New Frustrations

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This week I decided to take my car to a paint shop to fix a few of the spots where the paint was coming off. Mr. M worked on getting quotes for me so I could do this during the holiday week since I was going travel less.

We decided on Maaco which was a bad decision. The car wasn't ready when they promised so I had to wait until they closed to get my car which meant I had to inspect it in the dark. When I asked for some extra light - like a flashlight - they didn't have one. So Mr. M and I thought everything looked okay and drove it home.

 

Now, we live less than a mile from Maaco so I didn't think much of it when my radio didn't work well. Then when I got out of the car, I realized my antenna was missing. We also found a few new pain scratches on my car that weren't there before I took it in.

 

Needless to say I am VERY upset because this was a special treat and reward to myself for paying of my car early. Now I have a larger mess to fix. Morale of the story - avoid Maaco no matter how broke you are.

And it died...

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as in our Microwave.  It's lived a long life - over 14 years or so - but it was a sad moment today when it officially stopped working. I never really paid that much attention to how much we used it until I realized that all the freezer meals that we have depended on that microwave.

Luckily, many of the big department stores are having extra 15% or 20% sales online with free shipping so I hope to find a great deal.

Discover Your Gift

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Not losing sight of the goal.



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In a year of crazy turmoil…from my father, thinking I was stuck at my dead end job and finding out my husband has so many medical issues, there truly has been a silver lining with my new job. The last few weeks have been challenging but rewarding in both professionally and financially and I’m very (very) thankful for this opportunity.

It is important to me to keep the eye on the prize especially with increased income. While currently we’ve been given a windfall, I am very aware that our financial situation can change at a drop of the house and want to make sure that we indeed pay off our debt in 2012. No one can’t guaranteed that we won’t have another “Great Recession.”

I will need your help to keep me in line. We have to beat this debt monster and finally live debt free. There are so many things tempting me especially after living on next to nothing for so many years to spend, spend, and spend like never before. While others have several goals for 2012, I have just one – to melt my debt snowball once and for all.

Merry Christmas!

Car Fund?

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Since we’ve paid off Beaker this month, Mr. M and I have gone back and forth on if we should take the $250 monthly car payment and apply it towards debt or place it in a savings account. We will need to replace Mr. M’s car soon. Hopefully, we can keep it alive until a year from now but I’m not really counting on it.

What do you all think? Throw the extra $250 towards our snowball or save it?

Advice needed.

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One of my close friends and neighbors has been searching for a job for a while…as in three years.  She left her old position to move with her husband when he was stationed at Ft. Hood. When he was sent on a mission overseas, she moved back to the East Coast and I was excited to have her home. Since she spent a year not working, I thought it would be a little difficult for her to find a job.  Who was I kidding? It was during the Recession so it was unfortunately a lot harder than we both thought. So, trying to be good friends, Mr. M and I tried every connection we had to land her a job and it finally worked a year ago.  She lasted at the job 4 months and hated it the whole time…which she preceded to tell us over and over.

Eventually, she was fired from that job in April of this year and again back searching for a job.  Then in November, she took a part time job at a local wine shop that was offered to her from a mutual friend.  She also went to our favorite local gift store (you know the time...locally owned by a very cute lady with cute but slightly over priced items) and was also offered a job there. I was elated for her! Finally, she would have some income.

Well, she quit both of them in less than two weeks.

That’s when I lost my cool. Am I wrong to think that she can’t complain about not having a job, even a job with a “title” to me anymore since she refuses to work? I feel that you have to do all that you can do to keep the lights on and food on the table.

Am I wrong in this? Since her last job fiasco, I had some pretty strong words for her when she started to complain to me (again) about not being able to find a job “with a title” in the last year.  My thought is that if you stay at home, only turn in job applications and you make no effort to follow up or network with that company, then it is your own fault for not having a job that has a title.

Thought of the Day

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Today is my first day of "working" from home but I'm writing you from the lobby of our auto mechanic.  The old saying that your car breaks down after you pay it off is a true one unfortunately.

However, it is a beautiful day outside and for once, I'm not in a panic when it comes to auto repairs since w have an emergency fund to handle issues like today.

Happy Wednesday to you all!

Paid in Full

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So I’ve survived my first full week so far. There’s a lot that has been thrown at me but as it stands today, I think I’m going to be able to do this job with no problems. Remember when I posted the Carmen Sandiego post a few weeks back, this week has felt like that. I feel like I’ve been gone a month and not just four days.

In other positive news – we PAID OFF OUR CAR!!! Whoo!

It was a top priority that Beaker (my little red car) was paid off since I’m driving a great deal for this job. A giant snowflake!