The Odd, Tangled and Organized Life

 So, I added a new tool to my arsenal. I'd been seeing on the Facebook groups about how people are calculating how long it will be before they are debt free. So I asked around what app or spreadsheet they use. I was pointed to Debt Payoff Planner.  https://debt-payoff-planner.com/  (Not affiliated with them, but if they want to sponsor someone, I'm here for you!) So, with this app, you can get the free or the paid version. The paid version doesn't have ads and you can get payment reminders and I'm sure a lot more things. I just have the free version (trying to save money). Anyway, you input your accounts, how much is left, interest, yada yada and PooF! You get a date for when you'll be debt free. Pretty cool. And it accounts for the debt snowball or debt avalanche (paying the highest interest rate first). And, as you make the payments, it will tell you how many payments you have left before an account is paid off, if you pay the minimum! Note: I do not pay the minim...

Wow - It's been a little while since I posted. Okay. Time to catch up. The emergency fund is funded with $1000. Now, I'll keep adding to it every paycheck and it will earn interest. I've also paid down a considerable amount of debt. First, I got my property tax refund. That helped fund the emergency fund. And my car maintenance was not as much as I was quoted. So, I was able to put money towards my Line of Credit. Which I closed. And I was able to pay off the Christopher & Banks card. And close that account.  I was also able to secure a mortgage refinance on my house, bringing my interest rate down to 2.75% and lowering my payments $50 or so. That $50 will help every month. But, because I'm refinancing, I get to skip 2 mortgage payments for September and October. So THAT money started the snowball on the Wayfair account. Down to $548.87 on that account. It will for sure be paid off next month, if not this month. Depends on DoorDash.  DoorDash has been very good to m...

 My savings account is growing. Slowly but surely. I'm up to $333.68, thanks in part to selling a few things and my large DoorDash earnings.  Tonight I did DoorDash again and made over $55. Hoping for another stellar week this week, even though I won't be working on Wednesday or Thursday. Wednesday I have therapy and Thursday I have the dentist.  Had a couple nibbles on items I'm selling. Hopefully they will sell and then I'll have more money. I do have a deposit from Mercari coming this week, but I've already figured that into the savings account. And I should have an eBay deposit this week, if the item arrives on time.  I have 41 items for sale on eBay. I was hoping to get some more tonight, but it is almost 10. I need my sleep.  I did have a thought today. I'd like to start a spreadsheet for myself that has all the things I buy on a regular basis - cleaning supplies, cat food, even food, and find the best deal. For example - my Kirby supplies. I purchased som...

 It is Friday night and my idea of fun is paying bills. Yep! Some good news this week. I made my goal of $1600 for the car maintenance. And scheduled the appointment. My baby goes in for a tune up on Wednesday. So my savings goal is back down to $182.34. That's okay. Because I am getting $18 from Mercari. I sold a couple things. And I'm getting a healthy chunk of money from DoorDash. I have been working DoorDash all week. The weather has been nice and I've been able to get out and put some hours in and some miles on my car. I am laser focused on getting that balance up to $1000. So, if for the next few week, I'm working every day and doing 2 shifts on Saturday and Sunday, so be it.  I'm going to be doing DoorDash as long as the sun holds out. But, I stop when it gets dark. Right now I'm stopping at about 7:30. There's still some light out. But soon the days will be getting shorter and I'm not going to have that sunlight. So I'll need to cut down on m...

 I have a paid off 2012 Subaru Impreza. I love my car. Sheila (my car) has gotten me out of snowbanks and through blizzards, sometimes swimming through snow up to the bottom of the door. Love Subarus. Well, with this new approach to my spending, and not borrowing anything, I'm not going to get a loan for a new car. Instead, I will save for a newer car. Not brand new (unless I can buy it outright), but I still want all the bells and whistles. And it will be a Subaru. You kinda need all-wheel drive in Minnesnowta.  So, I made this decision and I'm looking at the oil change that I need to do in September. The dealership also listed that a transmission fluid flush is recommended and a water pump and timing belt replacement. Called the dealership and got a price quote for everything. $1600! That's more than the emergency fund will have. Currently I have $592 in the emergency fund. I took out $300 from the SmartyPig fund where I was putting half my DoorDash income.  Add in $713...

 I don't claim to know everything. In fact, I'm learning. Always. Knowledge is power. Don't ever forget that. I'm learning the Dave Ramsey method. I'm not saying it will always work for everyone. I'm not a financial expert. I'm not a CPA. I'm not an attorney. None of what I post is meant to be professional advice - merely my opinion. That being said. I will tell you what has worked for me in the past. Or what is working for me now. Or what I am trying that seems to make sense.  I'm tired of borrowing from banks with a high interest rate. I don't have the best credit, so high interest rates seem to be the only thing that is available to me. Plus, that is how the banks make money. They don't make money when you borrow from them - they make money when you pay the interest on your loans or credit cards.  That is what the emergency savings account is for. For emergencies that I can borrow against. And I'm paying myself back - not some corporat...