New, New Chat Thread

[trularin]

Fred, did it say "Made in Mexico" on Frenchy's butt??

[Ron61]

Tru,

It more than likely said made everywhere on Frenchy's butt. I heard it took a week for Warren's finger prints to finally go away.

Ron

[wtm442]

Those were not my fingerprints. They were turtle's.

[trularin]

I see. I have not talked to Jay lately, I wonder if he remembers reading Fenchy's butt.

This post has gone down the tubes with one sentence. Yiks!

[wtm442]

This thread went overboard about 3 years ago.

Isn't electronic check paying wonderful? Just spent about 15 minutes opening envelopes and paying bills on-line. No stamps, no licking envelopes. Just typing in some numbers ... and waiving bye - bye to about $3K from my checking account.

[392cobra]

Originally Posted by trularin

Fred, did it say "Made in Mexico" on Frenchy's butt??

You should know,she gets "made" everywhere she goes.

[Joe Wicked]

I got my bonus check today and after taxes, I was only off by about $30 in my estimation for the payout. Tomorrow, I am going to go wave bye-bye to a bill completely. Paid off in full. One less credit account collecting interest. The first of several commitments I made to my wife will be completed before I start to put money towards my Cobra. There are a total of 9 Credit accounts (8 after tomorrow), 1 car loan, and finish the yard landscaping she wants.

It sounds like a lot more than it is though. The highest balance on any of the credit accounts is $1500, that one is a no interest until july of next year and it will be paid off before then. After paying off the one tomorrow that is about $900, we are getting the patio furniture and the stuff to re-do the walkway to the patio (the sand washed out with the rain, so I need to go ahead and put the retaining blocks around it) which just leaves me to dig a fire pit and put some stone benches around it to complete the landscaping. The credit accounts will be paid in short order as the total is under $4K. In less than 2 years, I should be at a point where all the agreed stuff is paid in full and work on the house is completing without issue. I am paying more than the minimum to the credit accounts. I am paying the most to the highest interest accounts first to get them paid and stop paying the high interest. The full amount that I was paying to the highest interest accounts then goes on top of the extra that I am already paying on the lower interest accounts. So tomorrow the snowball effect starts . The car has 2 years left on it, but by this time next year I expect to be making close to a double payment each month. It is the lowest interest rate so it will be the last one to feel the snowball. A couple of the others may not ever feel it as they will be paid off before the snowball reaches them.

[wtm442]

News Flash

Obama picks Frenchy to be his running mate.

Need you ask why?

Of course, with all of the unfunded proposed Obama giveaway programs, the steady source of income from Frenchy will help funding without having to raise taxes.

Frenchy plays a mean set of bongo's. Don't forget Slick Willie and his sax (or was that sex he played?)

Frenchy has a few thousand customers (hundreds of thousands?) that will definitely vote for Obama once she comes on board.

Frenchy's familiar face will help get more illegal alien voters due to her strolling at the border checkpoints.

She is well known throughout the red state of Texas. She might even swing the vote over to Obama if she threatens to exposed all of her customers to the Inquirer.

Remember the great Democratic war cry from Obama's stomping grounds of Chicago ...

Vote Early and Vote Often

[trularin]

Fred that was an excellent response!

[HI Cobra]

Joe Wicked,

Your financial plan will get you to that Cobra quickly - you have that dialed
in right on the $. Amazing what proper incentive does! Oh yeah, the
landscaping is a great touch and will be well worth the effort and you both
can enjoy it. You have some time to decide exactly what you want if you
haven't done that already.

[Joe Wicked]

Yea, it definately got me motivated into getting them paid off. I have even looked into trading the Mustang in on a Fusion to save money on both insurance and gas. That is money that can go to pay off other things quicker. I found a 2006 Fusion locally that the asking price is about the same as what I owe on the Mustang, so a trade in I could potentially come out with a lower payment than I have now for the same amount of time.

[392cobra]

Joe,
you sound like you're on the Dave Ramsey plan or close to it.

If you haven't gotten and read his books,you'd really like them and help you along you're way to finacial freedom.

There is nothing like being 100% debt free !!!

[wtm442]

Originally Posted by 392cobra

Joe,
you sound like you're on the Dave Ramsey plan or close to it.

Is that the guy that tells you to cut up all your credit cards and only use cash?

Joe - pay off all your credit cards ... the interest will kill ya. Then you have to start a Cobra savings plan and put away a certain amount each and every month. You have to pay yourself for the big boy toys.

Then after the Cobra you can start making double payments on you mortgage. And of course, you are at the max contribution for your 401K at work, and you stuff some $$ into an IRA each year.

If you have any kids, you got to start saving now. Maybe by the time your 80 yrs old you can start saving for retirement.

or win the lottery

[392cobra]

Originally Posted by wtm442

Is that the guy that tells you to cut up all your credit cards and only use cash?

Joe - pay off all your credit cards ... the interest will kill ya. Then you have to start a Cobra savings plan and put away a certain amount each and every month. You have to pay yourself for the big boy toys.

Then after the Cobra you can start making double payments on you mortgage. And of course, you are at the max contribution for your 401K at work, and you stuff some $$ into an IRA each year.

If you have any kids, you got to start saving now. Maybe by the time your 80 yrs old you can start saving for retirement.

or win the lottery

Yep Warren That's the guy.

What Warren said... Plus...

You also have to quit making payments on cars.

If you can't pay cash- you can't afford it.

[Joe Wicked]

I never got his books, but I have come to that conclusion on my own. The only credit card I carry is my corporate card from work. They expect me to go out and buy things when needed and they will reimburse me. I did not shred them, but they are locked in my fire safe. I will only use them if there is an emergency that I do not have the cash to cover. Once I get them paid off, any and all "store" cards are being canceled and I am going down to 1 credit card for emergencies only. As far as the Cobra goes, I will be opening a high interest direct savings account. I will be making a "Cobra" payment into that account each month. After that, the payment will continue, and it will be the fund to do upgrades to the Cobra, home improvement projects, future car purchases, and whatever else that we want to do that is not an essential item.

I am also not buying any more new cars. I am looking for low mileage used cars when I need one.

[hey,littlecobra]

I don't think it's unusual for a 'couple' to have one car payment. One paid off; the other with the note.... then..... that one paid off, then the 'new' one with the note; rotating as such. House notes and car notes are fairly accepted i think, regarding debt.
I charge EVERYTHING- Sonic, wal~mart, taco bell.... you know, whatever i can, get the 'rewards' on my Visa card, then pay one big ol check at the end of the month. I do not own ANY department store cards. The one gas card i have i gave to Peter when he started driving. I put fuel and stuff on that Visa. Makes it easy to track, less number of checks to write, and it's all itemized on my VISA statement. Plus... i like the rewards and it's a 'target' card so my kids school gets a percentage. Of course the 'key' is paying it off each month. I am NEVER late, and NEVER not paid in full. You can beat the system.....
I would NOT recommend this system if you could not pay it off monthly.

We financed a room full of furniture when we moved to this house. Not our usual practice, but it was 12 months interest free and then paid it in full when the 12 months was up. No interest, but gaining in our acct.

But i think Joe has a great plan in place. Keep up the good work! Remember.... there ARE emergencies that dig into that nest egg, but keep plopping $ in it a little at a time and before you know it, there's a few hundred, then a couple of thousand, and it makes a difference.
most people would fail with that plan because there is always 'an emergency' needing that money!! New AC because the old one broke... braces for the kids..... washer overflowed... it's hard to save any real money, but it is possible.
When the boys were itty bitty we had an exchange student from Sweden. Her parents wanted to visit us at the end of the school year, and they BOTH quit smoking and put the money they 'saved' weekly on not buying cigarettes aside and were able to save enough to make a difference. The best news?? they didn't start smoking again!

Taking lunch from home/whether leftovers or sandwiches etc would save 30$ a week or more on fast food out. Lots of little tricks out there.

good luck and keep us posted.!

[Ron61]

Joe,

Sounds as if you already have everything pretty well under control. I have ONE credit card that I use for almost everything and then pay it off at the end of the month. Just one check to keep track of and I have a list of everything I have bought. My last 4 or 5 cars I paid cash for. Paid cash when I built my house and have stayed pretty much out of debt most of my life. A very good feeling now that I see houses all around me foreclosed on and people leaving. Keep up the good work and good luck.

Ron

[Ron61]

Tired of all the policial "WOWs"...but this does give one a good laugh to start the day off!!

(I HOPE YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR TODAY!)

FIRST BOOK OF DEMOCRAT

Obama Is My Shepherd, I Shall Not Want.
He Leadeth Me Beside Still Factories,
He Restoreth My Faith In The Republican Party,
He Guideth Me In The Paths Of Unemployment.

Yea, Though I Walk Through The Valley Of The Bread Line,
I Shall Not Go Hungry.

Obama Has Anointed My Income With Taxes,
My Expenses Runneth Over My Income,
Surely, Poverty And Hard Living Will Follow Me
All The Days Of My Life.

The Democrats And I Will Live Forever In a Rented Room.

But I Am Glad I Am an American,
I Am Glad That I Am Free.

But I Wish I Was A Dog,
And Obama A Tree.


Ron

[Joe Wicked]

Originally Posted by hey,littlecobra

Taking lunch from home/whether leftovers or sandwiches etc would save 30$ a week or more on fast food out. Lots of little tricks out there.

Oh yea, taking lunch can save even more than that. I eat out very rarely for lunch. Usually when I won't be in the office and am at a Customer site. But I usually don't do fast food. I go to a restaurant and have a nice lunch. I messed up my credit badly when I was 19-20. About 5-6 years ago, I realized how bad off I was and I used the system I am using now to get rid of my debt. it took 2 years. I then got some credit cards and credit accounts to rebuild my credit. I am now in my house and I am using the system that worked for me before to take me to the next level.

[392cobra]

Originally Posted by Ron61

Joe,

My last 4 or 5 cars I paid cash for. Paid cash when I built my house and have stayed pretty much out of debt most of my life. A very good feeling now that I see houses all around me foreclosed on and people leaving. Keep up the good work and good luck.

Ron

The last time I made a car payment was in 1980. My last house payment was in 1987.
This money I wasn't paying in interest went to investments and savings.
I retired last year the day after I turned 59.

Whether it is cars,homes or credit cards it's the interest that is the killer.
Then should something happen to your income and you have payments ,with the usual low to no savings that go hand in hand with assorted payments,you're quickly in Deep Chit.