Revamping plans...

Well, I wasn't able to get one new card with a large enough limit to transfer both existing cards. So my next objective is to find multiple new cards. Of course, I can't go applying to a bunch of them at once, so I have to spread them out.

I have a few offers that have come in; I'll be investigating those. I'm also going to pursue a personal loan from my credit union.

My main priorities are reducing my monthly interest & improving my credit score; both of these would be helped (I think) by moving my credit card debt to a personal loan. The line of credit wouldn't necessarily be renewable, so when it's paid off, I can't keep using it - which is probably a good thing.

Hodge Podge

1) Wachovia has introduced Way 2 Save a service that automatically transfers $1 for every transaction you make to a special savings account. I signed up for it yesterday & it already has $6 in it. The only down side is that it creates a new savings account, rather than linking to your existing one - so I have to go in periodically and transfer the funds. (I don't have a goal for my Way 2 Save account, but I do for my regular savings account.)

2) I paid my property taxes yesterday. :)

3) I still have to pay my income taxes. :(

4) I'm requesting a credit limit increase on one of my cards so I can transfer and close another card.

5) I have to figure out how to rework my budget to allow more spending on food. I was a bit unrealistic in my figures.

6) We're coming to a close in tutoring season, so there's a few hundred dollars/month I won't see.

Geezeo in the lead

So far Geezeo (http://www.geezeo.com) is feeling the best of the account management sites. I like the interface, I like that it tracks all types of accounts (they're still adding for student loans and car payments) that you can set goals, set budgets, get alerts. I've had one or two bumps, so it's not a sealed deal yet - I could still end up switching. But so far there's a clear favorite.

Using the internets

I've been investigating some account aggregating sites:
www.mint.com
www.wesabe.com
www.yodlee.com
www.buxfer.com
www.geezeo.com
www.expensr.com

So far I'm leaning toward Geezeo, but I'm playing around in all of them.

Also, I found this site: www.billmonk.com which probably isn't that helpful to me right now, but I can see it's value. Since I live alone right now, it's not practical.

Vegas didn't do as m uch damage to my wallet as it could have, but it certainly didn't help. But I had a blast and I'm really glad I went.

money management

I'm investigating sites that aggregate your financial information to figure out which one I like better. Usually they're designed to pull information form all your accounts (bank, credit etc.) and give you one complete financial picture.



www.wesabe.com is the only one with a video so far.

up next:
www.mint.com
www.yodlee.com
www.buxfer.com
www.geezeo.com
www.billmonk.com
www.expensr.com

Good News, Bad News

I owe $800 in income taxes. Boo, hiss. The good news is that my property taxes were lower than I'd planned for, so that's a huge help in paying that bill. I wish I hadn't just dumped so much money on my credit cards though - I had plenty of cash for this a few weeks ago. So that's another lesson learned.

In other news, the most hideous credit card bill just came down to under $8,000 - still about $1,700 away from rehabilitation. Discover is about $150 away from what I think is my rehabilitation point. Cap One should be paid off in about 2 months. HSBC won't be 100% paid off by the end of summer, but close.

My monthly budget is looking pretty good for the moment, but ultimately I'd like to get my spending down another $200/month. The good news is that much of the spending is savings and debt payment.

I'm getting close to the point where I can envision a life without credit card debt. It'll be like I'm rich - I'll have up to $600 extra a month. Of course, most of that will get forwarded to the student loan and mortgage. But still. How cool is that?

New Year off to a good start

Long time no post. There wasn't much change toward the end of last year, but this year is already rocking and rolling.

I got a new job, with a significant salary increase. I'm keeping my monthly spending basically the same and applying all the rest to my credit card debt.

Besides the new job, which was New Year's Resolution #1, I also resolved to take better care of my finances this year. No more stupid late fees. I've updated all my automated bill payments and savings transfers.

I purchased the materials to fix the window treatment in my condo & I identified a closet solution for less than $50. Now I just have to find a stove for less than $500. I'm thinking I should be able to make the move in September. *crosses fingers*

I've decided to cash out my 403b from the old job. I know, I know - retirement savings are sacred. The thing is, I hadn't put away all that much, and between a higher salary (with match) and employer contribution, I'll have the whole thing replaced by fall. Plus I can do a lot with that money right now.

I'm going to apply again to the credit union this summer. Things are looking much better than last year. I should have Capital One paid off by the end of May & then I'm closing that one. I'm keeping HSBC open until I have another usable card - hopefully from COFCU.

I may need to buy a laptop sooner than I had planned - so I'm hoping I don't owe income tax. And I hope my property tax is lower than what I saved. Then there's the tax rebate.

The only negative so far this year is that I missed a payment to Bank of America (MBNA) because the automated withdrawal order expired. There doesn't seem to be a late fee attached, and I'm doubling this month to catch up. So it shouldn't be too bad.

The biggest thing will be keeping track of my spending to make sure my variable amounts don't go over budget.

Whew.