I’ve mentioned before that my husband’s friend makes extra money donating plasma. Well, he was over Friday night for the NCAA tournament, and the topic somehow came up again (could be that $20 referral bonus). There’s a donation center near our house that pays $20 per donation, or $40 if it’s your second donation that [...]
Archive for March, 2008
Donating Plasma for Fun and Profit
Posted in Debt-Reduction, tagged Debt-Reduction, Donating plasma, Health, Snowflaking on March 31, 2008 | 7 Comments »
Childhood Money Memories, Part II
Posted in Children, tagged childhood, Family, money memories on March 30, 2008 | 3 Comments »
On Thursday, I wrote about my first money memories and how they may have affected the way I handle money today. I found that I was pretty oblivious about money as a child, even though my grandparents distinctly remember me telling them as a 2- or 3-year-old that “Daddy works to buy me gum.” I [...]
What Percentage of Your Income Goes Toward Your Debt Snowball?
Posted in Debt-Reduction, tagged Budget, Dave Ramsey, Debt Snowball, Debt-Reduction on March 29, 2008 | 5 Comments »
Our current debt snowball (the monthly payment we’re sending to our smallest debt) is $1,439.08. Once we’ve paid off our credit card, student loans and the second mortgage, we’ll be sending a monthly payment of $3,000.29 to the first mortgage. Our monthly take-home income (after taxes, 401k contributions, insurance and FSA) is $5,422.22, assuming it’s [...]
My Dog Ate My Netflix DVD
Posted in Pets, tagged netflix, Pets on March 28, 2008 | 5 Comments »
We’re on the $4.99/month 2-disc plan from Netflix. The last movie we rented was I Am Legend, which we watched a few days ago. Tonight, I went out in the backyard to see if there were any chewed up tampons back there (seriously – my dog steals them from the bathroom trash can), and I [...]
Best of Craigslist: Used Mattress
Posted in Spending, tagged Craigslist, mattresses on March 27, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Speaking of used mattresses, here’s a great post from the Best of Craigslist: Zzzzzzz…..King Size Used Sealy Posturpedic Celestial Mattress Date: 2005-06-08, 10:24AM EDT For Sale: 1 King Size Used Sealy Posturepedic Celestial mattress. Just the mattress. No box springs, frame, or headboard. $40. There are two things to consider when buying a new mattress: [...]
Childhood Money Memories, Part I
Posted in Children, tagged childhood, Family, money memories on March 27, 2008 | 5 Comments »
The Baglady wrote an interesting post Monday about how childhood memories of money affect your money habits. That post has inspired other personal finance bloggers, including Meg, English Major, and now, me, to think about their childhood money memories. Here are some of mine: As a five- or six-year-old, I was a door-to-door salesman. I [...]
Personal Progress Update
Posted in Debt-Reduction, Personal Progress, tagged Debt-Reduction, Personal Progress on March 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
When I started this blog, I promised that I’d give monthly updates of my financial progress, so here it goes. Net worth as of February 15: Approx. $54,000 Net worth as of April 1: Approx. $63,415 (does not include market fluctuation between now and then, but everything else is accounted for) I’ve put a NetWorth IQ [...]
Making Your Kids Save Half the Money They Are Given
Posted in Children, tagged Children, Family, Gifts, Saving on March 25, 2008 | 4 Comments »
I have a nine-year-old stepson who receives an allowance of $9 every two weeks. Out of his $9, $2 goes to savings and $1 goes to the charity of his choice, leaving him $6. So, from his allowance, he is able to save $52 per year – not bad, but at that rate, he’ll be [...]
Recommended Carnival Reading
Posted in Carnivals, tagged Carnivals on March 25, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Rather than just give you the obligatory rundown of which carnivals my posts have been included in this week, I’ve decided to take the time and highlight the posts that I particularly enjoyed: From the Carnival of Personal Finance, which includes my post Debt as a Symptom of Sexual Addiction: Just Say ‘No’ to Crap from [...]
Reminder: Time to Shop for Easter ’09
Posted in Spending, tagged Easter, Frugality, Shopping on March 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Shopping at the end of the season can save you big money. Many stores cut prices on holiday merchandise by 50% on the day after the holiday, and keep cutting throughout the week. However, most items are gone within a few days. With that in mind, it’s time to start thinking about what you’re going [...]
My Mattress is Pathetic
Posted in Debt-Reduction, Spending, tagged Debt-Reduction, mattresses, Spending on March 23, 2008 | 6 Comments »
This is my mattress, and I can’t take it any more. My husband got it seven years ago when some co-workers donated used furniture to his post-divorce “bachelor pad.” While we’ve I’ve gotten rid of most of his hand-me-downs, we are still sleeping on this thing, which has to be pushing 20 years (my stepson [...]
After Hitting Rock Bottom, an Epiphany!
Posted in Debt-Reduction, tagged Dave Ramsey, Debt-Reduction, Epiphany on March 21, 2008 | 1 Comment »
After I’d hit rock bottom emotionally and financially, I knew we had to get out of credit card debt if we had any chance of living our dreams without blowing up our whole lives in the process. I made a plan for paying off our $13,500 of credit card debt, but was unsure of what [...]
When Did You Finally Hit Rock Bottom and Decide to Get Out of Debt For Good?
Posted in Debt-Reduction, tagged Debt-Reduction, Hitting Rock Bottom, Journal Excerpts on March 21, 2008 | 1 Comment »
From Finance Girl’s Journal 2/12/06 Where am I at in my life right now? “The Desperate Housewives Period” At this point in my life, I feel kind of like a sellout. I’m not an artist, a musician, a photographer, not even in advertising or a designer. Those things aren’t even my hobbies anymore. Instead, I’m [...]
Finance Girl Interviewed at Money Intellect
Posted in Carnivals, Interviews, tagged Carnivals, Interviews on March 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Ray Roman at Money Intellect was kind enough to interview me for this week’s Friday Blogger Spotlight. So, please stop by and learn more about me! In other Finance Gets Personal news, my posts were included in three carnivals this week: Money Hackers Carnival includes my post Snowflaking: 100 Ways to Come Up With More [...]
Finance Gets Personal Featured on MSN Money
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Karen Datko, MSN Money, OCD, Smart Spending on March 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
MSN Money’s Smart Spending blog is featuring my post, 10 Signs You Have Financial OCD, in Are You Obsessive-Compulsive About Money? Thank you, Karen Datko, and welcome new readers.
Charity Showers
Posted in Charity, tagged American Heart Association, Bridal Shower, Charity Shower, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Nicole Richie, Weddings on March 20, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Well, it’s finally spring, and you know what that means. That’s right – bridal showers, baby showers and weddings! (Please, contain your enthusiasm.) I just got a bridal shower invitation in the mail yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my friend and her fiance have requested a charity shower. Guests have been asked to contribute any amount [...]
I Finally Own a Car That’s Not a Beater!
Posted in Credit Cards, Debt-Reduction, Personal Progress, tagged Car Loans, Cars, Credit Cards, Debt-Reduction, Personal Progress on March 19, 2008 | 3 Comments »
Tonight we’re going to Buffalo Wild Wings to celebrate paying off my car. The loan officially bites the dust on Friday, but we’re having an early celebration so my stepson can be there (side note: my husband bought a Powerball ticket on Saturday and we were taking turns saying what we would do with the money [...]
Why Does Dave Ramsey Push Identity Theft Insurance*?
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Business, Dave Ramsey, Identity Theft, Insurance on March 18, 2008 | 12 Comments »
If you’ve listened to the Dave Ramsey Show for any amount of time, you know he is constantly recommending Identity Theft Protection from Zander Insurance. Every time the subject of identity theft comes up, he gives a little spiel about how he’s purchased it for everyone on his team. But why would he recommend this [...]
Debt as a Symptom of Sexual Addiction
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Addiction, Eliot Spitzer, Health, Politics, Reasons for Debt on March 17, 2008 | 19 Comments »
Debt is a symptom of a problem in your life. It could be that you want desperately to be liked, and are trying to keep up with the Joneses. Maybe you are unable to set boundaries with your children and give in to their every whim. Perhaps, like me, having the “perfect” outfit or the [...]
Check Out the St. Patrick’s Day Edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Carnivals on March 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Lynnae of Being Frugal is hosting the Carnival of Finance #144, which includes my post 10 Signs You Have Financial OCD. It’s my first carnival, and I’m excited to be included! Be sure to check out all the other great posts. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Opening, Closing and Re-Opening Credit Cards for Airline Miles
Posted in Credit Cards, Credit Scores, tagged Credit Cards, Credit Scores, Travel on March 16, 2008 | 3 Comments »
I’m sure you know someone like this: “Credit cards are great! I use mine for everything and pay it off each month. I flew to Tahiti last March with the airline miles I earned and I get $500 cash back from my Discover card at the end of the year. I know some people can’t [...]
Sorry For the Technical Difficulties
Posted in Uncategorized on March 15, 2008 | 2 Comments »
I switched my Blogger account over to WordPress this weekend, but it took me a while to figure out how to get everything up and running. I think everything is pretty much back to normal now, I just need to work out some of the widgets (God, I sound like such a geek right now!). [...]
Would You Like to Save 49 Cents Today By Opening an Old Navy Card?
Posted in Credit Cards, tagged Credit Cards, Old Navy on March 14, 2008 | 3 Comments »
The other night I went to Old Navy and purchased a shirt for $4.97. Within two minutes of entering the store, I was approached by a girl with a clipboard asking if I’d like to apply for an Old Navy credit card. After I declined her offer, she quickly moved on to a Hispanic lady [...]
It’s Bad Enough This Cubicle is Freezing, But Now You’re Going to Freeze My Raise?
Posted in Debt-Reduction, Personal Progress, tagged Debt-Reduction, Personal Progress on March 13, 2008 | 3 Comments »
My employer announced today that they are freezing raises. Apparently, there’s some little problem with the economy that’s causing our top clients to slash budgets and lay off their employees, and now our company’s outlook is uncertain. Worse, a few weeks ago, my husband’s employer announced they are freezing raises. Oh, and they’re also doing [...]
The Most I’ve Ever Paid For A…
Posted in Spending, tagged Spending on March 11, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Pair of Shoes – $140 (shiny black Doc Marten boots back in the day) Purse – $80 (black leather from Fossil that I bought for a business trip) Watch – $120 (Diesel watch that was wedding gift to my husband – he no longer wears because he mowed the lawn with it on and it [...]
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