Those Double Dippers!!

Last night I worked on my binders. I came up with the cutest design. As soon as I make all the pages for the binder, I will sell them on Etsy for about $2. I used gray for the background image to save on ink printing costs. So far I made a budget, a calendar and family contact sheets. I did some research on Etsy, and people LOVE buying these things. Hopefully I have found my side hustle. 

I mentioned last time I was trying to convert my best friend into budgeting and saving money. Karen and I both have been talking to her about it. I think we made a tiny step of progress, cause last night she brought her bill pay notebook and worked on it. I was so proud! I have found out that it is fun to budget, it can even be exciting. However, it would be a LOT more fun having your best friend doing it with you. I have no idea what I did to trick my brain into wanting to save money. I have said I would save and get out of debt before, but this time is different. This time my brain agrees, and I  have not had the urge to spend like I use to. I am excited to pay off bills. I am also LOVING adding to my savings. I can recall feeling like this once before, but not so extreme. It was in 2009, and hubbs and I decided we needed a house for our then only child. She was rambunctious and needed a backyard. So, we started looking and fell in love with the twin to my now house. When we talked to the lenders about it, she said our credit was too bad. But, she took our case anyway, because she said she knew I could get our credit up enough points if I followed her directions. She said I reminded her of a young her, and she really wanted us to get a house. I owe her everything! She gave me the best advice, and 6 months later, we were having our house built. During the 6 month wait, I did everything she told me. I paid things off, I bargained with creditors, I wrote a letter to different creditors EVERY SINGLE day until I got things where I needed them. We saved every penny of our money then. 

This time is a little different. Yes, I am wanting to get in a bigger house. We have now added a second child, and he is roomless. Sure we could give him the office, but then that would leave all our office stuff (3 computers, homeschool area, storage) homeless, so its just easier for son to share a room with us. But getting a new house isn't the reason I want to budget and save. I want to now more than ever cause I am about to be 30, and I refuse to live paycheck to paycheck anymore. I want to be able to put Jaida into college in 10 years, then Thor in 17 years. I want to have enough money to support us if another death happens, I am not struggling by taking time off work. I don't wanna be in the never ending debt circle again. And I wont. This year I am going to kick debt's butt. Watch!

I was so excited for my first paycheck to go towards getting caught up on bills. I checked my bank account yesterday, and one of the bills was drawn out twice. It's a good thing I set aside $150ish for groceries, and didn't get a chance to go grocery shopping yet. I will have to call them on Monday and get them to refund me. I was generous letting them have the first bit of money, they cant have it twice! ha. The sucky thing is that is usually takes 7-10 business days to get a refund. Ask how I know? Because Time Warner usually is the one to take money twice out of my account. Apparently its become a fad, because the College Network joke loan did the same. Maybe I should rethink the money envelope system. I just don't have time to go pay bills at the actual places. Its so much easier to pay them online. I guess its not too much easier, cause at least once every 3 months, they double draft me. There will come a time along this journey of mine, that it will not be so devastating if they accidentally withdraw me twice, I won't have to forgo grocery shopping. It will still suck, but it won't be a burden waiting 7-10 days for the refund. I can't wait till I get to that point. Until then, I will not let this shake me from my path! I am on a mission!