It was a good day!

**AnW819** · 01-21-2010, 02:08 PM

So today I did not have to bake cakes---woo hoo! DH got home from work @ 7am and we got breakfast. I had a coupon for Dennys so breakfast was cheap! Then we HAD to get groceries because we are out of like everything! I saved $50 grocery shopping (another Woo Hoo!). Then we decided to look @ apartments.

Apartment #1---said its prolly a no go for us because our credit is bad. Oh well, did not like them anyway.

Apartment #2---pricey and very small. No go.

Apartment #3---fell in love!! I loveeee it!! Its so nice. Its $1000 a month which is average for what we are finding and its really nice. I get my own lawn and everything. Credit will apparently be fine there. If not..............P.S. it pays for water, gas, and sewer. All we have to pay is electric!

Apartment #4---our back up. Its nice...not great. I would be fine living here. I am not to picky. Its $1000 to, and we can definitely get in there with our credit.

I tried craigslist and so many of them are scams telling me to send them my SS# now and first months rent and I am already approved and stuff...bull. I want to live near my work to save on gas so we might spend a bit more on rent but its gonna save us in gas and such so it evens out.

We are going to be moving in about 2 months..maybe a bit longer but thats what we are thinking.

So then we got home and DH is in bed now.

Good day!

**Libby** · 01-21-2010, 02:32 PM

Ash that sounds great and gives you plenty of hope!

I'm glad you had a great day.

The thing with apt #3 - do you have the lawn care items necessary to maintain it? ie mower?

**AnW819** · 01-21-2010, 02:38 PM

They actually do that...but I can plant flowers and have outdoor furniture if I want

Oh, and a GRILL!! We have never had a grill before!

**Ceashels** · 01-21-2010, 02:56 PM

Congratulations Ashley! That sounds great.

**Libby** · 01-21-2010, 02:58 PM

Wow thats wonderful!! But a lot can happens in 2 months....not trying to piddle on your parade but remember to be realistic about this

I'm happy you've gone and explored your options and I hope they're there for you in the next few months when you're ready to pounce on them!

**Greebo** · 01-21-2010, 02:59 PM

While I'm glad you found a place you like...

...I'm going to stick with first principles.

How will this fit in the budget?

How will this affect your debt repayment plan?

How has the cashflow management been lately? (Remember the recent banking issue that wasn't ENTIRELY the bank's fault?)

I know you're eager to leave, but if you do it before you are back on your feet, you're at high risk to relapse fast, hard, and painfully.

**AnW819** · 01-21-2010, 03:10 PM

Right now our debt repayment plan is...well...not really going anywhere at the moment. I was trying to get my efund done and I am $50 short

But next week it will be done! I have to face the facts that we have to move out before I can pay off my debt. I can't stay here for to much longer. I emotionally cannot handle it. While I have a roof over my head, I am very depressed. So my debt is just going to have to continue to sit there until we get moved in and then I will start attacking it.

We will still have plenty money to attack to debt monthly.

Here is how it will be

DH pay $460 (the next 5 weeks it will be $560 because of guarentted overtime and this is what is helping us get the money for the down payment)
My pay is always $350

So total weekly pay is $810 times 4 for the month is $3240.

Minus

Rent-$1000
Gas-$120
Food-$300
Electric-$100 (I doubt it will be anymore than that...our electric at our old apartments was around $50)
Comcast-$120
Car Fund/repair fund-$140
I don't need clothes. We are STOCKED from Christmas.

...and those are the bills. That leaves us with $1460 a month or $365 a week which I think is great for $320 of that to go to debt, and $45 our Thursday dinner out, and little things here or there.

And I also have the Efund encase there is a emergency so I don't have to go in more debt!

Dh and I also decided we will keep the bank account for our direct deposits to go in, but will take the money out right away. I want to prevent something happening weither our fault or not so I have been putting cash into misc. envelopes.
....so what do you think? Yay or nay?

**Greebo** · 01-21-2010, 03:11 PM

Those are takehome numbers?

**AnW819** · 01-21-2010, 03:12 PM

Yes, take home.

**Libby** · 01-21-2010, 03:15 PM

If you can keep out of the envelopes then go for it. But some people know its there and can't help but just dive in or falsify their wants into needs.

**AnW819** · 01-21-2010, 03:17 PM

We did envelopes in the past when I kept overdrawing my bank account and it worked out great. The thing is---when I see something labeled gas and I know this is the ONLY money I have for gas I could never take from it. I would feel SO bad about it. Its easier for me to see the money and where it needs to go then just swiping my debit card all the time.

BTW Libby---I am very jelous of your change jar!!

**Greebo** · 01-21-2010, 03:21 PM

Ok, takehome numbers. Good.

REALLY good in fact...

Originally Posted by AnW819

Rent-$1000
Gas-$120
Food-$300
Electric-$100 (I doubt it will be anymore than that...our electric at our old apartments was around $50)
Comcast-$120
Car Fund/repair fund-$140
I don't need clothes. We are STOCKED from Christmas.

You need a clothing budget - not much of one - but things wear out.

...and those are the bills. That leaves us with $1460 a month or $365 a week which I think is great for $320 of that to go to debt, and $45 our Thursday dinner out, and little things here or there.

Your rent and utilities add up to 34% of takehome - and by the way your takehome numbers are under-stated. You should take 810 * 52 / 12 to get average monthly. But I *LIKE* that you understated them. That gives you more money than you expect in the end.

34% of takehome is ok - could be better, but it'll do. Its well within tolerance and it's about 25% of gross.

You have no entertainment listed here. You went out on a movie night - or are planning one. In fact, your entire list of categories is extremely short.

The only issue I see is - you did have a recent crisis. Why? Somewhere your budget isn't working yet. From the entertainment I know that's missing, I think you are not yet being rigorous enough in your budget planning.

The forms for every category you need are in the back of the TMMO book. Go make a ton of copies at Kinkos and start filling that out EVERY MONTH. Fill in every category you can.

You're getting better - DON'T get me wrong - but I really want you to have this budgeting thing figured OUT by the time you leave. By the time you're in your own apartment, you NEED to have no more surprises and EVERY DOLLAR needs a name before it comes in the door.

Can you get DH on board with that? And can you commit to getting that paperwork for your budget done EVERY month, before it begins?

If so, I think you'll be ok - but you need to make sure you don't slack off. Ever. Or you know where you'll end up.

**Greebo** · 01-21-2010, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by AnW819

We did envelopes in the past when I kept overdrawing my bank account and it worked out great. The thing is---when I see something labeled gas and I know this is the ONLY money I have for gas I could never take from it. I would feel SO bad about it. Its easier for me to see the money and where it needs to go then just swiping my debit card all the time.

Yeah, that's, um, KIND OF THE IDEA!!!

GO BACK TO THE ENVELOPES, WOMAN!!!

You put the money in the envelope and that's what you use!

You don't rob Peter to pay Paul unless both members of the budget committee agree!

We fill our envelopes every payday - it's a way of life for us now.

**AnW819** · 01-21-2010, 03:27 PM

I always feel like I need Greebos approval. Greebo says no moving out...I know he is right, I can't move out. LOL. So funny!!

I totally forgot about the budget papers in the TMMO book! The $45 a week was for entertainment. We do that Thursdays. We got out to dinner...sometimes just breakfast. We may rent a movie, or go see a movie or something. But its there.

How much would be good to set aside for clothes? I think TMMO said to put a lot away for clothes but in the past 6 years I have maybe spent like $100 on clothes.

How much IYO after bills and such is a good amount to put away every week for debt? I am worried that $300 is not enough, but when I think about it $1200 a month on debt is a lot. Both our debt would be gone in like 5 months...

**AnW819** · 01-21-2010, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by Greebo

Yeah, that's, um, KIND OF THE IDEA!!!

GO BACK TO THE ENVELOPES, WOMAN!!!

You put the money in the envelope and that's what you use!

You don't rob Peter to pay Paul unless both members of the budget committee agree!

We fill our envelopes every payday - it's a way of life for us now.

Haha, well, I am glad I figured out the way its suppose to work then and I am happy it works for me!! LOL!!