Archive results for “June 2009f 2009”

On this page you will find the search results for the search term that you queried.

Layoffs again?!?!

As the fiscal year closes for government agencies, it’s time to prepare for the new. If the budget is higher, it means raises. Lower… well, we all know what lower means.

Our agency is short around 20 million dollars (which suddenly makes my $30K debt look like chump change). Remarkably, we are fairing much better than most agencies – or so they tell us.

Today was difficult. I watched as co-worker after co-worker was escorted into an office… and then escorted out of the building. I joked with my manager that I was considering hiding under my desk. You can’t get laid off if they can’t find you right? Then…

They came for me.

The CFO sat me down and said, ‘Let’s talk about your job.’

Tears started to spring. I’ve only been employed for a few months and I’m going to be jobless again?!?

He continued, ‘I heard from your manager that you were frightened about job security? You have no reason to worry. Your department is short three people and we simply aren’t going to hire those positions. Sure you have to do the work of those three people, but at least you have a job… err… well, at least this fiscal year anyway.’

I’ve been told to quit my job and to pursue a more stable position. In this economy, a guaranteed year of work IS stable. Hurray for 2010!!!

Whew!

Posted by Beks on June 30, 2009 at 5:00 AM in work | 13 Comments »
You can leave a response or trackback from your site. |

Overcoming Financial Mistakes…

My husband and I both know there is some padding in our checking account. Paying overdraft fees is a pet peeve of mine so I try to make sure we have a little more than we think. This month, we both used the debit card a few times and before we knew it, the padding was gone and we were well over our budget. I had to do a pricey and frustrating balance transfer from our savings to avoid an overdraft.

I am very disappointed.

This event led to the following changes:

1. More involvement by both of us. Often in relationships, one person manages the finances. When things don’t go well and money is too tight, this person feels the stress, the pressure, and the responsibility for the mess. We have both decided to dedicate and hour each week to review each transaction. Now we have more checks and balances on each others spending – otherwise, we’ll have another bad month.

2. We are refocusing our goals and setting rewards. Our next payoff is still a ways away and we’re getting frustrated and bored. We decided to give ourselves something to look forward to after our next payoff. It’s nothing huge, maybe a dinner out or a trip to the theater, but rewards between payoffs has become something we need to stay motivated.

3. Reconsidering our numbers. We went back to make sure our numbers were working for our ever changing budget. We’ve been underspending on gas and overspending on miscellaneous necessities (car repairs, house repairs, etc.). We decided to adjust our numbers and perhaps pay a little less on our credit card so we can stop panicking when things aren’t balancing. Leaving the numbers the same would be great, but it’s obviously not working and it’s causing frustration.

4. We have decided to spread our focus. It’s easy to let finances consume our thoughts and lives. Rather than let this stress grow, we decided to let ourselves enjoy other things in life. Running, swimming, yoga, gardening groups, and organizing the garage help to keep our mind free of the finance clutter in our brains.

When there are long distances between payoffs, it’s important to work at what is frustrating you. You can’t solve everything, and it will be painful, but taking steps to at least reduce stress will help to prevent burnout. I’d rather take things a bit more slowly than give up entirely.

What have you done to motivate yourself and prevent burnout?

Posted by Beks on June 29, 2009 at 7:49 PM in Confessions, Credit Cards, General Debt, General Personal Finance, Keeping Motivated, Life Experiences, Living Frugal, Money & Relationships, Monthly Spending, Reducing Debt | 5 Comments »
You can leave a response or trackback from your site. |

Life After Credit Card Debt – June was a Frustrating Month

Hi everyone! Tricia here. Two months after paying off our credit card debt, I feel like we are hemorrhaging money and it is frustrating.

One of the big things we did after paying off our debt was to get all of us into a good doctor. We got some of the bills last month, but we got the biggie bill this month. Beks just talked about health and finances. They are definitely related when you see the bill! I had mentally prepared myself for the moment I opened the envelope, but nothing really prepares you to see a bill approaching $1,000.

Thank goodness we do have the money and we get a 10% discount if we pay within 30 days. I’m also very glad we have been shelling out the money for an individual health insurance plan. That bill would have made me faint without it (it covered 70%).

It’s money well spent, though. We know that there is nothing seriously wrong with my husband (he had an expensive test done), our son is feeling better and I’m slowly starting to feel like myself again after taking supplements for vitamin deficiencies. While we were in debt reduction mode, we put a lot of that off. We shouldn’t have. I see now that we may have been too aggressive with paying off our debt by cutting spending that we shouldn’t have cut. But, you live and learn.

I discussed last month that our car was playing with us with the check engine light. Well, it wasn’t playing and I ended up jinxing myself. After shelling out almost $300 for what the mechanic thought was the problem – it still isn’t fixed. With all of the computers in cars, you’d think that if something was faulty the computer could tell you exactly where the problem lies. Instead, our car just notes that it is a general problem that could be a number of things. I have no idea how much this will cost to finally fix, since it’s a matter of fixing one thing and if it doesn’t correct the problem you fix the next thing on the list.

So money is flowing out freely right now. It’s frustrating. On the bright side, we haven’t had to put anything on our credit cards. So we still are credit card debt-free. Too many more months of financial hemorrhaging and that may not be the case.

I guess even though we achieved our goal of paying off our credit card debt, there will still be the bumps in the road that I talked about a few years ago. We’ll get through this rough patch and then be on our way again with increasing our financial health.

The road isn’t easy, but it will get easier. That’s what I’ve been saying to myself this month. Hopefully things will improve in July.

Posted by Tricia on June 26, 2009 at 11:39 PM in Life After Credit Card Debt | 22 Comments »
You can leave a response or trackback from your site. |

Health and Finances…

A reader posed the question, ‘What does health and exercise have to do with finances?’

In short? A lot!

A few benefits of exercising (tip of the iceburg)?
Reduced blood pressure
Reduced feelings of depression and anxiety
Helps to control weight
Helps to build and maintain healthy joints, muscles, and bones
Reduced risk of diabetes

What do these have to do with finances?
Have you had to pay for doctors and medication recently?!? Ouch!! Also, exercise helps you sleep, puts you in a better mood, helps your self confidence, and gives you energy – all very important things in the work world where your paycheck comes from! Plus, people with a BMI of less than 22 get sick less often and miss less work.

I’ve been fortunate to have been physically active and healthy for most of my life. Running a marathon is just another way to push myself and stay active. Sure my sore legged walk makes Frankenstein look like a graceful ballerina but it’s important to encourage you to gain control in your finances AND in your health – they are closely connected.

Tomorrow is Saturday, take a walk with your dog, play with your kids, or ride your bike. Take a break from staring at that checkbook and balancing numbers to get some fresh air.

It’s good for you.

Some free sites to help you out?

www.Mapmyride.com
I use this site to calculate mileage and read elevation changes on my bike rides/runs.

www.Mypyramid.gov
This free site helps to guide you on better eating habits.

I’m warning you… these sites can be ADDICTIVE!!

What is your favorite FREE health related site?

Posted by Beks on June 26, 2009 at 5:00 AM in About Me, Free Stuff, General Debt, Good Info, Life Experiences, Spending Money, Ways I Save Money | 2 Comments »
You can leave a response or trackback from your site. |

Tough Employment Decisions…

Do you remember that government job my husband applied to get? He was one of well over one thousand to apply.

We were elated when he received a call back and a position test date… that is, until they dropped a bomb. The job market in Southern California, like in most places, is a tight one. They are only offering the very bottom pay bracket. If my husband received the position, he would take a 25% pay cut.

Short term, this is a bad decision. This job would put us back to making minimum payments on our debt. Our finances would become the tightest they’ve ever been.

Long term, the position offers a retirement and health package unrivaled by the private sector and offers more stability. On top of that, my husband is at the highest position he can go with his current employer. The new job is one he can stay at and grow in for the next 30 years.

What would you do?

Posted by Beks on June 24, 2009 at 5:00 AM in General Personal Finance, Making Money, work | 25 Comments »
You can leave a response or trackback from your site. |

Graceful… I am not.

I remember when I played soccer in college. I felt graceful and powerful. I felt excited and focused.

10 years later…

I do not feel graceful, powerful, excited, or focused.

I ran for 45 minutes this morning and looked more like a stumbling 3 legged dog than a sophisticated runner. But then again, that’s how I felt when drafting our first budget. I’m always a little awkward at first.

Still running, still budgeting, still pushing.

Posted by Beks on June 23, 2009 at 5:00 AM in About Me, Keeping Motivated, Life Experiences | 6 Comments »
You can leave a response or trackback from your site. |

For the Fathers…

I’m not sure how I got him but… I have the world’s best father.

Patient, wise, brilliant, loving… he’s an all around great guy.

He encouraged creativity and made me feel like I could do anything. Now that I’m striving to become debt free, he is one of my biggest supporters. We I get frustrated, he is the voice of reason. When I get stressed about life, he brings things into perspective. When I get confused about the finance world, he knows all the answers.

I think he secretly has Google software in his brain because no one should know THAT much.

Thanks for being such a great dad.

I love you.

Posted by Beks on June 21, 2009 at 2:34 PM in About Me, Misc | 4 Comments »
You can leave a response or trackback from your site. |

Older Archives »