Debt Dumpers - 2018

[DLgal]

That's what I've got then, thanks. I hope that one wash didn't hurt them.

One wash won't be harmful. It's just not necessary going forward. Expect the grill grates to get ROUGH looking. That is supposed to happen. It's kind of like "seasoning" a cast iron pan.

The grates are porcelain coated cast iron. So, the problem with washing them is if there are any chips or scratches in the porcelain, which is inevitable, the water will contact the cast iron inside and begin the rusting process. The grill grates will eventually start to crumble apart where there was rust. That is what happened to mine, just from the small amount of rain we get here.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

Chugging right along here. We hit up the local Toys R Us and Babies R Us this weekend to see about the going out of business sales. I'd heard that the sales were starting to get a bit better (but still not good, and definitely not what you'd expect for going out of business). That was about right, but we did get a few pretty good deals. I just brought up the Amazon app as I was shopping to make sure I was actually getting a deal (it was amazing how many of their "clearance" was still cheaper on Amazon!)

For aprrox $40 we got:

-A thomas the Train birthday set for babies (for DS's birthday at the end of the year). This was definitely my best deal. I paid $15.99, Amazon had it for $32.95.

- A beach pail (This will function as DS's Easter basket next year, and obviously double as a gift) $2.99 (orig $3.99)

-A 3 pack of sensory balls (for Christmas) $7 (orig $9)

-A Crayola apron for arts and crafts (for Easter next year) $2.19 (orig $3)

-A toddler umbrella (for Easter next year) about $6 (orig $8.99)

Other than the Thomas thing, the other pretty good deals I found were totally unexpected- Greeting cards and gift wrap and stationery were 40% off. I typically go to Dollar Tree for cards, since most people just throw them away, but I did pick up a nice one for DS's birthday for $2.99 (originally $5.99), since that will go in his memory box. I also got him a nice Papyrus baby blue 1 candle for $1.50 (normally $2.50). Most of their gift wrap stuff was grossly overpriced to begin with, so the sale just brings stuff into normal price territory.

Overall not the best deals I've ever gotten but still some good sales. When we used to have cc debt one of the biggest things that would drive up our cards were birthday and holiday shopping. Hopefully this helps alleviate some of that strain at the holidays!

 

[jackers]

April Update: Year to date progress towards 2018 goals:

Car Loan: $6,400 towards a $14,000 goal

Savings: $3,600 towards a $5,000 goal

Mortgage Overpay: $1,800 towards a $4,000 goal

DS12 College Fund: $2,000 towards a $5,000 goal

Personal goal: 23 pounds lost (changing goal to 40 lbs). Lots of momentum here and I am so happy and have been feeling so much better about myself and life in general. It could be that spring has finally decided to show up too. I started running again and am up to 2.5 miles, with plans for my first 5K this year in a couple of weeks. Hoping to do 3-5 this year.

My new job has been going well. And my estimate on what my paycheck would look like was off by $50 in my favor, so able to have a little more cushion between paychecks. It's definitely slower progress towards goals, but I have it all planned out and have been pretty good over the years of sticking to my plan so I am not worried.

In spending news... my husband wants to go to Vegas (at 40+ years of age, neither of us have ever gone). We have about $3K in our vacation fund for the year so trying to figure out how we do a long weekend there just the two of us and still leave enough left over for maybe a long weekend somewhere as a family this year. My husband maintains his own savings account so I think it should be doable if he's willing to dip into his "pocket money" for the upgraded hotel, etc. that I know he will want. He's VERY picky about hotels.

 

[Ngwira]

April Update: Year to date progress towards 2018 goals:

Car Loan: $6,400 towards a $14,000 goal

Savings: $3,600 towards a $5,000 goal

Mortgage Overpay: $1,800 towards a $4,000 goal

DS12 College Fund: $2,000 towards a $5,000 goal

Personal goal: 23 pounds lost (changing goal to 40 lbs). Lots of momentum here and I am so happy and have been feeling so much better about myself and life in general. It could be that spring has finally decided to show up too. I started running again and am up to 2.5 miles, with plans for my first 5K this year in a couple of weeks. Hoping to do 3-5 this year.

My new job has been going well. And my estimate on what my paycheck would look like was off by $50 in my favor, so able to have a little more cushion between paychecks. It's definitely slower progress towards goals, but I have it all planned out and have been pretty good over the years of sticking to my plan so I am not worried.

In spending news... my husband wants to go to Vegas (at 40+ years of age, neither of us have ever gone). We have about $3K in our vacation fund for the year so trying to figure out how we do a long weekend there just the two of us and still leave enough left over for maybe a long weekend somewhere as a family this year. My husband maintains his own savings account so I think it should be doable if he's willing to dip into his "pocket money" for the upgraded hotel, etc. that I know he will want. He's VERY picky about hotels.

Good job! So Vegas is totally doable on the cheap, as long as you are not an excessive gambler. I see RT flights for under $200 regularly, depending on your airport. Hotels, since there are so many of them and so many rooms, can also be had for a bargain. You also have to go at the right time. Personally, having been there in June and February, I'd pick October as temps are ideal at that time. You can do a weekend there for a bargain, easy peasy. Let me know if you need any recommendations.

 

[dayvewc]

Good job! So Vegas is totally doable on the cheap, as long as you are not an excessive gambler. I see RT flights for under $200 regularly, depending on your airport. Hotels, since there are so many of them and so many rooms, can also be had for a bargain. You also have to go at the right time. Personally, having been there in June and February, I'd pick October as temps are ideal at that time. You can do a weekend there for a bargain, easy peasy. Let me know if you need any recommendations.

So, I'm looking at June rates for Vegas. Since they don't publish rates more than a year in advance, I've been stalking looking at the rates for this year. Are the rates out for this June kind of what I can expect for next June, or can I expect them to be cheaper when they first publish them and they are expensive now because we are (relatively) close to June?

 

[Ngwira]

So, I'm looking at June rates for Vegas. Since they don't publish rates more than a year in advance, I've been stalking looking at the rates for this year. Are the rates out for this June kind of what I can expect for next June, or can I expect them to be cheaper when they first publish them and they are expensive now because we are (relatively) close to June?

You need to join a few loyalty programs to see the lowest rates and they also have sales regularly to fill unsold rooms. Join MGM for Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Mirage etc.. Join IHG for the Palazzo and Venetian, join Total Rewards for the Caesars properties. Marriott rewards also has a special relationship with the Cosmopolitan. These programs are free to join.

You also need to check vegas.com and even hotwire and priceline have the Vegas properties for cheap if you bid properly. go to betterbidding.com and read up on how to bid for 4 or 5 star vegas hotels on the strip.

 

[NinaBella]

So, I'm looking at June rates for Vegas. Since they don't publish rates more than a year in advance, I've been stalking looking at the rates for this year. Are the rates out for this June kind of what I can expect for next June, or can I expect them to be cheaper when they first publish them and they are expensive now because we are (relatively) close to June?

I started looking Sep-2017 for our Jan-2018 trip and was finding great rates (military discounts, etc.). We booked at Bellagio. Bellagio rates did go up. When they advertised their Cyber Monday sale, I took a look and the rate I had already secured was much less than the Cyber Monday sale.

I would book now. Most have a 3 day cancellation. I had a couple resorts booked until we narrowed it down to Bellagio.

 

[bababear_50]

I feel like crying and just need to vent. I went into this school year knowing that many of the kids I was going to work with would need lots of assistance and guidance. Little did I know that none of the kids would be a problem compared to a co-worker.
This work year has been so stressful. I feel my self worth is at an all time low and am now questioning everything I do.
Has anyone ever worked with someone who is passive agressive to the extreme.?
Do you have any suggestions?
I was thinking of transferring out for next year but the person actually just informed me that she is leaving and going to a new school.
God help me to get through the next 2 months.
Ok vent over and I feel a bit better,,thanks for letting me vent.

So far I am on track for learning to live within my new budget.
I got a shock this morning when I filled up my car and it was $45.00,,,I mean I have a small car.
I guess this is that thing called rising inflation.

Hugs to everyone
Mel

 

[Nettlelondon]

Has anyone ever worked with someone who is passive agressive to the extreme.?

Yep, and unfortunately it was our head of HR so I had little room to get anything done officially. I'm not sure I can offer much advice, maybe create a countdown calendar to when you stop working with them?

On a day to day basis, just keep reminding yourself that they are insecure (secure, mature people don't feel the need to bring others down), get the support of others outside the situation to tell you that you do know what you are doing.

Breathe deeply. Get some bubble mixture and blow bubbles - they immediately take us to a simpler time & place (and the breathing required to blow bubbles has been shown to lower cortisol levels making you feel calmer.

And just remember, soon they will be someone else's problem

 

[pblack]

to you @bababear_50

 

[dayvewc]

You need to join a few loyalty programs to see the lowest rates and they also have sales regularly to fill unsold rooms. Join MGM for Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Mirage etc.. Join IHG for the Palazzo and Venetian, join Total Rewards for the Caesars properties. Marriott rewards also has a special relationship with the Cosmopolitan. These programs are free to join.

You also need to check vegas.com and even hotwire and priceline have the Vegas properties for cheap if you bid properly. go to betterbidding.com and read up on how to bid for 4 or 5 star vegas hotels on the strip.

I've already joined MGM and am a member of IHG. Really hoping to stay at the Bellagio.

I started looking Sep-2017 for our Jan-2018 trip and was finding great rates (military discounts, etc.). We booked at Bellagio. Bellagio rates did go up. When they advertised their Cyber Monday sale, I took a look and the rate I had already secured was much less than the Cyber Monday sale.

I would book now. Most have a 3 day cancellation. I had a couple resorts booked until we narrowed it down to Bellagio.

Yeah, I can't quite book now. They don't have the dates I want to go listed yet. Planning 13 1/2 months ahead.

 

[amalone1013]

@dayvewc @jackers
You both may be able to make use of the myVegas app/fb game for your trip... It's just slots games, and you earn points that you can use to 'buy' rewards like special room rates, 2-for-1 buffets/activities, comp buffets/activities. There's an autospin button and I just let it run. It's an MGM resorts thing so that's where most of the rewards are.

Dave, they've got the Bellagio on there with the special room rates, with blackout dates through June 2018 right now, so you could get an idea if it might help with your budget.

 

[bababear_50]

Has anyone ever worked with someone who is passive agressive to the extreme.?

Yep, and unfortunately it was our head of HR so I had little room to get anything done officially. I'm not sure I can offer much advice, maybe create a countdown calendar to when you stop working with them?

On a day to day basis, just keep reminding yourself that they are insecure (secure, mature people don't feel the need to bring others down), get the support of others outside the situation to tell you that you do know what you are doing.

Breathe deeply. Get some bubble mixture and blow bubbles - they immediately take us to a simpler time & place (and the breathing required to blow bubbles has been shown to lower cortisol levels making you feel calmer.

And just remember, soon they will be someone else's problem

to you @bababear_50

Thanks guys
The funny thing is that I teach my students to use deep breathing and bubble blowing as a calming strategy--I need to heed my own words.lol.
I just looked up my sick days and since they expire and can not be banked I can take 9 days off between now and the end of June.
I'm going to meet up with my sister inlaw who also works in the same field once a week just to stay positive and energized.
AND I finally realized today that she (co-worker) has the problem and no matter what I do,,, nothing will make this woman treat me as the professional that I am.
Sooooooo I am just going to walk away and treat her with indifference.
I have 38 days--- minus 9 sick days and one Holiday May 24 ,,,plus one professional development day so the countdown begins.
27 days and counting!
Thanks for taking the time to care and share!
Hugs Mel

 

[Ngwira]

I started looking Sep-2017 for our Jan-2018 trip and was finding great rates (military discounts, etc.). We booked at Bellagio. Bellagio rates did go up. When they advertised their Cyber Monday sale, I took a look and the rate I had already secured was much less than the Cyber Monday sale.

I would book now. Most have a 3 day cancellation. I had a couple resorts booked until we narrowed it down to Bellagio.

I felt nickeled and dimed at bellagio. We won’t stay again. We loved the Palazzo and won’t stay anywhere else.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

Thanks guys
The funny thing is that I teach my students to use deep breathing and bubble blowing as a calming strategy--I need to heed my own words.lol.
I just looked up my sick days and since they expire and can not be banked I can take 9 days off between now and the end of June.
I'm going to meet up with my sister inlaw who also works in the same field once a week just to stay positive and energized.
AND I finally realized today that she (co-worker) has the problem and no matter what I do,,, nothing will make this woman treat me as the professional that I am.
Sooooooo I am just going to walk away and treat her with indifference.
I have 38 days--- minus 9 sick days and one Holiday May 24 ,,,plus one professional development day so the countdown begins.
27 days and counting!
Thanks for taking the time to care and share!
Hugs Mel

Hey - it may be even fewer days than that! How many vacation days does awful co-worker have? If she also takes vacation days, yippee!

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

@dayvewc Sorry for being late to the party, but congratulations! Looking forward to hearing more about the arrangements and the actual wedding. Hawaii sounds amazing for the honeymoon.

April update:

We have continued to go over on medical expenses. We started DD on solids at the beginning of April, but she is having lots of difficulties. She gags and throws up almost every single time. I have made very smooth purees and tried adding formula to help with the consistency, but nothing seems to help. This is likely related to her difficulties with bottle feeding. She just doesn't know how to eat. So we have been referred back to OT to try and figure it out. I am working to set up her first appointment.

We also went over a bit on baby expenses. DD transitioned into 6-9 months clothes and I realized I didn't have enough of the right things, so had to order a few more items. I also bought some things from Facebook Marketplace. They are all for when DD is a little older, but they were great deals, so I thought it best to buy it when I saw it. Plus the weather is finally getting warmer, so I bought her 2 hats (one for home and 1 to stay at daycare) and sunglasses. The sunglasses were $36, but they are supposedly unbreakable and should last until she is 2+ years old. Plus they look super amazingly cute on her.



But in good news, I was able to sell some of the baby items that we decided we weren't going to use and recouped about $400. I still have all of the breastfeeding items left to post, so hoping that I can recoup another couple hundred dollars. I also made just shy of $500 via eBay and rewards programs, which I put towards our DVC fund. We are now at $5700 in the DVC fund and I should be adding a bit more to that this month because I did a few bank bonuses and plan to continue with some more in the next few months. And hoping more sewing machines sell on eBay.

Also booked our flights for our March WDW trip using airline points and booked shore excursions for our October cruise, which was completely covered by our vacation fund. We have decided that when we go in March to WDW, we will upgrade to annual passes and go again in October for DDs 2nd birthday.

Goal for May is to stay within budget!

 

[Tygerlilly]

@dayvewc @jackers
You both may be able to make use of the myVegas app/fb game for your trip... It's just slots games, and you earn points that you can use to 'buy' rewards like special room rates, 2-for-1 buffets/activities, comp buffets/activities. There's an autospin button and I just let it run. It's an MGM resorts thing so that's where most of the rewards are.

Dave, they've got the Bellagio on there with the special room rates, with blackout dates through June 2018 right now, so you could get an idea if it might help with your budget.

I play Pop Slots all the time when I'm winding down at the end of the day. In a few months I've earned like 56k points, which could earn me quite a few things. I think I looked and it would get me a room for a night, 2 free buffets, and discount to something else. It's definitely worth it to play. And it's actually a legit vegas sponsored game.

 

[DLgal]

@dayvewc Sorry for being late to the party, but congratulations! Looking forward to hearing more about the arrangements and the actual wedding. Hawaii sounds amazing for the honeymoon.

April update:

We have continued to go over on medical expenses. We started DD on solids at the beginning of April, but she is having lots of difficulties. She gags and throws up almost every single time. I have made very smooth purees and tried adding formula to help with the consistency, but nothing seems to help. This is likely related to her difficulties with bottle feeding. She just doesn't know how to eat. So we have been referred back to OT to try and figure it out. I am working to set up her first appointment.

We also went over a bit on baby expenses. DD transitioned into 6-9 months clothes and I realized I didn't have enough of the right things, so had to order a few more items. I also bought some things from Facebook Marketplace. They are all for when DD is a little older, but they were great deals, so I thought it best to buy it when I saw it. Plus the weather is finally getting warmer, so I bought her 2 hats (one for home and 1 to stay at daycare) and sunglasses. The sunglasses were $36, but they are supposedly unbreakable and should last until she is 2+ years old. Plus they look super amazingly cute on her.

View attachment 320194

But in good news, I was able to sell some of the baby items that we decided we weren't going to use and recouped about $400. I still have all of the breastfeeding items left to post, so hoping that I can recoup another couple hundred dollars. I also made just shy of $500 via eBay and rewards programs, which I put towards our DVC fund. We are now at $5700 in the DVC fund and I should be adding a bit more to that this month because I did a few bank bonuses and plan to continue with some more in the next few months. And hoping more sewing machines sell on eBay.

Also booked our flights for our March WDW trip using airline points and booked shore excursions for our October cruise, which was completely covered by our vacation fund. We have decided that when we go in March to WDW, we will upgrade to annual passes and go again in October for DDs 2nd birthday.

Goal for May is to stay within budget!

OMG...how cute is she???

Sorry to hear about the feeding difficulties. It is so hard having a child with issues eating. I'm glad she is already on the doctor's radar so she can get help immediately. Just in case you don't know, you may be eligible to get feeding therapy covered at no cost to you via your state's Early Intervention program. Feeding issues are a qualifying condition. Ask her doctor at the next appointment or look up your state's EI program and give them a call. You don't need a doctor's referral or anything. They will do their own evaluation. She may even qualify for PT or other types of OT. This might be a way to save on all the therapy visits. We had all kinds of amazing therapy provided free to our kids starting around 15 months old (speech, OT, ABA, PT). Never paid a penny and had amazing providers.

 

[imbatman]

Tell me more about the lemon juice to clean it. I took the grates out and scrubbed them last night/ We have a Weber wire brush but I don't want to scratch anything. Should I be using cooking spray on the grates before I turn it on to minimize the mess? Unfortunately I missed the window between hot and warm to clean it and it was kind of cold by then.

I apologize. I meant the outside. Diluted lemon juice cuts through the grease and smoke. And it smells better than grease cleaner.

The BEST, and I mean best, thing we ever did was start cooking with the copper mats. First off, the meat doesn't stick to the grill. Secondly, the meat is much more tender. Also, no grease fires, not even with burgers!

I don't think one wash will hurt anything.

 

[Eureka]

@dayvewc Sorry for being late to the party, but congratulations! Looking forward to hearing more about the arrangements and the actual wedding. Hawaii sounds amazing for the honeymoon.

April update:

We have continued to go over on medical expenses. We started DD on solids at the beginning of April, but she is having lots of difficulties. She gags and throws up almost every single time. I have made very smooth purees and tried adding formula to help with the consistency, but nothing seems to help. This is likely related to her difficulties with bottle feeding. She just doesn't know how to eat. So we have been referred back to OT to try and figure it out. I am working to set up her first appointment.

We also went over a bit on baby expenses. DD transitioned into 6-9 months clothes and I realized I didn't have enough of the right things, so had to order a few more items. I also bought some things from Facebook Marketplace. They are all for when DD is a little older, but they were great deals, so I thought it best to buy it when I saw it. Plus the weather is finally getting warmer, so I bought her 2 hats (one for home and 1 to stay at daycare) and sunglasses. The sunglasses were $36, but they are supposedly unbreakable and should last until she is 2+ years old. Plus they look super amazingly cute on her.

View attachment 320194

But in good news, I was able to sell some of the baby items that we decided we weren't going to use and recouped about $400. I still have all of the breastfeeding items left to post, so hoping that I can recoup another couple hundred dollars. I also made just shy of $500 via eBay and rewards programs, which I put towards our DVC fund. We are now at $5700 in the DVC fund and I should be adding a bit more to that this month because I did a few bank bonuses and plan to continue with some more in the next few months. And hoping more sewing machines sell on eBay.

Also booked our flights for our March WDW trip using airline points and booked shore excursions for our October cruise, which was completely covered by our vacation fund. We have decided that when we go in March to WDW, we will upgrade to annual passes and go again in October for DDs 2nd birthday.

Goal for May is to stay within budget!

First of all, that is one seriously cute baby you have there Second of all, I'm thinking those sunglasses are not actually going to last until she's 2. I'm not trying to be mean, but kids are kids and once she's mobile, all bets are off on where things are (stuck in the most interesting places sometimes) and not broken. Sorry to hear she's still having eating issues but the fact that you've got appointments lined up already is a great head start for her.