Money orders vs Cashier's check

Dave Ramsy, The Total Money Makeover.... [2008-08-24]
His message, Live like no on else so later on you can live like no one else. Budget is not a bad word and saying no to the kids is not wrong and does not make you a bad parent.

You need to check with the insurer, to be sure. sm [2008-08-23]
I disagree with the other poster, most insurance companies now pay for this surgery. I live in upstate NY and have not heard of ANYONE being denied unless their weight/BMI is too low and they don't need to lose at least 100 pounds. I had the surgery, just a warning, if you are a grazer (like me) you can gain ALL the weight back, even with RNY.

check out this link.....sm [2008-08-22]
http://www.macscouter.com/cooking/CampingFood.asp There are a few recipes on the initial pages but the links on the left-hand side is where the really good recipes are. Check out the Geezers Cookbook for sure!

While you are googling, check out some sm [2008-08-21]
Boy Scout sites. They usually have some favorite camp meals and recipes that are relatively easy and quick because most of the cooking is done by boys 11 to 18 years old. Here are a couple of my troop's favorites: Foil Packet Dinner Any kind of meat or fish Any kind of vegetables but be sure to use some high-water content veggies such as onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, squash, etc. A dash or two of soy sauce or Worchestershire sauce. Aluminum foil Camp fire First, lay flat a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place choice of meat in the center of it. Salt and pepper or season to taste. Cover this with thin slices of a variety of veggies and then add a dash of sauce. Fold up butcher style making sure to seal all seams but leave enough room for the steam that will build up. Cook on hot coals (not directly in the fire) for 20 to 30 minutes depending on the meat until meat is done. Fish will take less time and hamburger meat will take longer. Some possible combinations: Hamburger with salt and pepper or seasoned salt, bell pepper, onions, potatoes, carrots, and green beans with Worchestershire sauce. White fish with lemon pepper seasoning, onions, potatoes and green beans (probably would not need any kind of sauce as this is all high water content). Ham, canned or thinly sliced fresh sweet potatoes, pineapple slices and soy sauce (no salt needed for this one as the soy sauce and ham will be salty). Dutch-Oven Peach Cobbler 1 box yellow cake mix 1 large can sliced peaches with juice 1 stick oleo or butter. Aluminum foil. Large dutch oven Line Dutch oven with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Dump the peaches in the oven. Dump the cake mix on top of the peaches and distribute evenly. Slice oleo or butter up in small pieces and dot over the top of the cake mix. Cover and cook on Coleman stove or on VERY hot coals near the fire for about 45 minutes. Knock DH and kids away from the fire as they begin to inhale the wonderful aroma! Hope this helps some.

Check this site out! [2008-08-01]
This site is amazing and i'm hooked! www.wishuponahero.com

Check the wait times in Canada for MRIs, etc, and see... [2008-07-30]
how bad universal healthcare really is. Believe me, nothing isfree...if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

priceless! I would have bet money [2008-07-30]
NO Transcriptionist ever actually won! Guess I would have lost that one, too!

Check the file size... it might be a very small JPEG - sm [2008-07-29]
so that they'll download/upload faster, and won't overwhelm the website with huge files. To get a less-grainy photo, try asking your daughter to email you the full-size file so you can save it to your computer for printing. For the best print quality, you want lots of pixels.... for example something like 1200 x 1800... to show the best detail. Then use your photo-editing software to make it whatever size you want for printing. When I save photo files to my PC, I usually know right away which ones I want to email (so I change them from large .bmp files to small .jpg files (around 75-200 pixels). If I'm going to be printing them, I just save them as large .bmp files. (When they're large they also come out better if you're going to Photoshop them.... clean up backgrounds, crop, etc.) If I want to email one of the .bmp files to someone later, I can always make it smaller and then copy it as a .jpg file for email purposes. (That way it doesn't take them half an hour to download one photo!)

money [2008-07-29]
Has anybody ever heard of a Transcriptionist winning the lotto? thought not...lol, and if you did, I bet she didn't keep on working!

Thanks! Got the email, and going to check out the site! nm [2008-07-24]

Please Check Your Email. [2008-07-24]
This thread is locked. Thanks, MTStars Support.

This comes from Money Magazine e-article. See link inside. [2008-07-19]
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/ManageDebt/Your5MinuteGuideToManagingDebt.aspx When the collectors are knocking If you've gotten in so deep that debt collectors are at the door, know your rights: Debt collectors may not harass, oppress or abuse you or any third party they contact. (See Make a deal with debt collectors.) They may not falsely imply that they are government representatives or that you have committed a crime. They may not tell you that you will be arrested if you do not pay your debts. I hope this helps.

Check if you have a computer lemon law in your state.nm [2008-07-19]
nm

Also check out this site sm [2008-07-18]
another wonderful way to help animals for free as well as other needy site. Only takes a few seconds. http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces

Her problem is/was that she could not check her (sm) [2008-07-16]
Yahoo email. In addition, reading between the lines, it sounds as though she is having connection problems as well. TO: The original poster: If this is the case, and you're still having problems, please email me and I'll help you out.

Where is she getting all the money for cabs? nm [2008-07-16]
nm

she works part-time so has money. nm [2008-07-16]
nm

Check out E-bay for the covers [2008-07-15]
There $5 still better than $18!

Check state laws . . . [2008-06-27]
In my state your divorce is not finalized until you have been living apart for six months. You file the papers, and have to live separately for six months for it to even be final or legal.

Loaning him money? [2008-06-23]

time for a reality check - [2008-06-23]
I heard this piece of wisdom recently. Judge men by what they do, not what they say, and you will never have any doubts about their intents.

If it's not happening, it's not happening. As for the money . . SM [2008-06-23]
I would be very suspicious of that, particularly from someone you barely see or talk to. Sounds either like he is married or a freeloader. or both. Save yourself the pain and move on.

Working all day Sat. for a little extra money so - [2008-06-12]
I can afford enough gas to drive into town on Sundays. Life is Simple: * Wake. * Work. * Eat (when I can afford it.) * Work. * Sleep. * Repeat.

still no stimulus check ! [2008-06-10]
Anyone else still waiting for their check to arrive via snail mail? Mine was supposed to be here a month ago. I

For anyone who has received a stimulus check by mail, have you all gotten a letter about a week [2008-06-03]
before the check stating when it would be arriving.

I agree with you so much! sm [2008-08-30]
I have two children and thankfully don't have those kinds of problems - but they all have their issues they need their parents' help with. But I have a brother who sounds very much like the son of OP. When he was 11 my stepfather kicked him out. His father and stepmother came and got him - I remember him crying and begging them not to send him and I cried and begged them not to make him go. When they started to put him in the car he spread his arms and legs and held onto the doorframe of the car fo dear life. His stepmother ran a nursing home in her house and my brother was required to bathe elderly patients at the age of 11. At 12 hey sent him back to live with us, and by 15 they had shipped him back to live with his dad and stepmom. At 16 he got a job at McDonalds and saved his money to buy a car. A few months later as a punishment his stepmother took the car and wouldn't let him have it back. He had worked and saved his money and earned it. He never felt loved his whole life. No one ever just focused on him and loving him and letting him know that he was valued. He became an alcoholic. He got several DUIs and finally had his license permanently revoked. Now, he has married and has 5 children. He is 35 years old and though he never graduated from high school and has no driver's license he is the manager of a crew that installs AC ductwork into high rise buildings. He does all of the planning and is very intelligent and manages many people. But he has to have someone drive him everywhere he goes. He never ever visits my mother and rarely calls her. He doesn't acknowledge her birthday, mother's day, etc. She can't understand why. She cries over it every holiday. You get what you pay for.

I moved coast to coast...sm [2008-08-29]
First, your niece is adorable! Can I moved from New Jersey to Seattle when I was 29. Knew absolutely no one. Friends/family asked me what I would do if I didn I could come home at any time. Still in Seattle, no regrets, visit family/friends almost yearly. Mom and sister eventually moved out here. Definitely do your homework. If possible, visit the area you plan on moving to, check out apartments/homes, the environment. If you have a lot of stuff, check into location/prices of storage. I had visited Seattle about a year before moving, talked to a few apartment managers to explain my out-of-state status and protocol for securing an apartment by phone when the time came, then eventually bought a house. At that time, I was not an MT, so worked for Kelly Temps for a few months. Again, my mantra--you are not in exile; you can go home if it does not work out. By moving to Seattle, I never have to ask, what would have happened if I had moved to Seattle? Best wishes, whatever you choose to do.

I never thought about thyroid... [2008-08-29]
I just looked it up a little bit and most of the symptoms are me to a T. Unfortunately,My husband just lost his job so I don So going to the doc is out of the question for a little while. School is starting next week and with 3 kids to buy shoes, backpacks, clothes for, etc. money is too tight. I Thanks for the idea though.I appreciate it. I I also have depression so when I get so fatigued I feel useless, bad for my kids, husband, etc which compounds my depression. So I Thanks again!

Your post described me :-) [2008-08-29]
Okay, this is the first break I I read your post and laughed because this has exactly happened to me. Over the past few days I havevisited too frequently and got behind on my work, so I made it a point not to visit the site until I finish my work. Gosh - talk about addicted

I've done it too a couple of times. [2008-08-29]
I moved from OH to FL when I was 19. I wanted to get away from the snow! I had the best time and wouldn't trade the experience for the world. I lived in Atlanta for 5 years, moved from there 5 years ago. The area was way too congested for my liking. Just to go to the grocery store was bumper to bumper traffic. As a matter of fact, there was traffic any time of the day or night. Even when you leave Atlanta and go 1 hour in any direction, you are STILL in traffic! It was ridiculous. The other thing about Atlanta that we did not like is that because of the rapid growth, we had trouble hiring anybody to do anything. We would get estimates for work on our house. They would want the money up front and then say we. It was awful. We ended up always hiring illegals (which there is also an abundance of in Atlanta and surrounding area) who always did a good job and always showed up! It even took 6 weeks to get a phone line put in. I could rant and rave for a long time about Atlanta but you get the picture. I really cannot recommend it. On the other hand, I am feeling a little jealous of your freedom. Do it while you can! Good luck.

Just a silly story about canning [2008-08-28]
When my brother and I were growing up we did not have a meal at home without applesauce. (He and I are both still a little that way) My mother decided to make homemade applesacue and can it to save money. Well canned applesauce certainly doesn't taste like White House. We hated it but we learned to love it. When we ate it all we begged for more but my mom hated the process of making it and canning it so much she refused to make anymore. When then had to go back to White House and it took forever before we learned to like it again. LOL!

I did leave the seeds in... [2008-08-28]
maybe that's it. Strange stuff. I also read you have to have a pressure-cooker for green beans and corn. I decided to blanch and freeze mine because I don't have the money right now for a pressure-cooker but that's on my list to watch the upcoming sales so I have one for next year. Good luck to you too! Its a great way to save money after the start up costs and a much healthier alternative to store bought.

Hooray - glad I'm not the only one [2008-08-27]
I have read that scientist who have been studying this for years and years say the earth is actually on a cooling trend and we are headed on our way to an ice age. I'm not sure whether or not I think Gore believes what he is saying. I know he is receiving a lot of money to say what he is, so I think that is a huge factor. One thing that bothers me about his theory is that he will not listen to the scientist who know what they are talking about. He just cashes the checks he is receiving (from the people who are not studying this). Also, the last time the planet was in its warming phase was before the industrial revolution when there was no polution, automobiles, etc. So why do a lot of people believe that that is why they think our planet is warming. I do believe the planet warms and cools in its own time and this is not something that is only caused by polution. Also I understand the sun has none (or very little) sun spots (? - don't know if sun spots is the correct word), but the sun should have a ton of these spots and the scientist are trying to figure out why they don't. DH told me many planets are being affected and if global warming is being caused by human polution, how can there be global warming on other planets. Maybe there are little green men and they are poluting the other plants. :-) P.S. - how about those carbon credits????? What a joke.

Globe TestMarket Surveys - is it worth the time? sm [2008-08-27]
I am thinking about signing up online to do Globe TestMarket Surveys to make some extra money....but was wondering if anyone has done this and if it is worth the time? Thanks

Carbon credits and life in the universe [2008-08-27]
I understand it the way the poster below said too. Either way Algore can keep poluting all he wants and throw a few bucks into his own company and make money off of it. I think its a little funny (or odd) that Algore is making money from the carbon credits. Life on other planets....do you have a couple hours? HA HA. IIt would just be a waste of space. P.S. - ISigns HA HA HA HA P.S.S. - I believe the wheat and cornfields are the Etch-A-Sketch for the Aliens.

Where do you go for this info? [2008-08-24]
I have been doing research and I found my grandfather's family that I had been told we all deceased, but I have a really hard time finding information. WOuld you mind sharing what resources you use to find things? I would really like to research more but I end up frustrated that I can't find anything. They always tell me there's stuff but then they want more and more money and I don't know how to research without spending a pretty nickel.

What's inappropriate to some... [2008-08-24]
is dead on the money for others. Some become uncomfortable when posts hit close to home, resulting in bashing of others.In a nutshell, we donThere are others outthere who agree with me,believe it or not. A lot of you here just wallow in your self-pity and poor me attitudes. No wonder the other board is so much better, there are positive attitudes over there.

I am getting so hungy looking at these. [2008-08-24]
what about tamale pie with those left over chips, better yet, just throw 'em out here where we can all get to them! anybody lately check out topsecretrecipes? Wendy hate kidney beans. It is wonderful in the winter. I use canned green chilies instead of fresh. I bet those chips would go good, too, instead of crackers. Perfect in a thermos for work or school.

mother started with a story from her [2008-08-24]
grandfather about his mother having a picture over her bed of general bragg, her father. this started about 1959 or so. I knew all my grandparents (one grandmother died in 2000 at 90)and I also knew three of my great-grandparents. By the time Mother got through, we were all in the UDC and qualified for colonial dames and DAR (I guess yankees got all our money and we haven't had any since!). My gm's family was part of the stephen f austin old 300 who settled Texas. My gm was a past President of the Texas Division of the UDC, just because of a story grandpa bob told one Thanksgiving. I think Mother said start with family bibles and death certificates. This will take untold amounts of time and effort. Our vacation memories from 1959 on are mostly of tombstones in Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina and Mobile, Alabama. And, of course, like most of us, I just have to say I am an American because by now there are just too many hyphens to think about! We did not even get to my gf, who was the first one born here in 1904 from swedish immigrants. I was the one who accidentally found a bjorkland on the ships roster of the titanic. Even the relatives in sweden did not know about him. Poor young man may have been coming here to meet with my great-gp's for all we know. When I think how interesting history could have been in school! I was so bored and in fact, it is fascinating, especially if you find any tidbit details about the actual people and what their lives were like. They were so constricted by peers and the times; just think, that old aunt everybody bragged on her cooking could today be a world renown chef. There was a PBS story about some black women in the south known for their quilting skills and the patterns they made up. Who knows how many today could have been famous artists? I see a lot of talent going to waste on walls of graffiti and overpasses. Some of these kids are remarkable, or could be. good luck with your tree chasing.

I wish everyone was like you - see message inside [2008-08-24]
I wish everyone would protest the marketing of Christmas. I think itmaking money off of Jesus. Especially when they make as much money if they put out decorations the day after Thanksgiving like its been done for years and years. I can't tell you how infuriated I get and my blood pressure rises thinking about this. I'm not a Christian (and I'm not an Athiest), but all I can think of is - Is this what Jesus would want, people to make money off of me? Growing up we celebrated Christmas. Got all the fun gifts like slinkies, easy bake oven, Lite Brite, barbie dolls, etc, but nothing like I-pods, computers, XBox (you know all the $300 a pop gifts) and we considered ourselves very very lucky. For us we celebrated Christmas mostly for the spiritual reasons (not marketing). My sister and I were in girl scouts and we did a lot to help the less fortunate, and I remember on at least 3 occasions (maybe more, but I remember 3) we went through all our toys and clothes and all the stuff we didn't play with anymore that were still in good condition were rounded up and given to a home that a lot of kids lived at (it might have been an orphanage but I don't remember) - I just remember wrapping up our toys and giving them to the kids and they were so thankful and happy. I really wish more people would walk out of a store without buying anything at the stores that decide to start marketing Jesus before Thanksgiving.

I am a pagan and I agree [2008-08-24]
I believe there is no tribute to Jesus in commercializing Christmas. If you are a Christian and follow the bible in John 4:23 it says �The true worshipers shall worship the Father in the spirit and in truth�, yet you go through the rituals and accept family traditions at the holidays as �truth� when in actuality it has nothing to do with a Jesus. The Christmas tree was actually a symbol of the resurrection of a pagan god. The pagan sun worshippers would place a Yule log on their fire to symbolize that their pagan god, Nimrod, had died. The next day they would cut down an evergreen tree to stand in their homes to symbolize the resurrection of Nimrod through his son Tammuz. The green tree was a symbol of life and was decorated in red berries and small balls that represented the sun. The actual birth date of the Christ child is not known. The date of Dec 25th was chosen by Pope Julius I. It seemed to be a convenient choice since Saturnalia (a celebration of the god Saturn), as well as all winter solstice festivals fell around the same time. Early Christians thought it an abomination to celebrate a pagan god, so they combined Saturnalia with their own holiday � the birth of the Christ child - and created a single celebration for their own uses. Santa Claus is a mythological figure, also pagan. He was of Norse legend. The Norse believed that the goddess Hertha appeared in the fireplace and brought good luck to the home. It is strange that a day never mentioned in the bible should become the so-called �Christian� holiday of the entire year. A day never celebrated by Yeshua the Messiah, or his apostles, or others. So for all those who believe they are being �good Christians� by celebrating Jesus birthday on Dec 25th and going through all the rituals, you are actually honoring the pagan sun gods, and making a lot of stores lots of money.

I just don't its right to generalize about people.sm [2008-08-24]
Not everyone is in financial straits because they live beyond their means so to speak whatever that means. Sometimes you lose your job. Sometimes you have an illness or an injury. When did trying to pay utilities, rent, food, just basic needs become living beyond your means. I'm living beyond my means I guess because I can barely afford the necessities. What do I cut out? Electricity? Food? Shelter? I don't even have TV because where I live you need satellite to get any channels and I can't afford it. (Don't really miss it though). I need my phone and ISP to bring in the little money I do make. We all don't have a second income to fall back on. Please don't generalize that people are in debt for things you think they don't need.

Before the post gets buried below regarding credit - very long message sm [2008-08-24]
I just wanted to share with the posters who were considering bankruptcy. Unless you are on the verge of losing your home, I would strongly encourage you to consider another option. Bankruptcy does not just go away after a few years. It Even if you rebuild your credit afterwards, it A friend and my in-laws also filed bankruptcy in the past. My in-laws filed over 20 years ago and have recovered financially but it My husband is a credit card spender. I would only spend when I had the cash and did not depend on credit. It didn Our spending habits combined nearly led to our financial demise a few years back too. This is what I did and I hope you give it a try and it works for you too. I started with a complete inventory of all of our bills, separating them into three categories. Home (mortgage and utilities) Credit cards - (lowest balance to highest balance regardless of the APR) Miscellaneous bills (entertainment, clothing, food, gas, fast food, etc.) Since the Home category is pretty consistent every month, I set up a budget for that first. I went back through our utility bill for the year prior and chose the highest month bill of the year and added that amount to our mortgage amount. Next, I reviewed our telephone, internet, and television (satellite) bills. On average, I was paying about 230.00 per month for them all combined. Way too much in my opinion. I started shopping around and found a bundle package with Verizon. Now I pay 153.00 per month for unlimited long distance telephone, satellite TV, and DSL service. Saved $77.00 per month, just doing that. Then I added this amount to the mortgage and utilities. This totalled amount is what I know I absolutely have to pay every month and I better make sure it's in the account. Next, I did the Miscellaneous. I I started going over what was spent where and learned that we spent a lot more than we really needed to. I set up a weekly grocery budget and a fun budget. If there was anything extra at the end of the week, it was divided evenly between the two and added to the next week. I do this every week until the end of the month. If there is anything left over, that amount is divided in half again and half is divided again and added to the following week's budget (grocery and fun), the other half is locked away in the savings account. The money for monthly gas was a little trickier when the gas prices skyrocketed. I first had a set limit for gas each week but did have to adjust that. I did manage to adjust it a little bit upwards and still be able to pay the cards down (see below.) Also, every time I spend cash, no matter if the amount is $5.01 and all I need is a penny, I don Instead, I will give them $6.00 and get 0.99 change to put in my giant size espresso cup of change. When the cup gets full, the change is rolled and turned in to the bank as a deposit into the savings account. My cup last gave me $281.00 change to put in the savings account. That was in March. It Nobody touches the cup! They might lose a finger or even a hand! That being said, and having two set amounts for each budget, I then subtracted that amount, plus the Household amount from our combined monthly income. Lastly came the dreaded credit cards. To be honest, I was floored when I learned just how much credit card debt we had. My husband had wracked up over $40,000.00 in credit card debt alone. Since he paid his own credit card bills each month, I had no idea. Even worse than that, he is very inconsistent about paying his bills on time so he had late charges and the interest rates were way the heck up there. It was terrible. I took each of his cards most current statements and started from the lowest to highest balance. The lowest one was about 1200.00 but the interest rate on it by that time was 22%. This is where I started. I had him call the company and basically gave him a script to go by (my name wasn He requested a decrease in his APR on each and every card. Two of the five card companies agreed on the first call. The 22% card was reduced to 11% so they cut it in half. Not as low as I would like but it was a start. Another card was up to 31% and they reduced that to 20%. The other three didn't budge the first time. This is where I made two The first one was MS Money software. I highly recommend it. You can set up your checking, savings accounts, print your checks, balance your checkbook in about 5 minutes, pretty much a no brainer software that really keeps you in line with your bills and spending as long as you remember to faithfully enter any debit card purchase in your check register provided with the software. It will also link to many banks to update your balances online. You can also set it up to remind you for upcoming bills. (Maybe if the husband had used this earlier, we would not have been in this situation?) The second purchase was about $8.00. An accordion file folder for the monthly statements. Husband always threw his away and I cana dumb idea that is. KEEP them. Organize the tabs for each bill and put your statement in when you pay each bill. I also write the date and the amount when I make a payment somewhere on the statement, then keep them in chronological order. The actual payments came next. The smallest balance card was paid off first. All of other cards only got the minimum payment PLUS $1 more. I started doing this just for my own peace of mind I guess but I learned later that this actually helped us a bit when negotiating the lower APRs on the three more stubborn cards. It may have only been $1 extra but it was EXTRA payment and, believe it or not, they do look at that. Excluding the card to be paid off first, I added up the minimum payments of the remaining four cards (plus the extra dollar to each of those) and decided on an amount to pay the lowest balance card to get that balance moving toward 0 as fast as I could. In this case, I decided on 200.00. This left me with a little over 200.00 extra (I call it mad money but it really goes into savings anyway -planning ahead for birthdays, auto insurance, Christmas, and emergencies.) I had that card paid off relatively quickly in a few months. When it was paid off, the card was cancelled and that 200.00 was added to the minimum payment (plus $1) on the next lowest balance card. After the first month of this, once again, had the husband call his credit card company and ask for a reduction in his APR. This time it was granted. Should also mention that this card was one of the three that refused the request the first time. The first six months or so of this wasa mildly painful transition. He was used to whipping out a credit card, I was used to having cash on hand for whatever I wanted. It wasn't going to happen anymore. Finally, I wasdown to the last remaining card (754.00 per month payment by this time, having applied the payments for each card to the next as they were paid off.) When I got to this point, I started shopping around for cards with rewards programs and started comparing those cards. The last card I was paying on also had a rewards program but not quite what I wanted. I wanted to know if the terms were negotiable. It was! How about that! So, instead of losing a valuable customer the card company decided to keep me. Now I get 3% back on purchases of most things as long as I pay the balance in full every month (which I do). Any kind of air or rail travel purchased with the card is a 6% reward. I no longer use a debit card. The husband is not allowed to get a credit card again but instead, takes a certain amount of cash every week. Say what you want but he got us into this mess pretty much so he has to live with it now. It I find that I average about 400.00 per month AFTER the rewards bonuses kick in so essentially I am able to bank another $354.00 per month in savings. It adds up quicker than you might think. Should also mention that we have two teens still at home and they can really be expensive. They were made a part of the plan and do their part to help out too. Their contribution is mostly the avoidance of fast food all the time. They can come home and have a meal or eat before they leave. Things like that. Sorry for the lengthy post but hopefully I can help anyone else get out of a potentially bad financial situation like we faced.

P.S. [2008-08-24]
Forgot to add... I will increase my car paymentafter the last credit card is paid off too so... it will essentially triple what my car payment is now and I will have it completely paid off much sooner. If it You really do. Then, when you have it all paid, just think of the money you will be saving every single month and how fast your savings will grow! After that, you can start checking into making that money make even MORE for you later. IRAs, CDs... lots of options out there but you need to investigate every available one.

This is wonderful. [2008-08-24]
I forget the man ironically enough you can charge it on your card to purchase! So, kind of funny there! I checked out the book at the library instead, figured out what to do, and still have not gotten around to it. I need to get it all down on paper, and I However, he does put his own gas in the car and treats us for different odds and ends, fast food, movie night, day at the beach, you get the picture... The only problem I see with this is the way I get paid. I am an IC. I only have one online company that truly pays me on time. My other accounts I bill every other week but they don Also, the work fluctuates. So, I may make $1.400.00 a month with one account but if the docs go on vacation, that can bring it down to say $600.00 a month. So while your plan, I agree, is wonderful and yes it does work, and yes Ibudget wise income wise for me personally being an IC and having fluctuating work. I might add the online company I range anywhere from 14,000 to 20,000 lines a month given the work is there, I work from a pool; no line quotas, and no set schedule. So, I need to be on my toes to grab the work. I do have a lot of accounts to choose from, but when I go out twice a week to pick-up work, I am away from the computer, hence losing some of those jobs I could have grabbed. I check all day long until 11 p.m. to make sure I take all that I can. Sorry this is so long, but I think thatfloundering on this budget thing where I am never sure if Imy end of the budget every month. I don been doing it 20 years, and love it and love being at home with the kids (school age), but still...

not to worry - sm [2008-08-24]
It's tough to tie ourselves up with something like this. I completely understand. During the past few years my husband has lost his job, got a new one, I have lost income to various reasons (mostly not enough work) but have managed to stick with the plan. Sometimes it hurts just a little bit for sure. In your situation, maybe you can set your limits a little lower according to your income each month but maintain one constant... the one you are trying to pay off. Other things can slide a little bit if they need to but just maintain that one bill that you are putting the bigger money on. I should have mentioned earlier too - Car insurance! Did you know that some companies offer you a tiny little discount when you pay every 6 months or once a year, rather than once a month? I now pay about $30 less every year because I pay every 6 months. I know, it's only $30 but it is what it is right? While everything may not really be negotiable, that's the attitude I have adopted and it has helped me change my money habits for sure. So what if they tell you no the first time, or the second time, or even the third. Keep asking. By the way, if you remember the name of that book, please post it. I would be interested in reading it too. Maybe there is something else I have missed that I could be doing.

I realize this is a private matter, but [2008-08-24]
is there someone close to the both of you that could be present when you tell him. Ordinarily, I would recommend meeting him in a public place, but in this case, since it is a financial affair, I wouldn However, if there is someone you are both close to, perhaps you could have them present (even if only in the other room) while you tell him. Another possibility may be to discuss this with your in-laws first. Again, I wouldn Depending on their reaction, perhaps you could all sit down together and they could help you work this out. If all else fails, call your attorney and schedule a meeting where he will mediate. I would not tell this man alone in person. It doesna safe thing to do.

No the in-laws are not an option the only reason - sm [2008-08-24]
we borrowed from them was they did not want us taking a loan and paying interest...so they gave/loaned us $14K interest free, I have it down to $10K so far. That is the extent of their involvment. DH would rather die than have his parents know about this I know that. They do have the money to help but that would put us under their thumb the rest of their lives and I don't think either one of us could deal with that. We do have some assets we can sell that would pay off at least half of the debt, though I don't see him being too thrilled about doing that, it is a good solution to part of the problem. I am considering talking to my brother or my dad, but again he will have a cow when he finds out about that (he will lose face in his mind). He always worries about what others think about him, etc, it gets real wearing at times.

This may be a little late but hope you read the post and it helps [2008-08-24]
There are many sites you can go to. The one I frequent the most is a genealogy forum. Below are some sites I go to often... http://genforum.genealogy.com/ http://www.cyndislist.com/ http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp http://www.familytreesearcher.com/ http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ http://www.cousinconnect.com/ http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/ Then if I'm stumped sometimes I'll type in last name and the town and/or country they were born in and a whole bunch of info can be found. I hope the above links have helped. I haven't been to this site in awhile so forgot to check back on my original message. I did find out that one of my husbands great, great (don't know how many greats) married Robert the Bruce, and I found that my grandmother's uncle was the mayor of Preston England. I've found a website that has pics of him. Also is interesting to find out what type of people our in our history. One of my husband's great uncles dressed as a woman to leave ireland (don't know why), and one of his great great uncles was an outlaw from the wild wild west days. It's great fun.

Not exactly... [2008-08-23]
It isn't offensive that you have a good life, I could really care less if you or your hubby are the supportives. What is offensive is that you feel you can judge others and look down upon them when they don't have a good life. You should be thankful your hubby makes good money, but you should never, EVER look down on or judge others who don't. Where would you be without your hubby's money? In the same place they are, so all we ask is that you don't judge others when you don't know what it's like.