A Dime at a Time

Navigating life and finances

Want to follow my journey? Enter your email below, and you'll receive all the latest posts!




$3406.46 + $50.00 due by September 22, 2017

By: 8 Comments

Playing with the numbers to take full advantage of a balance transfer.  

It’s probably no secret by now that I’m more than just a little obsessed with doing whatever we can do to get rid of our debt.  This morning I scrutinized our Visa statement, which is the credit card we will use to do our next balance transfer.  I want it to hit zero before taking advantage of their offer of 5.99% for life.  As mentioned before, we have no intention of keeping it around for any longer than necessary.  Any amount of interest paid is too much, but this offer buys us some time as we pay off other transfers with shorter time limits. [Read more…]

Can a Domestic Engineer be fired?

By: 7 Comments

If so, I would fire myself!

With the hours working my seasonal job continuing to slow down to a mere trickle, I decided it was time to reclassify my current job description.  Yes, I still work my very part time job and also work my side business, but now with so much more time on my hands, I tend to see myself more as a domestic engineer than that of someone who has gainful employment outside the home.  And there is certainly nothing wrong with that position.  I just need to remind myself that this job title also comes with responsibilities too. [Read more…]

When you’re feeling down about your debt

By: 4 Comments

There are days the journey feels long.  

Today was one of those days for me.  I was feeling down about our debt.  I can’t say there was any one particular reason I was feeling this way.  I was just feeling the blues, and that is all there was to it.  This being in debt is getting old!   [Read more…]

Be Someone’s Friday!

By: 8 Comments

The power of encouragement!  

Today is Monday, and for many, a dreaded day of the week.  Although my seasonal position has me pretty much working every day, Monday is still Monday.  My day started out in its usual fashion. 3 AM the cat and dogs want/need to go outside. The cat stays out; the dogs come back in. 5 AM the cat is now meowing at the door, which not only wakes me but also wakes the dogs, who then think they should again go outside. 6:50 AM the process repeats itself, except this time I head for the coffee pot and my day begins. [Read more…]

What more can I do?

By: 4 Comments

A question that, lately, I find myself asking a lot more often!

Lately, I find myself asking what more I can do to keep our snowball moving once my seasonal job comes to an end.  While I should still have two decent checks coming yet this season, after the first week of August that will all change.  Given that when we started our journey to get out of debt, I was only working my very part time job, I feel okay that we will be fine.  But I want to be more than just that!  I want to be able to continue our momentum! [Read more…]

Going It Solo

By: 4 Comments

Frugality continues, but for now, I’m again going it solo.  

No, Hubby hasn’t jumped ship with our goal of getting out of debt.  He has, however, returned to work and after a week of keeping it frugal together, I suppose I am feeling a bit of a frugal letdown…if there even such a thing!  It reminds me a little of the aftermath of Christmas when all the excitement is over.  Hubby and I spent his entire home time focusing on keeping our budget in check while also making the most of our time together.  Strange as it might sound, it was a near perfect week!  While much like the unwrapped gifts at Christmas, the frugal remains but much of the fun and excitement of it is now over with Hubby back to work.   [Read more…]

What Is Your ETA?

By: 12 Comments

Creating a timeline for arriving at Debt Freedom.  

As I mentioned in my last post, I am feeling an immense urgency to pay off our debt.  Unlike being under a timeline like we were with our housing situation, my hubby and I have never set an official estimated time of arrival (ETA) for our destination of Debt Freedom. [Read more…]

Get ‘er done!

By: 9 Comments

The feeling of urgency!

I know, I know.  We didn’t get ourselves into debt overnight, and we aren’t going to get out of it overnight either.  But with each passing day, I am feeling an increased sense of urgency to “Get er done!” [Read more…]

Facebook, Cafe Mom, Private Forum, Blog Add-on, Emails Or ?

By: 8 Comments

We could be starting a movement!

Since my last post on the hush-hush of debt in your later years, I’ve received a fair amount of interest regarding starting a small private support group.  Right now life is a bit crazy with me working a seasonal job, but I wanted to assure those of you who have expressed interest that it did not fall on deaf ears!  We could be onto something here!  From what I have seen, there isn’t much in the way of support groups for those of us battling debt in our later years.  I am a firm believer that support is imperative to success.  It is also one of the very reasons I started A Dime at a Time.  For those who only want to follow my journey, rest assured, my plan is to continue still blogging.  Any support group formed would be in addition to the blog! [Read more…]

Cheating while on the Dave Ramsey’s Baby Step 2

By: 22 Comments

I admit it.  We do cheat on our “Dave” plan.

For anyone who has been following me here at A Dime at a Time, you know that my hubby and I are digging our way out of debt via a slightly modified version of the Dave Ramsey baby steps.  We are currently on baby step 2 which is all about paying off debt.  While the math doesn’t always support it, Dave recommends doing this in the order of smallest to largest.  I’m good with that, even if the math doesn’t always make sense.  There is truly a feeling of winning when you do pay off that first debt, regardless of the interest rate.  Lately, though, my hubby and I have been cheating, even above our modification! [Read more…]

Archives

Categories