Debt Dumpers - 2018

party: A big congratulations to you! That's very exciting news!

Thank you.

Congratulations!!!

Thank you.

Congrats!!! Weddings are so exciting! I'm knee deep in paying for ours as well! We're having a fairly large shin dig at the Hard Rock Casino here in Tulsa, followed by a honeymoon in Orlando! We considered Hawaii too, so you'll have to report back next year on your thoughts!

We thought about a Disney wedding and cruise, but ultimately decided on a Vegas wedding. It didn't matter where the wedding was, unless we just found a Justice of the Peace, there were going to be a lot of people traveling, and by having the ceremony in Vegas, it actually makes it a little easier on more people. Fun tidbit, though. The package that we are planning to do will cost less than a much smaller Disney wedding, and (I think) will be just about as magical with the Bellagio Fountains as a backdrop for the "kiss your spouse" moment.

The only way we were able to consider Hawaii for the honeymoon is through DVC. I don't plan to leave the resort complex the whole week, and the week may dip me into my 2020 point allotment, lol. Worth it though.

Congratulations @dayvewc !

Thank you.
 
I took a couple trips in college, but I also worked 35 hours a week as an assistant manager in a retail store while carrying a full credit load at a University. I graduated from college having had a credit card since 18, with no consumer debt, even though I charged those vacations. I simply paid them off within a reasonable timeframe. It can be done.
I’ve never carried a balance on any of my credit cards and never intend to do so. So if I can’t afford to pay for the trip without being able to pay my credit card balances in full I don’t take or plan the trip.
 
I’ve never carried a balance on any of my credit cards and never intend to do so. So if I can’t afford to pay for the trip without being able to pay my credit card balances in full I don’t take or plan the trip.

I am okay with having a balance as long as I KNOW there will be money coming in to pay it off in a couple months. I mean, you gotta live your life. However, when you have little (or no) income, going on vacation is a no go, IMO. We are taking a vacation this summer (a big one) while still having debt, but we have a plan in place to be debt free with a substantial savings by next February, so it's fine. The vacation will be fully paid for ahead of time, but we will still have outstanding debt on a balance transfer card. We have guaranteed income, so it's all good. You have to look at the entire financial picture.
 
nerd-face_1f913.png
Welcome!!! If you want to scroll back to the second or third page, you'll see my "Oh my word, I'm on the budget page" post. I am not following Dave Ramsey verbatim, because it doesn't work for me, but I am snowballing debt. Ask questions, post your triumphs! This is a great bunch of people who give me motivation to trudge through my spreadsheets.

Thank you for the warm welcome! And I totally get it - I'm not following his plan strictly either. Made tweaks for myself - but hey, that's why they call it personal finance right?

I'm such a fan of spreadsheetsnerd-face_1f913.png. When I get bogged down because I feel the process is going too slow, I look at my previous months and see how far I've come and feel encouraged.

I'm not asking this to be mean, but can you get a job? I know you'd like to save for a vacation, but is that realistic when you have minimal income? I know I'm phrasing this wrong, and I'm sorry if it hurts your feelings. I do know (from my brother) that rolling into credit consolidation DOES hurt your credit score, so there is that to consider. But I do agree with @jen7233 that being aware of the debt at your age and forming a plan to pay it off is fantastic!

Agreed here. I learned the hard way that you should not have a credit card at such a young age (I was approved at 18). I'm now turning 30 in November...yeah, you do the math. Debt has had a stranglehold on my finances for so long.

I would advise you work on getting it paid off ASAP. Credit consolidation will hurt your credit score because it's seen almost as a settlement. It's not worth messing up your credit for an amount that can definitely be dumped with a few months of buckling down and throwing money at it.
 


Best news (though not for debt dumping). I found someone that I'd like to spend the rest of my life with. And he wants to spend it with me. So, we're looking at having a wedding next June. We're waiting that long because we both decided to kind of go all out and have a small-ish extravaganza on the wedding and honeymoon. And I'm not going to add to the debt to do so, but I am willing to extend the time to payoff. So, I'll keep chugging away on the debt, but the biggest bulk will be going to pay for the wedding. My personal hard deadline on the decision is this July. If we have managed to save at least $1500, then we will have the ceremony in front of the Bellagio fountain in Vegas, with a honeymoon in Hawaii after.

We will see how things go in the next few weeks as to whether I can get this dream to fly or not.

Wonderful news!!! So happy for you and wishing you and your fiance a beautiful wedding!
 
Thank you for the warm welcome! And I totally get it - I'm not following his plan strictly either. Made tweaks for myself - but hey, that's why they call it personal finance right?
I'm such a fan of spreadsheets. When I get bogged down because I feel the process is going too slow, I look at my previous months and see how far I've come and feel encouraged.
Right? I love the snowball. I counted out the months until we are debt free (including mortgage). 56 months or 4 years and 8 months. And that is allowing for vacations and other expenses.


Agreed here. I learned the hard way that you should not have a credit card at such a young age (I was approved at 18). I'm now turning 30 in November...yeah, you do the math. Debt has had a stranglehold on my finances for so long.

I would advise you work on getting it paid off ASAP. Credit consolidation will hurt your credit score because it's seen almost as a settlement. It's not worth messing up your credit for an amount that can definitely be dumped with a few months of buckling down and throwing money at it.
I have a decade on you for age, so you're in much better shape! Sometimes, I wish I could go back and smack myself for the debt we have, minus the house. It was so ridiculous.
 
So, I have news.

The dumping of debt has not gone very well the past couple of months. There has been a pile on of unusual bills, and two of my now (recently) 3 roommates were out of work, so they weren't paying anything towards the house bills. I'm not behind on anything yet, but that's only because the month hasn't ended. I don't think I'll be able to make the payments on a couple of the bills. :-( I've juggled and finagled every way I can find and it just isn't there.

Brighter side, one of the roommates moved out last weekend, so while I won't get any income from him anymore, he's the one that hasn't paid consistently over the past several years, so I think I'll actually come out ahead with him gone. The other jobless roommate has a job that he should start literally any day now. He'll be making around $14/hour with a good chance for consistent overtime, and has agreed to work as much overtime as they will let him until he catches up on what he owes. Just waiting for the trainer to get back in town so he can finish training and get put on the schedule.

Best news (though not for debt dumping). I found someone that I'd like to spend the rest of my life with. And he wants to spend it with me. So, we're looking at having a wedding next June. We're waiting that long because we both decided to kind of go all out and have a small-ish extravaganza on the wedding and honeymoon. And I'm not going to add to the debt to do so, but I am willing to extend the time to payoff. So, I'll keep chugging away on the debt, but the biggest bulk will be going to pay for the wedding. My personal hard deadline on the decision is this July. If we have managed to save at least $1500, then we will have the ceremony in front of the Bellagio fountain in Vegas, with a honeymoon in Hawaii after.

We will see how things go in the next few weeks as to whether I can get this dream to fly or not.
Congratulations!!!!!! So happy for you, Dave.
 


Best news (though not for debt dumping). I found someone that I'd like to spend the rest of my life with. And he wants to spend it with me. So, we're looking at having a wedding next June. We're waiting that long because we both decided to kind of go all out and have a small-ish extravaganza on the wedding and honeymoon. And I'm not going to add to the debt to do so, but I am willing to extend the time to payoff. So, I'll keep chugging away on the debt, but the biggest bulk will be going to pay for the wedding. My personal hard deadline on the decision is this July. If we have managed to save at least $1500, then we will have the ceremony in front of the Bellagio fountain in Vegas, with a honeymoon in Hawaii after.
Congrats! My first marriage was a Vegas wedding. I was just 18 years old, eesh. But anyway. A honeymoon in Hawaii sounds perfect! Big island or Oahu, or another?

I am okay with having a balance as long as I KNOW there will be money coming in to pay it off in a couple months. I mean, you gotta live your life.
Yep, I mean normally I pay our balances monthly but sometimes life just happens differently. We are still taking the planned vacation, that actually was planned before the AMEX $5k charge I need to knock out. But, I've got a target on this thing and it will get paid by end of the year.
 
I'm going to slap myself in the back of the head for saying this, but ....

Do I need to do a pre-trip (wedding) / honeymoon report thread?

Oh yes you do,
Congratulations Hon!
I can't wait for a pre wedding/honeymoon report!
Hugs Mel

Ok
I'll start
Does he like Disney?
So what's his name?
What does he do for a living?
Does he have a sense of humour?
Does he spend or save money?
What Disney character is he most like?
What kind of car does he drive?
Does he have a single older brother?lol
Inquiring minds need to know,,lol Hugs Hon



 
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On the debt front, it's been a good, but expensive few weeks (months?). I got the county tax bill in the mail finally for the car I bought in September 2016 when my previous one was totaled. It's 1% of the purchase price, yuck. I'm also getting my new closet system put in next week which will eat up my federal tax refund. I already paid the state its cut!

I then have a short trip to NYC with BF. His parents, who I've only met once, are coming to visit Memorial Day weekend so I need to get everything in order for that since he's not as much of a planner as I am. I also feel like I'm running out of all my household goods at once and have to stock up! :charac2:

I'm excited that the car loan is down to around $1700 remaining and will be paid off in a few months! I was hoping for May, but unanticipated expenses (some good :thumbsup2 ) got in the way. I also got a small discount on our September Disney trip with the RO discount that was released today! I told BF if he wants to save more by switching to a resort with FD, I can keep a lookout, but I'm pretty happy with what we have. I also think we may have a quieter stay if our resort isn't participating? :confused3 I've been waiting to start paying toward the balance until we got the total squared away and am hoping to start chipping at it shortly.
 
I'm going to slap myself in the back of the head for saying this, but ....

Do I need to do a pre-trip (wedding) / honeymoon report thread?

Definitely!!! I will be there as soon as it's up!! And DH and I went to Oahu 6 years ago (can't believe it's been that long) right when Aulani was opening. We didn't stay there (I think it literally opened the last day we were on the island). BEAUTIFUL resort though! And Oahu is a lot of fun, lots to do there!
 
Well, tonight was definitely a hard hit. Our Disney trip is 22 days away, everything is bought and paid for. I just got a text from my niece's mom that she can no longer go. Her plane ticket says nonrefundable and nontransferable. I already bought her Disney ticket and Seaworld/Aquatica. What is the best way to go about this so that her tickets don't go to waste? I don't have anyone else to take in her place. Can I transfer her ticket to myself or husband to use on another trip?
 
Well, tonight was definitely a hard hit. Our Disney trip is 22 days away, everything is bought and paid for. I just got a text from my niece's mom that she can no longer go. Her plane ticket says nonrefundable and nontransferable. I already bought her Disney ticket and Seaworld/Aquatica. What is the best way to go about this so that her tickets don't go to waste? I don't have anyone else to take in her place. Can I transfer her ticket to myself or husband to use on another trip?

Easy one first: My understanding on the Disney tickets, is that until it is used, it can be transferred to another person through the My Disney Experience. Be aware that currently tickets are only good until Dec 2019, or at least that that was when the ticket I bought mom in March expired. I don't know about Seaworld/Aquatica, but I think they are the same way, transferable until first use.

Congrats! My first marriage was a Vegas wedding. I was just 18 years old, eesh. But anyway. A honeymoon in Hawaii sounds perfect! Big island or Oahu, or another?

Oahu, I think? It's the same island as Honolulu. Aulani is in the southwest portion of the island.

Oh yes you do,
Congratulations Hon!
I can't wait for a pre wedding/honeymoon report!
Hugs Mel

Ok
I'll start

Does he like Disney?

So, he does like Disney, though is not as much of a fan as I am. But, he can sing every song from Frozen, so roadtrips keep turning into car karaoke to the Frozen soundtrack.

So what's his name?

His name is Ezekiel, but he goes by Zeke.

What does he do for a living?

Currently he is working as a forklift driver at one of the Riceland plants. I mentioned a few posts back about one of the roommates starting a new job, well he's the one. Base pay starts at $14/hour with no cap, and 10+ hours of overtime per week is available for most of the year.

Does he have a sense of humour?

He has a wonderful sense of humour!!!! That was what first drew me to him. One of the other roommates keep making the comment that I laugh and smile more since he came in to my life than she has ever seen.

Does he spend or save money?

Both? He spends, but not outrageously. He can stretch money further than I can, but he doesn't make a concerted effort to save money either. He has stated that he wants me to handle all of the finances. I think his exact words were "I'll make as much as I can, your job is to make sure everything is paid"

What Disney character is he most like?

That's a difficult one. If I had to pick, probably somewhere between Winnie the Pooh, Flynn Rider, and Kristoff. I do call him my "honey bear" though.

What kind of car does he drive?

Currently driving a 2009 Chevy Silverado extended cab full bed. But we're planning to get him something different in a few years.

Does he have a single older brother?lol

He does have an older brother, but not single. ;-)

Now for the ironic part. The roommate that moved out last week was my former significant other. That relationship ended years ago, but we were still friends so he kept living here. He also carried a torch for me and wanted to get back together, but it wasn't happening. So, last fall, he brought a friend of his over for a week to try to make me jealous that he had moved on. I was happy for him. But, by the end of the week, his friend had broken up with the ex and started dating me. :-O The past few months were a bit weird with all three of us living in the same house, but it ended up just making our relationship stronger.

I guess the consensus is that I need to make a report, I'll start it tomorrow. And then post the link here.
 
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Money comes in, money goes out.

DH's new car's windshield has a HUGE horizontal crack right at eye level. Well, because his car is new, there isn't an aftermarket windshield available yet. Also, his car has a windshield mounted camera/sensor system for Honda Sense...the repair requires specialty windshield mounts that are $200 each (need 2). THEN, the camera may need to be recalibrated after the replacement, which runs another $350-400. The total repair cost...$1450. Yikes!!!

Of course, we have a $1000 deductible on our car insurance. I figured, I'd rather save on the premium and pay out the $1000 when needed, and believe it or not, this is our FIRST claim in 17 years, so I'm sure I saved more than $1000 in premium costs over the years, but it still bites. We also don't live in a state that mandates insurance coverage specifically for windshields.

I never imagined a windshield could be so expensive, but now that I know,I will probably drop the deductible for comprehensive damage down to $250. Because DH drives exclusively on freeways and a cracked windshield is practically a given.

Looks like we will have to suspend May's savings to pay for the repair, but then will be back on track.
Always something with cars. Ugh.
 
The good news is, yesterday we had a meeting to hear what our quarter one bonuses are. They are performance based company-wide goals that are scored from 0-5, and then everyone gets X% of their pay that quarter as their bonus. So mine works out to around $460 before taxes, etc.

The bad news is they're taking away the safety part of the bonus, which was a flat $125 for each quarter, as long as you didn't have an injury. I mean, it's not hugely substantial, but it's kind of a bummer to lose a guaranteed $500 a year. :sad1:
 
Well, tonight was definitely a hard hit. Our Disney trip is 22 days away, everything is bought and paid for. I just got a text from my niece's mom that she can no longer go. Her plane ticket says nonrefundable and nontransferable. I already bought her Disney ticket and Seaworld/Aquatica. What is the best way to go about this so that her tickets don't go to waste? I don't have anyone else to take in her place. Can I transfer her ticket to myself or husband to use on another trip?

First off, that's such a bummer! I would call the airline and explain the situation. Maybe they can give you partial refund in the form of a credit or upgrade your current seats? Never hurts to ask, the worst they can say is no.
 

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