Saturday- $3 dunkins
Sunday -paper $5
Coffee, juice and muffin for rainman $8
Monday $20 BB yearbook
$3 Iced cofee
$50 for the basement clean up at Wal-mart

Eye opening

Friday continued- I just had to go to the bookstore( eye roll)
$31.
$5 taco bell for me
$5 Babygirl after picking her up from friend's
$32 -3 pillows (dogs ate babygirl's and mine) 2 doggy bone things, pillowcases, chapstick)

Saturday morning:
weekly paper for coups $1.50
Ice tea for child who went $1.

What budget?

Thursday-
$100 car ins
$40 school bus never showed so Dunkins for Rainman, then dinner at BK
(Ex gave $100 for gas, so not as bad as it looks). Kids lunches.

So far today
$120 - $40 for Babygirl's carnival,
$60 for birth certificates
$20 Dunkins plus parking in Boston

It hurts to see how much is frittered away.

Jane4girls is my new hero.
$800 a year food budget- and they eat very well.
Baby steps.
:)

Payday :)

Sure goes fast.
Made a $560 disc.
Rainyday $100




Monday: kmart 20
BestBuy 150
Kids'lunches and my coffee :$20

Tuesday: Wet/dry vac $130
Kids/coffee $20

Wednesday: Food $100
Gas $70
Kids & Coffee $20

Back from the money pit.

Bah.
Never ends.
For this to actually keep me accountable, it needs to be a daily post, at least until Mint decides to add my bank.
Citi 16,108.
Discover 11,111.
Total : 27,233
Up from last time.
Sigh.
I maxed 07 Roth and that's in an international fund.
According to Quizzle, at my income (which varies widely each week), I need $28,333 in a rainy day fund, just in case.
I have $300 in that account.
And the weeks leading up until tax time slowed my billing hours to a crawl.
But, next week, will be the last weak check from my main contractor.
To pay off my debt in 18 months, it will take 1737. a month.
Roughly $450 a week, with an additional $100 going to Roth 08.
Guess I better get busy, yes?



Daily spending:
Sunday papers: $5. +$1 ice tea for child who got them
Last minute book for child who tells me last day of vacation he needs it: $15
Ice cream with babygirl $6
Dunkin Donuts iced coffee to keep me from opening a vein $3.
Total : $30

Chugging at the Roth IRA

Single Ma wrote a post about starting to coupon. She is usually not only very informative but also really funny, so if you don't read her Fabulous Financials, go take a peek.

Ok, chugging away at the Roth. On track and even just a tiny bit ahead, with my 2007 Roth at E*Trade with $1300 deposited, with $2700 to go by 4/15/08. Also deposited $50 this morning. I am trying to get in the mindset of not just trying to pay off the evil credit card debt, but also to save. I have 9 more Wednesdays (where I get DD from my main contractor) to fund this, and when that's complete, I will just continue until I have $5000 for 2008 done, and then see where I am.

I am following the advice in "On my own two feet" which is clear, concise financial advice geared toward women and money. It is short, and you could read 20 minutes here, half an hour there, and get it done within a few days, but it gives a polite kick with concrete advice on what you need to get from here to there.

Off to pick up Rainman :)

Back on Track

I set up a Roth IRA at E*TradeFinancials and so far, so good. I am on track to maxing out my $4000 for 2007, having deposited $960 ($320 each Wednesday) and started the savings account too, only depositing $150 so far, but it's a start.
What else happened is, my car died. I was in a pretty bad fender bender, and although my car was fixed, it has been stalling on long trips. No one can seem to find exactly what's wrong. The Ex has agreed to give me a down payment and co-sign, and with Rainman and the long commute twice a day to his school, there is no getting around the need for a reliable car. I have been looking at 2006/2007 low mileage Dodge Caravans, and Monday is the big new car day.
Deep breath: CC debt total is $26,661.
I want to have that to $13,330 by next year, if not sooner.
Wish me luck :)