The 12/12/12 project!

**gmarie** · 07-02-2012, 09:53 AM

Yes, using debt to pay for a vacation on DR plan = harsh response. But, it's more like tough love. But, that's what we are here for, right? I'm not going to lie and say that using debt to pay for a luxury item is okay if you pay it off quickly. Impulsiveness and bad decisions are why we are all in this mess to begin with. And, what if she loses her job tomorrow? There are reasons why it is bad to pay for something with money you have not yet earned.

**Greebo** · 07-02-2012, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Raiquee

Wow some harsh responses there nkochrn!! Everyone has different walks of life, and everyone uses Dave Ramsey's plan differently.

Using debt for a vacation is NOT using DR's plan.

Period.
End of story.
No exceptions.

**gmarie** · 07-06-2012, 10:40 AM

It's debt free Friday, my favorite day of the week!

My husband also has a surprise day off today. He has been working around 85 hrs/ week so the owner demanded he take the day off. Of course, I have to work 7-7 today but at least he gets some rest and tonight I am dragging him to the dollar theatre to see a girlie movie - what to expect when you're expecting. I would feel bad that it's not the avengers, but he owes me a date night; we haven't had a day off together since May!

what is everyone else doing?

**gmarie** · 07-06-2012, 04:00 PM

ohhh one more thing: I am making a (very early) snowball payment to bring us down to 10k of debt! So that is what we are celebrating with our date night tonight. We are SO CLOSE!!

**pcaltman** · 07-19-2012, 03:01 PM

How is everybody doing? Just checking in, but life is a mess right now. Hoping things will settle down in the next 2 months or so. Working on paying Son's college 100%. Have 1/2, yippy........

Good luck all and please keep posting, it really helps

**mom2three** · 07-19-2012, 03:44 PM

Horribly. Murphy has been visiting big time. Now it's bodywork for our van, but it's cheaper than a new vehicle and works well otherwise. Have some medical related expenses and a trip to see my father who is quite ill. Glad to read about the progress you have all been making.

**mateosbaby** · 07-19-2012, 05:04 PM

Not going well here, either. :-/ We have lost our oomph, though we are still pretty frugal. We've even been lax about the budget (but amazingly never going over what we bring in, and our savings continues to grow - go figure). Every new month, I say, OK, this is the month we get back into it. And every month goes by without entering our receipts. I need a good swift kick in the pants - or a different motivator? IDK...

**qsaver704** · 07-19-2012, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by mateosbaby

Not going well here, either. :-/ We have lost our oomph, though we are still pretty frugal. We've even been lax about the budget (but amazingly never going over what we bring in, and our savings continues to grow - go figure). Every new month, I say, OK, this is the month we get back into it. And every month goes by without entering our receipts. I need a good swift kick in the pants - or a different motivator? IDK...

I have been about the same way. We were able to quit buying the expensive baby formula and switch to soy milk. I decided to use that money to buy the Body by Vi shakes. Well, I lost 13 pounds and hit a plateau for 2 months. I decided it was foolish to spend $115 each month while in debt if I wasn't seeing results. Well, then we decided to use the "extra money" from the fomula on life insurance instead of shakes. I will admit, we needed life insurance, esp. as parents of two small children. However, my goal of saving up to pay a large chunk of extra on the car isn't getting too large! We are around $300. I was hoping for $1000 by Dec.

I am trying to refocus. I have a new motivator. I want and NEED a larger home. We have a son and daughter and only 2 bedrooms and one bath! Well, we can't afford a bigger house payment while paying for the car, so car gone and then house!

**mateosbaby** · 07-19-2012, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by qsaver704

I have been about the same way. We were able to quit buying the expensive baby formula and switch to soy milk. I decided to use that money to buy the Body by Vi shakes. Well, I lost 13 pounds and hit a plateau for 2 months. I decided it was foolish to spend $115 each month while in debt if I wasn't seeing results. Well, then we decided to use the "extra money" from the fomula on life insurance instead of shakes. I will admit, we needed life insurance, esp. as parents of two small children. However, my goal of saving up to pay a large chunk of extra on the car isn't getting too large! We are around $300. I was hoping for $1000 by Dec.

I am trying to refocus. I have a new motivator. I want and NEED a larger home. We have a son and daughter and only 2 bedrooms and one bath! Well, we can't afford a bigger house payment while paying for the car, so car gone and then house!

We just bought this house 1 1/2 years ago, so we're not going anywhere for awhile! LOL Too bad that can't be my motivator...

But we do want to buy and move to land someday. We thought that would be a great motivator. But there are other things we want to do while we're still in-town dwellers. So it's a give and take kind of thing. Do we want to fix up this house so it's comfortable and our own before we leave it (and possibly rent it or sell it down the road)? Or do we want to leave it as is (not ideal, of course) and save up for the land? Well, both would be nice... But not on hubby's salary.

So right now we are planning a playhouse/swingset for our kids (building it ourselves, NOT from a kit), and then we'll be fixing up the house from a hailstorm (luckily insurance is paying for a good bulk of that). Then we'll see what is next. At least we are on BS3 so it's not AS bad, right???

**gmarie** · 07-20-2012, 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by pcaltman

How is everybody doing? Just checking in, but life is a mess right now. Hoping things will settle down in the next 2 months or so. Working on paying Son's college 100%. Have 1/2, yippy........

Good luck all and please keep posting, it really helps

We're getting used to being a one-car family; we are both exhausted, he is working about 87 hrs a week (and of course he is salary so that doesn't mean extra money other than the event commissions), and I'm working 50, but driving him to work everyday feels like a part-time job, esp when he tells me to come pick him up and then I have to wait over an hour for him because he is not ready.

On Saturday, I am helping my parents with a flea market. I have never been to one as a seller, but always thought it would be a fun way to make extra money. I'm not sure if I am going to bring anything of my own - I don't have much to sell right now, but I really just want to help them and see what it's like and maybe bring some things next time.

**pcaltman** · 07-20-2012, 09:51 AM

Good luck with the flea market and have some fun.

We are in temp housing with all our stuff in storage. Long story and a big mess, but have to move again in 1 week so really stuggling here. Trying to find something for a family of 6, 2 dogs, 1 cat and disabled parents. Not working out through. We will make it always do so how. Unfortunately we are out of money, so it is making things even harder. We will also might be in a law suit coming up (we are the good guys)., which will add to the drama. Oh well murphy can go to somebodies elses house for awhile, PLEASE!!!!!!

Hey thought you all would get a kick about this. I was driving my son to work this am and thinking about what we should do. I was looking at the clouds and feeling the wind on my face trying to live in the moment and smell wonderful smells and just destress, when a beater truck drove by me with the license plate that said " 4 murphy". I smiled and thought of Dave. He would have gotten a kick out of that. I did think if we didn't have some sort of saving we would not even be where we are right now. Love the EF!!!!!! Made me feel better and push harder. I have my family, kids, pets, and parents still. I guess life is good no matter where we live

**Nadders11** · 07-20-2012, 10:57 AM

I love when the universe gives me signs. Makes me feel like I'm on the right track and not alone. Things will get better. Just keep moving forward.

**gmarie** · 07-20-2012, 11:53 AM

Speaking of signs, I've been thinking a lot this week about the dying crow we found in our yard on our way to our first FPU class.

We were about to call animal control to help, or maybe were planning to drive there - i think our neighbor brought over a box, and I was getting nervous b/c I didn't want to be late to the first class... just as I was deciding that saving the crow was worth being late or even missing class, it died; and we made it to class at the last minute. It was very disturbing - it was a HUGE bird, and crows aren't that common in this area. Well, maybe they are more common than I think, but I never see them. Such a strange day, but also the first day in getting DH fully on board with the DR plan.

**Raiquee** · 07-21-2012, 01:42 AM

Plugging along...August will be a big step for us. Pay some things off, get more in our emergency fund due to the wiggle room, then tackle other debts. Sadly I gotta pay off a few things before i can throw money on the EF. Oh well, it will all work out!

Lowering the price on our home. Siiiigh!!!!

**frugalwarrior2** · 07-21-2012, 02:17 AM

Well I'll jump in
We had to buy a washer and dryer after nursing them along for 2 years ( and multiple repairs)
We had to buy a bed after 18 years as DH was getting bedsores
DD's dog had to be emergency put to sleep and DD needed a new bed as the dog well damaged it -blech
so our EF is low very low
BUT
we will payoff the first mortgage by 12/01/12 freeing up $1100. to hit the second mortgage w/ after beefing up the Efund.