Something More
How I’m Overcoming My DebtArchive for September, 2007
Coupons & Codes
Let’s face it, sometimes we have to spend money. There are holidays, birthdays, weddings and hundreds of other events we need to buy gifts for. That doesn’t mean you can’t be smart about it.
In this day and age, it’s beyond easy to find discount codes, coupons and extra savings. Before I buy anything online I always do a Google search for coupons or codes. Taking a few seconds to do a search could equal a ton in savings!
The easiest way to save some money by shopping online is by signing up with Ebates.com. Not only do they offer tons of codes and savings for various stores but you can earn cash back as well! I’ve been a member for a few months now and have earned around $40.
What stores do they work with? They work together with Target, Overstock.com, Barnes & Noble, Snapfish and more! The best part is if you sign up with my link above, you’ll earn $5 free! How sweet is that?
Remember, before you check out be sure to check for coupons/codes first!
CCCS
I mentioned in my first post that I had joined CCCS. I joined the program about two years ago after my mom and I sat down and talked about my bills. At the time I had about 8 credit cards? Yes, you read that right. Right now I’m down to only 3!
When we first met with Penny (My CCCS Person) we worked out a budget, cut up all my cards and then picked a payment date. What CCCS does is they work with your credit card companies to try and get you a lower monthly payment as well as lower rates. Instead of making numerous payments to various companies, you instead make one lump payment to CCCS and they split the amount up between all your cards. You can make extra payments as well but everything needs to be handled through CCCS. While you’re in the program you CAN NOT open any new debt. Makes sense right? If you do, they can release you from the program.
When I had that meeting 2 years ago Penny told me it would have taken me about 20 years to pay off everything at the rate I was going. We won’t even talk about how much money in interest. When I joined the program she told me with their plan it would take about 5-6 years to pay everything off. At my current rate, I should have all my credit cards paid off in 2 more years which means I’ve cut down the time it should have taken me.
I know that without CCCS, I’d be in a big ass pickle right now and probably in a shit load of trouble with late payments and what not. I will say that I had never missed a payment before CCCS but I have a feeling it was getting close to that point.
Another Card Under $1K
If you notice in the sidebar there I have a list of my current cards and the totals due. As you can see I just had another card get below $1,000! How exciting is that? I only have one more card left that’s over $1,000.
It doesn’t seem like much but it really is! Once that Best Buy card is out of the way it won’t take long for those other two cards to get paid off!
The NFCC
One important thing to do before jumping into a debt program is to make sure they are legit! You’re trying to get out of debt and out of trouble. You don’t want to sign up with a company who ends up taking your money or doesn’t work towards your goals.
The NFCC.Orgwebsite is a great place to start. NFCC stands for National Foundation For Credit Counseling. Through their website you can find credit counseling in your area. I put in my zip code and up popped up CCCS of MD & DE which is who I’m with at the moment.
What else does the NFCC do? They make sure you’re working with…
Certified Counselors
The NFCC is highly recognized within the industry and by creditors for its trademarked Counselor Certification Program. All NFCC member counselors must complete the NFCC’s comprehensive, quality training program to guarantee their ability to provide quality education and assistance to consumers.
You wouldn’t just hand your money over to anyone right? You want to make sure the people you’re working with and who are suppose to be helping you know what they are doing!
Here are some of the other programs they offer:
If you’ve been thinking about getting out of debt with the help of an agency or program, be sure to check out the NFCC first to make sure you’re working with someone who’s reputable.
Best Buy
See that Best Buy bill over there in the sidebar? That’s my next target. I need to get rid of that little ass bill. How am I going to do it?
I told my mom that if anyone asks what I want for Christmas to just tell them money. I don’t want gift cards, there’s nothing I really need or want out there. What I do need is to get out of debt and get these cards paid off. My family always gives me money at Christmas but normally I get a few gifts too. I want none of that. I just want cold hard cash.
Do I think I can get $400? Of course not. I do think I can get atleast half though. Once I get the little bill out of the way I can really focus on getting those $1k+ cards paid off and gone.
ING Direct
Years ago I had a savings account but I closed it and used the money for LASIK surgery. I don’t regret it at all but I always wanted to open up another savings account. There was just one problem, many of the banks around here wanted you to keep atleast $250 in the account. That’s a bit of an issue for those of us who don’t have tons of extra money laying around. I would have had to save up to open a savings!
Luckily I found ING Direct. I’m sure you’ve heard of them. They are on online bank. They offer higher rates then most “real world” banks and don’t have as many restrictions. You don’t need to keep a certain balance, you can make as many deposits or withdrawls as you like and they have no fees. The best part is you can open an account with as much or as little money as you like. When I opened mine I started with $10.
One thing I like is the fact I can’t just run to the bank and take money out. You really need to think about withdrawling money because it can take a few days to transfer. I won’t lie, since I’ve opened my account I have made withdrawls but they were made to keep my checking afloat and to pay bills. I always try and replace whatever I take out.
If you’re interested in opening an account with ING, please let me know. I can refer you. Right now if you open an account with $250, you get an extra $25 and I get an extra $10. It’s a win win situation!
Lunch Time
I sat down and thought about how much I spend on lunch a week. Roughly I’d say it’s about $25 a week which is about $5 a day, give or take. When you add that up it’s $100 a month! That’s $100 I could use on things I actually need like clothes for fall/winter or money I could send in for an extra payment.
I’m now going to try my best to bring my lunch to work and only eat lunch out when I’m going out with someone. Sometimes I go to lunch with people from work or with Vicki from softball. Hopefully I can stick to this and make it work. It might be hard at first since it’s a habit but I know I can do it!
401K Is Over $100
I just started my 401K here at work about a month or so ago. I love the fact we can easily check it online but I hate it as well! You’re not suppose to check it every other day. You’re suppose to forget about it for a few months then check it.
When I checked it a few days ago I saw that I finally passed the $100 mark. While that may not seem like much, you have to start somewhere. At the moment 3% of my pay goes into my 401K. I received a 4% raise at work and I think after my first paycheck with the new rate, I’m going to add another percentage to my 401K. It would be awesome to slowly work up to 5%.
The “D” Word
I see you’ve found my debt/finance blog! Aren’t you a lucky one! What will you find here? You’ll find posts about my debt, extra money and maybe even some advice along the way. Why did I start this blog? Sometimes it’s easier to solve a problem when you can see it. By blogging about my debt and money issues, I can see the problem and work harder to fix it.
I’ve been working on paying off my credit card debt for about two years now. It wasn’t easy. I had to admit I was in a sticky situation. My mom opened my eyes to what was going on and with her help I joined CCCS, the Credit Counseling Service of MD & DE. It was the best thing I ever did. I know that if I hadn’t joined, I’d be in even more trouble and in more debt. I’ll discuss CCCS in more detail in a later post. Right now I just want to get everything out in the open.
I hope that this blog can show others that no debt is too big or too small to tackle. While you may think you’re not in the black hole, think again. I thought my head was way above water when in reality I was drowning.
