The Debt Diet Challenge Week #5: Our Participants Weigh In

Penny

OK, so the car repairs were as bad as I suspected, just under $700.00. I was able to use the money I had planned on paying on my high interest credit card and some money I saved. I paid it all in one lump some, cash. It was all I could do to walk away from the man at the garage without saying that I felt raked over the coals, and that is putting it mildly. On the other hand, I suppose I should be happy that I didn’t use my credit cards. My husband says the brakes are better than they had been in a long time. Yikes, not sure why he didn’t tell me earlier that we needed them. I wasn’t able to pay anything extra on the high interest card with this paycheck, but did increase the payment with our next check. Not as much as this would have been, but still substantial.

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I talked with Jean about how to cut back on eating out and she said to cut in half the number of times I am eating out to start with. Then when I get that down, cut again. I am going to try to do this.

My husband and I went to Bass Pro shop (avid hunters are we) and we spent more money there than I had planned. We were doing well, only getting a few things, when my husband saw a range finder. It was on sale with a $20.00 rebate to send in, so in the cart it went. Needless to say, the money that was budgeted for groceries went to this. I was shocked at what we spent. We both have cash in our wallets, so I made sure my husband knew that it was all we had until our next paycheck. I haven’t touched the money I have put in savings and actually added to it because I paid myself first.

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The next day after our Bass Pro trip, I received a text from my oldest grandson. He was going to be camping a few hours away from us next weekend. I gathered all the information and reserved a campsite. I was able to pay for the campsite with what little I had left in our account, but it may cost more in the long run. We have a camper, but reserved a “basic” site. No water/sewer/electric and my husband can’t imagine being without air conditioning, as hot as it has been. I am asking friends to see if I can borrow a generator so I don’t have to buy one. I have plenty of groceries and our gas budget is OK, so I’m not worried about that. I found my weakness is that it is hard to say no when it comes to my grandchildren. I am hoping this works out with little or no extra cost. I am really going to try to make that happen.

I find myself thinking of ways to save like never before. I wouldn’t have thought about asking to borrow something, or where the money was going to come from, but working this program and being held accountable is changing all that. I really do want out of debt, because I see how less stressful people are when they have financial freedom. I kind of like my new way of thinking. I am going to continue tracking my spending and looking for more ways to save. I am gaining confidence each day.

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Read Chris’ story »