Providing references when getting auto loan

Great website references [2008-10-27]
Thanks so much! I saw the wrap on someone about a year ago and have been looking at all the stores to try to find them. I see similar items but not exactly the one that is adjustable and this is exactly what I saw.

I could loan you my husband for a week. I'm not frugal, [2008-09-23]
mm

Have you considered a home equity loan to [2008-07-02]
pay off all your credit cards?

Providing references when getting auto loan [2008-05-15]
I have to buy a car and the finance company (Capital One) requires 10 references. I don't know this many people. Has anyone been in a similar situation...what did you do? I have family, but do not want them to know that I am buying a car. Any advice?

I was wondering why they need references [2008-02-13]
A skunk smells it

it isn't your child - leave your references to [2007-12-10]
r and ending in e to yourself. What an absurb comparison and shows that you are a person who looks through single-vision glasses. How negative of you to be so belittling of someone else. This whole thread is getting out of hand with very little logical thinking to be found. Lots of opinions, but every has one of those and some stink worse than others!

My auto clock fell back too, just had to adjust it... [2007-10-28]
make sure to check yours again next Sunday morning. The auto clocks are on the previously scheduled time change rotation, not the new one (my clock is 2 years old). the newer ones should be on the right schedule.

Guess he can take out a loan for future schooling! Son found a phone [2007-10-20]
s

A baked yam or sweet potato is supposed to have the same effect, providing you don't [2007-06-08]
s

single wide are only kind to depreciate; hard to get loan [2007-05-29]
nm

Stated Income Home Loan [2007-04-12]
I am a self-employed IC and have purchased 4 homes in 4 different states as a single person. I was able to obtain a Stated Income Mortgage based on my credit, rather than my W2. No tax info was used, needed or requested. I guess, if your income is needed along with your husband But as a single person you can obtain a home loan based on your credit and not your tax info. Also, if you donsecond against the house you are purchasing to finance your downpayment. You will have a short-term payment for the downpayment and your 30 yr note on the home. I was also able to obtain very low interest rates based on my credit rating. Good luck, I did have to provide extra documents when I purchased one home with my exhusband.

Does anyone know of any chatrooms or message boards providing support for caregivers? sm [2007-01-05]
I am currently caring for my husband who is suffering from a rare form of dementia and would love to find an online support network. Thanks for any suggestions.

Has anyone had experience with a consolidation loan? [2006-11-19]
gg

If your loan is an FHA-backed loan, you can contact the [2006-11-13]
to help you. Each state has one assigned to it by the FHA. I'm talking the FHA loans that are 5% down, sometimes bond money is available, etc. Not the one where payments are based on your income, etc. Whatever you do, contact your mortgagor TODAY. Do NOT delay. Be realistic about what you can do financially to recover -- do not agree to terms you cannot realistically carry out. You should have several options available to you before foreclosure is started. You might even try to do a quick sale of your home. You have until the very moment they auction that title off. Try looking for information here: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/HomeFinancing/FacingForeclosure9Options.aspx http://www.hud.gov/foreclosure/index.cfm http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/nsc/reliefop.cfm

Gift Giving [2008-11-29]
I just got married in July 2008, bought a new home, and am now expecting my third child in April 2009 so we ourselves have had many blessings this year but our financial situation is also pretty tight. We will not be buying gifts for anyone but our children. Our family will receive homemade treats this year. We still like to do something nice for them because they have done so much for us this year and every year but we don't have a lot of money to play with. In my case, we take care of our obligations (bills, our children, etc.) before we worry about gifts. We feel that providing our children with things that need and the love that they deserve is more important than any material gift will ever be. Our family understands our situation and is very happy just to spend the holidays with us without the expectation of a gift because honestly the quality time with family is the biggest gift we could give each other. In my opinion, you should just explain the situation to them and let them know that you will not be giving gifts this year. They may take it hard but they will get over it. You have to do what you have to do. Gifts aren't the real reason for the Christmas season anyhow. Good luck to you!

It's not just about rolling pin [2008-11-24]
It's more about asking me first. What If I loan out his PS3 or baseball kit without asking him? Oh come on ... you can't imagine the fuss he is going to create over it. Furthermore, If it was something easy to clean, and such, I'd be more prone to loan it out. I haven't priced rolling pins in a while, but I know that it seemed steep when I bought it! (I kind of did my own hope chest. I had dishes, glassware, flatware, linens, pans and such before I moved out! I started buying in my teens.)

No, I don't think they're hidden from us at all [2008-11-22]
Most people know, or can discover with a little research, that most of the things we get are easily preventable or cured, over time, by our own immune systems. Taking antibiotics for a cold is not only foolish, but dangerous. And not just for you, but for all of us. Itminor things. The best care you can give yourself, besides preventive care (stay out of the sun, you eat right, exercise, if you etc etc) is supportive care. If you donINTRUDER!!! ATTACK!!! Ideally I should be able to deal with my pain by growing my own natural remedies, but the Federal Government tends to frown on a garden full of opium poppies and marijuana plants. Willow bark just donhidden, they're just not encouraged or advertised. Being a heathen gives me a distinct advantage in the area of herbalism as we tend to try traditional remedies before running to the doctor. Even if I'm fairly certain that about half the time the traditional remedy makes you feel better because it's loaded with alcohol (in our case). No, drugs do NOT take too long to make it to market. They make it too quickly. Before AIDS hit it could take 30 years for a new drug to make it to market. Now they're being released so quickly they've not had time to test for long term effects. Vioxx is a good example of what can go wrong with that one. Who would have guessed using it long-term could kill you? It definitely damages your heart. That's just one of many drugs that were fast-tracked, that shouldn't have been, and that are now the focus of class action lawsuits after people have been injured or killed due to lack of long-term clinical studies. Are there drugs that made it to market quickly that have proven safe? Of course there are. Unfortunately there's no way for us to tell in advance how thoroughly something has been tested, how long it spent in R&D or how wide-ranging the clinical trials may have been. So we're all guinea pigs now. It really is a balance. I feel that for myself, itpersonal responsibility and we seem to have a dearth of it in this country.

abused pit bulls [2008-11-09]
Again I refer to the web site I have posted which gives statistics regarding pit bull ownership by criminals. I don Of course I am not suggesting that you orblondiearecriminals, but I would hope that you could at least admitthat a large percentage of pit bulls are owned by those involved in drugs and other crimes, with the purpose of attacking and/or intimidatingothers in their criminal circle. There are countless other breeds capable of providing the same companionship and loyalty and unconditional love as a pit bull, but without the strength and aggression to kill human beings. Did you read on the web site about the 24-year-old woman who was killed in her own bed by her 2 pit bulls she had raised since puppyhood? Nobody knows what happened, but these were her two babies, and yet then turned on her and killed her. It is believed that she could have had a seizure, as she was epileptic. Why would a dog perceive their master lying in bedhaving a seizure(if indeed that is what happened) as a threat, and why would they kill her? What set them off? Ask yourself THAT question. Ifpit bullswere the only loyal dog or the only loving dog available to own, I could maybe understand the risk all you owners are taking. But that is just not the case. There are so many other breeds with which you can form that same bond, without the terrible risks.

No when I originally wrote the check [2008-11-08]
The check was a voided check to Wal-Mart and the Loan company, CNH Capital, knew that and cashed it anyway. I thought it was illegalfor someonecash a check that did not belong to them.

I wrote a $10 check to Wal-Mart and turned in to a $40 mistake so far. [2008-11-05]
Here is what happened. When you write a check at this Wal-Mart here, they have you sign something and give the check back. I stuck it back in my purse. They are supposed to void. I was cleaning at my purse that day and paying bills at the same time. I wrote a $250 to pay a loan. I really don A week later, i was looking at my acct online. I notice that that $10 I had written to Wal-Mart went through twice. I called the bank and asked why. They said, oh, it looks like Wal-Mart double dipped. so I was refunded the money. I don Anyway, I became concerned about why that 250 check didn They said $10 was credit to my acct. I did not connect the 2 at the time. I thought, 10, I don The man told me he would look into it incase there was a mistake. He called back the day later and said that was a $10 originally written to Wal-Mart and we cashed it. So I called the bank and told them. They then had me go to wal-mart because they said I owed them $10 back. I go to wal-mart and they say no it is the Telecheck, company they use for this service andthey thanked me for trying to clear it up and said Telecheck will be contacting me. So I get a letter in the mail saying I owe $40 plus I am not allowed to write checks anywhere that uses their service until I pay that $40 back. Whatscares me is that that check said VOID on it and that other bunch wasstill able to cash it and get their money, which I think was dishonest of them...also my bank let it go through.Now what if I were to loosea bunch of those type checks and someone cashes itAGAIN. Man I would be out a lot.Do you think any of this is right? TIA.

I just went thru something similar - sm [2008-10-24]
I was the one back in late August and then back on Oct. 13 or so----I had racked up a ton of debt on his and my credit cards which he knew nothing about. I finally confessed to him, he reacted pretty well considering the bomb I dropped on him. He does not want to divorce over it thank God but some amazing miracle. Obviosly your situation is a bit more complex. My DH is not that controlling. I was/am the one to get the mail, and would decide what he would see or not see, though he had no scruples about reading my mail, he would get upset if I ever read anything personal sent to him. As I know it is nothing to get bent about I let that one go. He has never cheated and even confirmed that when I confessed my deceit and financial infidelity to him. Luckily he still loves me enough to keep it together. He is trying a little more, though he has backed off doing a few things he used to around the house, I have taken on more responsibility around here, the price I have to pay I guess. I did 85% of it before, now, 95% (he used to cook dinner....now it looks like I get the pleasure of doing it from now on as he has not done it once since the 13th. Granted any reference to buying anyting is , we cannot afford it....which we can, but yes things are going to be a bit tight for the next five years, but we will manage. I have not done it yet, but Monday going to get the wheels rolling and do CCCS for my debts. His will be taken care of soon as we are selling off a bunch of mutual funds from the 401K (loan) so no penalties though with the economy we will have to sell more than we would have a few months ago which stinks. ---He is willing to economize now that he knows there is an issue though (he makes about 4x what I do). You will have to bit the bullet and confess as well. It is not easy. I wrote him a note and then left the house for a short while, then came back and we talked it all out. I figured my marriage would be over, but I think for the kids and still some feelings for me he wants to keep it all together. We have a good life together for the most part and he knows that. We do things together as a family, still have enjoyable sex once a week (took him 9 days after my confession), and are in tune with each other and the kids. Considering it he has been so good after it , you never know your husband might surprise you like mine did. He has not really made any comments for a week now, which is amazing in itself. My DH generally is the type of guy who blames everyone else for his mistakes and takes no responsibility for anything, so that is why it was such a shock that he is handling this all so well. Generally he acts like a 3-y/o and holds grudges. So it is possible your husband can be a standup guy. I guess it will depend on how much he cares for you, keeping the marriage together and not becoming a part-time dad or having to give you the house or a ton of money.....I am sure that all factored in in my situation. All I said was that no one would win in a divorce. He has been divorced before so I know he does not wnat to go thru that again, sees it as personal failure. But I feel so much better for telling him, a huge weight has been lifted. I still have a lot to get thru but the worst is over. I know my streess is still up there some, but I know longer have to worry about him finding out, etc. So you need to formulate a plan, maybe set aside some ready cash, and and tell him what is going on. You can email me if you want. I hope it all works out for you.

I think it's a great idea . . . [2008-10-22]
to host Christmas dinner for everyone. And, I also think you should not apologize or feel you have to make excuses for no gifts. This is going to be a lean Christmas for everyone, and you providing and cooking the dinner is a lot of stress and everyone needs to understand that and be appreciative!!

Increase your insurance deductibles [2008-10-21]
Build up an emergency fund and increase your auto and homeowner insurance premiums to $1,000. You�ll save hundreds per year in premium.

Okay then.....sm [2008-10-16]
That bright shiny new car in my neighbor's driveway would make me happy. I think I will just go hotwire it and drive away in it. After all, if God wants me to be happy, then it's okay, right? Or maybe that married guy down at the auto part store just really makes my motor run. I think I will just seduce him and have an affair with him and cause his marriage to break up. God said he wants me to be happy, right? My neighbor is building an addition to his house....and he is doing all the work in the middle of the night and I can't sleep for the hammering and sawing. I think I will just go over and kill him and then I will be happy that I can finally sleep. God wants me to be happy, right? WRONG!!! Can you see the flaw in this line of reasoning? God gave us laws by which to live and wants us to follow these laws. If everyone did follow these laws, then everyone would be happy. However, thiefs, adulterers, murderers, and yes, even gays, choose not to follow the laws. Christians sometimes do not follow the laws either, in case you were about to point that out. Until this world/nation gets back to the Bible, no one will truly be happy, and I am sorry to say that I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Thanks for the kind words and advice - sm [2008-10-15]
I think I will look into CCCS. A friend of mine used them 8 or so years ago, though she did not have to pay a monthly fee (asked her about this yesterday), but things are probably different now especially with so many people using them now. Luckily my DH is not on any of my cc accounts, though I am on one of his as a user, but that one will be paid off in full in about a month or less, once we get the money from the loan. We woke up yesterday to finding out my daughter had lice again so I think that distraction is actually helping things, he stayed home with her while I had to go out, had a school committment I could not get out of, and re-treated her (after I had already done Rid, he did olive oil as he could still see critters). So he got a taste of what I did 5 weeks earlier. So I was glad, kind of afraid to leave him home alone in case he ended up getting really depressed and doing something to hurt himself. Obviously he is not happy as a lark or anything but at least he is talking to me. Got the loan paperwork all filled out and mailing in today. Once his are taken care of he will be a bit more happy, though not about the loan, but it is really the only way as we don't want to do a home equity loan/line, and that would be a worse thing to do financially. Yes, I do feel a lot better though at his expense. At least he got up and went to work today, so that was good.

No we have to do it this way....he is using that -sm [2008-10-15]
to pay his, I am doing CCCS I guess. We do not want to do bankruptcy, plus we own some property, which he does not want to see, though neither do I, and they would go after that in a bankruptcy. We have done a loan before on the 401K, not a big deal, paid it back in 5 years. We will do the same thing again and still make our current contributions of about $10K a year to it. So we are not shortchanging ourselves too much. He is starting to get mad now though, shock is wearing off, wish it wasn't. But I made the mess and have to live with the consequences. He just wants all the loose ends tied up quickly. I have faith that we won't lose our house....he is now convinced we will....we have never been late with the mortgage and I don't intend to now....with his cards paid off it will free up about $500 (after the loan payback), and I know mine will be reduced so that will free up probably another $500, so we will be okay, actually in better financial shape than before in terms of cash flow, though in debt for 5 years.

I posted back in late August about cc debt - sm [2008-10-14]
in response to someone else giving advice on what to do. I told you about how I had a ton of debt my DH knew nothing about, how I was afraid of him, etc. and that I just did not know how to tell him.I consulted a lawyer and got some insight and advise in case things went really bad whenIdid tell him.Well I finally bit the bullet and told him on Monday. He was off from work, kids were in school, I wrote a 4 page letter laying it all out. I went out in the LR and I asked him if he loved me and was happy in our marriage, I got yes Then I handed him the note (bawling at this point) and said I was going out for a little while and we would talk when I came back. He called me 10 minutes later, upset yes, but not nuts as I expected. We ended up talking for 2 hours. He was quite good about it which really surprised me, he was in shock though. Later last night after he got drunk not horribly so but enough, though he did not turn nasty. I hadasked him not to drink but he ignored that, so as a result he broke down said a few things which I probably deserved, though he does not believe I was scared of him....denied ever threatening to kill me, said if he did he was kidding and it was his sick sense of humor. I told him I take all death threats seriously. But comes down to he does not want to divorce over it, for which I am happy and grateful, and I think this will ultimately help us. We are taking a 401K loan for the debt on his cards, and I will go to a credit consolidator for the debt on my cards......any recommendations on that front? My credit is in the dump so this is not going to make it much worse. In five years we will be free and clear, paid off debt and house at that point. I have a huge breach of trust to heal and don So he learned whata conniving wife he has and I learned that I had what I wanted all along, just didn We still have a lot to work out, and I am in for 5 or more years of snide backbiting remarks at times I am sure, but I think there is hope for us actually.

What's hard is that [2008-10-13]
we have been keeping all of our kids' college funds in the stockmarket. After a big hit in 2001, they were doing OK. But now that we're really having to use them, the money just isn't there. I'm wondering if it makes more sense to keep the money in the market (waiting for recovery) and take out a loan for the college tuition.

I think we have all waited too late [2008-10-13]
to take our money out of the market. We probably should have made the move a year ago. I don't know what to tell you to do. I guess it would depend on the amount of interest you would have to pay on the loan. I think it will be several years before the market recovers.

I'm going back to school!!!! [2008-10-09]
Sorry ya'll I am just so excited! I've really been wanting to go back and finish my psychology degree and now I can! We're gonna have to sacrifice some things (bye bye cable TV and cell phone extras) but if I don't go now when will I?? I just hope that this economic mess doesn't mess up my Stafford loan.... :/

I do agree with you, but I think some [2008-09-27]
could be people who have lost jobs. I live in a state where Bank of America took over MBNA and many many good paying jobs were lost with not much severence. So, in essence those people were making enough money and now they are not and with everyone else job searching, it is tough. The funny thing is that most of them decided to try IGA, which has now failed as well and are not in good shape. Although I do strongly agree about the ARM loans, I think the trouble is coming from people who have lost good-paying jobs and have had to accept lesser pay but then the house won It's sad really on both sides of that coin.

Exactly my point [2008-09-24]
If you don't like it, you don't have to come here and read it either! You aren't going to change the way the hundreds of posters are here...you'd be better off changing what you do rather than complaining about others. Looks like you are just asking for an argument, I won't be providing it any further.

I don't know what state you're in or if that [2008-09-24]
makes a different but when my husband was hired by the state, he interviewed in July and didn First off, as someone else mentioned below, it depends on what the closing date is. Whether they have 3 applicants or not to interview doesn it goes by the closing date. They legally cannot make their choice until the position is closed. After the closing date, they will do an extensive background check before notifying the chosen applicant. My husband They only check the top choice If his/her background check, doesn After the chosen one You go through a bunch of blood work and a physical exam and a TB test. Then finally, you get a start date. Depending on the type of facility, he may need to go for training. My husband works for the state pen and had to go for 6 weeks of defensive training. All in all, it The waiting is agony, but if he gets the job, it The benefits are unbeatable. Good luck -- hope your hubs gets it!!!

I never have, but my sister did. She didn't - sm [2008-09-16]
have remorse about it because (a) the (ex)-boyfriend that got her pregnant was a creep and she didn and (b) in order to stay in school. She had just started college, which our dad, a very strict, authoritarian sort of person with old-fashioned values, was paying for 100%. She knew that without a doubt, if he had found out she'd gotten pregnant (and he was a Catholic - compounding the problem!), that he would have pulled the plug on her college-funding and kicked her out of the house. That would have ruined the rest of her life. As a result of being able to have an AB on-request, and without my parents' knowledge, she was able to finish her education and get a Master's Degree in Education. She went on to become a fine teacher who got all sorts of awards for her innovative teaching ideas. Later, she changed careers and now works in the healthcare industry in the area of aging well. Without her education, she would be working a low-paying job, and possibly even made the mistake of marrying the good-for-nothing boyfriend, just to keep a roof over her head. Anyway, that's HER story. Everyone's situation, reasons for doing what they do, and feelings about it afterward are different. Just going through with the birth of the child & putting it up for adoption doesn't necessarily guarantee it a good home, either. Especially if it doesn't happen to be a Caucasian child with no health problems, which is what not all, but most, people want. Other people have ABs because the remorse they say they would feel for that is less than what they would feel if they actually delivered, and saw, the child, and then had to give it up. Anyway, everything in life has a price, there are always decisions to make. You made the decision you had to make at the time, so I hope that in time your sadness dissipates. If you had to do it over again NOW, then of course you probably wouldn't. But this is now and that was then, so please try not to feel too sad about the past. Now that you do have children, I'd be willing to bet that you're loving them even more, and taking care of them even better, than you might have if you hadn't had to part with your first pregnancy. So in a way, your first child's legacy lives on in the lives you're providing for your existing children now. And that's what matters most in the end.

AB [2008-09-16]
I have never had an abortion myself but recently discovered a close friend did. I had a miscarriage and that's how the subject came up. She felt the need to compare our stories as if they were similar. We talked at great length but I don't think she feels remorse even to this day. I don't agree that the 2 are similar in any way. I agree with you completely that there are plenty of options for adoption and providing a child to a family who can't have their own - that is the unselfish way of making a difficult decision to whether or not you are in the position to have a child. Personally, I think there are so many options out there for birth control I do not see any need for abortion. I know they say there is a margin for error with birth control and accidents happen but coming from a person who has no fertility trouble what so ever and it taking many months to become pregnant, twice...I feel many people use that as a cover up for their own stupidity of not protecting themselves to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. I also do not agree in abortion for the sake of a proposed medical problem in an unborn child. You get what you get, deal with it and life goes on. It shouldn't be like shopping for a new pair of jeans and dropping them at a charity location if you decide in a few weeks that they don't work for you any more. Just a personal opinion. I'm glad you look at things differently now. Maybe the experience was meant to help you grow as a person. I feel that everything happens for a reason. Good luck to you.

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.

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.

one thing I noticed is now we are [2008-08-23]
starting to see similarities because for the first time we are developing pictorial references and can see some of our ancestors. I have a pic of my grandfather as a young boy and my nephew was almost the spitting image of him. My uncle was almost a dead ringer for his grandfather whom none of us ever knew because he died young. Before 1900, most everyday people never had images of themselves made, and only a few had it done for deceased as it would be the only one ever made. You are right, it is fascinating. Just think, they all had their own stories.

Word 2007 [2008-08-18]
For more, Word 2007 is a lot different as far as auto correct and things I commonly used. I would rather stick with 2000 if at all possible.