back it really does hit a nerve and you will start watching what you are doing more.  When you only have $20 left and payday is still 4 days away you will be much more careful.

How do I know this?  I have been doing it now for 5 months.  I don't even have an ATM card now.  There are times where things have come up and unfortunately I have had to use a card or my savings and that is also life.  The important thing is that because I have been working to change my situation I actually had money on my card or cash in the savings.  I made sure to keep myself accountable.

It isn't always easy and I know every situation is unique.  I am not going to tell you to save $50 every check because I couldn't do it and still have money.  I am giving you tips to help you get the start you need and you can customize it to fit you.  I work at a bank so I can get the money out when needed but you may still need an ATM card just in case, that is what will work for you.  Until next time.  Keep up the good work.  I would love to hear if any one has been using my steps and how it is working for them.

Lets Do A Recap

   Ok so now that I am back online we are going to recap my original posts to make sure we are either still on track or get back on track.  No matter where you are the important thing is that you keep working. I have had times where I have either pulled from my savings or just stopped doing what I needed to do to keep it going.  What matters is that you get back to what you were doing.  The important thing is to get out of debt and be free of the trouble it brings.

  So first you have to have a goal.  A real reason that this is so important to you.  Whether it be to buy something, have a big nest egg, or you are just tired of struggling.  You have to have a real reason or it will not be as important to you and you will not try as hard.  Everyone needs to be on board with this if you have others in your household.  If you are single then you are going to have to work hard to keep yourself committed to the final goal.  This is not going to be easy but when you are able to achieve your goal because you worked so hard it will be totally worth it.

   Now that you have decided why, you have to do.  Set up a plan.  Pick a credit card you want to tackle first or maybe it is your car loan that you want to eliminate.  What ever it is that is going to be your main priority until it is paid.  Even if in the beginning you only round the payment up to the next dollar.  Say your payment is $50.51 then you pay $52.00.  Even if you did only that for a year you would pay an extra $5.88. This is $5.88 less you will be charged interest on.  If you get a raise then you need to decide what extra you can put toward that bill.  You will do all that you can to pay off that extra bill.

    Next this part is something you will have to decide on your own.  Some people swear by it, I myself have never been able to follow one.  I am talking about a budget.  Some people really like them and use them religiously.  It is a blue print of how you will spend your money each month.  It only works if you actually do it every month and stick to it.  That is my down fall,  I really have a hard time redoing every month.  If you are the type of person who needs structure this may be the right choice for you.  If you think you can handle it month after month and stick with your plan then you may not need one.  This part is totally a personal choice.  You can always try it and if it is not for you then do it your way.  As I have said before the most important thing is that you do it.

That is all for the recap.  I hope you will come back so that we can finally do our next piece,  Ditch The Debit Card.  I will be talking about why I have learned it is better to go all cash while trying to eliminate debt. I hope to see you back soon.  As Always feel free to share your thoughts and ideas.  We are all in this together.