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Home > Archive: March, 2013

Archive for March, 2013

Unloading the Timeshare

March 31st, 2013 at 02:05 am

I've recently looked into unloading my timeshare that I have. Unfortunately, even for me to donate it I need to pay it off first. So it looks like I'll be keeping it for a while longer... It has one of the higher interests rates to begin with as well. UGH!!!

New Digs

March 20th, 2013 at 03:23 am

I moved into my new apartment earlier this month. To me it's incredibly small so I have to be almost OCD-ish about organization. Fortunately my bed and couch (it comes furnished) are high enough so that I can put things underneath them.

I've also just went grocery shopping so that I can take my food with me for lunch and whatnot. I'll get organized sooner or later but it seems to be taking a long time. I want everything done by the end of this month.

My parents gave me a small digital TV so I don't have a need to purchase one anytime soon. It just depends on how long this one lasts.

I'm going to have a facility next week to have them file my taxes for me. And there are still other things that I need to do this month but I knew that would happen. Clothes and all kinds of other things... (I didn't have any clothes when I left for basic training in 2011 since I had lost so much weight and haven't really had an opportunity to purchase any when I had graduated before my deployment.

Bought a small calendar so that I can keep up with my bills/appointments/events instead of always glancing in my financial software.

I'll keep ya'll informed but it's been a busy time...

Free Monitor

March 19th, 2013 at 06:27 pm


Before I left Afghanistan I went into a website (this is no longer available) in order to receive a Blood Glucose Monitoring System. I didn't think that this would actually happen, especially since I didn't pay for any shipping.

I don't need it but I figured that somebody would.

So today I go to my mailbox and there's this package. You guessed it, it's the monitor! It also contains 10 test strips and discount card for the strips.

I'm going to donate it to a retirement center or to another place that would need them. I wanted to look at the cost of the monitor and the strips just to get an idea.

The monitor costs and average of $20 and 50 strips can cost $20 - $25. So this is going in my donation box for the retirement center.

I've already started my donation box to the humane society. How you ask? The local newspaper company is mis-delivering my newspapers. I asked for just Sunday/Wednesday delivery and I'm receiving it everyday.... Go figure...

I'm going to call them and let them know what's going on so that I'm only paying for what I requested.

I still haven't gotten my taxes done yet but I've made an appointment for next week to do so. This will more than likely be the only year in which I'm not doing it myself which is my normal course of action.

But this is starting off my couponing for me (the monitor). I'm also receiving my extra Sunday coupon inserts already. So I really do have to go through all of those (I pretty much have a small box of just couponing items that I need to put together...)

I just remembered that I have also requested to receive something else for free but I can't remember. Maybe I'll get that in the next few weeks.

FINALLY HOME!!

March 5th, 2013 at 09:56 pm

Well I'm finally home from Afghanistan! YAY ME!

First thing I did when I arrived at my brother/sister-in-law's place was eat some chinese takeout! =P

I have also installed YNAB (www.youneedabudget.com) onto my computer and have started inputing my budget. I've gone over certain things with my parents and I'll probably be doing this over a month but next month all the bills should be settled as to what I'll be paying.

Good news:

My parents told me that ALL of my medical collections have been paid off except for one which happens to be the biggest one. I also have leftover fees to pay to an apartment that I'm no longer at.

Bad news:

That's an extra $30/month that goes towards debt repayment.

Good news:

The WF student loan that my ex has that I'm currently paying on went from $110/mo to $106.82/mo.

I'll pay the minimum because of the snowball debt repayment plan that I'm incorporating this month. I'll need to re-calculate some information because the original plan was to have the car loan, timeshare, Sallie Mae paid off by September 2017. Now I will recalculate both the old apartment and medical collections into it to see what the NEW pay off date is. My ideal plan would be to have all of those paid off in five years. I would throw any extra money that I had at it as well but wouldn't be able to count that as a gaurantee since it's just extra money.

I'll put up later what my actual budget is. YNAB should be able to actually list directly what I'm doing and need to do.

But I'm glad that I am home. I'm really looking foward to not having to have a battle buddy EVERYWHERE I go...

I'm finally home and I'm loving every minute of it! =D

I'M SO HAPPY! =P

The Motorcycle vs the Car

March 2nd, 2013 at 09:25 am

I've been thinking lately to purchase a motorcycle. A cruiser. NOT A NEW ONE. A used vehicle that I will pay for outright.

The reasoning is mainly gas. Although I'll pay for it in insurance and property taxes, I believe that it'll pay for itself in the long run due to utilization of gas. I currently have a 2004 Kia Sorento which uses about 20mpg/hwy and 18mpg/city.

If I get a motorcycle then it'll be about 50mpg/hwy and 45mpg/city.

If gas costs about $4.00/gallon then would it benefit me to have a motorcycle for "in city usage" and use the SUV for traveling?

The motorcycle has a 4-5/gallon tank and the SUV has a 20/gallon tank. It would take $16-20 to fill up the motorcycle while getting 180-225 miles a tank (city) and the SUV would cost $80 to fill up while getting 360 miles a tank (city).

It takes me 16 miles to drive to work so that's 32 miles daily. Using the motorcycle I would still be on that first gallon where as the SUV would already be ending the second gallon.

I will not be paying more than $2,0000 for this vehicle because I want it used and I'm not wanting to spend a lot of money on it.

But I'm still thinking that maybe it'll save me money in the long run if I have the second vehicle.

What do you think?