Just sharing about my life on the farm.
April 14, 2008 - Debt-Free Journey...
We are still continuing on with trying to keep paying off our bills. I updated my debt ticker in the sidebar and it still seems enormous! We have applied for a new mortgage as our 5 year mortgage (balloon) is up. They will renew, but at the higher percentage and only for 5 years... so in five years we will be looking to refinance again and hoping the interest is low. We want to lock in for our last 15 years and hope that we will be able to do that. We are still waiting on the appraisal, which was done last month. Perhaps it was a blessing, because the Fed rate dropped again! I haven't seen this last drop affect prices as far as lowering it further, but perhaps it guaranteed that low rate we were looking at.
It is a delightful change to be on the same page with DH when it comes to paying off our debt. We still need to make some purchases, but our first concern is getting to the place where we can manage our monthly budget on his base salary... and not the overtime. We aren't there yet. But God is still teaching us...how to get there!
I figured my checkbook today and found that I had an item to transfer $1400 to the other account to cover bills. Well, after figuring the checkbook, I hadn't done that. I checked the other account (the bill account) and found that I never entered it into that account as well. This was done on a week Dh had some overtime, yet we hadn't yet learned the art of putting that away into savings for a rainy day. I would have likely paid it on some bill if I had the chance, but God knew that we would need it just a month down the road. I thought the money had been spent and was gone... but here it was ... a large amount. Well, Dh has gotten no overtime for a month... bad news for us until we pay down some bills. I was just sick about paying bills today as I knew the car insurance of $700 was due. Where was I going to get $700? I also need groceries and gas in the car. Plus the other regular bills that keep coming... Insurance has always been paid off of overtime and we have not been good with budgeting it into the financial picture, but somehow we've been ahead on the budget enough to not worry about that... not this time.
Finding the money in the checkbook was so thrilling! Paying bills is such a draining task for me. I just get so down. I hate seeing realistically where we sit. But with this surprise... that I found enough money to cover the insurance, plus paying my daughter back for the groceries she bought the past two weeks (she is in town and every pay check I pay her back), plus paying the regular bills, plus paying my daughter back $550 for the sheep we just bought (and plan to sell in a couple weeks). Well, Both Dh and I were relieved. We didn't like borrowing the $550 from our daughter for the sheep, but we hadn't planned on the purchase and yet it was a good buy. Dh agreed before checking with me about the money situation and we didn't have it in there (well, we did with that lost amount floating in there... but I didn't find it until today). Anyways, everyone is paid back and my 16 yo says to me... so we're back to broke, right? LOL
Well, that is partly true. I have $200 to make it until next payday, filling two vehicles will run nearly $150... That leaves $50 for groceries. I have a full freezer, so that will do us with fresh produce and we can use pantry food to fill the rest of the meals. But to me, I feel rich! God blessed!
Dh laughed when he heard the story and he said... you sure have been making alot of mistakes with the checkbook lately... but all have been in our favor... I take money out but when I get distracted, I come back to the bills and take it out again...yet I only write one check... so two entries for one bill... All the mistakes have been a gift... something that has allowed us to get through a tougher tighter time that was just ahead that I didn't forsee... but Someone else was watching over me and my family... whispering to their little minds... go distract Mama... at just the right time... Hmmm, it can't be coincidence. I suppose it could... I could say I'm getting older and more forgetful... but why do all the mistakes go in our favor? I could say I don't add as well as I used to, but I've done the bills all along in our marriage and it's not like I LOST my touch, recently. I can only think that God was watching over us and providing for our tigher days by removing them from our immediate thought and reach by me making extra payment entries in the register.
Praise to God! We'll get debt-free someday. Hopefully sooner than later!
Warmly, ~Melissa
Comments
April 15, 2008 - Hello!
Posted by Anonymous
We have been debt free for a few monthes now and all I can say is it feels great! We are now working on paying off the house.Keep working at it and it will happen! The debt number isn't that high you can do it!!
I saw that your daughters are a few years apart. I have a 11 year old and a 14 year old I would love to have another but felt that they would be to a far apart in age. Could you give me any advice how has it worked for you?
Blessings,
Ma
April 20, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by tractorchick72
I have done such a thing myself. It was only 20 dollars in my old coat that I hadn't worn in months, but it was just what we needed at the time. Keep up the good work on reducing your debt! Take care and God bless.
Tricia
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