Debt Dumpers - 2017

[Judique]

So, after our dryer breaking the week before vacation, the truck needing two new tires, and being 30 hours short on my paycheck, fate decided to play nice.

I got $100 for my birthday Friday. Instead of being a good girl and saving it, I decided to go to the casino. It was something I used to do often before I had kids and had a single girls budget. Not sure how it happened, but I ended up jackpoting a $2 machine for $1400. Oncce they took out taxes, it was about $1100. I still had $200 left on the machine from normal play, so I said "screw it", took my $200 and stuck it in a $25 machine and crossed my fingers. Two spins in, I hit double-7-double for $8,000. I can now pay off both our loans, our furniture lease, and send the landlord two months of rent to get us past Christmas.

That's great that you got a nice payout!

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Has anyone heard from @Jen and Ashwin? I hope she’s deliriously happy (or maybe just delirious from lack of sleep, lol) with baby Asha.

I’m also thinking about her and hope she and baby are ok. I’m sure they are fine. Just tired and adjusting.

I am lurking a bit when I get time. The first two weeks were rough. Breastfeeding didn't go as well as I had hoped. Asha became pretty dehydrated around day 3 and we ended up in the ER. We have been to many pediatrician and lactation consultant appointments over the past several weeks, which has been really time consuming and draining. We ended up having to supplement with formula and I am pretty much exclusively pumping now since Asha doesn't latch well and when she latches, she doesn't feed well. We have almost eliminated the formula supplementation and transitioned to breast milk, though supply is still a bit of an issue that I am working on. That is also very time consuming and draining.

Otherwise, Asha is very good and has been gaining weight like a champ. She is so amazingly adorable and I love her to bits. DH is amazing with her and helps so much. DH went back to work last Monday and my mom went home last Thursday, so I was home with the baby on my own for two days last week and will be on my own for two days this week as well. My mom stayed for two weeks, which was both helpful and stressful at the same time since she is a very picky eater and was playing "Dr. Google" with the breastfeeding issues.

My MIL arrives on Wednesday. I am hoping that she will be helpful, but I am worried that she is going cause stress as well, since she has a lot of strong ideas about what we should be doing with the baby and what I should be eating. I like Indian food, but I don't want to eat Indian food 24/7, so I am worried about that. Also, my appetite has been pretty low in general, which surprises me since everyone says that with breastfeeding, you feel hungry all the time. MIL is probably going to try to over feed me and that will really make me freak out for sure.

I have been finding it hard to break away and just get time to read disboard. Everything seems to take forever and I just don't have time to myself much at all at this point. My friend said things get better after 6 weeks. We will see. I wouldn't trade her for anything, but I do hope things start to feel a bit easier soon.

And, for your enjoyment, another Asha picture from a newborn photo shoot we did on October 22 (the last day of really nice weather).

 

[DisneyMandC]

I am lurking a bit when I get time. The first two weeks were rough. Breastfeeding didn't go as well as I had hoped. Asha became pretty dehydrated around day 3 and we ended up in the ER. We have been to many pediatrician and lactation consultant appointments over the past several weeks, which has been really time consuming and draining. We ended up having to supplement with formula and I am pretty much exclusively pumping now since Asha doesn't latch well and when she latches, she doesn't feed well. We have almost eliminated the formula supplementation and transitioned to breast milk, though supply is still a bit of an issue that I am working on. That is also very time consuming and draining.

Otherwise, Asha is very good and has been gaining weight like a champ. She is so amazingly adorable and I love her to bits. DH is amazing with her and helps so much. DH went back to work last Monday and my mom went home last Thursday, so I was home with the baby on my own for two days last week and will be on my own for two days this week as well. My mom stayed for two weeks, which was both helpful and stressful at the same time since she is a very picky eater and was playing "Dr. Google" with the breastfeeding issues.

My MIL arrives on Wednesday. I am hoping that she will be helpful, but I am worried that she is going cause stress as well, since she has a lot of strong ideas about what we should be doing with the baby and what I should be eating. I like Indian food, but I don't want to eat Indian food 24/7, so I am worried about that. Also, my appetite has been pretty low in general, which surprises me since everyone says that with breastfeeding, you feel hungry all the time. MIL is probably going to try to over feed me and that will really make me freak out for sure.

I have been finding it hard to break away and just get time to read disboard. Everything seems to take forever and I just don't have time to myself much at all at this point. My friend said things get better after 6 weeks. We will see. I wouldn't trade her for anything, but I do hope things start to feel a bit easier soon.

And, for your enjoyment, another Asha picture from a newborn photo shoot we did on October 22 (the last day of really nice weather).

Asha looks beautiful! What a sweet photo!

Take care of yourself and your mental health during this time. Don't be afraid to say "NO!" when necessary, and to ask for more help when you need it! I can tell you are a strong woman from your posts over time- I have no doubt you'll be feeling better soon! I am thinking of you and your family and hoping you can get some rest and relaxation

 

[amalone1013]

I am lurking a bit when I get time. The first two weeks were rough. Breastfeeding didn't go as well as I had hoped. Asha became pretty dehydrated around day 3 and we ended up in the ER. We have been to many pediatrician and lactation consultant appointments over the past several weeks, which has been really time consuming and draining. We ended up having to supplement with formula and I am pretty much exclusively pumping now since Asha doesn't latch well and when she latches, she doesn't feed well. We have almost eliminated the formula supplementation and transitioned to breast milk, though supply is still a bit of an issue that I am working on. That is also very time consuming and draining.

Otherwise, Asha is very good and has been gaining weight like a champ. She is so amazingly adorable and I love her to bits. DH is amazing with her and helps so much. DH went back to work last Monday and my mom went home last Thursday, so I was home with the baby on my own for two days last week and will be on my own for two days this week as well. My mom stayed for two weeks, which was both helpful and stressful at the same time since she is a very picky eater and was playing "Dr. Google" with the breastfeeding issues.

My MIL arrives on Wednesday. I am hoping that she will be helpful, but I am worried that she is going cause stress as well, since she has a lot of strong ideas about what we should be doing with the baby and what I should be eating. I like Indian food, but I don't want to eat Indian food 24/7, so I am worried about that. Also, my appetite has been pretty low in general, which surprises me since everyone says that with breastfeeding, you feel hungry all the time. MIL is probably going to try to over feed me and that will really make me freak out for sure.

I have been finding it hard to break away and just get time to read disboard. Everything seems to take forever and I just don't have time to myself much at all at this point. My friend said things get better after 6 weeks. We will see. I wouldn't trade her for anything, but I do hope things start to feel a bit easier soon.

And, for your enjoyment, another Asha picture from a newborn photo shoot we did on October 22 (the last day of really nice weather).

View attachment 280393

She is so precious! I'll second MandC's post, Take care of you! Only you know what you need so don't be afraid to tell people. I'll be thinking of you!

 

[Gr8t Fan]

I am lurking a bit when I get time. The first two weeks were rough. Breastfeeding didn't go as well as I had hoped. Asha became pretty dehydrated around day 3 and we ended up in the ER. We have been to many pediatrician and lactation consultant appointments over the past several weeks, which has been really time consuming and draining. We ended up having to supplement with formula and I am pretty much exclusively pumping now since Asha doesn't latch well and when she latches, she doesn't feed well. We have almost eliminated the formula supplementation and transitioned to breast milk, though supply is still a bit of an issue that I am working on. That is also very time consuming and draining.

Otherwise, Asha is very good and has been gaining weight like a champ. She is so amazingly adorable and I love her to bits. DH is amazing with her and helps so much. DH went back to work last Monday and my mom went home last Thursday, so I was home with the baby on my own for two days last week and will be on my own for two days this week as well. My mom stayed for two weeks, which was both helpful and stressful at the same time since she is a very picky eater and was playing "Dr. Google" with the breastfeeding issues.

My MIL arrives on Wednesday. I am hoping that she will be helpful, but I am worried that she is going cause stress as well, since she has a lot of strong ideas about what we should be doing with the baby and what I should be eating. I like Indian food, but I don't want to eat Indian food 24/7, so I am worried about that. Also, my appetite has been pretty low in general, which surprises me since everyone says that with breastfeeding, you feel hungry all the time. MIL is probably going to try to over feed me and that will really make me freak out for sure.

I have been finding it hard to break away and just get time to read disboard. Everything seems to take forever and I just don't have time to myself much at all at this point. My friend said things get better after 6 weeks. We will see. I wouldn't trade her for anything, but I do hope things start to feel a bit easier soon.

And, for your enjoyment, another Asha picture from a newborn photo shoot we did on October 22 (the last day of really nice weather).

View attachment 280393

What a great picture. She looks so serene and beautiful.

I had latching problems with my first (and the other 3 afterwards), so I pumped exclusively with all of them after almost getting mastitis and giving up on BF completely. My supply eventually caught up and the key for me was staying hydrated and pumping at consistent intervals. (And having a pump that I kept at home and another that I kept at work). Hang in there, it gets easier over time.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

What a great picture. She looks so serene and beautiful.

I had latching problems with my first (and the other 3 afterwards), so I pumped exclusively with all of them after almost getting mastitis and giving up on BF completely. My supply eventually caught up and the key for me was staying hydrated and pumping at consistent intervals. (And having a pump that I kept at home and another that I kept at work). Hang in there, it gets easier over time.

This is what I am hoping. I am trying to be consistent with pumping, making sure to have 8x 12-15 minute sessions per day or even 9 if I can squeeze it in, at 2-3 hour intervals throughout the day. It is hard sometimes when we have to go to appointments or run errands, but it is a priority for me.

 

[Dentam]

She is so adorable, @Jen and Ashwin!! I hope things get easier with time and I can understand how having your mother and mother in law there would add to the stress.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

This is what I am hoping. I am trying to be consistent with pumping, making sure to have 8x 12-15 minute sessions per day or even 9 if I can squeeze it in, at 2-3 hour intervals throughout the day. It is hard sometimes when we have to go to appointments or run errands, but it is a priority for me.

Consistency was key for me, and eventually my supply came in and I had to freeze the extra because there was so much. I'm so glad I didn't give up. The lactation consultant at the hospital tried to discourage me from pumping, telling me to "work through my pain" because the baby would never latch properly if I didn't, until DH just told her to leave. I started pumping then and pumped until she was 9 months old. I had enough in storage until she transitioned to whole milk.

About 8 weeks after discharge from the hospital, I got a survey from them asking about my experience. I gave them mostly high marks except for my experience with the lactation consultant and said it was OK for them to contact me to discuss. I told them that she discouraged me from pumping and that I'm glad I ignored her because I had been doing so for the past 8 weeks and planned to continue doing so as long as I could. At some point, they must have passed the remarks onto her because she contacted me shortly after my daughter turned 1. She said she'd never encountered anyone who was successful in pumping exclusively so long, but that she would change her practice from discouraging it entirely as a last resort.

 

[DnA2010]

I am lurking a bit when I get time. The first two weeks were rough. Breastfeeding didn't go as well as I had hoped. Asha became pretty dehydrated around day 3 and we ended up in the ER. We have been to many pediatrician and lactation consultant appointments over the past several weeks, which has been really time consuming and draining. We ended up having to supplement with formula and I am pretty much exclusively pumping now since Asha doesn't latch well and when she latches, she doesn't feed well. We have almost eliminated the formula supplementation and transitioned to breast milk, though supply is still a bit of an issue that I am working on. That is also very time consuming and draining.

Otherwise, Asha is very good and has been gaining weight like a champ. She is so amazingly adorable and I love her to bits. DH is amazing with her and helps so much. DH went back to work last Monday and my mom went home last Thursday, so I was home with the baby on my own for two days last week and will be on my own for two days this week as well. My mom stayed for two weeks, which was both helpful and stressful at the same time since she is a very picky eater and was playing "Dr. Google" with the breastfeeding issues.

My MIL arrives on Wednesday. I am hoping that she will be helpful, but I am worried that she is going cause stress as well, since she has a lot of strong ideas about what we should be doing with the baby and what I should be eating. I like Indian food, but I don't want to eat Indian food 24/7, so I am worried about that. Also, my appetite has been pretty low in general, which surprises me since everyone says that with breastfeeding, you feel hungry all the time. MIL is probably going to try to over feed me and that will really make me freak out for sure.

I have been finding it hard to break away and just get time to read disboard. Everything seems to take forever and I just don't have time to myself much at all at this point. My friend said things get better after 6 weeks. We will see. I wouldn't trade her for anything, but I do hope things start to feel a bit easier soon.

And, for your enjoyment, another Asha picture from a newborn photo shoot we did on October 22 (the last day of really nice weather).

View attachment 280393

Your beginning sounds very similar to mine- the only thing that ended up working for us was me adding a nipple shield- she was then able to draw out. I also did the pumping and it is very exhausting for sure. Looks like things are sorting out which is great- Makenna was a tough baby overall as she was super colicky, but as she got older it def got easier. I remember what is was like when OH went back to work, hang in there xx
Hopefully the MIL isn't too tough. I wasn't much into food either- stick to whatever works.
Agree with your friends, in a few more weeks things get a little better, but the schedule is tough for sure.

She's a beauty, I bet you all are over the moon with her x

Enjoy your year off (not sure if you are taking the whole year- I did 10 months off then half time for a month when I went back) it goes so fast!

 

[Eureka]

I am lurking a bit when I get time. The first two weeks were rough. Breastfeeding didn't go as well as I had hoped. Asha became pretty dehydrated around day 3 and we ended up in the ER. We have been to many pediatrician and lactation consultant appointments over the past several weeks, which has been really time consuming and draining. We ended up having to supplement with formula and I am pretty much exclusively pumping now since Asha doesn't latch well and when she latches, she doesn't feed well. We have almost eliminated the formula supplementation and transitioned to breast milk, though supply is still a bit of an issue that I am working on. That is also very time consuming and draining.

Otherwise, Asha is very good and has been gaining weight like a champ. She is so amazingly adorable and I love her to bits. DH is amazing with her and helps so much. DH went back to work last Monday and my mom went home last Thursday, so I was home with the baby on my own for two days last week and will be on my own for two days this week as well. My mom stayed for two weeks, which was both helpful and stressful at the same time since she is a very picky eater and was playing "Dr. Google" with the breastfeeding issues.

My MIL arrives on Wednesday. I am hoping that she will be helpful, but I am worried that she is going cause stress as well, since she has a lot of strong ideas about what we should be doing with the baby and what I should be eating. I like Indian food, but I don't want to eat Indian food 24/7, so I am worried about that. Also, my appetite has been pretty low in general, which surprises me since everyone says that with breastfeeding, you feel hungry all the time. MIL is probably going to try to over feed me and that will really make me freak out for sure.

I have been finding it hard to break away and just get time to read disboard. Everything seems to take forever and I just don't have time to myself much at all at this point. My friend said things get better after 6 weeks. We will see. I wouldn't trade her for anything, but I do hope things start to feel a bit easier soon.

And, for your enjoyment, another Asha picture from a newborn photo shoot we did on October 22 (the last day of really nice weather).

View attachment 280393

She is adorable! I did not breastfeed so I can’t speak to any of that but I’m sorry you’re having problems. I do know that after the first 6-8 weeks, you all will have gotten into a routine and life will seem easier. Try not to sweat it with your MIL. Easier said than done, I know. Eat when you’re hungry and nap when you can. Nothing wrong with going into your room to “nap” when you just need a moment alone too. Lots of moms on here will back me up on that, I’m sure. Lol. Thanks for posting.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Consistency was key for me, and eventually my supply came in and I had to freeze the extra because there was so much. I'm so glad I didn't give up. The lactation consultant at the hospital tried to discourage me from pumping, telling me to "work through my pain" because the baby would never latch properly if I didn't, until DH just told her to leave. I started pumping then and pumped until she was 9 months old. I had enough in storage until she transitioned to whole milk.

About 8 weeks after discharge from the hospital, I got a survey from them asking about my experience. I gave them mostly high marks except for my experience with the lactation consultant and said it was OK for them to contact me to discuss. I told them that she discouraged me from pumping and that I'm glad I ignored her because I had been doing so for the past 8 weeks and planned to continue doing so as long as I could. At some point, they must have passed the remarks onto her because she contacted me shortly after my daughter turned 1. She said she'd never encountered anyone who was successful in pumping exclusively so long, but that she would change her practice from discouraging it entirely as a last resort.

I actually know a lot of people that have pumped exclusively for 6-12 months because they had latch issues. I actually think that once I return to work and she goes to daycare, it might not make a huge difference, since I would have to be pumping at least during the day at that point anyways. In the evenings, DH does the bottle feedings while I pump, which helps immensely. It is during the day, when I have to do all of it myself, that it feels really hard. Today might be the first day that we don't supplement with formula at all, which would be really exciting. I am hoping my work will translate into increased supply so that I could store enough milk to do what you did and stop a few months before she transitions to whole milk.

And on a budget note, even though we had to make changes to our feeding plans and had a bunch of unexpected expenses plus realized there were other things we really needed, we still stayed within our budget for October! We went through diapers way faster than I had anticipated and we already had to run out and buy more. She is almost 8 lbs. now, but I think I want to wait a little longer until we transition into the cloth diapers until after my mother in law leaves towards the end of November.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Your beginning sounds very similar to mine- the only thing that ended up working for us was me adding a nipple shield- she was then able to draw out. I also did the pumping and it is very exhausting for sure. Looks like things are sorting out which is great- Makenna was a tough baby overall as she was super colicky, but as she got older it def got easier. I remember what is was like when OH went back to work, hang in there xx
Hopefully the MIL isn't too tough. I wasn't much into food either- stick to whatever works.
Agree with your friends, in a few more weeks things get a little better, but the schedule is tough for sure.

She's a beauty, I bet you all are over the moon with her x

Enjoy your year off (not sure if you are taking the whole year- I did 10 months off then half time for a month when I went back) it goes so fast!

Wish I could take a year! I am thinking that I will go back towards the end of January. I have a meeting in New Orleans Jan. 22. and I think I will make that my first official day back, which is a little shy of 3.5 months.

 

[Ngwira]

Wish I could take a year! I am thinking that I will go back towards the end of January. I have a meeting in New Orleans Jan. 22. and I think I will make that my first official day back, which is a little shy of 3.5 months.

Jen, she is so so beautiful. Hang in there and enjoy your time with her. It goes by really fast.

 

[DnA2010]

Wish I could take a year! I am thinking that I will go back towards the end of January. I have a meeting in New Orleans Jan. 22. and I think I will make that my first official day back, which is a little shy of 3.5 months.

Right - I remember that now. I bet there are a lot more options for infant care, here it is pretty tough to find. Hope you have a great week

 

[DnA2010]

So Disney just released another 20% off tickets for Canadians offer...I think it's a sign..I really really wish I had bought some last time but this def puts the trip we are considering on the table...we have lots of aeroplan...

 

[pblack]

I have nothing new to update on the debt dumping front. Not adding to our debt, so at least that's a win. The hubby and I are talking about trying to buy a house/condo at the beginning of the year, but have no idea if we'll have enough of a down payment by then. California home prices are astronomical. I did apply for the Southwest credit card since they're offering a free companion pass for CA residents and I got approved for that. I plan on swapping out my normal every day credit card (Citibank Costco card) for the Southwest card. I'd rather earn miles instead of cash back.

My birthday is next weekend, but no big plans for next weekend. We will be going to Disneyland the weekend after (18th) and i'm soooo excited to see all the Christmas decor. We're not going so much for rides this time as we are for the Christmas season. I also found out there is a Disney store outlet near Disneyland, so that will definitely be a stop on our way home. Better prepare to say goodbye to my money. :'(

Happy 1st of November!

 

[Eureka]

So, after our dryer breaking the week before vacation, the truck needing two new tires, and being 30 hours short on my paycheck, fate decided to play nice.

I got $100 for my birthday Friday. Instead of being a good girl and saving it, I decided to go to the casino. It was something I used to do often before I had kids and had a single girls budget. Not sure how it happened, but I ended up jackpoting a $2 machine for $1400. Oncce they took out taxes, it was about $1100. I still had $200 left on the machine from normal play, so I said "screw it", took my $200 and stuck it in a $25 machine and crossed my fingers. Two spins in, I hit double-7-double for $8,000. I can now pay off both our loans, our furniture lease, and send the landlord two months of rent to get us past Christmas.

Sorry I missed this...but wow! That's awesome.

 

[Eureka]

Paid the mortgage the other day and we now officially owe less than $100K on the house. Yes, plenty left to go and our payoff date is not for another 9 1/2 years but still, it was exciting to see.

 

[DnA2010]

Paid the mortgage the other day and we now officially owe less than $100K on the house. Yes, plenty left to go and our payoff date is not for another 9 1/2 years but still, it was exciting to see.

That's awesome! we still have like over 300K and 18 years but housing prices are insane here..hoping we can continue to overpay and bring that down

 

[DLgal]

We have stalled big time over here.

Husband's promotion has been held up for two months now due to him being named in some stupid nonsense investigation. He was NOT being investigated personally, but he was a witness to an incident and if you are part of an investigation, and due for a promotion, it gets held up until the investigation is resolved. So, yeah, that sucks. Although once it's all said and done, he will get back pay to his original promotion date of 9/1. So I guess it's like a forced savings account.

We had to spend $1000 on my car two weeks ago. It needed an oil change. The dealer recommend new tires (I knew that was coming) and offered a lower price than Costco for the same tires so I let them do it. And the battery failed the load test, so new battery. And new tires meant new alignment. Ugh. So yeah, went from a $75 quote to $990.00 out the door. Then both my husband and I needed some new clothes and shoes, so that was another few hundred.

We just can't bring down our monthly spending. We are consistently spending between $4000-4500 (in addition to our recurring bills. We cut back on the food spending but it just gets replaced with something else. So annoyed.

Our credit card debt is currently at $9750. Stalled big time. I am going to have to do another balance transfer because this was supposed to be paid off by 1/15/18. Not gonna happen. I have an offer at 0% APR with a 1% transfer fee for 12 months. That's better than nothing.

And now the holidays are coming and there will be more spending.

Guess we will just keep plugging along.