A Dime at a Time

Navigating life and finances

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Car repairs can be good…

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Car repairs can be good. They remind us that we didn’t pay 40k for a brand new car with fewer repairs but with huge monthly payments! (And yay for 3 paycheck months!)~Priscilla

Thank you for that comment, Priscilla.  You are absolutely right.  I had not thought of it in this way, and it made paying our latest repair bill much less painful!  While our pickup truck needed some planned and unplanned work (to the tune of almost $1,400-ouch!), this truck has no payment attached to it.  And that is a beautiful thing! [Read more…]

Time for a quick update

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Just a quick update on life here at A Dime at a Time.  

Not a lot going on right now, so this is just a quick update of the past few days.

I sold two more items on eBay, netting roughly $30 after fees, etc.  I found a couple more items to list, so I’ll work on that either later tonight or this coming week.  Every little bit helps! [Read more…]

Taking the bull by the horns

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I’m coming after you!

Are sleepless nights making me even more aggressive towards our debt?  I think so!  

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I have been experiencing a lot of sleepless nights over the amount of interest our debt is costing us.  I spent several daylight hours focused on how fast we could eliminate $3,806 worth of debt to take full advantage of a balance transfer I received in the mail. Doing so would save us a small fortune in interest. Being a bit of a numbers nerd, I even ran some loose figures as to how much these balance transfers will save us.  Between the transfer of a few days ago (giving us 21 months of zero percent interest) and the transfers pending paying off the $3,806, we will be on track to save over $300 worth of interest each month.  Holy cow!  It’s no wonder I can’t sleep at night thinking about this.  The faster we can make this happen, the better off we will be. [Read more…]

Getting the biggest bang from a payment

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My quest to reduce the interest we pay.  

Lately, the interest we are paying on our debts is keeping me awake at night. In particular, our large balances are what I am finding the most troublesome. It is beyond sickening to pay a few hundred dollars of minimum payments only to see the balance barely budge. I can’t help but wonder if we would be better suited for the avalanche method of paying off debt opposed to that of the debt snowball method. With my analytical self, I am beginning to think so.   [Read more…]

The crazy ups and downs of paying off debt

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How an impulsive move is again changing our debt snowball.

Crazy how just a few clicks of a mouse can change an entire plan, but yesterday that is exactly what happened!  On a bit of a whim, I decided to apply for a new credit card that was offering balance transfers with zero percent interest for 21 months.  Although it also charged a 3% fee for making a balance transfer, it was the 21 months of interest-free that pushed me to click submit on the application.  Not even 60 seconds later, an approval of $10,900!   [Read more…]

Keeping your eyes open

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Looking for more ways to earn and save.

With my seasonal job at a snail’s pace, I am on the lookout for money earning and money saving opportunities.  Here are a few things I have done so far this month: [Read more…]

Our rapidly melting debt snowball

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Are the gauges on a propane tank like the gas gauge in a car?  After seeing how much propane we needed, I have learned that apparently, they are!  It is true.  Just because the needle says you have 55%, doesn’t mean you actually do.  I feel almost as if the gauges lied to me and it let me down.  When it comes to the cash that is now rapidly departing our checking account, I think I have every right to feel this way!   [Read more…]

Preparing for a forgotten upcoming purchase

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“I’m on my way!” ~Winter   

I’m pretty sure this is what the wind was whispering to me on this cold Fall-like morning. It was so cold (low 50s) that I turned on our furnace just to take the chill out of the house. While there should hopefully still be some warmer days ahead, Winter does come early to our area of the country. With it comes plenty of cold weather and snow. Now that we are prepared for our heating needs, we need to think about the upcoming snow and how to keep up with it!   [Read more…]

The Price of Peace Of Mind

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Heating season is coming!

Our August budget has changed, but I feel it was worth it.

Wow, here it is only three days into August, and we’ve already altered our budget.  The change stems from conversations Hubby had with several local people regarding the last three Winter seasons.  According to these locals, we’ve had three very mild Winters.  We’ve only been here for the last two, so if what we experienced is their idea of mild, I cringe at what a harsh Winter may entail! [Read more…]

Sinking Funds

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For those who might be unfamiliar with what a sinking fund is, it is essentially setting aside money for future known expenses.  Christmas is a prime example.  We all know it comes in December and by setting aside funds each week/month, it no longer becomes a budget buster.  Sounds simple enough, but yet Hubby and I still struggle with doing this. [Read more…]

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