Summer Update

Hi Everyone!

First of all, I noticed it has been quite a while since I posted. I’m sorry if you’re someone who looks forward to this!

I have some updates of course since December.

- I did end up getting a small raise and a bonus in the spring. That will help for when insurance starts coming out of my check. That change will likely take effect in August.
- I’m tracking well for my goal this year. I keep calculating how close I can get to May 2019 for my debt free date. I keep getting closer and closer.
- I may start paying for my car insurance and phone bills. I’m on family plans for both, but I really want to start pulling my weight.


And the last update is something that really excites me.

I’ve paid off just over $50,000 so far! That’s $50,000 over 34 months. This isn’t a gazelle intense debt free scream worthy ratio, but I’m still proud of it.

Now $23,000 to go!

Side Hustle Advice

By way of my Granny, I have become an eBay seller. She has been selling old toys for some extra money. She isn’t technologically savvy enough to get them posted, so I help her in that area. She doesn’t drive, so my mom handles the shipping for her. We’ve been doing this side hustle for about a month and I’ve learned a few tips and tricks for those just starting out.

• The items have to be clean and organized before posting. 

• Use eBay’s recommended shipping as a guideline. - I thought shipping would be a lot cheaper than it actually is. This hurt our profits at the beginning. 

• Be happy with whatever it sells for if it’s an auction. - We are happy to be making anything on old toys since it is all profit. If you want a specific amount to feel comfortable selling, consider a buy it now or starting your auction at or near that price. 

• Treat buyers how you would want to be treated. -This means giving refunds if appropriate and combining shipping where available. 

• Consider shipping insurance on items that sell for a high price. - We had something sell for $50 and it got damaged in transit. That ended up being a return and loss of those funds. 

• It will be a time investment. - How many items you sell and how quickly will determine exactly how much time it will take. 

Lastly, put your profits towards debt. My Granny always borrows from us to pay for Christmas. I would rather her borrow money from me than a PayDay lender like the previous year.

2017 Wrap Up

It’s time for the 2017 wrap up and a new net worth update. To start, let’s go over my goals set for 2017.

Original 2017 Goals

Pay off $14,000 in debt.   - Exceeded
Save $700 for a vacation. - Saved the cash, but overspent and ended up spending $870 for the trip
Save $800 in my auto account.  - Missed this target. Moved over money and cash-flowed any maintenance. I keep thinking that if I can get more debt paid off it will be easier to save money for a new car in full.

Home Stretch Goals

Pay off all Plus Loans - completed 12/11/17
Be at 50% of debt paid off - completed
Pay off $20,000 for 2017 - completed 12/27/17

These stretch goals helped keep me pushing during November and December. I had already passed my original goals and wanted to take it a step farther.

I’ve ended 2017 at a networth of  -$24,794.08.  I could be positive next year!

Alright, so 2018 is about keeping it up while also pushing towards the long term goal.

2018 Goals

Exceed 2017 for debt paid off - This will be a challenge because I am not expecting any increases, bonus is not likely due to the overall company performance, and I will  have to start paying for health insurance.

Begin the Debt Snowball method -  I’m starting to get bored/antsy.  I am vacillating between knowing I can pay off my car this year or knock out a lot of my smaller Fed Loans. Whatever I pay off and to which loans may not matter much in the long run.

Save $1,000 for a Vacation - I’m considering a trip with my little sister and will either save the cash or cash flow it. Either way no credit cards for this trip.

Cash flow for anticipated upcoming medical bills and car maintenance.

New Long Term Goal

Be debt free by May 2019, which is 5 years after college graduation.

At first, I didn’t think I could get it done this quickly. The May 2019 will be ambitious, but plausible.

Millennials: Best gifts for Christmas 2017

Hi guys! It’s another exciting day here. We have a guest blogger, Mark from FoosBallZone. Enjoy the new post and check out his information and website as well.

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The holiday season is here and that means we will buy presents for people we love. But, we don’t have to spend a lot to give them interesting presents. Think about the personality of the people you are buying and I will inspire you with interesting presents which won’t make you spend too much. Enjoy my list of cute present for Millennials:

Leather tassel charging cable - $10

I like devices that have two purposes since they never appear what they look like. This present is an excellent example of it. It is a tassel keychain which looks incredible and it would seem that a common keychain, yet in the event that you look carefully, you can see that it has a charging link implanted inside. This means that the person who gets this present will always have a cable with her and that can save battery very often. You will astound your better half/sweetheart/little girl with this present for Christmas.

Foosball iPad stand - $20

The foosball iPad table is really a mix of the advanced and genuine diversion since it comprises of two things – the foosball table and iPad. The foosball stand is a little foosball table with poles and scoring framework and the iPad is really the playing surface. Along these lines, you are turning the poles and the players in the iPad are moving as you wish. I am certain beyond a shadow of a doubt everybody will love this device. The rods on the iPad stand and the rods in the game work perfectly so you won’t experience glitches.

Beer making kit -  $30

Every beer lover is not a true beer lover until he tries to make his own beer. This interesting kit is made for beer enthusiasts who aren’t afraid to make things with their own hands. This beer is not an ordinary beer, it is a Bourbon Vanilla Porter and that will impress your beer friend. If you aren’t sure whether he will love that type of beer don’t worry, you can pick another one because there are 6 combinations you can choose from.

Sipping Stones Whiskey Rocks - $10

If a person wants to enjoy a nice cold drinks without watering it with ice, he/she should definitely try cooling the drinks with whiskey rocks. Little rocks are completely safe; they are made from natural soapstone which can maintain the desired temperature for a long time. It is extremely easy to use them, they have to be in the freezer for a couple of hours and they are good to go. No more diluted drinks and another perk that comes with them – they look incredibly cool.  

Planner Passion 2018 - $30

Every New Year is a new beginning and a chance for improvement. Millennials are an ambitious generation which makes this present an excellent choice for them. Here, they can write their long and short-term plans, important dates, to do lists and everything they want to write to keep their life organized.

Author bio:

Mark is a foosball player and a blogger with a blog about foosball. He shares everything one has to know about foosball on his blog because he thinks that foosball not as popular as it should be. Click here to read his posts and fall in love in foosball like he is! 

PLUS LOANS ARE DONE

I hit my first long term FI goal. I’ve just submitted my last payment for my Parent PLUS Loans. Today is payday and I woke up anxious to get my payment sent out. It’s still pending, so I’ll officially celebrate next week.

This is an exciting feeling. It’s the endorphins I needed to catapult me into a stricter budget. It’s been a long journey to reach hitting this goal - In part because I chose the Debt Avalanche vs the Debt Snowball.

Now I’ll be focusing on my Auto Loan and Fed Loans in the New Year. I would like to get $20,000 paid off this year, but I also have been using my credit card too much. - I’ll let you know which I decided to put it towards.

Celebrate the wins, everyone!

December Run-Down

It’s been a bit, but I’m doing some financial recalibrating. I mentioned how I was going budget free lately. I’ve decided it’d be best to get my butt back in gear.

I did an analysis of my debt payments towards my Plus loans. It’s interesting to see the trends. I can tell where I lost focus or other things came up.

I’m going back on the budget train in January. Right now, I’m giving a final December push to finish the year by paying off $20,000 in debt. I’m close, but need a little extra to get it closed out.

I’m starting to adjust my budget and envelopes for 2018. I would absolutely love to be debt free by May of 2019 - five years from when I graduated from college, but I think that might be too ambitious. It’s a fun goal though. With my budget in hand, it could happen.

I know I can do it by January 2020, which is still an exciting thing to calculate.

In my yearly wrap-up I’ll go over more, but you guys know I love to think about all of that stuff already in December.

Murphy Happens

This month was my attempt to get back on the budget train.

I only really use two categories for my cash. They are Gas and Spending money. Gas prices have gone up, the plumber sent us his bill, and Murphy showed his face.

I brought my phone and $20 to the flea market. I left with neither. I didn't put my phone in my pocket and I left it in our little wagon. I looked back, and my phone was gone. I traced and retraced my steps, but I knew it had been stolen in that 10 minute timeframe. 

I have set aside cash for the plumber, so that is taken care of. I have about $30 for gas money next week and I'm currently on the "E". Thankfully payday is on Friday. I might eek it out until then, but I may have to put one tank of gas on my credit card and pay it back right away. 

Regarding my phone, my family always keeps a stash of old phones. These are ones that work fine, but we upgraded and no longer need them. I decided to use an old one and it didn't cost me any fees to activate the new phone. I was pretty tempted to just get a newer phone instead, but it would cost too much. 

Overall, going cash has helped me keep in mind all the things that could come up. What's great is that how I budget allows for these unexpected things to happen. Plus, maybe I'm not the most "gazelle intense", but I also know that I can cover my emergencies by lowering my debt payment. I don't want to do that, but life and Murphy happens.