Debt Dumpers - 2019

[barkley]

Does it seem to anyone else Black Friday is starting earlier and earlier, well, the select sales and previews? I have a few things now on the Christmas list, but those are for Target.

it seems so to me too. i've also got some target items, they are sitting in my cart right now b/c i'm waiting until tomorrow when their holiday return policy kicks in for electronic products. i'm taking advantage of the buy 2 get 1 free on select books and movies. i've price compared with amazon and figured out which ones i do better with the sale on. the ones w/amazon also get ordered tomorrow to take advantage of the return policy.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Power went on around 5 p.m. yesterday, thank the Lord. Honestly. DH and I set a list in the order of what we need to do before the next power outage. PG&E, God bless you for the next 10 years of this...

However, if anyone is in the market for an indoor propane heater, I can wholeheartedly recommend the DeWalt!!! Not an expense we expected, but grateful for the emergency fund.

I was looking earlier at the model you mentioned. Dh loves DeWalt tools and it's nice that it can run on the battery packs too. We have a lot of those in the garage for drills, saws, the radio, etc. Also nice that you can charge with a USB cord too.

 

[pblack]

Happy halloween! Currently sitting in the Hearthstone Lounge at the Grand Californian having some drinks and waiting on our dinner.

@imbatman I'm so sorry you've been without power for so long, but I'm glad it finally came back on today! These power outages are ridiculous.

 

[dayvewc]

Happy halloween! Currently sitting in the Hearthstone Lounge at the Grand Californian having some drinks and waiting on our dinner.

@imbatman I'm so sorry you've been without power for so long, but I'm glad it finally came back on today! These power outages are ridiculous.

Don't know so much about the Hearthstone Lounge, but I love sitting by the fireplace in one of the rocking chairs. That's my favorite place to be in the evenings at the Grand Californian.

 

[DLgal]

Don't know so much about the Hearthstone Lounge, but I love sitting by the fireplace in one of the rocking chairs. That's my favorite place to be in the evenings at the Grand Californian.

Hearthstone now sends waiters out to the lobby to provide drink service, so you can enjoy a drink WHILE sitting in the fireside rocking chairs.

 

[imbatman]

I was looking earlier at the model you mentioned. Dh loves DeWalt tools and it's nice that it can run on the battery packs too. We have a lot of those in the garage for drills, saws, the radio, etc. Also nice that you can charge with a USB cord too.

3 USB ports!!! And the handle is an LED lamp. I HIGHLY recommend it. We have Ryobi power tools but are budgeting a couple of DeWalt batteries and a charger.

Speaking of budget...sat down with DH and looked at our sad budget for the next 6 months. Sad in the amount that we are paying to finish all debt off, to be only paying the mortgage. It's only 6 months, but it seems longer. I should be happy. But this week is wrought with personal stuff and the bare-bones budget is a reminder that we were stupid.

@imbatman I'm so sorry you've been without power for so long, but I'm glad it finally came back on today! These power outages are ridiculous.

This will be the new normal. PG&E made a statement to the press on Monday. Ten years to fix the infrastructure. Ten years of juggling the generator, buying gas, figuring out heating/cooling. So...thank you lawmakers who passed this lovely kneejerk law last year. *end rant*

In good news: 14 days until DL. And the DH (because of this week) has asked to put up the house lights and Christmas tree this weekend. This has happened exactly zero times in 26 years.

 

[imbatman]

AND...my credit card was compromised. I just want to go home and cry. But I'm happy I logged on today to schedule a payment and caught it!

 

[barkley]

officially started christmas shopping today. the target buy 2 get 1 free sale lined up with the beginning of their holiday return policy so i got several movies and books ordered. broke them into 3 separate orders in order to get a better bang for my bucks.

 

[TashK]

Just thought I would put this here. DD loved meeting with characters!

July was my last update & I am so overdue but before I get myself organised I just had to stop & comment on this adorable poppet.
Your mum & dad must love getting to experience Disney with her.

 

[Scoobie]

Speaking of budget...sat down with DH and looked at our sad budget for the next 6 months.

We're doing the same starting Jan. 1st. Been doing this for the last 4 or 5 yrs., set a goal for each thing by the end of that year - if I reach it early I put the money to something else. So the last couple months of the year I have a extra $ for the holidays (other than what I already saved) and for the vaca we take every Dec. Then back to the grind Jan. 1st until all the debt & goals are met..... Big goals for the new year are: 1. Work on the last credit card (goal is paid off by end of 2021 unless I have extra) 2. $3000 more in savings this year 3. Raise retirement 1% (I think we're already right at the limit, will double check. Once maxed, will continue only in Roth) 4. Continue vaca fund. 5. Oh, & driiivewaaay repair. Ugh.
Main goal is (after paying last cc off) the big 4 - mortgage, retirement, savings, and emergency (or home improvement, I've heard it both ways). Always had a vaca & holiday fund that I put money to every month, so the 4 will just continue to grow from now on (hope).

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

I had to make the trek back to the Container Store to return those hanging standards that came as replacements. Super simple return and $159 back in our pockets.

I also had a coat and snow pants that I bought for DD from Lands End but changed my mind on style, so I wanted to return them as well. I called and asked where I could return them to and I was told there was a location really close to the Container Store. Well, when I got there, it had a sign saying that it wasn't opened until Nov. 23. Then I drove to another location, but they weren't accepting returns anymore because the Sears store was closing. I was pretty annoyed, so I called Lands End. They sent me a free return label and also said they were going to send me a $20 gift card as an apology. I am sure that I will use that $20 at some point.

Now that the basement is finished, I have been working harder to clean things up and declutter. I have a goal to recycle/sell/donate/toss 5 items per day/35 items per week to help towards the declutter. We just have too much stuff everywhere and it is making me so stressed!

 

[jen7233]

Now that the basement is finished, I have been working harder to clean things up and declutter. I have a goal to recycle/sell/donate/toss 5 items per day/35 items per week to help towards the declutter. We just have too much stuff everywhere and it is making me so stressed!

This is a little bit like what I'm doing right now, though my project is closets. I've given myself a June 1st deadline to downsize my closet by 3/4, for a lot of reasons either things don't fit, I no longer work in an office, and really the closets here are awful, small and tall, so things are so jammed in I can't even barely get a hung item out and can't well reach. I'm consigning slowly until April, then at that point will just see what is left and donate it. My consignments go to donation anyway if I don't pick them back up at the end of the consignment period.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

This is a little bit like what I'm doing right now, though my project is closets. I've given myself a June 1st deadline to downsize my closet by 3/4, for a lot of reasons either things don't fit, I no longer work in an office, and really the closets here are awful, small and tall, so things are so jammed in I can't even barely get a hung item out and can't well reach. I'm consigning slowly until April, then at that point will just see what is left and donate it. My consignments go to donation anyway if I don't pick them back up at the end of the consignment period.

Going through my clothes will be a big part of my organizing goals. I have a huge closet plus 1.5 dressers full of clothing, but I barely wear most of it. I want to do it Marie Kondo style, where you take out every last thing and put it all into one huge pile, but I am not sure that I have space and time to do that efficiently. I might just try it with one of the dressers to start. I could probably get through all of that within a day.

 

[AmyAnne]

Going through my clothes will be a big part of my organizing goals. I have a huge closet plus 1.5 dressers full of clothing, but I barely wear most of it. I want to do it Marie Kondo style, where you take out every last thing and put it all into one huge pile, but I am not sure that I have space and time to do that efficiently. I might just try it with one of the dressers to start. I could probably get through all of that within a day.

Instead of doing clothes as one category, I did it by sub-category (e.g., jeans are different than work pants). I started with socks--I have sock-hoarding tendencies.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

FYI, I am 1000% over not having power. Even with a generator and heater, it's not fun. Rumor is that PG&E will be offering us a $100 credit on our bill to offset the cost...

They obviously haven't had to use a generator or ever fill a gas tank.

Wow, that stinks. What do people do who have electric cars?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Don't know so much about the Hearthstone Lounge, but I love sitting by the fireplace in one of the rocking chairs. That's my favorite place to be in the evenings at the Grand Californian.

Hello!!!
So nice to hear from you again. Glad you're back with us.


GC hotel is gorgeous. Ahh, the lobby, the doors. So many pics to take. We have only been to DL once, in 2018, but once I saw that Craftsman style I knew dh would love it. No other resort would do. Also cool to exit the back door directly into a park. We don't have that at WDW.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I had to make the trek back to the Container Store to return those hanging standards that came as replacements. Super simple return and $159 back in our pockets.

I also had a coat and snow pants that I bought for DD from Lands End but changed my mind on style, so I wanted to return them as well. I called and asked where I could return them to and I was told there was a location really close to the Container Store. Well, when I got there, it had a sign saying that it wasn't opened until Nov. 23. Then I drove to another location, but they weren't accepting returns anymore because the Sears store was closing. I was pretty annoyed, so I called Lands End. They sent me a free return label and also said they were going to send me a $20 gift card as an apology. I am sure that I will use that $20 at some point.

Now that the basement is finished, I have been working harder to clean things up and declutter. I have a goal to recycle/sell/donate/toss 5 items per day/35 items per week to help towards the declutter. We just have too much stuff everywhere and it is making me so stressed!

Does Purple Heart pick up near you? I find them to be wonderful. Just schedule a pick up date online, put the items in bags or boxes clearly marked PH by 7am, and it's gone when I get home from work.


Our home was built in the early 60s so closets are not very big but dh installed lots of organizers/shelves so it really holds more than I need. Still, when new stuff comes in something else needs to go. One thing about not having a huge house is that we don't accumulate tons of stuff. It forces us to stay organized. When our kids were younger and toys were everywhere we considered upsizing but then the thought of more property taxes, more heating/AC bills, more to clean, more everything, simply so we can hold onto more stuff.
We decided to change our attitude instead. Simplify, simplify, simplify. We're good now.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Guys, I'm really ready to scream "uncle." Our heat pump still isn't fixed so I have no heat. My 97 year old grandma fell and broke her hip this weekend and had to have surgery. Something is wrong with my back. And then yesterday I pulled up to a stop sign and my car's engine just shut off.

I'm over it.

 

[jen7233]

Guys, I'm really ready to scream "uncle." Our heat pump still isn't fixed so I have no heat. My 97 year old grandma fell and broke her hip this weekend and had to have surgery. Something is wrong with my back. And then yesterday I pulled up to a stop sign and my car's engine just shut off.

I'm over it.

Yikes! And the weather is getting chillier this week in so many places. I hope you're grandma is OK after surgery! That has to be scary, surgery at that age and then recovery. Is your car up and running again? Let's hope for better luck the remainder of the month, and recovery on your back!

 

[DisneyMandC]

Yikes! And the weather is getting chillier this week in so many places. I hope you're grandma is OK after surgery! That has to be scary, surgery at that age and then recovery. Is your car up and running again? Let's hope for better luck the remainder of the month, and recovery on your back!

Grandma actually did really well in surgery, but is now dealing with recovery, which can be tough. She does not do well on painkillers at all and deals with some delirium as well as severe nausea. So our options are basically let her be in pain but not totally out of it and sick, or she can be extremely sick but not in pain.

The mechanic called this morning and said my car had a bad purge valve, which he said is fairly common. $240 to fix it. I'm giving the HVAC people until noon to call before I call and just absolutely lose my mind on them. I've been dealing with them for 6 weeks and they still haven't solved the problem, but because they're the ones that installed the new heat pump, I have to deal with them because of the warranty.