Poor as a church mouse but happy – Conquering my own debt crunch
My New Life – I moved myself and the boys 200 miles north and started over again… five weeks ago. I’ve now been working for a month (car insurance due again so I can FEEL the shift to life becoming a cycle). I’m getting geared up starting an actual BUDGET! October – the timing is perfect because tomorrow at church we will have a special speaker coming to speak on handling money and being a good steward with the money we make. In fact, the teens of the church are taking over the junior church classes so all of the adults can be there to hear him speak.
I don’t know the financial person that is coming to speak but he is local, a Christian and also going to make himself available to work individually with anyone that wants him to look at their current debt, income and financial plan to help people get on track to become debt free. I’m not so interested in getting such personalized advice because I KNOW what I need to do to reach my goals. I’m hoping that I will be motivated to stay focused on DOING what needs to be done.
As I don’t have an emergency fund – I don’t even have my own place yet because it took every single penny I could pull together to get me moved out of my rental of 7 years and moved across the state. With childcare costs and weekly stuff – my paycheck each week just gets me through another week. Come October though – things will be different.
Why? Because in October every dollar coming into this family will be available to my budget. Unlike September that had me paying for September stuff AND clearing up water bills and August rent from my old place I left while paying rent, child care, car insurance and storage for the stuff I moved.
Right now, my parents have moved temporarily to the home of a family member that is out of state so I can live in their home – paying the expenses for their house during this time. The plan is that I get my budget worked out while setting aside enough money to make it possible to get my own place to rent.
What has to happen before then?
#1) Get new tires (need all new tires for my car to pass inspection) and several smaller repairs to get that sticker then get my heater and defrost mechanism fixed because right now I don’t have either – heat or defrost working and winter is bearing down on us soon.
#2) Save up at least $800 for my oil fund (this is Northern Maine and winter is just around the corner for us!)
#3) Pull together $300 for turning on lights, phone, etc.
#4) Get my student loans current again. I spent 12 months of perfect payments on two different loans to get them out of default, rehabilitated and refinanced only to lose my job then do this move. I’m two months behind. This is a priority.
#5) Finally save up, raise the $1500 I need to secure my own place to rent (thus the donation button on the right).
As you can see – I have a long row to hoe but I am ironing out my October budget this weekend so I can start getting myself out of my own “Debt Crunch.”
PS I have to get my own computer out of storage so I can go back over my own copy of How to Own Your Paycheck Again and use the Debt Cruncher software (comes with the program) that is my own machine. Right now – I’m going by memory which at my age could be dangerous 
Speaking of Leo Quinn – he sent me a Barnes and Noble gift card for being an affiliate which was cool because I never spend money on ME but I went online last night and did! It’s an easy program to get behind because I’ve read it, used it and believe that Leo offers support to people like you and me wanting to get out of debt.
Tam
Tags: budget, christian, church, debt, debt free, debt-crunch, emergency fund, get out of debt, leo quinn, maine, money, paycheck, rent
