My Journey to Abundant Living

This morning...8am to be exact I met with a counselor from CCCS. I have about 3grand in credit card debt that he said would take me 2 years to pay off at about $150 a month. I'm thinking about doing it because I realize that the only thing that will help my credit score is making payments every month...just have to figure out where the extra $150 a month will come from.

My business is already taking off! I have scheduled a gathering on March 31st! I am expecting between 7-10 folks to enjoy my pampering products and BUY stuff. *thinking happy thoughts*

I've been racking my brain for a while now on ways to make additional income. So I've decided to become a Warm Spirit Consultant...

The thought of owning my own business is very appealing and I can work from home (hosting events at my house). And its what I make of it...so if this fails...it's my own fault!! Let the fun (and MONEY) begin!

Today has been a productive day. I discovered freecycle about a month ago and was overwhelmed by the amount of emails I got and the stuff that folks were giving away for FREE! Today I got really nice black floor lamp (my living room doesn't have a ceiling light and I have a floor lamp that's more for decoration than proper lighting) and tomorrow I'm getting a dinnette! I also went to get my $150 computer/desk/printer and found a snazzy couch/love seat for $200! My current couch leaves much to be desired but I'm gonna try to sell it on craigslists, if not I'll freecycle it.

Using my Credit Union's billpayer has made life MUCH easier for me. I'm glad its free!

I get these random emails for mystery shoppin' but they are always the day before! I'm still looking for other ways to bring in income.

So I've been thinking about how am I gonna get this computer to begin my coursework this summer...

As I'm checking a listserv I belong to I see that someone is selling their computer, computer desk and a 3in1 printer for $150!!! WOO-HOO! I am going to take a look at it tonight, hoping that it does what I need it to do. She emailed the specs and it looks good.

On a sour note, my job does not provide waivers for online course...sigh..so now I have to come up with $1,800 to take 2 classes...

I decided to list some of the ways I try to save money.

-clip coupons: I have a coupon book (got it for free!) that organizes all of my coupons
-I participate in freecycle...why buy if someone is giving it away?
-wash clothes in cold water...I use warm water if something is stained
-unplug electronics that are not in use
-bring my lunch to work
-adjust my thermostat when I'm not home.
-try to keep my car clean and free of misc stuff to get good gas mileage
-I frequent community organizations that give away diapers and baby clothes/items for free.

*that's all I can think of for now*

I recently switched credit unions and my new account has FREE bill payer. The last one charged $7 a month and I never used it. So I set it up to pay my car note, I'm excited! I think I will add the rest of my bills on there later, saves me time, postage and late fees.

I started my spending journal. I spent a grand total of $10 yesterday. I am gonna try to see if I can go a whole week without spending ANY money. I also returned $34 worth of baby clothes to Walmart that my son doesn't need...they were just cute! I have a bunch of random cash that I am going to deposit back into my account so I am not tempted to spend it.

I'm constantly trying to figure out a way to make more money...thinking about becoming a notary...hoping that I can get my job to pay for it!

So after much procrastination I opened my ING account yesterday. I opened it with $250 to get the $25 bonus. *whew* I partly kept putting it off because I didn't have the money but then I realized that I got tired of hearing folks talk about it and I realized that I needed that money! lol. I think I will use that to hold on to my emergency fund.

Thanks for the suggestions on what to do with the money I recieved yesterday. I think I will put a percentage towards my emergency fund and the remainder towards the computer. I am going for a certificate in Human Resource Development (only requires 5 courses) and I have about 2 mos to get a computer. I am thinking of getting a refurbished

I also have decided to use my spending journal. I bought a notebook months ago and while I kept all my reciepts...I never entered any of them. So I am going to start with March 1st (no seriously,lol)

I have some more money coming in!
I bought my son 2 outfits from Walmart that I am going to return this week. They were $15 each and he really has no need for them, I just thought they were cute.
My friend is going to pay me her half for the tickets I got to see

I've decided to create this blog as a way to chronicle my desire to become debt free. I realize that its something that has created a great deal of stress in my life and I can't let it control me anymore. So here goes! Enjoy!