A "Yippee!" and a big "Sigh"

Been busy, busy, busy, but staying on the plan. Actually, getting more on the plan than ever before I think.

My sidebar is majorly updated with achievements.

Most importantly, the initial $1000.00 Emergency Fund is all set. With a bit of extra at 1026.34 and growing in my new ING account. It's over there and I won't touch except for real emergencies.

My taxes are all done and I got a nice refund of $1200, so that finished up the emergency fund, took care of a few extra bills (sports team dues of $75) and I've paid off my first credit card. It hasn't hit yet on my checking account, so I haven't crossed it off the sidebar, but very soon.

Then I'm going to call that particular company and find out what better card I can get if they want to keep me as a customer. For some reason, I'm on a "business" card despite not being a business in any capacity. I want to get back to a basic card with good rates and then when I need to use it for any zero transfers, it'll be ready to help me rock out this debt. Using the tools available to me.

I also updated my financials and sat down and figured out my full budget for the month, which would be the first time I've ever done this. I think I'm in a pretty good place to start though. I have also established how my debt snowball will work and in what current order. My only debate is if I should go after my car loan in the mix of my credit cards or if I should go after first my cards, then my car. But it's smaller than some and it's still debt, so there you go. It's all in together.

I also got paid for two of my extra jobs, one for that part-time job I found for $60 and then some work for my brother. So I'm working it.

The only challenge that's been disconcerting is that I blanked out on the fact that even though I'm paying debt off, that debt is still accruing interest, so it's two steps forward and one step back.

I also will admit that in the end of January, I also add some new credit card charges because I needed to purchase something for $150 but didn't have the cash. And last week, I put $17 on one card I left on my wallet because I wasn't sure I had enough in my account. This last one stemmed from me running out of space in my checkbook register, not having a new one then not getting organized. But I'm back on track and I've removed the credit cards from my wallet. I'd still like to freeze them in the freezer, so I won't be tempted.

So, yeah. Forward!

Goods vs. Bads

I am hesitant to post on here when I don't really accomplish anything, but I guess that's the point of this blog ... accountability to myself and my goals.

Today is my last day of work before I fly out to the East Coast for a mini-vacation with my parents. My parents split my airline ticket out, which was something I asked them not to do, but they did anyway. My mom will also likely be picking up all of the hotel costs. She has already been out there for work and has her car, so we are driving back home.

My plan is to encourage my parents to enjoy our time out there together, but enjoying it in ways we don't spend a lot of money on. Like I'm going to suggest we hit up a grocery store for food/snacks for the weekend, rather than always hitting up restaurants and fast food the whole trip. Do more sightseeing that doesn't cost a lot, than stuff that does. I think it will be good. And I hope to pitch in when I can for gas and what not.

Outside of this, I haven't accomplished a lot since I last posted. I'm going to list of goods and bads ...

GOODS
- My goal to quit drinking soda is going very well! And my caffeine level of intake has also dropped off, since I'm just drinking a cup or two of hot tea, not 3-4 cans of soda in a day. This also saves me money!!

- I've been getting up early and out of bed, so I'm not rushed in the morning

- I've started organizing some of the big projects at work

- I didn't go out and buy lunch yesterday when I thought about it, instead I spread out the things I had brought with throughout the day and wasn't hungry.

- I'll get three paychecks this month. That is really good and wil help me fund my emergency fund.

- I got more organized for my sports team, in terms of checking on our player availability.

- I went over my cell phone bill, divied it up between our family members (5 of us share one plan, in my name) and everyone's transferring me their cut.

BADS
- I haven't taken care of calling for a lower interest on my card. I also haven't figured out what to do with the other card. I stay up awake at night worrying it to death. I'm going to spend some travel down time working this out and writing down my zero-based budget.

- Despite getting up early every other day, yesterday I hit the snooze button too long, had to rush through my morning and arrived last at my office. But today was much better.

- Finding new players for my sports team is proving difficult. The more new players I find, the less stress I'll have come fall. I need to get more of my teammates involved, but everybody has something better to do (except when it's time to complain). I'm going to send an e-mail out today asking people to hang fliers while I'm on vacation with my parents.

- I had a bad weekend of spending money. I went out with my boyfriend for a few beers, than we had a baby shower an hour away, so I had to buy a gift for our friends, pay for part of the gas, and bought my boyfriend dinner since he had bought me dinner on Friday night. I also bought two expensive drinks at the shower (at a fancy brewery restaurant on a river). That said, my boyfriend chipped in some for the gift and I opted to drink water when I could. But I need to be more aware of buying the least expensive options when I'm out with friends or drinking water, non-alcoholic beverages. It's just hard when you want to have fun and everyone else is too. I wonder what all of their debt is like though?

So I have had some bad days, but I'm still chugging along. Learning lessons every moment. I'll update my sidebar next week after I pay some bills. I think I need to simplify it too ... maybe just a graph or something.

Feeling Down ... Quitting Soda

But I just keep telling myself, hey, at least I'm not Lindsay Lohan today.

I now know my balance on my last credit card. It's worse - much worse - than I thought. And I'm behind on it. I've been working hard to catch up on everything else and get organized, but ignoring this one.

But I'm going to take care of it soon somehow. Then I'll update the sidebar again.

At least I'm not dead. At least I'm not facing jail time. I'm healthy. I have a good life. I can make this work. Somehow.

Today's step towards getting out of debt, and improving my personal health as well, is that I quit drinking soda yesterday. Cold turkey. I'm now on day 2. I'm most definitely a soda junkie, but then Monday night when I realized I was out of soda and trying to figure out how I could go buy more, I further realized I only wanted the soda, I didn't need it. I don't need most of the stuff I have bought in the past, much less this crappy artificial beverage.

So, this morning I'm drinking hot tea. Gives me a bit of caffeine, plus it's green tea. And I can keep reusing the bag for a few drinks. And I have my trusty water bottle too. Free!!

Hopefully in a few days, I'll start feeling better too as my body cleanses all the soda residuals out.

Every little bit helps right? Right.