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This last week has seen me with bad shopping habits...I really hate shopping but the last week I have ordered quite a bit of stuff...yes we need it and will use it but it has really left us behind where I want to be...I am really annoyed at myself but I do this on occassion...but have the budget back out today so I can see how far off track we are and get myself back on track with our goals...

Also no more spending other than my mad money..no matter what...I have told my hubby...
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People ask me all the time how to save more money. I say at work, while doing taxes, stop spending it on crap. That's me being blunt. The other part I say is just put it on 10% and save it before it hits your account and you won't see it. Again nothing fancy.

But honestly a bigger problem? A lot of people have trouble saving money because they have a lot of bills. What sort of bills?

A really expensive mortgage. Instead of 33% PITI it's 50% PITI. It's hard to get...
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I thought of another of my money saving tips! And I'm sure one of you mentioned this or something similar, but from personal experience it is one of my top tips. DIY, do it yourself!

I have replaced a disposal, installed ceiling fans, painted walls and ceilings, replaced toilet parts, replaced water pump on dishwasher, learned how to replace the air filters on our Honda (tricky, secretive spot), repaired a dryer (had DH's help) and replaced a tablet screen. When we owned our...
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First of all, I want to salute all the members of the Saving Advice community and wish all of you a prosper the year 2019.

In this first post, I'm intending to start a discussion about how you guys see the Financial year 2019? Many experts say that the 2009 Crisis is back and this year will be worst.

"Now, lots of that debt is owed the federal government, so it’s unlikely to poison the banking system, as mortgages did a decade ago. But this burden of debt is already beginning...
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I have decided to put $1,000 into my Roth IRA for the 2018 year. Which actually completes one of my 2018 goals!

I went ahead and put $250 in today, and the other $750 will be from our tax refund. (the entire amount)

I think I have pretty much decided to keep the van. I've been driving it every day and I really like it. Hoping it lasts a while and is a reliable vehicle.

My credit card balance transfer is now finally showing as pending. I already have $500 to pay on the...
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Air temperature is zero, that is -- wind chill is much lower. I was hoping they would cancel school today, but no such luck. They're saving that for tomorrow, I assume, which will be much colder. So I will have to go out today to pick up at least one of the boys. Sometimes DIL picks up GS1. We'll see how it goes today.

I did manage to dig out my car and move it to the other side of the street last night, the side that got plowed. Now they will plow the other side. They...
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All standard monthly payments except for Home Depot. We got some lightbulbs, paint for the nursery, and a big storage box for DH's Army gear. We've been meaning to organize our big storage closet in the basement, and I finally went ahead and got him this storage box. I was thinking it'd be a few hundred bucks from the way he kept talking about it, but it was only $50.

The money in is the first of 3 or 4 refunds for health insurance premiums. In the midst of the whole insurance...
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$5156.20 is the balance as if today on CC9, before the new interest hits. I’m feeling really good. I’m trying to figure out how I can knock this down to $5000 before the new bill.

I was able to pay a total of $1074.69. If I can keep this up, for next four months, I’ll be done with this card by April. The goal was March but hey.

Feeling really good and accomplished.
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I have to put money aside for a retreat at Easter, and also to pay for yardwork. I want to get my Travel fund back up to nzd5000 in case I am unexpectedly called to visit family overseas, and I want to replace the stove. I waill still be working on my EF but more slowly, maybe $100 a month.
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Last night DS and I got the two big kitchen drawers emptied and wiped out and one has been organized. The stuff that was in the other drawer is in a laundry basket at the moment. It is mostly a bunch of containers that need to be nested and a bunch more lids that I need a small box for so that I can keep them contained in one section of the drawer. I am hoping to find something like that soon.

The lower cabinet was cleaned out as well and there was stuff in there that has...
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Hi, everyone.

I just went and had my taxes done.

We are getting $1066.00 for our federal return and $118.00 from the state.

These additions alone will bring the car savings up to $7467.08. They said it could take 6-8 weeks to get our return. [Insert frownie face here.] But in the meantime, I will be adding in more to that sum.

As my Grandma used to say, I'm cooking with gas now!
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Hi, everyone.

I am making more progress on my plan. I just got a survey payment of $11.35 today. That brings my car savings balance to $6283.08. Woo-Hoo!
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I keep a "Never Ending To Do List" that I am always updating and working on. It helps me with getting things done that are getting put off, because eventually they will be the oldest thing on the list, and I want to make sure that oldest item gets done!

Going through my bathroom cupboards was the oldest thing on my list, I put it on there way back on 7/9/18! It's finally done and I got sooooo much stuff out of there, and even made some money selling some items out of there!

Tossed...
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Current Balance $14,115.00
+$125.00 FB Sales
+$30.00 Phone Savings
+$50.00 My Payday to Our Savings (1/25)
+$75.00 My Payday to Mom Loan Savings (1/25)
Balance $14,395.00

Local Savings $6875.00
GC Savings $745.00
Capital 360 Savings (US) $3200.00
Capital 360 Savings (Mom Loan Payback Account)$1225.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account #1)$850.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account #2)$1500.00
Total Savings = $14,395.00

52 Week Challenge
2019...
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Sales this week were really good, total sales were $233.00, including a $100 item!


Sale #1123 (DC) $62.50
Pantene Shampoo/Conditioner (4)(Joint with my Mom) - We made a profit of $1.14 each when buying
Sold for $2.50 each
Profit = $14.56

Old Spice Body Wash (Me) - I paid $2.15
Sold for $3.00
Profit = $.85

CVS Wipes (2) (Joint with my Mom) - Free
Sold for $1.00 each
Profit = $2.00

OGX Shampoo (2) (Joint with my Mom) - We paid $1.79 each
Sold for $3.00...
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The underlying assumption for saving anything at all is that you must live beneath your means; spend less than you have in after tax income.

Here are my (our) top money saving tips in no particular order:

1) Know how to do your own taxes. You don't actually have to do them yourself, but it's important to know how taxes are figured in order to know what deductions and credits you might qualify for that could lower your tax liability. The less you send the government, the...
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My in-laws came over this weekend to help with some of the projects. My FIL got the whole nursery painted and my MIL helped me clean out and organize two of the rooms in the basement. They both look worlds better, but still need a bit additional work. Next up should be the hardwoods in the nursery and guest room. I'm eternally grateful to have a FIL who happens to be a house contractor.

Bonus: he ordered us pizza while here, so I didn't have to cook!

There was some other...
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I didn't take the car to the city garage. Yesterday it looked pretty calm and clear. But today the snow is coming down, and I hope I haven't made a mistake. I can see my car from my window and it looks like there's a couple of inches on it, so far.

At least I did get it moved to the side of the street that will not get plowed today. This evening I will have to move it to the other side, or to the city garage.

I got out yesterday with no problem. Hit the gym, and then...
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Phoned the dr to renew a prescription. Because of the new govt health subsidies it only cost me nzd12.50 instead of the previous $25, and $15 at the pharmacy.

I am on my 36th day of not buying yarn. I hope to go all year or until my stash is used up, whichever comes first. Just have to stay out of thrift stores.
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Here's something I never thought I'd see myself write again. DH is off to Alaska. He'll be back Tuesday morning, though, and this isn't a permanent thing. They just needed someone with up there experience to check something out in Kenai, take a bunch of photographs, and come back with the info. It was all very last minute. They asked him to go on Thursday.

I'm not particularly thrilled about it. I thought my days of worrying while DH flew were over. It was weird to go...
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