I usually get $5,000.

$700 goes to State
$2000 will to buy car (long story)
$700 Pay off Credit Cards
Pay deposit for Apt
Savings

I started Paying off my old DEBT!

Okay but I am slightly discouraged if you look at the numbers

I take home $457.50 a week

$325 goes towards shared bills (rent, groceries, utilities etc...)

$50 a week is towards CareOne ($181 a month)

$25 a week towards Savings

Which leaves me almost $60+ a week leftover.

Keep in mind - I still have to pay my CCs, Car Insurance and a couple of other things every month.

Am I doing okay and the right thing? I know any extra is going towards paying off my debt.

But honestly, I still like to buy things :P and would like to have things too.

Well, I am really annoyed about my financial decisions lately.

*Bought a Laptop (Laptop interest over 25% I believe)
*Need to pay off CCs again (2 total $675 both with interest over 25%)

So what I am going to do is take out the $900 and pay $200 on each of the CCs ($300 CC and $375 CC) and put $400 towards the laptop and then pay the rest off in payments on both.

I already have $25 a week going into my Savings and I am sure I can come up with ways to make extra income.

Then after I will contact CareOne (they are already knocking the down the door and calling me and I will let him know I am interested and to give me a minute)

Anyway I was also reminded of the Suze Orman segment of "Can you Afford It" when the chick had BIG BUCKS in her Savings and still had ton of CC and Student Loan debt and she told her what is the point of having a BIG Savings if you have all this Debt??? So I agree. Plus I am sure Suze would have DENIED me getting this new Laptop Oopsy!

More later in as The Jackie Financial World Turns later :P

In the Billing Dept that I had been promoted to last October 2007, I did not get my pay for it. The reason for that is, you have to Certify. Which means I have to pass a certain number of Billing Calls and hitting Quality points before I would get my Promotion Pay...and I had three chances to Pass. Well, the first two times they put in in February I failed. And if I had failed the third time I would be sent back to my prior department. So anyway, 7 months later I FINALLY GOT MY PAID PROMOTION I CERTIFIED!!! WOOHOO!! On top of that but the yearly raise in due in June so I will be getting that as well!

Plus I am waiting on my stimulus check. I am thinking about living a paycheck behind and beef up my Savings...Right now because of my Taxes last year I have about $1,000 combined in two Savings accounts. $300 in my ING and $700 in my regular Credit Union.

With my Daughter's check that is going to start her Savings, $100 of her $300 is going to go for her down payment for her teeth again (she has two new teeth growing in and we have to remove the other two).

I am going to take inventory of everything that I receive a monthly bill for and see if I can drop some unnecessary items from being debited from my account.

I had received my Tax return today and paid few good sized bills...it made me happy. Smile Now I don't have to worry about paying them unless I use them (my credit cards) plus I don't have to pay my Car Insurance till June now.

My Taxes are done and I am getting back
$4507.

I owe
Utah State Tax $598
Mother $450
Partner $610
Credit Cards Pay Off $600 (YES!)
Car Insurance $231.40
GRAND TOTAL: $2489.40

I will have $2017.60 left over.

Last night I was watching Suze Orman and watching her made me realize how I need to kick my butt about my debt.

FINALLY!

I had booked my first Travel Booking on my site! I booked a flight for two to Mexico.

I had also acquired some Travel Leads and had been speaking to prospects who are looking to book Travel vacations.

I am very excited and looking forward to using this money to Pay off my Debt Completely and Financial Independence!

At my Job we had donations for United Way, as a contribution through your paycheck, last year I did the one time option and this year decided to do $2 a week towards the Community Fund via Payroll and then had her verify that the money would go directly those in need and not for 'administrative' costs.

I will also being contributing 2% OR 3% of my weekly income for my 401k, my job will match 3%.

I will be getting Health Insurance through my Job also, although I am already covered, but that coverage won't last forever.

Then the last thing I am going to is put $25 a week into my Savings - Direct Deposit of course.

Lastly I MIGHT possibly get Promoted. I am not depending on it so it will help with all the stuff above.

Well I just barely logged back into my ING Account after a million years and Updated my Account information and I saw I had earned a TON of interest and still had my money in there...but I also have another Savings account that I cannot touch that is supposed to be used for random checks I received and I would like to Deposit into both Savings but not quite sure how I plan on doing this...what I want to do is possible do automatic transfers every week from my Checking to my home Savings account but then again I earn higher interest with my ING Savings account...not qute sure how I want to do this....

MONEY GOALS:

401K
DD Savings
ME Savings
Pay off Debt
Some type of CD and Investing such as Sharebuilder.com
PLAY Money!
MAKE More Money

Hmmm....need to write this down on paper

IT is painfully hanging over my head. I decided against Debt Consolidation for the time being because I think I cannot afford $80 bucks a week towards paying off my old debt. Every time when I attempted to think about fixing my debt, my head hurts and I feel sort of helpless. Although I know I am sure there is something I can do. Just not sure how I am going to go about this yet. Sigh. On top of that I want to sign up for my Job's 401K, open up a Savings Account for DD and start putting $$$ back into my Savings. I am failing at all of these things right now, PLUS I want to pay off my Secured Card again so I can use it for things again. My Relatives keep insisting the B word and I just couldn't ever do something like that. Like I always say, I OWE this money to them. They don't owe me anything.

I also want to go to College badly . I am looking into Grants and Scholarships before I consider a loan. I want to get my Bachelors of Science in Sales and Marketing and take Online Courses. My Job has Tuition Reimbursement but I do not see myself there for another million years and still have BIG Goals and Dreams to be an Entreprenuer and that I am working on DAILY.

Sigh there now I whined my sorrows about Finance will be getting all of that sorted. Sigh.

At my strict Job. I am relieved and Happy but at the same time still know this is not my Dream. I am still trying to get my Business off the ground. I get frustrated when I think about it. Considering the Live a Raise Behind option which I should have done with my last raise. Really too tired to get into detail.

Well at the advice of my Beau, I began using my Check Registery for my Purchases on my main Checking/Debit Account. I now right down everything I use on the account.

I am expecting a $34 Refund Check for my Daughter's pictures that came out crappy and a $10 Total from Pinecone for Surveys. I also cashed out MyPoints for myself as a Birthday Present...I had enough for a $50 Gift Card.

Las Vegas was Great, we lived off of Comps and we had a Free Room for a couple of days...we also won which means everything we did in Vegas was absolutely FREE

I feel bad for taking the $400 from my Savings account but I plan on replacing it again later plus with extra that I have been keeping in my main account just fear of going in the red again.

I also started working on my Business...going to try to boost it a little bit more.

I got my Taxes back and I put $1300 in Savings and paid something that I cannot remember LOL. $1,000 of it is to fix my daughter's teeth once I find a Pediatric Dentist.

Plus I went to Wendover, Nevada (I live in Utah) and won a total of $1,000 on the $1 Slot Machines with the tip from my new Beau

*Get myself out of the Financial Blunder I had put myself in.

*Pay off my Parents in 4 weeks because they helped me get my all weather tires.

*Pay off my CC again.

*Pay ALL my Bills before anything else.

*The BIGGEST OATH OF ALL is do not sign the list to go home early anymore.

Jacquelyn Butler 11/28/2006

All the Checks I get in the mail for doing little things like Surveys, Jerky and Rebates etc...all go in my $20 Challenge Savings account.

Right now I will be Depositing:

$12.00 Rebate Check for Gillette Razor
$9.30 Cash Crate Check
$5.00 Pinecone Check
$1.50 Jerky Check
TOTAL $27.80

Which will bring my Challenge up to:
$257.77

I will be looking for more ways to get Checks in the mail

Jacquelyn

I am right now thinking of a thought out Plan for a Customized Life/Home Organization Planner. I was going to buy one but I decided I can customize my own and Save Money in the process by adding things that I think I need & want in it.

Then my Budget, I almost have everything figured out as it to what is coming in and what is going out every month. But first I have to wait and see what my Raise/Promotion entails. I want to live a Paycheck Behind.

I am also looking at my Debt. I am ready to start Paying it off. I need to obtain my Credit Reports first to see where I stand.

I am VERY Excited about Couponing, Winter Gardening and everything else in between!

I FINALLY feel like I have my Life under MY Control, well at least I am to that Point. I just need to do some more Organizing. Hmmmm....

I want to Save Money, Make MORE Money and Pay off My Debt.

I started Paying My Debt TODAY that I was Ignoring and staring me in the face every time when I checked the Mail. It was a Medical Bill from an old city where I had lived.

I told them take $10 out every Payday (which is every week) and put it towards my Bill. I FEEL SO GOOD! I have been wanting to do it for a while now just never did it.

Also, tomorrow I am going to get a Direct Deposit form at work and put $100 a week into my Savings account.

What a way to turn around the day!

Jacquelyn

Well tired and cranky. Personally I do not like being Employed. I have a Great Job though, so I count my Blessings. I discovered today we will be working Mandatory Overtime in my new Job Position. 10 hours a week. 2 hours a day that equals to.

Not bad really because I will get Paid my New Raise and Get Paid Overtime but sometimes you think which is MORE Important? Time OR Money? I will be working from 11:30 AM to 10 PM. Which means ALL that time my Daughter will be at Daycare/Preschool.

So with all this EXTRA Money I will be Saving, Paying off Debt and using it towards My Business. Because I will escape the Rat Race.

Jacquelyn

Ok now that I have a Promotion, I need to consider living a Raise Behind and also putting away $40 since my Child Care went down which would equal to an extra $280 a month.

I also want to use my Secured Credit Card to Pay off my Debt as well. I figure since I get Paid Weekly and my Secured Credit Card is Monthly I could figure out a good Monthly Budget in order to pay it all off every month for every penny I spend on Debt since that is one of the original reasons why I got it.

Right now I put Diapers and Gas on it and pay it off every time when I get the Bill. I think I could figure $60 bucks of Debt being Paid off a month and put that in my Budget for Bills. I just do not want to overwhelming myself and then end up screwing up my Secured Credit Card and my Debt also. You know what I mean?

Groceries I think I could manage. I want to budget myself $50 bucks a week and use all the necessary coupons. I really do not need to cook for my daughter and myself but I still like to cook and do not like to deny myself Good Food. KWIM?

Now my Business, this is going to be tough as far as how I need to figure out how much I am going to want to Budget. Hmmmm...I will still need to think hard on that one...I was thinking maybe $20 bucks a Payday.

Hmmmmm........

I had been working for the Company for about a MONTH! I was on the floor for less than two weeks!

I got Promoted to a Department and I also got a $1.55 raise! I was worried about things being tight when my new place but NOT ANYMORE!!!

I start Training tomorrow at 5 am!



Jacquelyn

IT was DELICIOUS! I bought a footlong since it was a $2 more and then I also had Spaghetti! It looks like I will have plenty of food to eat this weekend.

Nothing really new, my Insurance Company called me back and told me when they would be removing money for my Auto Insurance. And I spoke to the woman about my Apartment and she told me to relax and I will know by the beginning of next week.

Will be working on my Business this weekend.

I have a Point Card from there with more than enough Sandwiches but I am not touching it. Instead of Subway I made Hamburgers and ate Cereal.

Tomorrow I am bringing leftovers for Lunch. Fish Sticks. Today I had one of those $1 Lean meals that I had purchased for Lunches but then I got sick of them.

Friday we are having a Luncheon at work during Breaks and Lunches so I am going to eat there.

I am more or less anxiously waiting to get into my Aparment.

Called Car Insurance and left a message since it was after hours and asked them to leave me a Message as is to when my direct debit goes out every month.

Called the lady from the Apartment and she told me there is no reason for me not to be Approved. The anticipation is killing me.

Friday is PAYDAY LOVE getting Paid every week!

I am getting an extra $300 as a Housewarming Gift from my Grandparents to use for my Apartment.

Apart from that money by Friday I will also have $625 saved for my Apartment.

Spent $1.25 today on a Candy Bar.

1) Get out of Debt
2) Buy and Own a Condo Free and Clear
3) FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE
4) When ready get a Divorce

No particular order.

FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE is the BIG one for me, I have been seeking it since I was a teenager. I have never believed in working for someone else. I WILL get to where I Want to be this year.

I am cutting off everything that makes me sidetracked or takes away my focus from my Business. I cut all my other 'little' things so I can Focus on my Business.

Overall Consistentcy is the Key. I have not been Consistent and I know it. DO NOT Treat your Business like a HOBBY.

So I am in the process of forming a Marketing Plan. I am looking for JUST A BASIC Marketing Plan. Can someone Help me?

Thanks,

Jacquelyn

ok so far I have Overtime, I will start signing up for it next week. Although they had already given me a Mandatory hour for next week LOL.

Ok Ima Saver had given me some brilliant ideas for my $20 Challenge. I do not buy lunch anymore PERIOD, which would probably cost me $20 bucks a week, I could then add that to my $20 Challenge starting Monday.

So lets say I have $20, now $20 = $40 for $20 Challenge. Add $20 each week I do not buy Lunch YIPPEE!

I also can figure each time I want to buy something from the machine I could add that $1 or .75 cents as well.

I ate out today so I cannot add that to my Challenge (almost $10)

I am unsure about the whole Coupon thing. But I guess I could do a Cost and Compare.

I also shop at Smith's and use their Savings Card so whenever I Save Money I can add that as well. But since I will be moving my local Grocery store will be Harmons so I will have to see if they have a Savings Card.

I have a Coin Jar. That will be added as well.

Hmmmm I figure I could keep this all on a Spread Sheet.

Now as far as Making Money, I want to Promote My Business which I am going to have a Very Focused, Inexpensive Detailed Marketing Plan.

I also want to Save $50 a week like I was at my previous Job.

Yes, MORE Money and LESS hours. The only problem with it is for 4-8 weeks of Training I am brought down to $7.50 and then bumped up to $11 after training. Which, I need to budget better. I am Excited though!

Jacquelyn

I don't like being Broke. I really don't. I am going to be getting $200 from my Research study here soon and I just got my Jerky Check and a Survey Check. I guess that will catch me up a little bit. Still going along with my Business persuits. I decided to not just do Jerky but something with 3000% income potential and no its not auto surfing. I am waiting to do that but in the mean time I will be promoting my Jerky Biz so here it goes.

http://www.jerkyisgood.com

Not a good expression but oh well and I know I haven't Posted in a while but now I think I have something worthy of Posting.

I used part of my Tax Return to get a $300 Secured Credit Card and I decided to use that money to Pay off Old/New Debt every month and at the same time build my Credit.

And since I no longer use my Badge to buy food in the Cafeteria and I hardly eat down there and I got my annual raise I decided to have Direct Deposit in a SEPARATE Bank a Checking/Savings account and put $100 every payday.

So this year I think I am covering all the bases...Saving, Paying down Debt and Rebuilding Credit. I Feel Good.

So I went to the Doctor's today and they told me I have Strep Throat and concidentally they are doing a Research Study and so all my Doctor Visits are Free and I also get Free Meds and a $100 after the Study. I will have to miss two days of work (which I have PTO for). I also got a Free Tote Bag!

Well as you can see I have accomplished one of my Goals...I bought a Car...a Goal I am going to get started on is taking care of my Debt and increase my income at the same time.

I am applying for an at home Job that I can do after work and I am getting myself Schooled in Internet Marketing.

Everything I think I ever wanted is starting to fall into place. So I am going slowly get things together. I am Excited!