Navigating life and finances
It’s going to happen! The Beast (aka our Discover card) is going to be taken out! No, we didn’t have a secret money stash, win the lotto, or receive an inheritance. What we did have, however, was an item up for sale that finally sold. [Read more…]
Wow, my first week of being (primarily) self-employed sure went by fast! In addition to working in my FBA business, I also put in an extra 12 hours taking care of the baby. A week ago, the baby developed pneumonia (thankfully caught very early), so the family has decided it is best to keep him home rather than send him to daycare. I don’t blame them. Although the kiddo is doing well overall, he is medically still compromised. Less exposure to others (especially during cold and flu season) really is in his best interest. The timing worked out well for me (and them, too!) as I have now agreed to cover two six-hour shifts with him. I did put a condition in for when and if I need or want time off. I figure this still gives me four full days to work my business. On the days I’m taking care of the baby, I’ll combine that with some shopping and shipping of boxes. [Read more…]
A significant change for me this past month. I (along with the support of Hubs) made a decision. It was a decision for me to be officially self-employed. This past Friday was my first full day in my new role. Yep, I quit my office job and will now focus primarily on my business. I still plan on taking care of the baby 1+ day a week (the + is for the occasional extra hours they ask me to cover.) I know. A lot of you are saying “What?” There are many reasons for the change. Family is first, but also the math. [Read more…]
Today marks the beginning of a new month. August’s numbers were less than stellar, but we did make some progress. Before I get into all of that, let me share a little about the baby job. It turns out that they do still want me to cover hours for them on Saturdays. In fact, they even asked me if I could take care of the kiddo next Sunday. It will mean that I don’t get a day off, but since we are in debt, I certainly won’t turn down the hours. I do kind of wonder how they can afford to pay so much out for childcare, but I guess that is their business. Now for my update: [Read more…]
No, I still don’t have any official numbers on where we are with our debt payoff. I completely missed my mid-month update, which was a combination of time getting away from me and honestly, not having much to report. As things stand right now, we are hovering around a $700ish decrease for the month. Certainly not great, but with having to use our sinking funds for our driveway and also taking an impromptu mini-anniversary trip, we are still playing catch-up. I plan to have more solid numbers posted at some point this coming weekend. Looking at some upcoming expenses and wage changes, I’m also feeling the need to do some budget tweaking. [Read more…]
A couple of days ago I was poking around A Dime at a Time and discovered a link which brought me to a post over on MoneyMow. Let me give a quick disclaimer before I go any further. Being in my 50s, I tend to be a bit technically challenged. Going into the admin area of stats, referring links, and whatnot tends to overwhelm me-hence I don’t go there very often. I’m just happy to have a platform on which to express my thoughts and hopefully serve as an encouragement to others. That being said, I was beyond humbled to have seen (albeit several months later) that A Dime at a Time made MoneyMow’s List of The 30 Fastest Growing Personal Finance Blogs Of 2018! [Read more…]
Oh my. I’ve been awful at keeping A Dime at a Time updated. Shame on me! I’m still alive and plugging away at our debt. Hubs came home for eight days, and that kept me busier. When he is home, my own life tends to take a backseat. I’m more than okay with that, especially considering how little he is home. [Read more…]
This past week I’ve had two instances of being overcharged. The first time was at the grocery store. Scanning my receipt as I was walking out, I quickly saw that one item rang up as a dollar too much. While to some people, a dollar might not seem worth the trouble of going to customer service and getting it corrected, but to me it is. I also happen to live in a state that has a scanner law. What this means is that you get the difference, plus an additional bonus of up to $5. For me, the dollar overcharge became $6 back in my pocket. Glad I was paying attention! [Read more…]
Our first load of wood was delivered yesterday, all $450 worth! While the person we buy from is cash or check only, it still feels good that we are in a position to do so. In the past, paying for all the irregular expense that come our way would have had us reaching for a credit card. We sure have made some very positive changes since starting this journey! In another month or so (read: when money permits!), we will order another load of wood. We still have a fair amount left over from last burning season, but it is good to have more seasoning for the coming year. Such a vicious cycle. Lol. If you’re interested, I’m hosting a wood stacking party for anyone who’d like to stop on over. I’ll provide the wood! 😉 [Read more…]
Today is the end of the month, and I am pleased to say we have officially reached our 2018 goal a full five months early. For those who may have just stumbled across A Dime at a Time, our goal was to pay off $18,000 in 2018. Having reached this goal does not mean we can kick back and become lazy. Sadly, we still have a lot more debt to go. Goals are important, hence the reason we set one. Our new goal is to get our debt below $20,000 before the new year rolls around. Yikes-we have our work cut out for us! [Read more…]