Money

I filed my taxes last week, and my refund check was supposed to be in last Wednesday. 

I am still waiting for it. I don't know why they IRS is holding it, but the place I filed with said this sometimes happens, and that I should have it this Wednesday. I wish I was confident enough to do them myself online.  I think next year, once I am officially divorced, I am going to try.

My friend used to work in a tax office, and she really liked it.  I could probably take an income tax course and learn everything I need to know.  I might even find it interesting.  Who knows, I could even become a tax preparer and get a job doing other people's taxes.  I am sure there is good money to be made doing that, especially this time of year.

Right now, though, I am patiently waiting for my check to come in.  I plan on banking a good bit of it, just so I have a cushion should anything happen this year that requires money, like car repairs.  I have spent too much of my adult life living paycheck to paycheck.  Now that I am a single mom, I don't want to do that anymore.  I want to sleep at night knowing that if God forbid something were to happen to me and I couldn't work for a while, the kids and I will be okay.

Almost Done Shopping

 I must be crazy!  Due to financial restraints, I have not yet finished my Christmas shopping, and Christmas is five days away.  I have to go shopping Friday when I get off of work because that will be my last paycheck before the big day.  The stores are going to be so busy I am actually dreading having to go.

I would have been done weeks ago if I had more money, but there just never seems to be much left after I pay bills every week.  I know there are ways I could have gotten some cash, like taking advantage of a Utah cash advance place, but I want to do this all on my own without having to add more bills to my already full months.  I've used cash advance places in the past and they have been lifesavers.  Especially when en unexpected expense pops up.

But, right now, I can't take on another bill.  My plate is full enough.  My kids will get what I can afford to get them and nothing more.  I have learned this past year that living within my means is boring, but necessary.  I've spent too many years not being able to pay rent each month and having our cable turned off.  It's been ten months (WOW!) since my husband left, and I am doing a great job on my own.

And it feels so good!

I Want To Buy A House. Eventually.

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about where the kids and I are headed.  In a little over two months I will finally be able to file for divorce.   I have been looking forward to this for the past ten months, since the day my husband left.  I have written enough about how much I have changed and how much I am enjoying my new found freedom, but what I haven't really discussed are my goals for my future. 

My biggest dream is to finally own my own home.  I have a lot of work to get there, so I consider it a long term goal, but one I hope to eventually reach.  My biggest obstacle is going to be improving my credit score.  I have been trying to pay off all our old debts, because trust me when I say there are quite a few people we owed money to when my husband left.  I spent my entire married life living paycheck to paycheck, and I hated it.  There was never enough money to pay everyone, so I got good at putting things off.  Unfortunately, right now I am also living paycheck to paycheck, but I make sure all my bills are paid on time every month.

I don't make a lot of money right now.  In fact, I make minimum wage.  But, I work hard and my boss is very good to me.  I have considered looking for something else, but I don't know if I would find another job that would allow me to work the same hours I do now.  Plus, I love spending the day alone, listening to my radio and singing along at the top of my lungs to all the songs I love.

I have been hearing a  lot of commercials lately talking about home ownership, and according to them, right now I am throwing money away by renting.  According to these commercials, I could own a home for less than I am paying in rent.  I'm not looking for something brand new, just a home that doesn't need too much work and is big enough for me and the kids.  I may have to compare Aurora Bank mortgages and see if I could afford a mortgage payment.  Seeing as how I have never looked into this before, I have a lot of questions.  I don't know what good rates are or how much I would need for a down payment or closing costs.  Thankfully, there are sites like this that can help me find the answers to all of my questions.  

I am sure I could call my dad, too, for a little information.  I call him a lot these days with all kinds of questions.  I may have found my independence, but I still need a little help now and then.

Accounts

I used to have a savings account attached to my checking account.  When my husband left back in February, I had to close it because it was sucking money out of my checking account.

Let me explain.  I signed up for a type of account where whenever I used my debit card, it would take the change (up to the nearest dollar) and transfer it to my checking account.  It was great for a while, but when money became tight, I had to have access to all of my money, and the bank started charging me when I would transfer the money back into my checking account.  So I closed the account.

These days I am still struggling with money.  That said, I want to open a savings account so that on the weeks when I do need a little extra cash, I will have it stashed away somewhere.  Plus, with tax refund time approaching, I know I will have some money to put aside into a savings account.  As I usually do, I headed to the internet to find some information on the best onl​ine savi​ngs acco​unts ​.  I found an article on a bank's website that discussed the benefits of interest rates and customer service, and to be honest, I am leaning towards opening a savings account with them. A few of their benefits include: no monthly fees, flexible access with ATM card, and the ability to link your savings account to other accounts for overdraft protection.  They are FDIC insured, and offer convenient online banking features.  The online banking is important to me, because I am obsessive about checking my balances and transferring money online, especially since I make quite a bit of money through paypal. 

I am hoping that by opening a savings account, I will be motivated to keep money in it.  It would be nice to not have to hit my dad up for cash on the weeks I just won't make it until Friday.

I'm Proud Of Me

 For the first time in my adult life since I have been married, all of my bills are paid this month.  I know, that sounds crazy, but I have lived the past 16 years hoping to get my bills paid before the cut off date.  Since being on my own, I have become obsessed with making sure that my bills stay current.  I am trying really hard to undo some of the damage that was done to my credit during my marriage.  It's not easy.  In fact, it's pretty dang hard considering how little money I make, but I am doing it.  And I am pretty dang proud of myself. 

Thankfully, I don't have too many bills.  I don't have any credit cards, and my bank, like Discover, offers all kinds of services that make paying my bills easier. The other night I sat here at the computer and set up online bill payments for my water and my internet services.  It's so much easier paying them online, especially with the hours I work.  I leave the house at 6:30am, and some days work straight through until 4:30pm.  Most days, though, I have a few hours off in the afternoon.  The only bad thing is that I have to stay close to the van in case my boss calls for me to go make a delivery.  This makes getting to a payment center difficult, so using online bill pay is a blessing.

I also do a lot of my banking online.  Well, I could probably say that other than depositing my paychecks into the atm every week, I do all of my banking online.  I love my debit card, and hardly ever carry cash anymore.  It's so much easier to track what I am spending when I can see it on the screen, and my bank posts debits and credits immediately. 

I am hoping than I can afford to have the cable hooked up soon.  We have been watching dvd's since we moved, and to be honest, you can only watch the same program over and over for so long.  Ryan hooked up netflix on the wii the other day, and that has been pretty cool, but you can't watch "real" television on it, and I miss "real" television.  Now that my bills are straightened out, I can try and budget my money more efficiently to afford another bill every month.  At least that is what I am hoping. 

For now, I am going to enjoy paying my bills on time, and work hard to keep us afloat.  It's a good feeling knowing I can take care of myself and my kids.

Researching Loan Officer Training Programs

I am in the middle of enjoying a three day weekend.  I don't have to work on the days that the post office is closed, so that means no work for me tomorrow.  I was looking forward to spending the day being lazy, but that is not going to happen now.  I am going to babysit my niece and nephew all day today and overnight, which means sleeping at my sisters house, which means not in my bed, which means I will not get a good night's rest.  Then tomorrow, my boss was nice enough to find me some work to do so that I don't lose a days pay, which is awesome because right now I need every cent.

I have had people ask me if I am happy at my job, and I really am.  I am getting to know the people at the businesses I stop at, and everyone is so nice.  I would love it if I could make more money, but right now, I am thankful to even have a job.  Every now and then I will get online and look at going back to school, but right now, I just don't have the time.  I could take a class or two, or maybe research some Loan Officer Training Programs. It would be nice if I could have some type of certification for something, and TrainingPro pioneered the National Cross Certification Program, saving their students time and money.  I need something that will save me time and money, which in the long run will help me make more money.

But for now, I am going to continue driving, and enjoying what I am doing.

Bills

 I am loving this new apartment.  I got my first power bill, and while it is a little high for only a few weeks, it is a lot better than my power bills from the old place.  I know it's a little high because the air conditioning was broken for the first few days, and it ran non-stop, which I am sure used up a bunch of power.  Right now, my air is set at almost 80 degrees, and it is really cool in here.  It's also 94 degrees outside, which should heat it up in here, but it doesn't.  Hopefully, the entire summer will work like this.

I think this being an apartment is helping keep the place cool, since only two walls actually face outside.  I am not sure what type of insulating foam sealant they used in the walls, if any, but this place seems better insulated than the last place we lived.

I just hope my water bill is low, too.  I haven't had to pay a water bill in a few years, and we do a lot of laundry and showering.  Once I get full months bills for everything, I can better plan out my budget.  It's going to be interesting to see how I can pay everything with what little money I make.

Credit

Do you know what happened to a lot of people last month?  The credit card bills from all the Christmas shopping they did in December started coming in.   Were you one of those people?  If so, were you shocked when you realized how much money you actually spent?

Thankfully, we don't have credit cards, so we did all our shopping with cash.  That means no credit card bills, and no surprises.  But, it also means that we have a hard time getting credit.  For instance, we tried to qualify for one of those instant refund loans for our taxes.  We were denied because we don't have current credit.  The tax lady actually recommended getting a card to buy groceries, and then paying the entire balance at the end of each month.  The question is, which card is the best for us?

I like finding websites that let you compare all the different features of several different cards so that you can make an informed decision.  For us, getting a card with 0 apr on balance transfer isn't a priority, because we don't have any balances to transfer to a new card. For people with a lot of credit card debt, this might be something that they want to look into.  Saving money is hard, and paying less each month in interest is always a good thing. I think what will work best for us would be a low interest rate, though I'm pretty sure that with our not so great credit score, we will only qualify for cards with high interest rates.  

The good thing is, we are taking steps to correct our credit standing.  I know that it's not something we can change overnight.  It's going to take a while, and we have to make sure we are diligent in our monthly payments.  The goal is to get better credit, not get buried in debt.

Cash Or Debit?

A few years ago, my sister started making pocket books.  At first, she was only selling to family and friends, but eventually she started hosting parties and doing craft fairs.  One of the best things she did to help her business make money was to get a credit card machine.  Being able to do Merchant Processing on the spot for people who didn't carry cash allowed her more sales, which meant making more money.  I know I never carry cash anymore.  I always use my debit card. 

This is also a great idea for people who sell their products online.  Being able to accept credit/debit cards would boost their sales, at least in my opinion.  The more options I have in terms of payment, the more likely I am to buy something.

What about you?

Do You Play The Lottery?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of goviral. All opinions are 100% mine.
Have you ever thought about what you would do if you won the lottery?  Would you quit your job, or continue working?  Would you share your millions, or keep it all for yourself?  Or would you play paintball on an island somewhere like the guys in the video are doing?


Junior and I do not play the lottery on a regular basis, but when the jackpot is big enough, we'll buy a ticket or two.  We have yet to win, but that doesn't mean we haven't dreamed about what we would do with the money.

First, Junior would quit his job.  That's a no brainer.  Second, we would buy a house.  I don't want something big and flashy, just something big enough for me, Junior, the kids, and the cats, because I would certainly get some cats.  Third, we would pay off my mom, dad, sisters and brother's houses.

Those are the three most important things to me, but there are other things we would do.  I would convince Junior to hire me a chauffeur.  That's right.  I would want someone who would drive me where ever I wanted to go, without complaint.  I would also give money to charity.  There are a few places locally that have helped Junior and I when we needed it, and I would love to be able to give a little back.

Of course, I do not think we will ever be lucky enough to win the lottery, but it sure is nice to try once in a while.  And it doesn't hurt a thing to dream.

WeReward

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.



Izea, the company behind Social Spark and Sponsored Tweets, has been teasing us bloggers with their new WeReward program for a while now.  Well, they have finally revealed it, and it looks pretty awesome.  I don't have an iPhone, so I can not participate, but the premise is simple.  Go to iTunes to Download the App, link it to either your Facebook, Twitter or Foursquare account, and then you can start earning points.   Each point is worth $.01, and their are a couple of ways to earn them.  The easiest way is by completing check ins and tasks that you would normally do.  If you are hungry, search your homepage for restaurants, and pick one that meets your needs.  Then follow the instructions given by the business, and earn your reward points.  You can find more information about this program at WeReward.com.

You can earn even more points by referring your friends.  In fact, you can earn 10% of their verified points, which means your points will rack up faster.  Once you have enough points, you can cash out to your paypal account.  Pretty easy, right?

This kind of makes me want to go out and get an iPhone.  I mean, I could earn money for doing the things I do everyday anyway.  And so can you.

A New Kind Of Piggy Bank

My husband and I are not good with money. At all. I know we are setting a bad example for our kids, and I really want to get them on the right track.

Ekomini interactive money box can make learning about money fun. It is a virtual piggy bank of sorts, that connects to the internet through a USB cable, allowing kids to keep track of what they are saving. They can also go on adventures in Ekominiville, where they will learn about saving, spending, investing, and even donating their money.

My youngest, Brandi, is eight, and I know she would love something like this. She is all about the computer, and being able to see her savings online would make her more inclined to save, instead of spend, her money.

I watched a demo of Ekominiville on the piggy banks website, and I have to say I was pretty impressed. They explained all kinds of things about money, in a way that kids will understand. They even have a section where Brandi can write in what she wants to save up for, and it will tell her how much she has and how much more she needs to save before she can buy it.

I am really impressed with what little I have seen so far, and this piggy bank looks like a great way for kids to learn about money.

Real Estate Bailout

Junior and I went and had our taxes filled out last week. We can not file yet, because I am still waiting on one more 1099, but we did get some idea of how much money we will be getting back. Let's just say it brought a huge smile to my face. We usually don't have any deductions, but this year the lady who filled out our taxes asked us a ton of questions, and ended up finding a few we qualified for since I work from home.

The big one I wish we qualified for is the Real Estate Bailout. Buying a house is a dream of ours, but we just can't do it right now, which means we are going to miss out on this. If you haven't yet heard about this, and let's face it, unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard something about it, check out this video. It explains things a whole lot better than I can.

Basically, if you want a nice big chunk of money, buy a house before the end of April. I wish we were buying instead of trying to find another place to rent, but that's not in the cards for us this year. I am hoping that we can find a rent to own place, so that we won't be throwing away thousands of dollars. Because let's face it, when you rent, you are basically throwing money away.

I'm tired of it.

Saving

I opened a new checking account today. Well, I did it online yesterday, but I had to go to the bank today to get things rolling. While we were there, we were talked into opening a savings account, too.

It seems that this particular bank has a program where they help you save money. See, whenever we use our debit card, the bank rounds the purchase up, and transfers the rest into the savings account. Let's say I use my card for a purchase that was $5.01. The bank will debit my account $6, and put the $.99 into my savings account.

The best part,,,they will match that $.99! That's right...easy money! They will match up to $250 a year. So, my plan is to not touch the savings account for the next year, and there is our Christmas money.

Pretty good plan, right? Let's just hope it works.

Who Does Your Taxes?

Are you in need of IRS tax relief? Do you find yourself facing IRS tax audits? For the past few years, we have had our taxes done by one of those places that pop up at the first of the year inside Walmart. I know we could save a ton of money if we just did them ourselves, but I am not that confident in my ability, because I am really not that good at math. I know there are programs that you can use on the computer that can offer state income tax help, but I still don't trust myself. I feel better knowing that a reputable company is responsible if any mistakes are made.

We did have an issue today, though. With all of our financial worries recently, we decided that we needed a little help right now, so we applied for food stamps. Junior went down last week, and our case worker said we needed to bring in a copy of our tax return from last year. Of course, I couldn't find our copy, because I had put it somewhere safe. Junior called the place that did our taxes, and they said their computer was down, and they didn't know when they would be able to make us another copy. I ended up ripping the house apart this afternoon, and I finally found our copy. I am hoping it won't take long for our case worker to approve us. We could really use some food around here.

Getting Back On Our Feet

I have written on my other blog a little more about the financial mess Junior and I are in right now. A few weeks ago, we were really struggling, and couldn't see a way out. Luckily the bank we use was very understanding, and right now we are back on our feet, although I am waiting for the moment we are knocked down again. There are still things that need to be taken care of, but we are in a better position to do just that.

The biggest thing we have done is put ourselves on a budget. This has been working pretty good so far, though we could use a little more money for food. I do have the weight loss to be happy about, though. I guess there is always a bright side to everything.

I will offer this advise to you. Unless it is absolutely necessary, let Payday Loans be your last resort for money, and make sure you can pay them back immediately. It is a hard cycle to break when you have to continuously write checks with them.

Trust me on this. We know first hand.

Work From Home

I know many of you are looking for ways to make money from home. I know it would be nice if I could contribute a little more to our household expenses. MoneyMakerClub can show you how to do just that. This "club" provides all the information you need to successfully start your own business, from your own home. You can work as little or as much as you want, and they guarantee that you will make money with this program, or you get your money back.

What have you got to lose by trying it out? Nothing.

Healthy Vending

I remember when I was in high school, there were vending machines outside of the cafeteria. They held sodas (diet and regular) and candy. That was almost twenty years ago. I am still wondering how I got so old, but that's another post! Anyway, when I registered my kids for Junior High a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised to find 1800Vending machines in their school, outside their cafeteria. There was a big difference, though, because these machines only held juices and healthy snacks. I think this is awesome, especially for kids like my Ryan. He has ADHD, and takes medication twice a day for it. He would be buying candy every day if he had that option, and that would not help his hyperactivity. I am glad he has healthy options.

We were talking about this the other day, because Kasi has been buying juices. She said she couldn't wait to get to the high school, because their 1800Vending Org machines had soda. I asked her why the older kids had soda in theirs, and they only had juice, and she said the older kids only have diet soda in the machines. I don't know how I feel about the kids being offered soda that is loaded with chemicals (before you leave comments about the chemical remark, remember that I drink diet soda from morning til night...I just don't think developing kids should drink it). I do, however, think whoever owns these machines is making a fortune. I wish it was me.

If you are interested in owning vending machines, check out this 1800Vending Blog. I think if you can get a great location, like a school cafeteria, you can make tons of money.

Entertain Me, Please

It's been a rough weekend, and it's only Saturday. Money seems to be an issue around here lately, with no solution in sight. We have been denied by so many lenders in the past week, and now have no where else to turn. I have no idea what we are going to do. I am contemplating taking the little money we do have and buying Tickets to Shows in Las Vegas. At least then we will be entertained. I have heard that the Blue Man Show is really great, and family friendly, which is important around here. We always think about whether or not the kids would enjoy the things we do. Junior and I will have plenty of time to do things as a couple when the kids are out of the house.

Maybe then our money problems will be gone, too.

Making Money Online

I am what some people consider a "mommy blogger". Although my kids are no longer babies and toddlers, I am still amazed by the things they do every day, and I love to share those things with all of you. In the midst of all those "mommy" posts, there are some reviews, because I like to make a little money. A lot of us "mommy bloggers" do. Working online, from home, allows me to be here for my kids, and that is important to me.

If you want to make money online, check out Maverick money makers elite coaching club.. You can watch over one hundred video tutorials. I am continually trying to become a better blogger so I can make more money, and I am always interested in new ways of making a few dollars. You can find ways of making money online, too.

Because let's face it, in today's economy, every dollar counts.