How Having the Flu Saved Me Money

Last Wednesday, I got to work and felt fine. Then within a few hours, knew I was coming down with something because I got very tired, achey and developed a sore throat. By Wednesday night, I was nearly out for the count.

I got up Thursday morning so I wouldn't miss this important four-hour work meeting, then went home for the rest of the day and from then until Tuesday, I was basically in a flu-induced stupor quasi-coma. Five total days of out and out and influenza. ugh.

I'm not a napper, but I was putting in a full nine hours of sleep per night (my usual's 7ish) and two naps during the daytimes.

My sports team traveled to Chicago for a tournament, so I was too sick to play and didn't even bother to try to be there on the sidelines, since I could barely get out of my pyjamas.

Now that I'm feeling a bit better, just congested and fighting a cough, I realized how much money the flu saved me. I didn't have to spend any money on gas, tournament costs, socializing with my team or the hotel in Chicago, and since I also was too sick to leave my house and my very awesome boyfriend stayed home to take care of me, we just stayed in and watched movies all weekend, so no additionally weekend expenditures.

Thankfully, my team had enough players to handle the tournament without me, and although I missed some fun, I can't even imagine the nightmare it would've been trying to battle through it with the flu. Not happening.

And now I have some extra money to put towards the next card in my debt snowball sights. Pow! Cough! Cough!

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!

Yeah for Me!!

I got paid today and it's my extra check in the pay cycle, so it gives me some extra money to kick towards my emergency fund!!

I took care of all of my necessities, so all of my bills are paid, I have a fresh rent check for February ready for the boyfriend (he's my "landlord") and the last half of my gym class payment all set.

I also set aside $25 in my regular expenses savings account (basically where I transfer money that I know is going out soon, so it's not just sitting in my checking account). This is 1/3 of my spring fee for my sport, so I'm ahead of the ball there and won't get hit by some big $75 ping in two months.

But more awesomely, I took $500 and using a referral from Paid Twice (who I read all the time and totally dig snowflaking!), I opened my first ING savings account for my emergency fund. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Plus, I got a $25 bonus for opening it due to the referral and because I opened it with over $250. So I made an extra $25 today on top of everything! So excited. Plus Paid Twice then gets $10 from her referral for her son's college fund. Quadruple yeah!

My plan is to fully fund my emergency fund at ING and let that money do it's thing and build interest, then move on to my debt snowball and hit my debts hard. Plus, it takes a few days to transfer any money from ING to my checking, so I'm less inclined to dip into my emergency fund for non-emergencies, but it's still there and liquid for emergencies.

I updated my savings and my net worth on the sidebar. My networth increased a positive 1.2% today to 3.2% ...

So, today is a good day. Sweet. Quadruple sweet.

Fitty

In my office on a Saturday, taking care of some paperwork before I go work that freelance job for $60.

Look at my checking account, realized I'm in good shape for less than the next week until I get paid again, so I transferred another $50 to my emergency fund.

Little by little ...

Updates

I paid all of my bills this week. Yeah!

I updated all of my sidebar totals with these payoffs.

I also went back in and updated my net worth. It was getting confused, since I tried to update a January with new info. So I changed the old one to December 2007 and updated the new one to January 2008. I also changed my asset total for cash in December to zero, so it more accurately reflected my positive cash on hand. Since I'm pretty much working with a zero budget, this made sense. I'm just including the positive balances in my checking account after all of my bills are paid for each month and then my various savings balances.

I'll also update my car value annually, so that number will stay consistent for 2008.

I am still waiting to find out what my retirement assets are within my job's retirement system. I believe we get some report in spring of each year. I couldn't find a way to access this online unfortunately.

I haven't started my 403b yet. I am going to focus on my emergency fund ($1000!) and then my debt payoff first. Depending on what happens with my job, I'll either wait for my next salary increase at my current job or if I do happen to get the new job I'm hoping for later in this year which hopefully gives me a salary increase as well, then I'll get that 403b started.

$1.36

My boyfriend's parents gave me a $25 gift card to Borders for Christmas.

I invested it by purchasing Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. Which I've heard so much about, but was never willing to spend the money on (it costs $24.99!) and couldn't find at the library when I looked.

I know a lot of people preach Dave as gospel. But I just like to read as much as possible. So it's my new bus book for reading to and from work. So far, I like it. He's preachy and I don't totally agree with everything, but I kind of like his attitude. And I like the stories about other people.

I'm not a strict practicing Christian, but I'm spiritual and I identify with the scripture passages he uses too.

I only had to pay $1.36 for the book after taxes too.

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.

Car Insurance

I recently worked with my car insurance company to improve my rate and drop my monthly payments (I can't yet afford to do the 6-month payoff all at once).

I had always just figured it wasn't up for negotiations, but then realized if I never asked, I would never know.

I started by getting a quote from a different national insurance company (the little gecko) as a bargaining chip. I never intended to leave my insurance because I like them and the local people are really nice (a "family"). The woman who helped me was great and worked through all of the options with me and also suggested shortening my current term to help me best drop some of the expenses when an old accident (snowy roads) will fall off my plan early next year.

I was hesitant to increase my deductible from the current $250, because I was afraid I might not be able to then afford it if I did have a problem.

But since I made the initial big changes, I've been acutely aware of my driving so I can avoid any tickets and accidents. And this week, I decided that now with my emergency fund plan and my improved driving attitude/behavior that increasing my deductible to $500 would be a smart plan to help me save money overall.

So, I just talked to the Insurance Agent again and adjusted my deductible up, which will save me $50 over the six months. Every little bit counts. And I'm super excited for next year when that accident finally falls completely off, saving me even more money.

Baby Carrots ... No Thanks!

I routinely purchase the bags of the baby carrots at the grocery store. I'm a big fruit and vegatable eater, plus I like carrots as munchies and in sauces, stir frys and salads.

The baby carrots always seemed like a better option because they were conveniently cut down, ready to go. Until I read this post - Baby Carrots - The Frugal Idea than Isn't - at Wisebread via The Simple Dollar. Another example of why I love personal finance blogs, I'm saying no to baby carrots. And saving money!!

In a nutshell, baby carrots are just the too ugly to sell, then peeled, cut and marked up triple the price versions of regular carrots. And all of us our buying them. What a crock!! (Also ... too bad I'm not a carrot farmer!)

I'm never buying baby carrots again. And yesterday at the grocery store, I explained this to my boyfriend and he put back his bag and we both bought ourselves the regular bags of carrots and saved ourselves over a dollar each.

This morning, I took two of my less expensive pretty carrots, washed them, sliced them up and was good to go in just a matter of a minute. They are part of my lunch brough to work today and I won't be spending any money today. Good stuff!