Blogging Away Debt

Last Month was Rough – No water, electricity, phone

I had fully intended to return to writing regularly here last month, but the hits just kept coming. And I could not focus to save my life. (Not to mention, the sense of shame and loss are pretty overwhelming at times.)

Last month (August) is the month that I…

Almost had my water and electricity turned off because I couldn’t pay the bills
Did have our phones turned off because I couldn’t pay the bill
Got a cancellation notice from our auto insurance because I couldn’t pay the bill
Got a “if you don’t catch up now we will go to collections” notice from my mortgage company

I will stop there. You can see the trend.

Keeping things afloat on just at $2,000 per month is not going well. Even at our darkest, it has never been this dark. (I am SO GRATEFUL that the kids are grown and mostly gone. That does take a great deal of pressure off.)

I had to break down and ask for help. I didn’t see a way around it at all.

Thankfully, I am hoping, that I will only have to pay back 1/2 of the debt I incurred. The other half may be a prepayment for a new website my brother has been asking me to do for a couple of years. He might be ready and the money I borrowed from him would cover most of that project.

And I am by no means, out of the woods, I have really just bought myself a month of peace. I will be back in the same boat if I don’t get some more income in the next 6-ish weeks.

So I owe you a new debt update. It is gnarly to say the least (I kind of like that word for some reason). And I’ve put it off because I am so ashamed that I am back in this place AGAIN.

That will be forthcoming. I’m just thickening my skin a bit for the onslaught of criticism, even though it is deserved on some fronts.

But the good news is:

I have already let my dad know that I will not be traveling at all for the holidays. (We typically go to Texas every Thanksgiving.)
I have had a recent up-tick in contract work. I’m not going to say it’s promising yet, but it is something.
And I just have to worry about me now. That’s a big difference than the last time things were almost this bad and I had 4 school age children I was single-handedly supporting.

Danger Will Robinson! Danger!

by Beks

We’ve updated this popular post for 2023. We hope you enjoy looking back on it!

Telling myself no is getting to be old hat. Sure, there are definitely things I would love to have, but I’m becoming more comfortable with the thought that I can’t have everything my heart desires.

I’m even pretty good at limiting myself with purchases for the baby. Correction, I’m pretty good at buying NOTHING for the baby. Hmm. Perhaps I need to at least work on getting a bed for the poor little dude.

But I have a fatal flaw…

I want my husband to have absolutely everything and I’m realizing this could be a problem.

We received notice from his school that he is eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony next month. He’ll have two classes to take in the summer, but since they don’t have a winter ceremony, summer graduates walk early.

Ever since we received the notice, we have been receiving a barrage of e-mails, letters, and phone calls from the school and outside vendors to buy everything under the sun for the graduate.

$200 invitations? Yes! We NEED those. They have the OFFICIAL school seal! He DESERVES it.
$500 lifetime membership to the alumni association? Of course he needs that! How else will we get tickets to games?!?
$299 diploma holder? It’s important!
$175 cap and gown package? Yes! How much more for the tassel?
$400 graduation day photos? Sure!

I set all the information in a neat pile and started to review it with my husband over dinner. After listening to about 10 seconds of my spiel, he grabbed the pile.

‘No. No. Definite no. I don’t need it. That’s ugly. And not on your life’ he said as he looked through each one. He tossed the pile into the recycling bin and started to do the dishes. He looked at me and smiled, ‘How was your day?’

‘A lot better before you rained on my spending parade’ I sighed.

My husband is one of the hardest working men I know. He works a full time job, attends school full time, and somehow finds time to make money on the weekends. It’s hard to get past the ‘deserving’ factor and focus on the ‘lack of money’ factor. Thankfully, he doesn’t take advantage of my flaw.

Can you say ‘no’ to yourself but find yourself saying ‘yes’ to everyone else?