Organizing My Life, My Finances and My Basement

Am I wrong here? It seems like the more frugal I get, the more organized I get! (Or want to be.) It started with my finances. In order to make my budget I had to start tracking every thin dime spent. To do that I created a running file of all my statements, that way I could have the most recent statement for any bill right at hand. Then I started selling things for friends on eBay and Amazon, which meant I had to set up a tracking system for that. Shortly after I read this great article by Prime Time Money about creating a financial "dashboard." I took his idea and then made myself a personal finance balance sheet. The great thing about it was that it actually made me feel a bit better. Sure, I'm struggling each month, but my "empty credit" (ala credit cards) is really low. Most of my debt is in real estate, which means my net worth looks pretty decent on paper.

In addition, as I mentioned in another post, I am trying to slowly reorganize the house. It's kind of a strange place to be in. The house was jointly lived in by my husband and I until our split. Then I took what I needed and I moved out. When the dust settled and I had to take the house back over, he took what he wanted. Ultimately this means he ended up with some of my things, I ended up with some of his. Occasionally it makes me irritated, like when I see he took the $50 afghan that I bought that perfectly matches my couch - which he left. But you know, it isn't worth fighting over. I have absolutely no desire to go over there and demand the heavy ceramic planters that I paid for and spent hours picking out and lugged home. Am I bitter? A touch, but there is no use dwelling on it. For the most part I can just let it go and accept that what is - is.

Because of the various moves, (and frankly because I am still not completely unpacked,) there are still pockets of disorganization. As a frugal person however, I am finding that organization can be one of my best friends.

Obviously, being organized saves time - I feel better knowing that I can lay my hands on what I need, when. I'm not wasting time looking for things. My kitchen is doing great in this regard, especially since I spent August shopping out of my my own cupboards. The next room to tackle is my office - way too much of that is still in boxes.

Tidy Room = Tidy Mind - I just recently rearranged some of the furniture in my bedroom area and while I was at it I cleared all the clutter off the horizontal surfaces where it tends to collect. You know what? I feel the difference. I feel a lot less stressed there than I do in my still cluttered office area!

Finding Stuff I Didn't Know I Had - One of the areas I am trying to organize is my workshop. When my father passed away my husband and I were given a lot of his tools. Unfortunately, they got mixed in with my husband's tools. It is so hard to say whose is whose. I tried to divide them up, but I think some things went that shouldn't have. I have no way of knowing for sure though. So, in order find out what I have and make things tidy, I decided to hang some pegboard I had. One water stained edge needed to be cut off though, and I started thinking how nice it would be to have a jigsaw. In fact, at one point I even put one in my basket at Lowes (I had a coupon) but then put it back because I had other things that were more important to purchase. Anyway, guess what I found tucked in the back of the shelves? My dad's jigsaw. In fact, since undertaking the Great Workshop Clean Up I have found a number of handy tools I thought I would have to buy.

Saving Me Cash and Raising My Credit Score - One of my favorite organizational benefits is that since I have got all my bill paying organized and online, I haven't had a late payment in years. Not only am I not paying overdraft and late fees any more, but I just got a free credit report from my credit card and found my credit score was 780. I'm pretty darn happy with that. Even though I decided not to refinance at this time, that score would have gotten me the best rate.

I keep thinking about how much things have changed. The author of Until Debt Do Us Part left this comment in my post about staying financially motivated: The lessons you learn from the journey that you are on now will serve you a lifetime. I think they're right. Each step, one by one, gets me closer to happiness and peace of mind - and hey, isn't that what we are all really after?



Organize This:

Your Frugal House: Five Ways To Save Money in the Home Office

I've Paid For This Twice Already - The Beauty of Organizing Your Money

Prime Time Money - Build a One -Sheet Dashboard-Style View of Your Finances


Photo by: Olivetti

Read more

Waiting to Refinance

I am a huge fan of online banking, especially since my local bank has a nice, fairly easy to use web site. Yesterday I was on there and noticed they had really low rates on their fixed mortgages. There are two loans on my home which were taken out simultaneously. This was back in the free wheeling days of loans with no income verification and the process was to use one small loan as the down payment and the other as the bulk of the mortgage. The larger of the two loans has a good fixed interest rate of 5.75, however, the other smaller fixed loan is at 7.75. One of the items on my list of financial goals was to look into refinancing that second loan.

So, I saw their low rates and gave them a call. The loan officer was great, but the first thing that he told me was that there was a new law enacted three days ago that says that if your home has been on the market you have to wait one year after you have removed it to refinance. My home was on the market from January to June, so that puts me out of the running.

Nonetheless for curiosity's sake we ran the numbers. I could refinance the whole kit and caboodle for their low rate of 5.65%, however, then I would have to add PMI. In addition, they are only lending up to 90% since the whole FREDDIE MAC/FANNIE MAE fiasco, and I would be on the razor's edge of that. (Since housing values are so low right now.) It was possible to do, but not guaranteed. When he crunched the numbers, I would have a smaller payment each month - but then you had to add in the PMI, so my savings might be small for the out of pocket costs of the appraisal and so forth.

We looked at just doing the second loan, but then that would have to be considered a home equity loan which didn't qualify for the really good rates. Again, my monthly fee wouldn't be effected that much at all. The loan officer said that it makes sense to refinance if you can save a half a point or more over 4-5 years. I don't even know that I am going to be in the house for 4-5 more years.

So, I decided to wait. Now that I know the deal, I can watch the market and see where we are in June when my one year is up. I have to say though - what a difference the credit crisis has made! When I bought the house loan officers were stumbling over themselves to give me money, now I actually had one talk me out of it. Shows you how the world has changed.



Photo by: Rustman

Read more

Frugal Grocery Store Question

Okay, so I have a question and I would love to get some feedback and advice from you all -

Awhile back I opened up a grocery store credit card for their gas incentives. They were offering $.10 off a gallon through Labor Day. That promotion has obviously ended, but I am still getting $.05 off. It is actually a store sponsored Mastercard, so it could be used anywhere, but I got it specifically for the gas promotion at their stores.

If you've been reading this blog for awhile you know that I have a little over $1,000 of credit card debt that I am working on paying down. I have nixed credit cards from my wallet, however, I chose in this case to go ahead and get and use the card specifically for the gas and the gas promotions only. Since I already have the gas money budgeted, I simply pay off this card with that amount each month. So far, it has been working great. In fact, it has helped me keep track of my gas spending in a nice easy way.

I must not be the only one that is using their card that way though, because last week I received an offer in the mail offering a $10 rebate on any $100 total purchase not made at their stores or at their pumps. I was going to throw it away. I don't have any $100 purchases that I need to make right now, but then I had a second thought...

There is one other item in my budget that, like gas, has money set aside each month and requires me to go to a store and purchase it - groceries. After reviewing the offer carefully and noting that it specifically allows for groceries purchased at another store as long as the total purchase is over $100, I started thinking. I could go to another store, purchase next month's groceries (specifically stocking up on nonperishables) and get $100 worth of food for $90. I could even take along a calculator (it wouldn't be the first time) and see how close I could get to $100 without being under. Ideally $100.01 would be perfect.

My grocery budget each month is $125.00. I seem to be hitting that or slightly under. Technically it would leave me another $25 or so to spend at the Farmers Market for fresh veggies, since the Market is my preferred place for produce. Since I already have the money set aside, I could simply pay it off - just I like have been doing with gas.

I don't know though, it feels like the edge of a slippery slope. I am trying so hard to pay for everything in cash now. Am I opening myself up for trouble or is it being a frugal shopper? What are your thoughts?


Feast on this:

Information on My Grocery Budget

Gas Pains (Information on my gas credit card)


Photo by: BrittneyBush

Read more

InnoCentive

I recently signed up with InnoCentive.com today. I found the link on Pepperjam and thought I would take a look into it.

The idea is fairly nifty: they post challenges in business, life science, computer science, etc. and they are creating a network of people who are interested in those fields to put together solutions to solve them. For example, one of the challenges I saw was about social networking sites - how to make them better, different ways of using the technology and so forth. The winning solution is paid up to $10,000! Now, I don't know a thing about social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook, but I know there is a lot of people out there who do.

What I find rather interesting about the InnoCentive concept is that they are going straight to the people - the armchair inventors and the basement tinkerers. The cash prizes are huge, which to be honest intimidates me a little, but at the same time, if I saw a challenge come up that I felt I knew something about, why not submit it? Who knows, right? All it would cost me is the time it took to think it out and write it up - signing up for the website and being able to submit solutions is free.

I've been all over the web site looking to see if there was any "catch." So far I haven't found any. Does any one else have experience with them?

Here's some info from their website:

Founded in 2001, InnoCentive.com connects companies, academic institutions, public sector and non-profit organizations, all hungry for breakthrough innovation, with a global network of more than 145,000 of the world's brightest minds on the world's first Open Innovation Marketplace™.

These creative thinkers -- engineers, scientists, inventors, and business people with expertise in life sciences, engineering, chemistry, math, computer science, and entrepreneurship -- join the InnoCentive Solver™ community to solve some of the world's toughest challenges.

Let me know what you think!

Read more

Amazon A-Z Guarantee Claim, Getting a Refund

So, I've been selling with Amazon for a couple of months now. Usually when I get an order the first thing I do is take its duplicate listing off of Half.com. That way I don't have double sales. (Although that did happen to me once - a book sold on both sites within an hour of each other. I refunded the second buyer and wished I had more copies of the book!) Once the other listing is removed, my next steps are to add the selling information into my spreadsheet and update my sidebar on the right on this blog. My next step is to go to Amazon and print off the packing slip.

That night I bring the packing slip home, pack up the book securely, label it and put it with my things for the next day. On my way into work the next morning I drop it off at the post office, simple, right?

Well, apparently not for everyone. I recently placed an order from Amazon for a used book. After being a seller and seeing the prices that people list their books at - I will never buy new again! Anyway, that was August 11th. I haven't seen hide nor hair of my book since.

Normally, with my current financial state I wouldn't be buying books at all, but I decided to take the plunge on this one because it was on how to make my business grow. I was very excited to read it, and I assumed that when I was done I would be able to resell in online. I figured I wasn't so much buying it as renting it.

Unfortunately it hasn't come. I have emailed the seller twice and not gotten a response. So, today I filed my first Amazon A-z Guarantee. They will look into the problem, try to resolve it, and if they can't, they will refund me. Although I wish I had my book, I am kind of glad that I had this experience. It is a real life example for what my customers might have to go through if they don't receive a book.

I'll let you know how it goes!




Photo by: soumit

Read more

PF Bloggers, pt 3

I've been writing about the personal finance bloggers on my "must read" list lately. Here is part 3 in that series:

I get feeling that Debt Hater doesn't post as much now that she has achieved her goals by getting out of debt. Honestly though, that is one of the reasons I like her blog (not the lack of daily posts, of course) but the fact that she did it! She is out of debt and on to living her dreams. I love a success story. I also enjoy her fun sense of humor and great writing. She has a really interesting post about car insurance here.

Foreclosure Truth is another somewhat sporadic poster, but what I like about this blog are the facts. He tells it like it is. Many of his posts are about the housing market as a whole and how foreclosures are effecting us. I have to say though, that one of my favorite posts was his Foreclosures and Five Stages of Grief. One of these days soon I plan to write about my own responses to this post, since my own situation came out of a traumatic incident. For me this one really hit home.

Debt Diet is one of my inspirational reads - another person who is out there doing it. (Hmmm... it seems most of my favorite blogs fall into one of two categories - inspirational or informational.) Check out her A Year Ago Today post that talks about all she has been through and still kept going. A lot of people might have thrown in the towel with all her set backs, but instead she just kept on fighting!

Frugal Dad - So, in keeping with my Informational or Inspirational theme, this is a great informational blog. He's always coming up with tips and ideas as well as talking about personal finance in general. Lately he wrote a post called When it Comes to Emergency Funds, Size Matters. Not only did the title give me a grin, but the subject is one that is near and dear to my heart. Since I am still working my way out of debt, my emergency fund feels woefully underfunded, but this post helped me see it all in perspective.

The Simple Dollar is one of my "must reads" and it is worth checking back during the day because this is one of the most prolific personal finance writers I know. (And hey - I love to read!) One of the many things I like about his blog is how he continually drives home the same point - it isn't about being rich, its about peace of mind. Check out his recent post on Financial Success Isn't About Who Has the Most (or Best) Stuff.

Make Money Online - Finally! is an interesting read for anyone blogging or writing articles online for money. This is something I find fun to read, but not sure that I want to tackle myself. Still, I feel like I can pick up a lot of tips here should I ever decide to go into that area.

Bouncing Back From Bankruptcy another every day inspirational blog about one person just trying to get back on track. These are the types of blogs that are great reads when I am feeling all alone or getting depressed about money. There are so many people out there working on giving themselves better lives it's wonderful to see!


More on Blogs I Adore:

Personal Finance Bloggers, pt 1

Personal Finance Bloggers, pt 2

Pay It Forward Award

Read more

A Little More Personal and a Little Less Finance

I've been talking to some of my friends about a particular issue in my life and I figured it was time to "take it to the blog." It has to do with homeowner stress. It also has to do with learning how to give myself a break.

I have this strong urge to make my home perfect. This is true to some degree at the cabin, but by far it is predominately focused on the house. When I am home I find myself constantly noticing things that need to be done. Some of it is home improvement projects like repairing the broken board on the porch or fixing the fence. Others are more decorative like hanging artwork and moving furniture, while still others have to do with organization such as cleaning out the basement and the garage and finally clearing out all the boxes in the spare bedroom. Some of them are big like repainting the house, while others are small like organizing my DVDs. My friend Catie and I have a nickname these, we call them Noxious Toadstools. They are these little projects that pop up during the night that you know you should do - but for whatever reason, you don't. So they sit there poisoning your vision because every single time you walk by them you get a little zap of guilt. Dirty dishes in the sink, a loose toilet seat, that bag of clothes for Goodwill that is gathering dust in the corner - these are all noxious toadstools.

I have found since moving in the house I have been on a mission to eliminate all noxious toadstools from my life big and small. I want everything arranged, put away, fixed and organized. I suppose the goal is admirable, but the stress I've been putting myself under is not.

Don't get me wrong, I know it is impossible for any normal human being not to have a few noxious toadstools hanging about. There are only a limited number of hours in a day and I am just one person... who just happens to be working a full time job, trying to create a variety of income streams, writing a blog, going back to school, serving on the executive board of a nonprofit organization, maintaining two properties, and who occasionally wants to see her friends and family. Even if I took a week off of work I couldn't get everything done. Although naturally, that doesn't stop me from stressing about it!

I think I get some of it from my childhood. Growing up I saw my parents always working on the house. Each year it seemed that my mom tackled some project or another - new wallpaper for the bathroom this year, new landscaping the next - there was always something going on. That isn't to say that I lived in a construction zone, most of these projects only took a weekend, but I was constantly aware of the effort my parents, (my mother in particular,) took in keeping up the house. It was a source of pride for her and it was obvious that she felt that our home was a reflection on who she was.

..and it is true, your home is a reflection of yourself. We fill our homes with our favorite things, paint the rooms our favorite colors and display the things that mean the most to us there. So what does it say about me that the porch needs fixing, the artwork isn't hung, the lawn needs mowing? It probably tells the truth: here is the home of someone in transition, a person trying desperately to keep all the plates in the air, but not always making it. I recognize the truth of myself in my house - and I hate it. I want everything to be okay, to be fine. I am like the little girl in the dark, eyes squeezed closed, rocking back and forth and muttering "I am not afraid. I am not afraid..." Except in my case my muttering is "Everything is fine. I can handle this. Everything is fine..."

Adding to the stress is the fact that many of these projects require money and that is something I just don't have. I was talking with a friend about all of this recently. He generously offered to help me with any home improvement project I want. I had to tell him that it wasn't a lack of help that was stopping me - I have an amazing network of friends who have offered their time and the sweat off their brow - but who is going to pay for it? Who's going to buy the lumber, the paint, the tile? Seeing the crumbling paint on my home every day reminds me of my financial situation. I can't get away from that.

Yet, some of these projects date back to when my ex and I bought the house. The porch has had that same broken board since the day we signed the papers. The house has needed painting for a couple years. Why now? Why do these things get to me now, when they didn't bother me all that much before? One reason is an emotion I am not particularly proud of - spite. I try very hard not to talk ill of my ex in this blog since I think that kind of thing only leads to bad blood. I will confess though that there is a part of me that strongly resents him dumping this house on me - especially since we had an agreement that he would take it. I've accepted the situation and more than that, there is a part of me that wants to rise to the occasion. I want to show not only him, but everyone else, that I won't be knocked down - and more than that - that I can do it better. It's completely petty I know, and I don't like that I feel this way, but I can't help it.

When it comes to simple household things, not the home improvement projects, but the day to day things - the weeds in the garden, the bathroom that needs cleaning, the file cabinet I need to move into my office - these noxious toadstools are a bit of a conundrum to me. I know that doing them will make me feel better. I believe they are projects worth doing. I know they won't take me all that long to do. ...and yet, I walk right on by them while at the same time beating myself up for not doing them. It's a noxious toadstool death cycle!

So what to do with all this? I've only been in the house three months and already I find myself adding unnecessary stress to myself, but not knowing how to stop.

And that is why I have a therapist - to help me get through all of these things and emotions I am dealing with after the divorce. So I talked with her and she gave me a tool that has been very helpful. She told me to ask myself why I'm not doing something. Then either honor that reason or do whatever needs to be done. The important thing is to stop the death cycle of stress.

So, when I come home at night and I see light blue flakes of paint on the driveway and I feel my blood pressure starting rise, simply ask myself why I haven't painted the house? Because I can't afford it. Okay, that is what it is. Accept that it is the reality for now and move on - getting upset about it isn't going to get the house scraped any sooner. Another good example was a chair that I had upstairs that I wanted to put downstairs. I kept looking at the spot in the room and thinking about how I should get off my duff and move that chair. The night after talking with my therapist I found myself looking at that spot as I felt my hands starting to clench I thought, "Okay, why haven't I moved that chair down here?" Answer: because I was bone tired, it had been a long day at work and then I spent a couple hours helping my mother with some projects which were mentally exhausting. It kind of hit me then - instead of beating myself up, I should feel some pride in the work I did that day. Being bone tired from hard work is an honest emotion. The next night as I looked in that same spot, I realized I wasn't tired, my day had been fairly easy. My answer to why I didn't move the chair? A bratty "I don't waaaaaaaant to." Then I had two choices, I could accept that I didn't want to and stop beating myself up for not doing it, or I could get up and do it, and then it would be done. Either way would break the cycle that I was in.

I moved the chair.

(Of course now I want to paint it.)

The truth is, there is only so much a person can do. I know this and accept it, but I find myself holding myself to a much higher standard than I do anyone else. If my sister's faucet drips I don't think badly of her, but if mine were dripping I get all stressed about it. This is something I am really working on. I am trying to let things go and understand that the only thing making me feel bad is my own neurosis.

I know that no matter what there will always be noxious toadstools, they are a part of life. My goal is working on find ways to live with them so they are more like colorful mushrooms.



Photo by: tdaonp

Read more

Bright Effects CFL Light Bulbs for Vanities

One of my goals for September has been to replace incandescent bulbs with cfls (compact fluorescent lights) in one frequently used light fixture. Last night I decided to take a trip to Lowes to see what I could find.

Since most of my fixtures are on dimmers, it is a bit tough to replace all my light bulbs. That's ok, because I still haven't found any cfl that I like as much as I do my incandescent bulbs. Believe me, this is a tough transition! Still, if I can make a major impact on my electricity bills it will be worth it. I have to confess though, I am thinking more seriously about making sure each room has a mixture of bulbs I can have some of each kind of light. We will see how it goes. In an ideal world I would find a brand of cfls that I love just as much as incandescents that comes in a dimmable bulb and be able to replace them all!

The fixture I decided to tackle this month was the downstairs bathroom vanity. It has four large bulbs - like a backstage mirror. Since this is the bathroom that is used the most and where I shower, this is a fixture that is used a lot. Fortunately it is one of the few fixtures not on a dimmer.

They had several brands at Lowes, and one of the things I am trying to do is also check out different brands of cfls and see how I feel about the light. This time I chose the Bright Effects 9 watt/40 watt equivalent bulbs, model #123757. They came in a pack of two and were a little under $10.

The light is... okay. I can't say I am in love. I chose 40 watt bulbs because I have found that cfls feel brighter than their incandescent brothers. Since there are 4 in this fixture, I didn't dare go any higher. Unlike the nvision or the GE bulbs that I have tried, these take a few moments to come to full brightness. True be told, I rather like the lower light, because once all four get to full power, it's pretty bright. Still, the warm up process feels strange to me and a bit old fashioned - dated. Haven't we come further in technology than this?

Even though these are listed as "soft white," in my opinion, the Bright Effects bulbs are pretty stark. I found the shading to be slightly green-white (like the nvisions) as opposed to peach-white (like the GEs). This is probably better in the long run for applying make up, however, I don't find it very flattering.

EDIT: After showering with this fixture on and these new bulbs going at full power, I have discovered another reason not to like them - they buzz. I can hear them. Yeah, not a fan of these at all!

My current grading scale is as follows:

Top Pick: GE Energy Smart Soft White A-
Turns on instantly, has a pinkish hue, nice for reading lamps and living areas. Don't forget - there is a rebate at Dollar General stores!

Middle Pick: nvision Soft White B+
Turns on instantly, has a greenish hue. This was Popular Mechanic's favorite. I find it is ok in lamps with shades, but too stark for reading areas.

Last Pick: Bright Effects Vanity Bulb D
Came with converter for various sized sockets. Takes time to warm up to full brightness, has a greenish hue. Feels very bright for 40 watt bulb.

This is just a list of the ones I have tried so far. I have another fixture that is very similar in the upstairs bath. But unless I stumble across another great rebate deal, I'll save that one for next month!

Now, if I could just find one that looks like it can handle a dimmer switch - without flickering and without having to be brought to full power first. I found some on Amazon but they looked a little shady, if you'll pardon the pun. I prefer to purchase bulbs from a name brand company not Shifty McFly's Magical Dimming Bulb company.



My CFL Experience:

Comparing CFL Light Bulbs to Incandescent Light Bulbs

Systematically Replacing Light Bulbs with CFLs

The Problem with Installing CFLs in My Home Fixtures

CFL Rebates from Dollar General

EDIT: Here's how my bill is doing after 4 months of slowly switching to CFLs: Electric Bills Even Lower, Thanks to CFLs

Photo by Duane Storey

Read more

Selling Books, CDs and DVDs on Amazon and Half.com

It is only the 8th of the month and already I have already done better sales on Amazon and Half.com in these eight days than I did the entire month of August. Why?

Honestly I don't know, but I can add this - in my day to day job I work with an author. He mentioned last week that August is traditionally the slowest month for book selling. Maybe it has to do with people having already bought their summer beach reading back in June? Then in September we have folks going back to school, so they may be preconditioned to buying books. So maybe that is why August is a dead zone. It is certainly very interesting!

Even though I have been trying to keep my purchasing down to a minimum, I recently bought a book on Amazon about book selling: The Home-Based Bookstore: Start Your Own Business Selling Used Books on Amazon, eBay or Your Own Web Site. My selling experience so far has been in selling books, cds, and dvds that were either from my own collection or ones that have been given to me by friends. It was simply a way of getting a little extra cash - not unlike having them at a garage sale. I don't know that I want this to be a continual income stream or not, but I find the prospect intriguing. I have always had a pipe dream to own my own bookstore!

Anyway what I thought what I would do is do some research. After all - I can always resell this book back on Amazon when I am done, right?!? (I will make sure to write a review of it and let you know if I actually find it helpful or not once I am done.) I know people do find my blog specifically looking up information on personal experiences with selling media online and so I try to write about when I can.

I will say this, Amazon charges fairly high commissions. My average commission on an Amazon sale is $2.75. My average Half.com commission fee is $.39. So why list with Amazon? Because 9 out of 10 of my sales happen through Amazon. So, what can I do? I keep listing at both.



Other Posts About Online Selling:

Books Selling eBay vs Half vs Amazon

Setting Up Selling Online with Amazon and eBay

Garage Sale vs eBay - What is the Best Way to Sell Your Junk?

EDIT: Looking for more information on online book selling? I am compiling all my articles about my experiences in one place. Check them out at The Online Bookseller.




Photo by Victory of the People

Read more

Writing Off Expenses as a Landlord

Do you ever have one of those "duh!" moments when you want to smack yourself in the forehead? Yeah, I just had one of those last night.

It was shortly after depositing my tenant's check in to the bank. I started thinking about how being a landlord involves a lot of semi-hidden costs. For example, the apartment that I rent is in my house. It is one half of the second floor with its own private entrance. However, it does not have its own private heat or a/c. I love reading frugal tips on how to save money and one of the ones you read over and over again is to change the temps on your thermostat - using more ceiling fans in the summer and more sweaters in the winter. I can't take advantage of that though. When I first moved into the house I tried bumping up the temp. a bit and almost immediately my tenant noticed that the a/c wasn't as cold and let me know. So, in the middle of July my downstairs was freezing in order to try to cool her upstairs apartment because my ex promised that it would always be "comfortable" and he was the one that made the initial agreement with her. I also have a higher trash bill because I need a bin for two, higher water bills and so on.

Then it hit me - I can write a portion of these expenses off! I don't know why I didn't think of it before. Okay, I actually know why. When I was married, my husband handled all of that. He was the primary landlord and bill payer. My job was to show the apartment to prospective tenants when he couldn't and to help prep the apartment between leases. He had his own rental unit when we moved in together and then when we bought this house, he handled all of those items. I know that we occasionally talked about the tax benefits, but not very often, so it just wasn't on my mind when I became the landlord.

Then I thought of a few other expenses that I should be tracking...

It seems obvious now, but I didn't even think about saving receipts when I made repairs to her apartment. In July I spent about $120 on the freezer door seal and fixing her toilet. Honestly, I am not one for keeping receipts; once something is doing what it is supposed to and it accounted for in my bank account and budget, I dispose of them. So I quickly called Catie, a friend who does a lot of freelance work and who is an armchair real estate developer. (She'll have a string of apartment complexes yet.) We chatted about it and she gave some great suggestions. The good news is that I actually saved the freeze seal receipt ($90.) Why? Because I wanted it when I wrote my post about doing the repair work and I just left it in my desk drawer - yay! Once again this blog helps in unexpected ways.

So, now I am going to start a special file for all apartment related expenses. It will include items that effect the whole house, and a portion of which goes towards the apartment (like heat) and specific items that I purchase to make repairs or upgrades to the apartment itself.

I can't believe I forgot about all of that, but the good news is I only took over the home in July, so we aren't talking about a lot of expenses before I caught my error! I'm just glad I didn't think of this in April!


(Land)Lordy, here's some good reading - (Yes. I actually made that pun.)

This was great! Check out this article on eHow: How to Get Landlord Tax Breaks (I don't know if that last point will apply to me, but it something to keep in mind!)

Another good one from SmartMoney - So You Want to Be a Landlord (The Tax Guy) In it he mentioned lawn care! I know I still have the receipt for my lawnmower!

NOLO - Top Ten Tax Deductions For Landlords



Photo by turkeychik

Read more

My Alternate Income Streams

So, how am I going to make my $900 this month? Well, hopefully with a number of alternate income streams (a.k.a. whatever I do for cash outside my traditional daily job.)

I always get to start the month off with bank interest from the month before. You know, I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to getting out of this situation and being able to build my emergency fund and make my interest income grow! There are some silver linings for next year in this regard- for one thing, my car will be completely paid off. My last payment will be in May. That's another $300 each month! Another is that at the rate I am presently going my credit card debt will be paid off in 16 months. Of course, I hope to accelerate that. I am already making far more than minimum payments, now all I need is an extra check or two to help me wipe it all out! (Who knows? It could happen. Windfalls hit in July!)

The other item that I get to start the month off with is budget savings. I have been able to cut my cabin mortgage payment by $80, my auto-spending habit by $50 and trim down my life and home insurance bills by $31.44. That is like money in the bank - every single month. I love it! I usually wait a few days to add those to my goal there in the sidebar so I will probably do that on Monday.

I have also been doing some work for my mom. (Do I feel guilty taking money from my mother for helping her out? Why yes, yes I do. Thank you so much for bringing it up.) Basically she has been hiring me to help her out with some things she doesn't know how to do. It's a typical non-passive "dollars for hours" arrangement that has been working out well for both of us. She gets to help me out financially - something she's been itching to do, and I get to accept help with some of my guilt assuaged by the fact the only other way she could get this stuff done is by hiring someone far more expensive than me.

Also this month I have a secret shopping gig lined up and three nights that I will be house managing at the theatre. Not a ton of money involved, but still, extra income I could certainly use.

I've also been continuing to list books, CDs and DVDs for sale on Half and Amazon.com. This month has started out better than last month in sales and I am hoping that with the holidays approaching that it will continue to pick up (knock on wood.) I do have some eBay items to list as well, so hopefully I can sit and take some photos of those in the next couple of days.

My other item is posting my extra garage stall for rent. I don't know if I can get a renter right away - but it won't be for a lack of trying!



NonPassive Reading:

Book Selling - Amazon vs eBay vs Half.com

Mystery Shopping as NonPassive Income

Small Checks Can Add Up

And speaking of alternate income streams - see what Passive Family Income has been doing in his July Recap

Read more

Pay It Forward Award!

Wow. Here I just get done writing about finding motivation and then, lo and behold, something rather nifty happens to me. Frugal Chick nominated me for the "Pay it Forward" award.

According to the rules, I must forward the award to other worthy PF blogs. The recipients can then:

1. Put the logo on their blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3. Nominate at least 5 other blogs.
4. Add links to these blogs on your blog – don’t forget this step. This is great free advertising!
5. Leave a message for your award recipient on their blog.

Of course this is all just fun and some of the folks that I am nominating may have already been nominated by someone else. There is no obligation to keep it going or link to me - no seven years bad luck if it isn't forwarded on or anything like that!

My Journey to Eliminate Debt - The author has just taken the plunge to become a freelancer. I admit, that is one of those "Someday" dreams of mine. I am really looking forward to hearing how things progress and picking up tips from her.

Passive Family Income - Talk about a great place to pick up tips. Just recently his July Recap alone gave me tons of ideas! I also like that PFI is not afraid to share what works for him, and what doesn't, and he gets down to the nuts and bolts of it. He is very good at explaining his strategies.

Financial Ramblings - FR is another one who gets into the nuts and bolts. I also like the quantity and quality of the research on this blog. It isn't just anecdotal evidence, FR digs into the facts and figures of finance.

Milk Your Money - Another blog that is jam packed with tips and tools to help you make the most out of your hard earned dollar. You know, one of the things I like best about personal finance blogs is those frugal ideas - I've picked up a bunch of them over here. I have also used a couple of their download-able forms - good stuff!

Jumbo CD Investments - Honestly, I think the title is a tad misleading, because there is a whole bunch here more than CD rates. This blog deals more with banking and financial investments, not just on individual products but on the banking industry in general.

Writing these nominations remined me a little bit of my series on all the bloggers I read. I am currently up to Part 3, which I hope to have written for next week.

Other bloggers I like:

Personal Finance Bloggers

Personal Finance Bloggers, pt 2

Read more

Freezing Fall Fruits and Vegetables To Save Money and Be Frugal

Shortly after the beginning of last month I made a goal not to do any more grocery shopping until the cupboards were bare. Well, I am proud to announce I achieved that goal, though not without some assistance from friends who gave me leftover goodies from parties, boxes of fresh figs and a whole grocery bag of delicacies.* I tell you, I have the best friends in the world!

Anyway, I completed the cupboard cleaning by taking pretty much anything that was left and packing it up with me went I went up north over the holiday weekend. (I should have taken a photo of the refrigerator - it was M-T!) I even thawed out and prepared the last of my frozen meats so even the freezer was bare. It was a pretty nice feeling actually.

This month I had to do some quick emergency shopping for some non-food items - toilet paper, aluminum foil, allergy meds and so on, but I am starting to think a lot about fall grocery shopping. I am a big supporter of local farmer's markets. I also feel strongly about eating seasonally and making the most out of each season's harvest. But winter is coming on here shortly and there aren't a lot in the way of veggies during Michigan winters. Last winter I subsided primarily on the many varieties of canned and dried beans, but this year I am looking to do something a bit different. I am going to purchase certain fall fruits and vegetables and attempt to store them so I can use them through the winter.

A couple of years ago I did this with corn. At the time I was making several recipes that called for frozen corn - soups and that sort of thing. I decided it was foolish to buy frozen corn when I had amazing sweet corn at my fingertips. That year I blanched several ears of corn, cut the kernels off the ears, then laid them out on a cookie sheet in the freezer. When frozen I stored them in a plastic freezer bag. This meant I could easily open the bag and take out what I needed and re close it again and pop it back in the freezer. Tuesday, on the way back from the cabin, I stopped by a roadside stand and picked up sweetcorn - 13 ears for $2.00. How can you beat that?

Items that I plan to store: strawberries, melons, carrots, corn, cabbage, potatoes and onions.

Strawberries and Melons - I've frozen strawberries before but not melons. It should be interesting to see how they do. My plan is to not to try and thaw them, but instead use them frozen for occasional smoothies. With strawberries you can just wash, de-stem and dry them, then freeze. Again, I have read that freezing them on cookie sheet in a single layer first then adding them to freezer bags makes it easier to remove just the quantity you need - they aren't frozen together in a giant strawberry snowball. The melon is a new one for me. I read on this website that you can freeze them in a simple sugar syrup. I am willing to give it a try, but I probably won't do more than one or two melons.

Carrots - For carrots you simply need to cut the tops off them and store them in the back (the coldest) part of your refrigerator. Do not wash! (Washing shortens the life span.) They will store for months and apparently organic carrots even get sweeter. Beets can be stored the same way, which is very tempting to me - I love beets!

Corn - I've already given you my recipe for frozen corn - blanch the ears for 3 minutes or so in boiling water. Remove and cool in a large bowl of ice water. Cut the kernels from the ears (you will want a big bowl for this - it is a bit messy) and then freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Once frozen pour into a freezer bag.

I've also read that you can do whole ears this way - blanch first and then chill. Wrap each ear individually in plenty of plastic wrap, then pack into a freezer bag. It seems like it would work, but for my purposes (soups and so forth) I would rather have them already off the ear.

Cabbage - I love cabbage. I think it is because I never had to eat it as a kid! Cabbage can stored in the back of the fridge for up to 3 months in a plastic bag. Who knew? Apparently the leaves can get a bit wilty, but those can just be removed.

Potatoes - I try not to eat a lot of potatoes anymore. They just are not the healthiest of vegetables. However, I think I might put a few away just to see how they do. I am going to store them individually on a tray in the basement. They can keep 2-3 months that way.

Onions - I use a lot of onions. I am going to try to pick up some "storage" onions and keep them for the upcoming months.

I know that all of these foods are available year round at my local grocery store, but that really isn't the point for me. I like shopping locally - I like knowing who has gown my food. I also really like the idea of picking up a few extra veggies at the market when I am there and finding out how to store them so I can enjoy them when the snow flies. Next year I would love to learn how to can! Anyone want to learn with me?

There are a quite a few resources for learning how to store food. Here are some I found helpful -


Eat 'em Up:

Farmgal - Freezing Fuits and Vegetables (There are also links to canning and dehydration on this site.)

Farmer's Almanac - Approximate Freezer Storage Life of Food (Not just fruits and veg. but also meats, dairy and breads.)

Garden Guides - Freezing Vegetables

No Dig Vegetable Garden - Freezing Vegetables (This site has a nice index of blanching times for vegetables.)

FarmDirectCoop.org - How to Store Vegetables in a Typical Suburban Home (A great guide for root vegetables especially!)




Photo by altopower

*Thanks to Maureen, Philip and Tommy

Read more

Staying Motivated While Struggling With Personal Finance

I am feeling a bit quiet today. It is raining, something we have needed for a long time, but that combined with the start of cooler weather has put me in a reticent mood. One of the things I have been thinking about lately is motivation - how to stay motivated to meet my personal financial goals when, lets face it, things are hard. The last few months I have been observing quite a few people, in both my daily life and on blogs, who are dealing with financial stress of one kind or another. What makes one person throw in the towel and just give up while another one tackles their problems face on? What gives people the courage to keep fighting, even when things are hard or unexpected problems crop up?

Fighting. That word means something to me. When I chose it as part of the title of my blog, I didn't realize that some people might take that to mean that I was already in foreclosure. To me what fighting meant was doing everything in my power to stop it from happening; fighting against the possibility. When I started this blog I wasn't sure I was going to be able to pay my bills (truthfully, I'm still not) but I wanted to fight against many things - not just having a home go into foreclosure, but also against depression, bad credit, debt, giving up - I didn't want to go down without a fight.

All of that however, is motivated by fear. Fear of failure of falling apart, fear of not being able to make it, fear of losing face, fear of getting so deep you can't get out. Fear can be a strong motivator, but at the same time, the fear can get so strong that it just becomes overwhelming and it seems easier to just give up. Doing something only because you are afraid of what will happen if you don't is a miserable way to live. There has to be other reasons to get out of bed in the morning.

Being debt and, well finance in general, can make us feel out of control, helpless. One of my personal reasons for taking all this on is to regain my sense of control. It hasn't been easy and sometimes, sometimes I become exhausted trying to manage all of it on my own. It seems so daunting. But the exhaustion is the tiredness of labor - from working hard. Maybe it isn't hauling bales of hay, but keeping all the balls in the air is hard work. Trying to manage my budget, save money, calculate costs, earn extra income - it takes effort. The benefit that I get from it though is that I am the one who is taking control; what I do effects my life, and I am not at the mercy of someone else.

It also really helps to know that I am not alone. I've been writing about personal finance bloggers that I read - every one of them has, or is currently, struggling with their own issues. And that is just the tip of the iceberg, there are many, many people struggling with all the same problems I am - or worse. In my day to day life it also helps having a friend* I can commiserate with about the ups - and downs - of trying to get on top of everything.

Goals are important too. Although a goal like "get my finances in order" is just too big. I find I work a lot better with smaller more manageable goals. Even my goal of $900 per month is a bit... nebulous. What works for me is saying things like, "Ok, this month I will contact the theatre for extra work. I will put at least 3 items up for sale per day. I will make sure the refrigerator is bare before buying more food." Those small but very measurable goals help keep me moving forward.

Though long term goals are hugely imprtant too. I have my Three Year Plan to fix up and sell my house and a Five Year Plan to get myself back to school for my Masters. It isn't about just paying off my credit card debt for my credit card's sake - it is knowing that there is a reason for all this, something in the future I am searching for.

And speaking of the future, I can actually see how the changes I am making will effect me. It is hazy (my crystal ball seems to have a crack) but I can sort of make out how what I am doing now will pay off in the end. Hopefully I can build regular passive income streams so I won't have to work so hard at it later. I will pay off that credit card, so I can use those payments towards something else for me. Even though I am a long way towards retirement, I am seeing how what I do today could help me build a better life later on. That is strong motivation. Instead of viewing my situation with despair and frustration, I am trying to turn it around and realize that it is all only temporary and in just a few years time I will be able to reap enormous benefits - not just in finance but in peace of mind. Now that is motivation.



Read More:

May End of the Month Reflections, where I talk about my long term goals and motivations.

Personal Finance Bloggers

Personal Finance Bloggers, pt 2

House Blues

Dividend Money - Staying Motivated With Personal Finance



Photo by MarcelGermain

* Hi Catie!

Read more

Problems with Road Rage? You Pay More At The Pump!

Everyone who knows me knows that I am not a big tv watcher. Frugal Dad wrote an article called 10 Truths About Frugal Living that I liked. I agreed with several of his points, this one in particular:

Frugal people don’t watch a lot of television. Strange, but true. We just aren’t big television viewers. Don’t ask us who won American Idol last season, or who got kicked off the island, because we don’t have a clue. Most television shows today are overly sensationalized dramas depicting people living lives free of any responsibilities. The shows are full of plugs for things we don’t really need and have a way of making us more materialistic that we would be without seeing everyone else doing so well.

But there are a few shows I like, things I will watch if I just happen to be in one of those rare moods where I turn on the tv. One of those shows is Mythbusters. For anyone who hasn't seen it the basic premise is that they take a myth or an urban legend and try to prove whether it is true or false. I recently caught an episode about fuel economy and road rage. The idea, which they were able to prove, was that driving angry can increase your fuel mileage significantly - one of their angry drivers used a third more gasoline!

So, how does that apply here?

Well, in addition to trying to come up with nine hundred dollars each month, I am also actively trying to save money. I wrote a few times about gas prices and taking the roads less traveled. I have found that taking a more direct route, which forces me to drive slower (lower speed limits than the expressway) and look at the countryside rather than e-way cement and steel, has increased my gas mileage. The thing is, I can't prove it. It just "feels" that way. The time between tanks has been longer - the amount I am spending is less, but I don't have any hard numbers. Then I saw a nifty post by Christian PF which not only showed not to calculate mileage but also had links to some rather cool tools for doing so. I am thinking of tracking my fuel usage to see if my gut feeling is right. If I want to use the FuelClinic.com web site to track it all I need to do is remember to jot down the odometer reading on my gas receipts - that's not so hard!

My hypothesis is that driving busy expressways and highways makes me stressed. In addition, while the expressway route is faster, it has more mileage and I drive faster. My leisurely country roads, however, make me more calm, cover less miles and I go slower - even if it does tack on an extra 8 minutes to my drive. I may have to do a couple of test scenarios - a couple tanks the old fast and furious way and a few tanks slow and careful. I have a fairly full tank right now, but we'll see how we do over the next couple of months.



Fuel Up Your Reading on These:

10 Truths About Frugal Living

Christian PF - How to Calculate MPG

Mythbusters - Don't Drive Angry

eZine Articles - Are You Powerless? Road Rage - Find the Way Out

How to Save Gas Money Going to Work.

Passive Family Income - Gas Prices, How They Have Affected Me



Another great photo by Big Grey Mare

Read more

Personal Finance Bloggers, pt. 2

Monday I wrote about several of the personal finance bloggers that I read. I wanted to highlight some of the folks on my blogroll and write about how they inspire me.

This morning I was looking at No More Spending and reading her Bare Bones Budget. I am constantly amazed and in awe of how so many bloggers are so open about their finances and what they spend each month. I grew up in a culture where you did not talk about money. No one talked about how much they paid for a house or a car, how much they made and certainly not how much debt they had. In some ways considering how little my family talked about money it is amazing I have any money skills at all. People like the author of No More Spending push me beyond my boundaries and encourage me to share my financial figures as well.

BeingFrugal.net - I've linked several times to Being Frugal because I really some of the articles she has written. Right now she is having a series of guest bloggers on her site which has been fun because it has introduced me to some new writers. Also, what a great way to "fill in" while she is on vacation - she keeps her blog fresh and interesting, but doesn't have to do all the writing herself. Not that I have any major time planned away from the computer in the foreseeable future, but trust me this is an idea I will be keeping in mind when the time comes! Right now she has a couple of great "My Frugal Story" posts up by Green Panda and Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

Master Your Card - Kristy has a great informational blog written from the viewpoint of someone who works in the financial industry. She has really good information about dealing with banks, credit unions, credit cards, loans, etc. Her blog isn't as personal as some of the ones I read, but it is packed with good tips and lessons. I'm always learning something from her. One of my favorite older posts of hers was Banks vs Credit Unions: Which Are Better? Confession here - I didn't do a lot of research when I opened my checking account. When I was 15 I opened my first savings account at a bank. Why? Because it was the only one close enough I could ride my bike to! Sometime after learning to drive a car I got irritated with my bank because of some changes they made and I decided to switch. My mother suggested I move my accounts to her professional credit union so, without too much thought about it I did. I've been with them ever since, mostly because I've had great service and few complaints. Reading Master Your Card's post made me even happier with my decision.

Moolanomy - This is one of the first blogs I found when I first started writing. I wanted to see what other people where doing on their blogs and through following a random string of links I stumbled on his. As I recall, someone had linked to his article 40+ Alternative Income Ideas and Resources. I read this just at the time I was starting my own list for how I was going to get an extra $900 a month. I decided to do several things on here and put several others in the "to-do" pile for the future. I still go back to it to check in on how I am doing and see if anything else catches my eye. I really enjoy his style of writing - he manages to combine personal anecdotes as well as informational topics. I've picked up a number of good tips from him!

Give Me Back My Five Bucks - This is another great blog from a gal who is trying to make ends meet, without going insane - something I certainly understand! Her blog was another among the first personal finance blogs I started reading when I started mine. I have to say I love the title of her blog - its perfect!

One Caveman's Financial Journey - I know I have linked to articles on his blog a time or two. I like this blog a lot. Not only is this another brave soul who dares to be completely open about his financial situation, but there are some great thought provoking articles here. One recently that I liked was How To Pay For College When You Are On Your Own. This is rather near and dear to my own heart, as I am a returning student myself. (First class just started!) Thanks to a nudge from this post I went over and signed up at Fastweb, something I have been meaning to do for awhile. While right now scholarships may be a touch slim, I am definitely going to apply for as many as I can when I start going for my Masters.

Well, that is all I am going to cover for today. Are there any blogs you read that I should check out? If so, let me know!


See also:

Personal Finance Bloggers, pt 1

Photo by Incessant Flux

Read more

September

September's Goals:

- Get $900 (or more.)
- Post garage stall for rent.
- Replace 3 incandescent bulbs with CFLs
- Continue to list items on eBay, Half.com and Amazon.

So far the month has started off well. As I mentioned yesterday, I replaced 2 CFLs up north. I would like to do at least 2 more at home. As far as Half and Amazon go, I came in after the holiday weekend to see that three items (two books and one CD) have sold. That's always nice to see in the morning! One of the books was from the free box I found, which makes it even sweeter.

I've been hesitating listing the garage because I haven't completely cleaned it out. I realized the other day that the wrong way to look at it! Instead, I am going to get the ad out there and see what happens - while continuing to clean it out. If someone wants to rent it before it is perfect then I can finish the cleaning process then, but I can at least get the word out ahead of time!

One of my long term goals, though I am not including it in here, is to go back to school. I used my incentive check from the goverment this year to enroll in an online class from my local college. I already have my Bachelor's degree and actually want my Master's. However, I can't afford to attend a full time school right now and certainly not for a Master's program. Since I want to majorly change majors (ha!) I am taking community college classes in the feild - both to get me back in the scedemic pool and build up my resume when I apply for the Master's in a few years. I am very excited about taking my first class in over 10 years!


Get Inspired by Other People's Goals:

Frugal Chick's - September Goals

Financial Ramblings - Arrgh! First Day of the Month Budget Busters! (Hee! I can totally understand this problem! I have the same issue with theatre tickets.)

A Debt Diet - A Year Ago Today

So, what are your goals?

Photo by NuageDeNuit

Read more

CFLs rebates from Dollar General

I've been writing about replacing the incandescent light bulbs in my home with CFLs. Well, this weekend I was up north and stopped by a Dollar General to pick up a few things, including a new flashlight for the cabin. A flashlight is one of those "shouldn't be withouts" that every home should have. Unfortunately last time I was up there, I couldn't find mine. At Dollar General I not only found a nice LED flashlight, but a great deal on CFLs!

Dollar General is currently offering a $3.00 rebate on $4.00 CFLs, so your actual cost will only be a $1.00. I hadn't thought much about replacing the light bulbs at the cabin, I was concentrating on my home, but this seemed like too good of a deal to pass up. Besides, unlike my house, there are mostly "normal" lights - no dimmers or candelabras!

This also seemed like a good opportunity to try a new brand since I wasn't terribly fond of the light from the nvision CFLS from Home Depot. I've been wanting to try some other kinds to see if I have different luck and find some I like. My friend David warned me about the bad luck he had with a local store brand, so I wanted to stick with name brands. These were GE Soft White 60 Mini Spirals (I'll put a link to them at the bottom of this post.) The maximum is 2 bulbs, so I should get a $6.00 rebate. I sent everything in today.

So, how did I do?

Actually, I really liked them. The light was warm and slightly pinkish. It was still obviously a florescent, but it didn't have that cold harsh greenish color that I felt the nvisions had. I put these in two of my most frequently used lights - one in my favorite cottage reading lamp and one in the dining room. I think I will pick up a few more and put them in other similar style lamps. I may even put one in my reading lamp at home - and to be honest, I wasn't sure if I could ever put a CFL in that one.

However, I m not going to see the difference in my electrical bills for quite awhile - I use the budget plan on my utilities up at the cabin so I pay the same amount each month. I think the end of my year is in March or something like that. However, if it does make a difference then it should impact next year's bills.



Some Helpful Links:

These are like the ones I bought at Dollar General - GE 13 Watt Energy Smart Soft White Spiral T3 Light Bulb, 3-Pack #16460

Dollar General

Rebates for CFLs if you are in Modesto California - Residential Rebate Instructions

Rebates if you are living in Minnesota - CFL $2 Mail In Rebate

Mail in Rebates if you live in AZ, CA, CO, IA, MA, MD, MN, NH, NY, OR, RI, TX, VT, WA - Mail In Rebate Database from EnergyStar.gov (If anyone finds rebates like these for Michigan - let me know!)

PrariePoint.net - CFL Blues (Interesting information in the comments!)

Read more

Personal Finance Bloggers

This is a post I loved:

7 Surprising Ways to Save Money

Now, quick - go over to beingfrugal.net and read it. You will be glad you did. Go ahead, I'll wait.

You all know why I started this blog - it was a way for me to put down ideas I had for keeping myself financially solvent and out of foreclosure. When I started writing in May foreclosure seemed like a very real possibility; I have a pretty large financial burden on my shoulders. It was my therapist who suggested that rather than spending time and energy worrying about the future and what might happen, why not take that drive and energy and put it into solving my problems - figure out a way to get the $900 a month I needed. I had (and still have) so many thoughts, so many plans - I needed somewhere to put them all down. I also wanted to track my journey. I needed a place to keep tabs on what happened along the way, and so Fighting Foreclosure was born.

But this blog has become more than that for me. It not only serves a place to write about where I am financially, but it has also introduced me to a number of wonderful people - some who are going through the same struggles I am, and some who have already gotten through times much harder than mine. I have picked up tips, learned new things - even made money, all thanks to the many bloggers I read. I have written about this before, but I am continued to be amazed and inspired by so many wonderful people.

Here's a few more examples of what I am talking about:

Passive Family Income - the author just wrote a great article about making money by buying furniture. I like this blog a lot, and this is one of the reasons why. I read his post and found myself looking at credit cards in a completely new way. I have always seen them as "bad news," but here he is making the system work for him. I'm too in debt to do this myself, but I really was fascinated by the concept.

My Journey to Eliminate Debt - you want to talk about motivation? Check out her post on Happiness: Now or Later? That made me think let me tell you! In fact, I had been debating about taking a class on something that could help my career, but I wasn't sure I had the money or the time for it. After reading her post I agreed with her - we make our own luck, especially when it comes to our careers. That day I started making inquiries on how to get signed up.

Frugal Chick - What I like about Frugal Chick is that she is not afraid to write about her budgets, and how she is doing. She inspires me to be more upfront about actual numbers and how I'm really doing. And I love that she isn't afraid to splurge once and awhile on gorgeous shoes - that's something I can certainly understand!

Even blogs that I wouldn't have thought I would learn from, I do. Jumbo CD Investments, for example. I'm not investing in CDs at this time and I wouldn't have normally picked up on his blog. But he posts a lot on the financial and banking world, (which I am now watching more closely) and is a great source for information, like in Have We Hit Bottom?

I've linked a several times to articles by Financial Ramblings. Lots of thought provoking things over there - like his thoughts on CFLs (which is a big topic with me) and I loved this post - Surplus Calories Cost More Than You Think (But How Much More?) As I commented on the post - it certainly made me look at the walking I've been doing daily in a new way!

Financially Simple is another one who has no problem laying it out there in what she is spending each week. Again, this is someone who inspires me to post numbers, and post often!

These are just a few on my blogroll, I will try to go through and hit each author that I regularly read and write a bit about how they inspire me. Of course I can't forget to mention PFBuzz. That's how I found several favorite blog - and continue to find new ones to read. PFBuzz has tons of great personal finance writers submitting articles. It's been a regular source for me. If you haven't already, you should check it and the authors I mentioned out.



See also:

Personal Finance Bloggers, pt 2

Photo by Lost in Scotland

Read more