New Year Resolution Follow Up

irish...I have that same joke in my e-mail...but it wasn't his butt he was licking....ROFL... :lol:

OK i'm dense - rolling on the floor?

yes, rolling on the floor laughing....

Thanks I got a laugh out of that! My computerese stinks!

One of my resolutions kind of got shot in the foot..darn it! I was hoping to use my tax refund to pay off medical bills that have been incurred in the past year, and to work on a savings account for emergencies.

My vehicle has started dying, piece by piece, and is too expensive to repair. (Also not worth repairing, it's slowly rusting away from the undercarriage up.) About a year ago, I had to put stop-leak in the radiator because it started leaking around the head gasket, which is only a "band-aid" type of repair - not permanent. It's only meant to last about 6 months, but has lasted a year already...so I can't be sure it will make it much longer without the head gasket blowing. And THAT is a major repair - more than the vehicle is worth. So, add together all the repairs and maintenance that currently need to be done (about $1,000 worth), plus the fact that the head gasket could blow at any time, and it's time to retire the old beater and find something better.

I did look at one today...it was ok, but has a couple of issues I'm concerned about, so I'm still looking. My funds are not unlimited, so I don't have a wide range of choices. Hopefully, I can find something reliable that will leave me at least SOME of my tax refund for paying off bills and starting a savings!

Sue--Stuff happens.

Unfortunately a vehicle is necessary. It sucks to have to invest the money in them.

Sue-don't worry, you'll get there!! Darn it if Life doesn't have a way of popping up with something just when you least expect it!1 Good Luck on finding a car!..Karen

Irish - thanks for the story - it definitely made my day!

Sue - I think we're always going to have setbacks, but the important thing is to go ahead and do what you've got to do with your goal still in mind, even if it's a little further down the road. On the bright side, you didn't have to get a PDL to get another car, so you're farther ahead than you were last year in that respect. Things will get better. Just hang in there.

Tomorrow is weigh-in day for me. I've done pretty good as far as my diet. My son picked up a big jar of protein powder (he's into weightlifting), so we're going to share it. I'm going to have my two shakes a day and a meal and see how that goes.

Okay, I weighed in today. I lost 4 pounds since the 1st, which is pretty good, I guess, but I'm aiming for 13 a month so that I can be at my goal by my daughter's wedding in July. I have to decide which diet I want to be on because I keep changing back and forth. I also have to get serious about exercising. I've done it a few times but sporadically, not on a regular basis. How is everybody else doing?

Budget-wise, it looks like I'm going to need to put another IOU in for the $50 this paycheck. Things at work have been pretty slow. They're finally picking up now and we're getting OT again, so I'm hopeful that I'll be able to start putting money away with my next check.

I actually weighed in a day early, I was supposed to weigh in tomorrow morning but I couldn't resist. I lost 3.5 lbs since last week, thats a huge loss for a weeks time. I swear it was all the water I was drinking this weekend. I usually do bad on my water intake during the weekends, but this weekend I was pouring it down.

As far as my savings, I have the $100 set aside to open my savings account, I just haven't had the chance to go do it yet. I actually work at a bank, but I want to open it at a different bank so Im not so close to it.

Wow, Pink Lady, you're my inspiration! That's fantastic! What have you been doing besides drinking lots of water to lose weight?

Besides all the water I drank, I just ate either yogurt or a can of pineapples for breakfast. For Lunch and dinner I just ate a frozen Lean Cuisine or Smart Choice meal and did very very very little snacking in between. I also worked a ton of hours at my part-time job getting ready for our iventory so I was moving and running around the store a lot. Maybe that was a lucky week for me, but I'm going to do the same thing this week, and incorporate some of my work-out DVD's and see what happens.

Ok - I did my taxes this weekend and instead of having my state taxes put into my checking accoun, I had them deposited into my savings account. I am going to pretend that I don't have that money, and it will give me a jump start. I want to go to Las Vegas! This will get me on a plane in the spring.

Great going Dbaker and Pink Lady! And Sue I know just how you feel! Some days it seems like every time you take a step forward you feel like you slide back 50! I don't want to seem morbid, but ask around you church or the elderly community center in your area if any of the old people are selling their cars. I got a great one that had low milage and one owner - well taken care of and it lasted me for years. It was an older model, but I got it for a song.

Pink Lady, I think you're on a roll. I love pineapples, so I could do pineapples for breakfast. And I like the Lean Cuisine and Smart Choice meals. Keep up the good work.

Irish, that's a very good plan. I used to have a checking and savings account. I had direct deposit, so I would automatically have so much put into my savings. I never missed it because I never saw it. It accumulated so fast, I couldn't believe it! Let me know how it works for you. Good luck.

Irish, thanks for the encouragement. Sue, I agree with Irish. I once got a car that belonged to an older lady. Her son felt it wasn't safe for her to drive any more. The car had some ridiculously low mileage, like 35,000. Her son said his mother bought the car new and only drove the car to church and grocery shopping. He saw to it that it was always maintained. The car was 7 years old, and I had it for 5 more. It started rusting quite a bit (that was years ago) and my kids were small, so I didn't want to take a chance. I sold it to a friend of my brother's. He put the engine and transmission in another frame and drove it around for years. I think it finally died at 187,000 miles!

Thank you all so much for your car advice! I've actually decided to purchase the van I looked at, after much thought. They dropped the price so much that I really can't pass it up, because the lower price on the van will leave me a lot more of my tax refund for paying off other things! Even if I have to sink $100 - $200 into it for a tune up, etc., it's worth it. It will be very nice to travel in, since my kids and I make at least one 1300-mile round trip and a couple of 660-mile round trips every year so they can see their dad and be with him during the summer. I'm not looking for it to last forever, just a few years would be nice! :-)

Sue, congratulations on your decision. I have five kids and have never owned a van - can you believe it? Let me know how you like it - now with the grandkids, I might still want to get one some day. By the way, what kind is it? And what color is it? (my brother always laughed at me when I'd ask the color, but to me that's as important as the make!)

Congrats on the van Sue! I have one and I just love it for carting the kids around. And I am short so the height of the van gives me power!

LOL! I have to laugh at your remark, Irish - I'm only 5'1", and my mom is shorter than I am! She was with me the day I test-drove the van, and was laughing at me playing with the power seat with a big grin on my face! Up...Down....Forward...Back...Tilt the seat....Up again...Further up! LOL

It's a 1992 Ford E150 Econoline Van, full size, with the Starcraft conversion. We laughed ourselves silly playing with all the bells and whistles! It has a bed in the back that is completely powered and folds down at the touch of a button. Lights all over the place, and all the seats are powered. It has higher miles than I'd like, but I know these vans well enough to know that with some TLC, it should last quite a while yet - at least the 2-3 years that I want it to last. I'll try to post some pics of it below so you can see it.

It seats 7, all leather seats, though the leather is quite worn in some places and needs to be cleaned. Guess that's what seat covers are for!

It looks good! Sounds good too! Mine is mercury villager 94 and it has all of the bells and whistles too. Athough my kids say I need a step ladder to get into it! (SNOTS!!) I'm 5'2 and my older girls are both 5'8 - they tap me on the head. Even my twins (he/she 18) are taller than I am. But back to the van - I just love driving it and being above all of the cars on the road and I can see what is ahead of me. You will love it.

Thanks, Irish! I have had minivans for years, but my parents have owned conversion vans like this one for several years, and they'd never have anything else. Since we make such long trips every year, I need something reliable and comfortable for travel, and I always find some flaw with the minivans that make long trips uncomfortable - usually it's the driver compartment leg space, believe it or not! I love the cushy seats on this van, too - they're pretty incredible!

Sue, your van sounds great - it looks great, too. It looks a lot newer than a 1992. It's really in good condition. I envy you guys. I want a van!!

LOL dbaker! You'd be even more envious if I told you the price I'm getting it for! :-)

Even if the interior is not exactly pristine, it can be cleaned up - it's mostly just surface dirt - and seat covers can cover up a multitude of sins.

Lol - you're right, Sue. I would be even more envious! I'm really glad for you, though. I'm glad you got a good deal - and you needed it worse than I did, so contratulations!

Okay, so I went to the drugstore today and bought some of that new Dexatrim max02 (mixed berry flavor). It's two tablets you are supposed to drop in your 16.9oz bottle of water and it's supposed to fight your hunger and cravings, fights fatigue and fights metabolism slowdown. It comes in a box of twenty and all though I didn't want to pay the $17 for it, I just had to try it. It doesn't taste that bad and it gives the water some flavor. I'll keep you guys posted on how it works for me.

Oh and I did really bad yesterday, my brother begged me to make him a pot of chili, so I did and I ended up having a plate of chili cheese nachos with sour cream. I couldn't resist and I felt so guilty after doing it, but not while doing it..LOL. After having such a successful week, I go and do something like that. :evil:

Pink Lady, don't feel too bad about it. Just go right back to it. By the way, you could make that low fat by making chili without meat (you can add everything else), baking tortillas to use as tortilla chips and using nonfat cheddar cheese and nonfat sour cream. So the next time you feel like you want something "not diety," you might want to try that.

Well, I've been really good this week, except for the salt. I knew before I got on the scale that it wasn't going to show that I lost anything. My ankles are swollen and my hands are puffy. I gained 1/2 pound! I'm so disappointed. I also haven't been exercising every day like I wanted to, either, though, so I'm going to try again this week.

I get paid Thursday, and it looks like I'll finally be able to put $50 into savings. I don't think I'll be able to make up the last paycheck that I was supposed to put $50 in, though, so will plan on putting $50 with my income tax if I can't before then.

Still no coffee. I switched to tea and wonder why I ever drank coffee!

Dbaker - give the tea a chance to work - it is a natural diuretic. And you might want to try a good green tea. I get mine from the Chinese restaraunt in Kamm's Plaza - it is wonderful! Ok - my state taxes are being deposited into the new savings account that I enrolled in tomorrow. WHOOPEE!!

Whoohoo! Good for you, irish! I've been busy making lists for my tax refund - looking like I could use two more refunds to cover all I want to do! The good thing, though, is that I am selling an old computer I no longer need for $200, and will be selling my old van for $300-$500 after I get my new one, so I will have a little extra money from that as well, so that will help.

My taxes should be rolling in this weekend, so I will be busy this weekend! If they don't become available in my account until Monday, I plan on taking a vacation day next week to take care of picking up my new van, etc. :D

Irish, thanks, I will try the green tea. Good for you on your taxes, and you too, Sue. I haven't gotten my W2s yet, but I'm ready to file as soon as they get here!

Well, it's check-in time again. I lost 1-1/2 pounds, so I'm happy this week. Still no coffee. I tried the green tea, Irish. I didn't like the plain, so I got the mint flavored. I talked to my cousin on line the other night, and she said she was having a cup of tea and relaxing. I tried it, and she's right - tea is very relaxing!

I still didn't get to put any money in the bank. My son had another problem with his credit card account that he opened without my knowing about it. I'm due to get my income tax on the 9th, though, so will get on track then (hopefully).

Well, my plan for the van got shot in the foot by none other than the IRS. Same people who told me I'd have my money LAST weekend...now say I won't have it until next weekend. And the dealership will not hold the van past Feb. 1. And they won't give my deposit back. :evil:

So, I'm still searching, and have found a number of really nice vans out there - just not for the same price. I was getting that van for $1500...so the hunt is on...again!

Aw, Sue. I'm really sorry to hear about your van. That really stinks. I hope you get your money soon. You'd think they'd be able to give you a better idea of when to expect it instead of you having to play a guessing game every week. With any luck, maybe the van you want will still be for sale when you get your check.

Well I have my weigh in tomorrow, but I snuck on the scale Yesterday morning and only lost .5 pounds...which I guess is better than gaining. I've actually been doing pretty good, I just have a hard time getting my excercise in.
I mailed a check to my savings account yesterday for the first time. I have a savings account in another state at a credit union that I don't have access to, unless I go visit family. I have to really start discipling myself because my goal is to have my car paid off by August, which means I will have to start sending them $500 a month. As long as I keep my part-time job I can do it with no problem.

I called on the van today - it's still there, but I told the dealership to just let the first person with the cash in hand to have it. I've found many other vans out there - nicer ones, believe it or not, for just about the same price. Some slightly higher in price, but with slightly lower miles...so it equals out. Sooo..we'll see what happens.

The funny part is that the lady at the dealership that I was working with on this deal was all pushy last week when I told her I didn't have the tax refund yet, and wouldn't have it for a while. She was telling me the first person in the door with money in hand would get it, and how upset her boss was with her, because 4 other people had come in to buy it for full price, when I was getting it for less...but they wouldn't sell it because I had a deposit on it. Now, however, since I told her to let it go, she's backpedaling and telling me she'll continue to hold it for me if I want her to, and that no one else has shown interest in it since I talked to her last week. LOL :lol:

Pinklady, you're right - you're still losing something, it's better than gaining. You might have just hit a plateau. I've really got to get serious about exercising. Congratulations on depositing some money in your account! You're on your way. As far as paying your car off, think of it this way: If you work hard and make the higher payments now, starting in August, you'll have all that extra money every month, and then you can slow down with working, too.

Sue, isn't that funny about that sales woman? It figures. Glad to hear there are other bargains out there. Also, it might be a good thing if you don't get that other van. What isn't she telling you about it that she's so willing all of a sudden to "hold onto it" for you? Happy van hunting!

Thanks, dbaker! I've found another one that I'm going to look at this weekend, I think. If my tax refund comes in time (which I hope it does), I'll have cash in hand to purchase it right then and there if I like it. I liked the other van too, but it required a little cosmetic work to the inside and needed a tuneup, oil change and a new thermostat. If I don't have to put that money into a vehicle right after buying it, so much the better for me! :D

That's true - you'll save time and money, and you'll be able to enjoy driving your new van!

Great job you guys! :)

I'm doing better with my smart mouth...But that could be because I'm in a training class and not taking calls at work right now..lol

Pinklady-- .5 lb is better than nothing. :) As long as it's going in the direction you want it to go, right? :) I'm sure once you get into exercise mode it will get easier.

Sue--You'll find a van soon! :) And you don't want one that you're going to have to put a bunch of work into...If you have to put work into it now, something else is going to go bad, and you could be stuck w/ a junker that isn't worth what you paid. I've been there before. I got tired of it. All the cheap cars I've ever bought, if I would have just spent that money on something better, I wouldn't have been buying a new car every 10 months or so. I hate being in debt with my car, but at least I know it is going to start in the morning. :)

Jessi, that's good - even if you're in a training class. I wonder how Fins is doing with making faces!