tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post9213085973443143752..comments2024-03-19T17:36:52.121+10:00Comments on down to earth: Cash challenge and paying off debtUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-40332443468320195372013-07-11T08:25:46.417+10:002013-07-11T08:25:46.417+10:00Freckles, one argument for your husband is that it...Freckles, one argument for your husband is that it is actually the same door from the same factory with a different label on it. We have a local cheese factory and they make a Brie and a Camembert, and guess what? Same recipe, same ingredients, same machine. One lot of packaging for woolies, another for aldi! Can't be different quality :)han_ysichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01869649893259740949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-73862094451832021892013-07-10T23:02:24.126+10:002013-07-10T23:02:24.126+10:00I don't know if you will see this 'Freckle...I don't know if you will see this 'Freckles', but I really feel for you, as we were in a similar situation about 14 years ago. We were working, no kids, but a big mortgage, when my husband lost his job and was out of work for a year. As he was over 50 without any qualifications, he despaired of ever working again, and as I couldn't pay the mortgage and living expenses out of my wage, I went to our bank (Westpac). I would never have believed it if I'd been told by someone, but they were so kind and helpful. They renegotiated our mortgage so I could keep making payments,and have enough money for living expenses, and when hubby did get another job, we went back to the bank and they re jigged the mortgage again to accomodate our extra income. I've spoken to other people since then, and the fact is that banks do not want to kick people out of their homes if they are finding it difficult to make payments, so it is in your best interest to go to your bank and lay your cards on the table. You might be very relieved to get advice and help from their financial people. <br />Oh, another way to make a bit of pin money - look around your house for anything you don't want - even small things like books or kitchen stuff - you would be amazed at what sells on eBay!!!Gina E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07532527261977368083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-70288696510414786782013-07-09T18:39:37.934+10:002013-07-09T18:39:37.934+10:00I'm planning a secret mission to aldi first th...I'm planning a secret mission to aldi first thing tomorrow morning while hubby is still asleep, i'll grab the book while i'm there :) mon_and_miahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13369765579615832316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-33805997777046128672013-07-09T16:14:55.390+10:002013-07-09T16:14:55.390+10:00Hi Rhonda , I took on board your idea to write eve...Hi Rhonda , I took on board your idea to write everything down that I spent in the last week . I started last Tuesday morning and finished on Monday night. I spent a total of $87. at the Supermarket. 2 meals out (one was my birthday)where all the girls paid for their own lunch,mine came to $15. with Seniors Discount. The second was for local fish and chips for 2 and the total was $15. I spent $20. at the craft shop and $11. for a gift for a friend .I spent another $15. at the Post Office. A total of $163. Now I wouldn't normally have lunch out or fish and chips but we had been to Chocolatefest at Latrobe on Sunday ,didn't even buy anything chocolate and I was so tired after visiting all the venues it was easier to buy something than come home and cook! My 72 year old legs are not what they used to be! I have never used a spread sheet but I'm going to give it a go. We don't actually have any debt and all my bills are in credit as I do B/pay every fortnight, small sums of money to all the Authorities i.e. Phone, Gas, Rates and Water Rates. Electricity ,Insurances are paid monthly by Direct Debit. There are never any nasty surprises. We grow some vegies in the garden (all Garlic and Leeks) for the year, also lettuce most of the year. tomato for summer and the excess we freeze at the moment we have spring onion, cabbage, bok choy parsley broccoli, silverbeet and a few potatoes.. All my fruit for jam i.e. blackcurrant, redcurrant, gooseberries, strawberries and raspberries. We have apples and pears and crab apples too. I have an abundance of lemons. I also get the chance to buy a lamb and a share in a steer which keeps us in meat. All in all I think we do quite well . Love to hear all the stories from all your readers. Of course your book is always close by for me to read or refer to. Another thing I do is make my laundry liquid! Your recipe thankyou! All the best to you and Hanno from Margaret in Tasmania Margaret Blairnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-26633378351384536002013-07-09T11:27:28.868+10:002013-07-09T11:27:28.868+10:00Hang in there Freckles, sounds like a pretty solid...Hang in there Freckles, sounds like a pretty solid challenge - its hard when you have different ways of seeing and being, bringing change about. What can seem obvious or easy for one person can be way harder for another. <br />Bit by bit hopefully, and maybe finding other people living well on less in your local area over time could shift attitudes and life for you both. If you can find support for yourselves it might help as well - planning and managing as parents on low income too, thru local community centres etc, could be helpful. Good luck with it all! Rosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-71671483028795789452013-07-09T11:03:21.031+10:002013-07-09T11:03:21.031+10:00hi Rhonda
Thank god for you - what a great focus...hi Rhonda <br /><br />Thank god for you - what a great focus this week! You've turned my morning round already...<br /> I've been worrying about money and can feel quite paralysed just thinking and freaking out about it, and how to turn things around. No major credit cards, but bills coming in and rego due shortly and so on, and no extra income in sight just now. I can go into a bit of a spin mentally! <br /> If youve been on a low income for a while as it is, you can feel less motivated to 'go even harder' at things as well. <br /> Having someone offer a firm hand and pointing us in a positive direction of using money is a lifesaver - reading how you and others have come out the other side of debt.<br /> Its hard in winter, as well, with the need to stay warm and a tendency to eat more with it. I dont have kids at home to worry about just now, but its still fairly expensive to live, and not as motivating without others around sometimes. <br />However, the idea of looking carefully and clearly at what I do have - in the fridge, in my cupboard, in the garden sounds helpful. Even a bit of silverbeet, some herbs, a bit of lettuce and other greens make a difference, I know this. <br />When I use what I have, what is here already, rather than heading out the door to buy more things, I feel a bit calmer and a bit more in control of it. Having Woolies ten minutes down the road is a bit of a trap: I can nip out and get more things so easily... Having money in envelopes could be good, micro as those amounts might be just now. Looking the money monster in the face could be empowering - so I can shift from <br />Oh god! what a mess - Im going back to bed aaagh!! its never going to get better! <br />to <br />Ok, what can I work with today, just today, for a start.<br /> I feel like it may be possible to think and live differently. Sharing the effort with a community of people definitely improves how I feel about getting more balance in my life. Thanks again, and have a great week there everyone! Will let you know how I get on. <br />much love to you all<br /> Rosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-15123003714608193882013-07-09T00:44:32.807+10:002013-07-09T00:44:32.807+10:00The last loan we had was for a car a few years bac...The last loan we had was for a car a few years back - it was when we'd just started paying that back (30 month term) that I "saw the light" and by saving like mad and overhauling our finances we paid it off in 13 months instead, saving a decent sum in interest. i know a number of folk using your envelope system and it works well for them - we prefer to use a cashback credit card for day to day spending, it's set to pay off in full each month and we just go through the account transferring money in for our personal spends to cover it. works well for us and we usually earn around £100 cashback across the year on our modest spending. Robynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04175531371914205163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-91429765695320838672013-07-08T23:25:59.845+10:002013-07-08T23:25:59.845+10:00Dear Rhonda,
Thank you for another inspiring and p...Dear Rhonda,<br />Thank you for another inspiring and practical post. Although this is not strictly on topic, I would love to learn from you and your readers what purchases/acquisitions you have made that could be considered "snowball savings." This is Amy Dacyczyn's (The Tightwad Gazette) term for money spent on items, etc. which will then save you money. For example, buying a sewing machine to make items and Christmas presents at a lower cost or buying a clothesline to eliminate using a gas or electric dryer or buying seeds to grow your own vegetables, or buying canning supplies or a freezer to store those vegetables ( and also other food purchased on sale). Those are common "snowball savings" but I'm hoping others can add to the list and share their creative ideas. I think it relates to the topic of your post because the savings are another way to pay down debt.<br />ps many thanks for your good wishes on our Fourth of July Independence Day :)Helen in the Statesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-32398526165783268062013-07-08T22:17:11.309+10:002013-07-08T22:17:11.309+10:00Dear Rhonda,
I am loving your budget posts just no...Dear Rhonda,<br />I am loving your budget posts just now. Lots of excellent reading and very good information in your comments section too. i must do a change jar what a great idea.<br />thanks again for all your hard work that goes into making your blog what it is.<br />LorsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-1494840497741553702013-07-08T21:56:18.634+10:002013-07-08T21:56:18.634+10:00Hi Rhonda,
This series came at just the right time...Hi Rhonda,<br />This series came at just the right time for me. At this point in our lives we taking care of my elderly parents and their health is declining. We need to rid ourselves of 2,000 on a credit card and start an emergency fund before I can even consider quitting my part-time job to take care of them. We decided this week to only live off my husbands check and put mine in the bank to save up to pay the card off easier. He makes just enough to cover the monthly expenses with nothing left over for savings, gifts, or entertainment. Since more hours became available at my office, I hope to pick those up to possibly start an emergency fund as well. <br />I've been reading and listening to Dave Ramsey and he is great motivation. I even purchased a cash envelope wallet from a shop on etsy and love it. Thanks for the motivation to use cash for everything again as I've gotten out of the habit this summer. Good luck to all your readers, I know we can all do this and it will make our lives much less worrisome. Thanks for a wonderful blog. <br />Kristy<br /><br /> Kristyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14127297562400348638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-82152298500598994912013-07-08T21:55:52.877+10:002013-07-08T21:55:52.877+10:00We pretty much do the opposite at our house. We ea...We pretty much do the opposite at our house. We each get a small monthly cash allowance to cover incidentals (the occasional coffee, parking money etc) but the rest goes on our credit card as it has a very good rewards scheme with no fees. We pay it off in full each month, so never pay interest on it and we hold each other accountable with our transactions. It helps that finances is my husband's bread and butter :-)<br /><br />SaraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-92036882186873229722013-07-08T21:53:35.595+10:002013-07-08T21:53:35.595+10:00I have another challenge for myself...spend NO cas...I have another challenge for myself...spend NO cash or money of any kind aside from essentials with just one small allowance weekly for fun. I am on a very limited budget and trying to pay off debt while paying monthly bills is a challenge in itself.<br /><br />My life has been such that I have always had to scrimp even when I was teaching. But, I have what I need and hopefully, in 3 years will be almost debt free.<br /><br />Thanks for all the encouragement.Jingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07357961722537445285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-23470513627224235552013-07-08T20:31:20.362+10:002013-07-08T20:31:20.362+10:00It makes a massive difference to pay with cash. I ...It makes a massive difference to pay with cash. I should try to do it more becuase the money trickles away with credit card and now also with online buying. Thank God I have never liked getting into debt, it just makes me feel tied down, although sometimes it is truly inevitable. But I would rather do without than get into debt. Jenny Woolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16881781466502273314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-15567590964750707202013-07-08T19:53:19.464+10:002013-07-08T19:53:19.464+10:00Another comment to freckles... Buy the cans of sof...Another comment to freckles... Buy the cans of soft drink in bulk packs when on sale at the supermarket. Usually one will have it on special and then put it in the fridge at home.<br /><br />Also with regards to aldi there is a cookbook at aldi for less than $10 and all recipes are using all Aldi products however the book was written by a mother who quietly decided to shop at aldi for a year and change her normal recipes to aldi products. After she did this she told Aldi and then they produced the book.<br /><br />It might be a good idea to invest in the book and make recipes and then see if hubby likes the meal or not. It has lots of pictures in the book too and everyday family meals for a family of 4. You could either make the meals and eat them and let the family know afterwards or get them involved in picking which recipe they would like to try. Shopping at aldi is going to save you money and I like my brands too but at the end of the day it's the packaging we are comfortable with which goes in the bin. My motto with aldi is try one of their tins of baked beans if it's not too your liking try another brand of theirs and decide. We do like comfort and change is hard. Cook a family meal using aldi and then decide. Hope that helps regards Kathy A, Brisbane, AustraliaKathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13278810299840471966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-71378447608089709742013-07-08T19:10:19.854+10:002013-07-08T19:10:19.854+10:00we always arranged to pay back a little more than ...we always arranged to pay back a little more than we thought we could afford. and then we super-budgeted or fund raised in different ways consistently to make the payments. it's just what work for us and we still do it now saving for things as we don't mind shortish periods of super-frugality to get what we want debt free, we enjoy the challenge!Maxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18387407423793099797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-15450276484792320622013-07-08T16:27:20.447+10:002013-07-08T16:27:20.447+10:00Thanks for the advice Kathy, i'll be checking ...Thanks for the advice Kathy, i'll be checking my freezer & pantry tonight to see what is lurking in there & try to limit our grocery shop to $50 this week, i know i could happily eat whatever is available to us at home but my husband is not as on board with this, he refuses to give up soft drinks, flavoured milk & other treats, he was raised by his grandmother & they had very little money & he doesn't want to feel poor again. I also want to shop more at Aldi but he is so set in his ways about his favourite brands & believes aldi food is inferior. I have a lot of work ahead of me! mon_and_miahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13369765579615832316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-13046773110574683152013-07-08T12:49:42.844+10:002013-07-08T12:49:42.844+10:00I have watched it. It's so interesting. It bro...I have watched it. It's so interesting. It brought back a lot of memories to me. And yes, that skill set that we all had handed on to us then no longer survives in the mainstream. I wonder what will happen to those people who have never bother to learn survival skills. I guess many of them have no idea such a skill set exists.rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-74493500383134841762013-07-08T12:23:58.084+10:002013-07-08T12:23:58.084+10:00Have you been watching the tv series The Years Tha...Have you been watching the tv series The Years That Made Us (Chris Masters) - ABC?<br />It's about the first couple of decades of last century - the two wars and the depression.<br />Last night they spoke of the skill sets of survival being passed down through the<br />generations of women and now how that seems to be lost.<br />It's interesting.<br />head in the sun https://www.blogger.com/profile/05289594775531378079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-42577268691117303692013-07-08T11:50:47.104+10:002013-07-08T11:50:47.104+10:00I agree, Cassandra. It's so interesting and in...I agree, Cassandra. It's so interesting and informative to see how you manage your money. We're not all the same and I'm sure your comment will help show some of the readers here how to successfully manage a budget and loan repayments.<br />rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-89970642416637735082013-07-08T11:31:59.584+10:002013-07-08T11:31:59.584+10:00A cash challenge doesn't quite work for us, as...A cash challenge doesn't quite work for us, as we have a mortgage offset so we leave money in the bank as long as possible every week to get the most interest saving benefit from it. We also have automatic transfers set up every week for our loan payments, (still at the rates we were paying a year ago) and weekly transfers into our children's accounts, so that we don't have to remember to do this. <br /><br />I'm the opposite of the cash system... if I have cash in my purse, i will spend it too easily. However, when the bank tracks our debit card transactions and DH enters every purchase made every week into a spreadsheet, it's much more easy to be accountable. We also have a low limit on our 1 credit card, and haven't paid interest on it in a couple of years at least!<br /><br />Speaking of new banking reforms, when we were changing things on our home loan lately, we were required to provide a breakdown of our entire budget, including what we spend weekly/monthly on utilities, transport, (including a breakdown of bus tickets, car registration, fuel and servicing), food, entertainment and so on. The loan manager was blown away that I had all those figures at the top of my head, and even more so when I explained that 10 years ago we were servicing a larger loan than currently - on about 2/3 of our current salary. She wished more people paid such close attention to where their money went.<br /><br />All the credit goes to people like you and your readers Rhonda! Even though we do things slightly differently, it's these sorts of ideas that help you get out of debt, stay out of debt, and make sure that you focus on the real parts of life, than the commercial aspects!Cassandrahttp://cassandramadge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-46588943367156179022013-07-08T11:09:57.857+10:002013-07-08T11:09:57.857+10:00Add me to the cash challenge! I am going to the fo...Add me to the cash challenge! I am going to the forum to sign up after I post this. <br /><br />Years ago, when my son was 16, he wanted to go to England for his birthday. We returned every single thing in the house that still had price tags on them. We paid ourselves when we didn't get something to eat or drink out. We ate less meat. We even found things to sell that we didn't need. And, I worked extra. <br /><br />What was amazing to me was finding all the things in the house we had mindlessly purchased and never used! One store even refused to refund more money because we returned so much... so we went to their store in another town and returned there! LOL <br /><br />It is so easy to overspend using any card -- debit or cash. I have been tracking my spending this month and have discovered that using my debit makes it very easy for me to stop and get gas AND a coffee... The rest of the month is going to be very interesting! <br /><br />Enjoying the series on budget, Rhonda! I have waited all weekend for the "next installment!" :)<br /><br />mattyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06749881104429358524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-72631069060187989122013-07-08T10:56:53.098+10:002013-07-08T10:56:53.098+10:00Hey Freckles, don't despair.
Things might seem...Hey Freckles, don't despair.<br />Things might seem a bit shitty now, but like everything in life,<br />nothing lasts too long.<br />In a couple of years you will look back and realize it was just a bump in the road.<br />Hang in there and good luck.head in the sun https://www.blogger.com/profile/05289594775531378079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-22773559221638664862013-07-08T10:23:21.515+10:002013-07-08T10:23:21.515+10:00Thanks for sharing that Kathy. It's good they ...Thanks for sharing that Kathy. It's good they have to show the interest now. Scary!rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-41567944495573538432013-07-08T10:19:56.100+10:002013-07-08T10:19:56.100+10:00I am 100% for the cash envelope system because cas...I am 100% for the cash envelope system because cash is real and cards are sometimes someone else's money that sometimes we think we owe but don't have to rush to pay it back. My credit card statement in May had a balance of $1,587.23 which I did pay off in full however on the Statement (by law now) it had a breakdown of how long this would take to pay off if you paid the minimum amount due. Are you ready for it....if you paid the minimum due each month on the $1,587.23 balance it would take you 13 years and 1 month (crazy). Not only that the interest would be $1,166.82. If you paid $75.98 a month for 2 years you would only pay $236.49 in interest and not be charged the extra $930.33. This is why banks love credit cards and why banks love to "automatically" increase your credit limit and offer you to increase it. I think most of us at some time or rather think it would be good in the case of an emergency, car repairs or something to have the extra credit up our selves however I can assure you mostly the credit is not used for an emergency and somehow creeps up into normal spending. If you have a car repair or huge expense just ring the bank on the day and get it increased for the repairs. Pay off the repairs and ring the bank and get the limit reduced again. I unfortunately had to spend $1400 on unexpected car repairs myself recently.<br />I have seen the Dave Ramsay method and it is excellent and all his books are great.<br /><br />For "Freckles" above....maybe one week try the $21 week grocery challenge or even $50 a week challenge....whereby you go to your pantry, freezer and work out your meals using what you have in your cupboard and use the $21 or $50 to buy bread, milk and fruit and veggies and that's it. You cook for the entire week and the $150-$200 you save can go straight into the debt repayment. You could do this every 10 weeks. You would be surprized how much food is in our pantry and freezers yet we still shop weekly/fortnightly out of habit. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, AustraliaKathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13278810299840471966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-49302500583779810602013-07-08T10:06:42.907+10:002013-07-08T10:06:42.907+10:00I hope things pick up for you soon, Freckles. xxI hope things pick up for you soon, Freckles. xxrhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.com