Debt Dumpers 2022

[pblack]

Hi Everyone!
We are still chugging along. Dad's party was super small but wonderful. My niece who lives 2 hours away, has been staying with my dad from Sun night -Friday nights. He can't be alone all day, so this works out well for both of them. Her kids' school is remote (online charter school) so she can still make some money and my dad gets to see his great grandchildren that before, he'd rarely get to see. It's a win-win for both of them.

Now I can finally start to focus on our Panama Canal cruise that sails a week from Friday. We've done 2 PCR tests and been trying to avoid people for a while.

We are still debt-free and now just saving to pay income taxes. Our kids are too old to claim as dependents so now we always owe. I haven't had time to calculate the amount, but I'll do that after the cruise. Whatever $ is leftover I will apply to our next goal which will be a truck for dh. His stupid check engine light is still on despite $6000+ in repairs to our local Chevy dealer. It won't pass inspection, which is due in September, I think. We'll be ready before that.

Just keep swimming!

Glad to hear your dad's party was wonderful! I know how stressed you were about it. Have a fabulous time on your cruise!

 

[disney-inspired]

I made an extra $500 payment to my private student loan. I decided to target that loan with my extra funds as I wouldn't have been able to pay off an entire federal loan before the interest is reinstated in June.

If I keep at this momentum, I could have it paid off in 30 months. I would love for that to be faster but this way it still allows me to complete all my sinking funds, have pocket money for fun stuff and still contribute to my 401k.

 

[crazycatstacy]

Back from our short weekend trip. Spent about what I had mentally budgeted. Glad I went and am now glad to be home. Really hoping to focus the next six weeks before my daughter comes home for Easter on not spending and healthy eating/more activity.

 

[amalone1013]

Going to do this early since we'll be out of town the last 5 days of the month, and any of that spending will go towards travel and not hit any of our goals. March is now budgeted out (pending our tax refund which says 2/24 deposit - so I included it in my budgeting). DH also got a commission payment this month so that made for happy goals (I budget out our regular costs ie mortgages, bills, groceries and then any extra is divided between goals on a percentage basis)

Beginning of March Update
$2000 Maternity leave cushion -
1/1: $750
3/1: $989 (+$239 change since beginning of year)
I have a plan that should easily get me here by the time I would miss anything out of a paycheck for my leave. This is just for missed pay, so anything unused will rollover to a new goal.

Baby/Maternity Items -
1/1: Didn't exist
3/1: $927
Still positive even though I've been spending from here Between Jan and Feb so far, broke down and bought a winter coat, got some shirts, sweaters, and a dress for one of our baby showers. Also used it for some nursery projects. Main goal is this doesn't go negative overall before the baby has been here a few months.

$20,000 Barn savings -
1/1: $6779
3/1: $13,973 (+$7194 change since beginning of year)
I updated this one to make the goal a little higher. If our income is similar this should be achievable. Will probably continue to reassess if we can stretch it even more.

Grocery/Eating out budget -
Grocery 3/1: 100% remaining
Grocery Feb: 0% remaining
Months under budget:
Eating Out 3/1: 100% remaining
Eating Out Feb: 56% remaining
Months under budget:
Ok, technically we were 5 cents over for February groceries but since that's about 0.01% over, I'm counting it... still need to work on the leftovers thing for less waste. Again we just didn't eat out as much this month.
Getting ready to prep for freezer meals so if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!

Budget Meetings - minimum monthly
February: Didn't have one yet but we should be able to do a review on our drive to my hometown
Months with meetings:

Not too much else to add currently. We have a busy night ahead of us before we leave!

 

[jen7233]

Hi Everyone!
We are still chugging along. Dad's party was super small but wonderful. My niece who lives 2 hours away, has been staying with my dad from Sun night -Friday nights. He can't be alone all day, so this works out well for both of them. Her kids' school is remote (online charter school) so she can still make some money and my dad gets to see his great grandchildren that before, he'd rarely get to see. It's a win-win for both of them.

Now I can finally start to focus on our Panama Canal cruise that sails a week from Friday. We've done 2 PCR tests and been trying to avoid people for a while.

We are still debt-free and now just saving to pay income taxes. Our kids are too old to claim as dependents so now we always owe. I haven't had time to calculate the amount, but I'll do that after the cruise. Whatever $ is leftover I will apply to our next goal which will be a truck for dh. His stupid check engine light is still on despite $6000+ in repairs to our local Chevy dealer. It won't pass inspection, which is due in September, I think. We'll be ready before that.

Just keep swimming!

Glad to hear about your dad's party! Very sweet.

My check in time. We recently filed taxes the other day, we are getting back much less this year than years prior, and we didn't do that child tax credit advanced last year, and glad we didn't. It feels like the government wanted more in taxes from us last year in 2021. I guess I should be happy we didn't owe, but still doesn't make it feel like we aren't paying more.

 

[Tygerlilly]

Getting ready to prep for freezer meals so if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!

Before I had our son last July I made: lasagna, stuffed shells, cooked 10lbs of plain ground beef (separate into 1lb pkgs), 10lbs of cooked taco seasoned meat (1lb pkgs), chucked up chicken in some kind of marinade to throw in the crock pot, breakfast burritos and sammiches, and precooked a ridiculous amount of bacon and froze it. It made the first few months so much easier to just throw something in the oven or crock pot

 

[jen7233]

Before I had our son last July I made: lasagna, stuffed shells, cooked 10lbs of plain ground beef (separate into 1lb pkgs), 10lbs of cooked taco seasoned meat (1lb pkgs), chucked up chicken in some kind of marinade to throw in the crock pot, breakfast burritos and sammiches, and precooked a ridiculous amount of bacon and froze it. It made the first few months so much easier to just throw something in the oven or crock pot

What freezer storage containers did you use for the seasoned taco meat and chicken, and do you have a recommendation on reheating? I want to do freezer preps with meat to make my busy week easier, easy to heat up meals for dinners during the work/school week. I get off work about 545pm and then immediately have to start dinner.

 

[pblack]

What freezer storage containers did you use for the seasoned taco meat and chicken, and do you have a recommendation on reheating? I want to do freezer preps with meat to make my busy week easier, easy to heat up meals for dinners during the work/school week. I get off work about 545pm and then immediately have to start dinner.

I know this question wasn't directed to me, but I recently meal prepped some cooked ground turkey for soups/spaghetti/tacos and I really like these freezer bags: https://www.glad.com/food-protection/bags/flex-n-seal-freezer-quart-bags/ If you freeze the bag flat it also makes it so much quicker to defrost. You can either take it out in the morning and by the time you get ready to use it it should be defrosted enough for you to manipulate it. Or I've also thrown the bags in the microwave on defrost until it becomes manageable to throw into whatever I'm using it for.

 

[slightly_obsessed]

Getting ready to prep for freezer meals so if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!

I second the cooked hamburger, taco meat, and marinated chicken! I put them in quart sized freezer bags, it defrosts really quickly or breaks up easily to put in sauce if needed. Cooked chicken that I could use for protein in salads/wraps/casseroles, etc was good. I think I also had manicotti, enchiladas, meatloaf. It is usually it easier for me to freezer cook by doubling up recipes and sticking one in the freezer, instead of doing one big day. It just doesn't seem so time consuming that way. And things like breakfast sandwiches, burritos, muffins are excellent - stuff that you can just take one out and eat if for breakfast or lunch, one handed if necessary, is supremely helpful!

eta: I also liked kits (like fajitas) where the stuff was all there, including the tortillas. I get sick of slow cooker things quickly though... this requires a bit more hands on time but tastes better in my opinion.

 

[pblack]

That reminds me of the other thing I did to freezer prep some easy to go meals for me. I bought 2 rotisserie chickens at Costco and I shredded them up and then froze individual portions in small baggies. This way I can take out a small baggie either the night before or the day of (popping into the microwave to defrost) and I can throw it in salad, wraps, bowls, etc. It's been a really great time saver! Obviously you could cook your own chicken and then shred it, I just preferred the ease of using rotisserie chicken.

 

[barkley]

That reminds me of the other thing I did to freezer prep some easy to go meals for me. I bought 2 rotisserie chickens at Costco and I shredded them up and then froze individual portions in small baggies. This way I can take out a small baggie either the night before or the day of (popping into the microwave to defrost) and I can throw it in salad, wraps, bowls, etc. It's been a really great time saver! Obviously you could cook your own chicken and then shred it, I just preferred the ease of using rotisserie chicken.

the cost of costco's are less per pound than the best sales price i've seen on whole chicken for a couple of years. the shredded concept also works well with those veggie steamer bags-do up a bag of steamer veggies, top with warmed shredded chicken (had a friend who did this for work meals).

i used to do up big batches to freeze-

agree on the ground beef (i froze it up plain, defrosted and then added italian seasoning/mixed in jarred pasta sauce, added taco seasoing/made burritos or enchiladas (canned sauce), sloppy joes....i still make ds containers of taco meat (dollar store 3 for $1/microwave and freezer safe) he uses these days to make street tacos (taco sauce/tortillas/shredded cheese is always on hand),

i would make multiple meat loafs, cook them and then refrigerate so they would pop out of the dish easier. wrap in foil. make big batches of meatballs, cook them and put them on a parchment lined cookie sheet in the freezer for about an hour so i could ziplock bag them and they didn't stick together (i could pull out however many i needed). right now i have frozen containers of shredded pork roast (cheapest cut of meat in our area these days). i use the soda pop crock pot method to cook, i shred it and batch it up. i can use it to make pulled pork sandwiches, ham and beans...

 

[Tygerlilly]

I ordered a bunch of deli containers off Amazon in a bunch of sizes. They're pretty inexpensive and I loathe trying to clean greasy containers that have held meat in it, so I toss them after. Or I use the good zip lock bags and freeze the meat as flat as possible.

To thaw I either just set it out early or defrost in the microwave. Most of the time I just microwave to neat it up, but a skillet works too.

 

[jen7233]

Excellent ideas. I just need to now do it! Tonight was an easy dinner night so I'm already done, I made easy turkey sausage since it's precooked. Agree on Costco chicken, the small rotisserie chicken at my local grocery went up $2 a chicken.

 

[barkley]

I loathe trying to clean greasy containers that have held meat in it, so I toss them after

the 'awesome orange' spray that the dollar store sells is phenomenal on those greasy containers. when we empty one i spray it, put some warm water from the faucet in, snap the lid back on and shake. i let them sit in the sink and an hour or so later empty them to put them into the dishwasher-all the grease slides off before they go into the dishwasher.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

Another one bites the dust....

Account #12 paid off today. The total amount of monthly payments no longer in rotation for a monthly payment since December is $382.

Those nickel and dime accounts will mess everything up.

 

[pblack]

Another one bites the dust....

Account #12 paid off today. The total amount of monthly payments no longer in rotation for a monthly payment since December is $382.

Those nickel and dime accounts will mess everything up.

Congratulations!! (I'd normally insert a banana dance here, but I can't do that from my phone.)

 

[Carol_]

I decided to start karate classes so I can help DS6 get his black belt. This is going to be rough. I’m ridiculously out of shape. Pray for me, people.
Just spent $5k on a family karate contract. 30 months for everyone in the family including gear, parents’ nights out parties, and tournaments. Wasn’t a quick decision but it was pricey, but it’s a life skill that lasts longer than a vacation.

 

[slightly_obsessed]

I decided to start karate classes so I can help DS6 get his black belt. This is going to be rough. I’m ridiculously out of shape. Pray for me, people.

I just bought roller skates because my 9 year old has discovered he loves them and help get myself back into shape. I feel your pain. I am sure you will do great but good luck still!

 

[pblack]

End of February update:

My 2022 Financial Goals:

• Pay off our Camry loan (currently sitting just under $12k)....no change other than regular payments. This will be paid off with a combination of our tax return and some savings within the next month or so.
• Continue to pay extra to our Highlander loan (especially once the Camry is paid off)....Back to paying an extra $50 on top of my $450/mo payment.
• Save an extra $1000 towards my main savings account outside of my automatic monthly transfers....$50/$1000
• Save money for the following expenses: cat/gifts/annual credit card fees....$75 added 1/31, $75 added 2/15, $75 added 2/28
• Save $$ for a long weekend in Mexico (maybe August, November, or January 2023...TBD), and the big family trip my in-laws want to do for their 40th anniversary (date TBD - location is tentatively Hawaii Feb 2023)....$75 current Hawaii savings.

My 2022 Personal Goals:

• Drain our pool, get rid of the black algae issue, and repaint the pool This was changed to a professional pool replaster/remodel …..The pool has been drained and the old plaster has been chipped away. We've chosen our tile and pebble color. Just waiting for them to come back out and start the tile, pebble, and install the new filter/pump.
• Exercise at least 4 times a week....I was at 3-4 times a week for February. Could have been better, but could have been worse.
• Spend less money on items that we don't need....I feel like we did fairly well on this in February. I did buy a few items that weren't necessarily a need, but I don't think we spent as much money on "things" as we normally do.

I feel like with taking out the home equity loan and doing a professional pool remodel our goals just keep shifting. Once the pool project is done I may need to come back and adjust some goals/move some things around.

We're headed to Disneyland this weekend for a quick overnight trip to enjoy the start of Food and Wine. I'm sure we'll end up spending a decent amount of money on food/drinks this weekend. Our flights were booked on points and I've already paid for our hotel. Disney dropped a Steamboat Willie Dooney and Bourke line and I'm really debating buying the backpack. I'm a huge Steamboat Willie fan. I'm arguing with myself over the frivolousness of $300 lol.

 

[crazycatstacy]

End of February update:

My 2022 Financial Goals:

• Pay off our Camry loan (currently sitting just under $12k)....no change other than regular payments. This will be paid off with a combination of our tax return and some savings within the next month or so.
• Continue to pay extra to our Highlander loan (especially once the Camry is paid off)....Back to paying an extra $50 on top of my $450/mo payment.
• Save an extra $1000 towards my main savings account outside of my automatic monthly transfers....$50/$1000
• Save money for the following expenses: cat/gifts/annual credit card fees....$75 added 1/31, $75 added 2/15, $75 added 2/28
• Save $$ for a long weekend in Mexico (maybe August, November, or January 2023...TBD), and the big family trip my in-laws want to do for their 40th anniversary (date TBD - location is tentatively Hawaii Feb 2023)....$75 current Hawaii savings.

My 2022 Personal Goals:

• Drain our pool, get rid of the black algae issue, and repaint the pool This was changed to a professional pool replaster/remodel …..The pool has been drained and the old plaster has been chipped away. We've chosen our tile and pebble color. Just waiting for them to come back out and start the tile, pebble, and install the new filter/pump.
• Exercise at least 4 times a week....I was at 3-4 times a week for February. Could have been better, but could have been worse.
• Spend less money on items that we don't need....I feel like we did fairly well on this in February. I did buy a few items that weren't necessarily a need, but I don't think we spent as much money on "things" as we normally do.

I feel like with taking out the home equity loan and doing a professional pool remodel our goals just keep shifting. Once the pool project is done I may need to come back and adjust some goals/move some things around.

We're headed to Disneyland this weekend for a quick overnight trip to enjoy the start of Food and Wine. I'm sure we'll end up spending a decent amount of money on food/drinks this weekend. Our flights were booked on points and I've already paid for our hotel. Disney dropped a Steamboat Willie Dooney and Bourke line and I'm really debating buying the backpack. I'm a huge Steamboat Willie fan. I'm arguing with myself over the frivolousness of $300 lol.

Do you have a Disney Dooney backpack? I bought my first backpack in December and it is smaller than I expected so just FYI if you aren't already aware.