My Journey out of Debt

When Money is Tight

kallona — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:31:00 GMT

When money is tight, I hear from people all the time: "I need to find a job!"

Then I ask them what it is they are looking for. Most of my clients say that they really don't care as long as they can bring home some much needed cash.

In reality, most of the people I know find excuses as to why a position when offerred, is not for them. I call them the dreamers. Prayers, dreams, The Secret, and other very useful books, when read by people who do not know their true meaning and message are not helping. The reason is that a lot of people believe in instant miracles. Hopes, dreams, aspirations and prayers are a great and positive way to look at life, but do not pay your immediate bills and responsibilities.

This is the trap that some people fall for. They wait for things to happen to them. In order to succeed in life, of course you have to be positive, be in tune with your environment, visualize a great outcome; but you also need to be realistic and WORK to achieve your goals.

If you want to become the next famous Rock Star for example, you can easily pack grocery bags while you work on your dream. A daily dose of reality keeps you grounded and makes you stronger. Until you stand on your own two feet and take responsibly for your own life, you will never truly know how strong you are.

So take charge of your life, work hard to achieve your goals and let nothing get in your way. Be respectful, determined and positive. Always give back to those who are willing to help you, always ask to help your fellow human beings and never hold back.

Times are hard, strange, and finances are tough. Credit card debt, Banks that don't give you the loan or break you need bills, mortgages, rents, car payments. Everyone would be thrilled to have their problems solved by the push of a button.

Hang in there, look in the mirror, make a daily reality check and ALWAYS be thankful for what you do have today.

To read more blogs by Debt Management Plan graduate Mariella, click here.

Mariella Stockmal

Mariella is a business management specialist who moved to the United States from Greece in 1998. She has since become an American citizen, lives in Santa Barbara, California and her passion is coaching and helping people who like to learn business, life organizational and financial tips. Mariella has been on a Debt Management Plan (DMP) customer with CareOne Debt Relief Services since 07/09/2009.

Mariella is a voracious reader, loves music and cooking, and is actively running her husband's small business. Being close to officially complete the Debt Management Plan, Mariella is very excited to share what her experience on the DMP was like as well as what made her experience a successful one. Look for more posts under the My Journey Out of Debt blog. Compensated CareOne Debt Relief Services Blogger

Make Your Spending Count

t_pizel — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:15:00 GMT

Vonnie wanted to have a weekend getaway to escape from everything that had been going on as of late, and to get together with some family members we hadn't seen for awhile. She wanted to leave town just be somewhere different, as to not be reminded of the daily stresses of life.

The plan was go to the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area (which is about an hour north of where we live), and spend the weekend with her stepsister and family. On Saturday night, just the adults would go out, and our son could be responsible for both our kids and theirs.

Unfortunately, our in-laws had a sudden change of plans. Vonnie still wanted to get away for the weekend, so she worked the phone in an attempt to make alternate plans with others we know in the metro area. Some of these plans included the potential necessity of staying in a hotel. That would have increased the cost of the weekend, but with careful spending we could make it work within the budget of the funds we had saved for the weekend.

After several rounds of making plans, only to have them fall apart, I finally asked the question, "Is this really worth it?"

Between gas and a possible hotel room, we would spend a significant amount of money just on travel and lodging. It just didn't seem like the best use of our money. If we stayed home, we could get so much more enjoyment out of the same amount of funds.

I proposed the following alternative:

She could go for an afternoon of pampering at her favorite salon by getting her hair professionally colored (she had been complaining once again about those misbehaving greys), as well as a manicure or pedicure.
While she is off at the salon, I could spend the afternoon hanging out with the kids, playing catch with my son, and roller skating/blading with my daughter.
When she's done at the salon, I could pick her up and just the two of us could go out for a romantic dinner at our favorite restaurant.

She quickly agreed to my proposal.

One thing that I sincerely believe is that even though we are in debt, it is okay to have fun and enjoy life, as long we stay within the bounds of our budget. Of course, we had to save up for some amount of time before we had the funds to do these things. As a matter of fact, we had to save up for quite a long time.

If we're going to restrict our spending for weeks or months to do something special, it only makes sense that we would want to get the maximum amount of enjoyment out of spending that money.

Have you ever completely changed course after determining your original plans didn't make the most of your funds?

Related Links:

Why Yes, We Can Afford That!

Socializing on a Budget

Getting Comfortable with our new Lifestyle

Travis Pizel

Travis is a contributing writer for the My Journey out of Debt blog and is a very active member of the CareOne community forums. Travis is currently enrolled in a CareOne Debt Management Plan (DMP). Travis very candidly shares his personal journey to pay off his debt and the tips he's learned along the way. As a father and husband he provides a unique perspective on balancing debt, finances, and family. You can also follow along with Travis on his personal blog, Our Journey to Zero. Compensated Blogger for CareOne Debt Relief Services.

Follow Travis on Twitter @DebtChronicles

Retired with Nowhere to go?

tiquie — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:17:00 GMT

If a long vacation doesn't interest you, and neither does the idea of no vacation at all, and you're feeling bored and suffering from a mild case of "cabin fever," maybe a day trip would be just the thing to spark up your day.

Even though my husband puts out a garden each year, we still enjoy hitting some of the local farmer's markets on Saturday from early spring through fall. A morning jaunt to the farmer's market is a perfect excursion for anyone willing to forgo Saturday morning cartoons. There's a festive and welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel like you are part of a neighborhood.

There is an ever-changing array of farm fresh goodies to be had. On any given Saturday, we can find vendors who bring locally produced fruits, vegetables, jams, jellies, honey, pickles, olives, olive oils, spices, and ready-to-eat prepared foods. Most of the products are local, grown within a 50-mile radius, and are both pesticide-free and sustainable. Traveling arts and crafts vendors are also readily available at these farmers markets. You can find pocket knives, jewelry, bakers with homemade breads, cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and pies, and all types of handmade, decorated linens. I love the ladies who bring their doileys and quilts, and I usually bring home several doileys because I just can't resist them. So, most every Saturday, we set out with recyclable bags in hand in search of new, delicious homegrown goodies or beautifully handcrafted surprises.

Farmer's markets are even sprouting up around the larger cities and are growing in popularity among city dwellers. How do I know? I have an aunt and three very good friends who live in and around the city of Chicago. They have all shared their Saturday morning farmer's market finds with me. We compare what products they have available to what we are finding, as well as prices. People realize that food produced closer to home, which hasn't been trucked or flown from thousands of miles away, or hasn't been stored and packaged in huge warehouses, is fresher and tastier. Produce and vegetables are more likely to be hand-picked when they're ripe. With more attention being focused on food safety, it is reassuring to deal directly with the farmer who has produced the food you are purchasing.

We can enjoy new food experiences. Speaking directly to farmers is a wonderful way to learn about the origins of the food we eat, to taste new food products, and to learn new recipes for preparing healthy family meals. The vendors at these markets are there, in part, because they enjoy the one-on-one relationship with their customers and are only too happy to share what they know. It's a great way to educate your children and grandchildren about healthy eating.

Farmer's markets also provide economic benefits to the small farmers who are not able to compete with the larger farms that are producing for food chains. The small, rural farms are beginning to disappear because it is just too expensive these days to make a living strictly off the farm. My grandmother was a small farmer with 70 acres of land in the most productive part of Central Illinois. I remember summers visiting with her and being amazed at the rich, black dirt being tilled up as wheat, corn, and soybeans were planted. She made her living exclusively from the farm. The majority of her land was tillable and the rest was woodland and pasture for her Hereford cattle. She rarely bought anything from a grocery store-she canned vegetables and fruits from her garden, eggs came from the chickens, beef came from the cattle, as well as fresh milk, butter, and even cottage cheese. Had farmer's markets been around during her time, I feel she would have participated.

On alternating weeks, at a nearby farmer's market, an organic meat vendor has fresh cuts of beef and poultry available. At first, I was a bit hesitant to buy fresh beef or poultry, but I did try a beef roast and some chicken breasts. The meat and chicken breasts were delicious-far better than anything I have purchased from our local grocery stores. Now, we make a point to visit this vendor whenever he is there.

Whenever I know we will have something special going on over a given weekend, I try to gather as much from the farmer's market as I can for our guests. Really, this food is a super-special treat for everyone. I love to bake, but I'm not a bread maker. I pick up fresh baked bread and rolls from my favorite bakery vendor, as well as some type of delicious, homemade dessert. Canned pickles (especially the bread and butter type) are big favorites, and one lady makes the best canned beets and canned jams and jellies which I can't pass up either. Occassionally, there is a candy maker set up and she always has different candies-some are her own recipes that have been passed down from her great grandmother. I visit her booth when she is there. We look for fresh vegetables that we don't have in our garden and always pick up different but delicious goodies. In early fall, I try to pick up several jars of honey made by busy bees gathering nectar from local flowers. It makes me feel happy to think of those little bees-maybe some even visited my flower garden.

Most of our trips to the farmer's markets end with a picnic lunch at a local park. I pack some sandwiches and a nice salad, and we usually try some of the goodies we purchased at the farmer's market. It's a wonderfully, relaxing day that takes us out of the house and away from our usual routines. We have this special time together and we haven't spent much money either. Twenty dollars goes a long way at most farmer's markets and we always have a good time. It's not exactly a vacation but taking in the farmer's markets certainly does make for an interesting, entertaining day away from home.

Do you have a farmer's market in your community you can attend? If you don't know, check with your local Chamber of Commerce. They are usually held on the town square or near a park or fairground. It's homemade fun that even kids and grandchildren will enjoy.

Kimberly Johns

The John's have found some really creative and fun ways to offset the limitations of a retirement income, which Kimberly is generously planning to share in her My Journey out of Debt blog! Compensated Blogger for CareOne Debt Relief Services.

Do You Remember When . . .

Katie_S — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:25:00 GMT

I do. I was about twenty-six years old. I had a really good job, making really good money. I lived on my own and was loving life.

I had at least four or five credit cards, because I had excellent credit. I bought a car that was a little out of my price range, but I really wanted it. I had the best clothes, from the trendiest stores.

I had it all, and I wasn't really paying for it.

Fast forward about six years. Thirty-two years old. Everything in my life was still pretty much the same, except I realized that the balances on my credit card bills never went down. I started to notice that the "good life" that I had been living wasn't so good and the cost of this life was finally catching up to me. I had to start paying for the life I was living and the sad thing is, I really had nothing to show for the money I was spending.

It was quite sobering, and I was pretty ashamed of myself for letting it happen. I think I am a smart, successful woman, but there I sat with a huge amount of debt that was overwhelming. Yep. I remember.

I remember every day how I ended up in debt.

My story may sound familiar or it may be different from yours, but I bet you remember the details of how you realized you needed help just as I do. I can even remember thinking about what I was doing when I was racking up the debt but ignoring that inner voice that told me to stop. In my mind, I was doing what I was supposed to be doing-having fun and enjoying life.

Clearly I had a wake-up call.

I love this article. It is a great reminder that there are very few ways getting in debt will pay off for you. I actually posted this article on my fridge as a "friendly" reminder to check myself before making certain purchases.

I guess this blog entry is a way for me to tell you that throughout your process of getting out of debt, it is always a good idea to remember where you started and look at where you will be.

As you doubt what you are doing and question yourself, remember your story and remember that you are working toward that happy ending to your story.

Gas Prices, Nuff Said

Katie (Simmons) Lupo

Katie is currently enrolled in the CareOne Debt Relief Services Debt Management Plan (DMP). You can read more about Katie's experience in the My Journey out of Debt blog. In her blog, Katie explores life without credit cards, living on a 'real' budget and making that adjustment from spender to saver. A newlywed, Katie candidly addresses how debt has influenced her choices in love and life. Look for older posts by Katie under the Single and Settling In blog. Compensated Blogger for CareOne Debt Relief Services.

To follow CareOne click here!

Wine Club Discount Card

t_pizel — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:20:00 GMT

My wife called on her way home from work to tell me she was dropping by the local liquor store to pick up a couple of bottles of wine to bring along to a dinner party with friends we were attending that evening. When she got home, she put the three bottles of wine on the counter and notified me that she had renewed our wine club membership at the liquor store because it had expired.

Cost: $20.

Enrolling in the wine club is essentially purchasing a discount card that is valid for 12 months from the time of purchase. Truth be told, we actually hadn't renewed it in a couple of years because I questioned whether it was worth it.

I decided to do some math to determine whether the $20 discount card was really worth purchasing.

Wine club members get several discounts, but the one most commonly used is 10% off all wine purchases. In order to recoup our $20 membership fee, we would have to purchase $200 worth of wine in the next 12 months (10% of $200 is $20), or about $17 of wine per month. Thinking about the types of wine we usually purchase, I estimated that the cost of an average bottle of wine for us is $10.

If we purchased two bottles of wine each month, we would save more money than the cost of the membership. We generally purchase at least two bottles of wine over the course of a month, so we shouldn't have a problem there.

The wine club membership has other benefits which, if we took advantage of, could save us even more money and make purchasing the card a great idea:

1.) 20% off any regular priced wine with the purchase of 12 or more bottles: We have several friends who love wine just as much as we do. If we could plan a group trip to the store with our friends and pool our wine needs into a single purchase, we could exceed the 12 bottles and double our discount.

2.) 5% off liquor purchases with a two bottle wine purchase: If we could coordinate any liquor purchases when we do #1, we could save a little on those items, as well.

3.) Two free home deliveries per year: To be honest with you, this one does me no good. I end up driving by this business at least every other day. Even if I have to make a special trip, it's literally two minutes away.

4.) Discounts on selected tasting events: I'd never noticed this discount before. We have attended wine tasting events in the past, and could have taken advantage of this.

With just a little effort, we can definitely save ourselves some money on our purchases using the wine club membership.

The key here is that the discount card is worth it for us because purchasing wine is something that we would do whether we had the discount card or not. It is already part of our lifestyle. If we had to modify our normal spending habits to recoup the membership cost, it would have been a waste of money.

Have you ever purchased a discount card? Was it worth it?

Related Links:

Can You Save $1.00?

When Coupons Cost You Money...

The 3 Cs to Grocery Savings: Coupons, Clubs, Creativity

Travis Pizel

Follow Travis on Twitter @DebtChronicles

Maximize Your Money While in the Debt Management Plan

Kellyrocka21 — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:15:00 GMT

For those of us participating on CareOne debt relief plans our payments vary and so do our stories. Why we found ourselves on the CareOne website looking for help is likely varied as well.

I have a few questions for you; they relate to you and what is going on in your life right now.

Do you have children?
Do you have a mortgage?
Do you have a car payment?
Do you have a job?
Are you collecting unemployment?

We already know how we got here and how we need to continue making payments until we complete our plans. Depending on your personal situation, sticking with your debt relief plan and making those payments may be easier or extremely challenging. If you have already seen my story, you know that each month I struggle to make my CareOne plan payment.

Here are some tips and tricks that I use to keep myself on track with my payments. If you are facing some of the issues I listed above, these may help you too!These are a few helpful hints for saving a few dollars, as in this economy, every dollar helps.

Shopping for clothing:

If you can't afford to shop at brand name stores for clothes, I would recommend going to a consignment shop or a thrift store in your area. They can provide you with name brand clothes at fairly low prices; sometimes they even run specials. In most cases, these stores have a fitting room. If not, you may run into trouble choosing clothes that are the correct size. There are always other stores you could look into such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

Auto repairs:

For any auto repairs, see if you have a family member that does repairs. If you do, you could save considerably over going to your auto dealership. Of course, depending on what needs to be repaired, at least it would cut the labor cost. For my car, my boyfriend has done my oil changes; we plan on working on the A/C soon. If I were to take my car to the dealership, it would cost around $300. But for work such as brake repairs or alignments, I will have to save some money to go to a shop and ensure that the work is done correctly. So, for repairs that affect my car's safety, the cost of going to a shop is worth it.

Grocery shopping:

When shopping for food, why not try discount stores and dollar stores? They offer produce and snacks for decent prices. I also comparison shop between less expensive stores, such as ShopRite, Acme, and whole sale clubs. I try to keep track of the average cost to see where I get the most for my money.

For store locations, please use the links below:

Kelly Rockafellow

Kelly is enrolled in the CareOne Debt Management Plan (DMP). As she and her family approach the end of their plan, Kelly is going to share with the community what has made her stay on track and remain motivated. Kelly runs a business from her home and is anxiously waiting to successfully complete her plan so that she and her boyfriend can get married. Follow Kelly's story under the My Journey out of Debt blog. Compensated CareOne Debt Relief Services blogger.

Check us out on Facebook and on Twitter.

There is Not a CREATIVE Bone in My Body……..Or is There?

motherofonegirl — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:10:00 GMT

I was recently invited to a mother-daughter "Crafts Party," but when it comes to arts and crafts, I will be the first to tell you, I have NO talent or interest in this area. When we arrived, there were stations set up to make dollhouse furniture, jewelry, paintings, and other artsy items. I thought I would try something new and if nothing else, it would be a great time to spend with my daughter. I was very amazed at the creativity of the host. Some people have the knack to create something out of what seems to be nothing. Well, that creative bug came and went, but it did leave me wondering if I had any creativity in me.

I have friends that sew, some who make jewelry, and some who have other cool hobbies. I admire them all, and what I see in them is a passion for whatever it is they are working on and an eager desire to share the experience with others. So that left me with the question, "What am I passionate about, and just how creative could I be?"

Well, I am no master of the needle, but I can pinpoint the best time to buy during a sale. My scissors are not for cutting cloth or snipping thread, but for clipping coupons. A finely sharpened pencil will not find paper for drawing or sketching, but for double-checking my budget and grocery list.

Here are some examples of my creativity:

Not Creative	Creative
Driving two cars separately to work: 62 miles a day (Husband drives 40 miles roundtrip, I drive 22)	Care pool with husband: 44 miles a day in one car
Going to the movies for two: $24 (no snacks included)	Using Groupon deal for $4 tickets or wait for Red Box release at $1 per rental, with online reservation.
Friday night tradition: Wing night special, purchased from local wing spot, $34-$40	Purchase fresh wings and cook myself: $15, plus always have enought for leftovers!

I enjoy sharing with others my successes on the CareOne Debt Management Plan. I was passionate about getting out of debt and I am passionate about staying out of debt. It really does take some creativity to go from living day to day off credit cards to living on a budget.

So, perhaps my creativity does not result in fine art, a knitted blanket, or a beautiful necklace, but being creative in my day-to-day life yielded the most beautiful picture and I love looking at it every day as I continue to be debt free

So, have you found your creativity in getting out of debt?

Read more blogs by Zandra by clicking here!

Zandra Halley

Zandra is a graduate from the CareOne Debt Management Plan (DMP). You may have seen her posting as 'Motherofone' in our Community. Zandra and her husband have a lovely daughter who was their motivation for tackling their financial future. Having successfully graduated from the DMP, Zandra will be sharing her tips and experience with all of you to help others be successful with their financial goals to pay off their debt. Follow Zandra in the My Journey out of Debt blog. Compensated CareOne Blogger.

Become the Best you can be!

tiquie — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:20:00 GMT

I have reached the age of retirement and answer to no one except myself. I don't have to get up at a certain time, nor do I have a set routine each day. I'm finding that my retirement years are just as happy and fulfilling, if not more so, as my working years.

Part of my success in having a happy and fulfilling life after all those years of working is due to my constant effort to try new things. Living on a fixed income is a huge inducement to try creative ways to stretch my retirement dollars. In this stage of life, it is very important not to become stagnant and never try anything new. In my life, creativity counts!

Here's an example of some creative thinking that provided my husband and me with some extra dollars: we simply saved aluminum cans and turned them into cash by taking them to a local recycler on Senior Citizens Day. Sure, it took a while to accumulate enough cans to get the cash; but, in the end, our first trip to the recyclers netted us a little over $280. We considered this venture a success and continue to save all the aluminum cans we can get.

Some collaborative creative thinking caused us to have our electric company perform an energy audit on our home. We learned several ways to improve our electric use which would save us money. Did you know that just by lowering the water temperature on your water heater you can save money? We changed the temperature setting from 140 degrees to 120 degrees and, according to the energy audit, this change should save us around $50 per year. That's not huge, but when you are looking for ways to save money, don't snub your nose at the smaller stuff.

I have said all this to make the point that successful people make things happen in their lives and creativity is one of the tools they use. They tend to think out of the box and may have some problems getting their ideas recognized and appreciated. But, no matter what, these people do not give up! They just keep trying to improve, refine, and sell their ideas. And we have had some super creative thinkers whose ideas have improved the lives and working conditions for a great deal of people.

Amazon.com was the first big e-commerce company
E-bay was the first on-line auction site
Starbucks was the first company to popularize gourmet coffee

Imagine the time and effort it took for the creators of these giant companies to turn their ideas into reality. No doubt, it took a good deal of innovation (creativity) to get their ideas off the ground, but once they did, just look at where they went. Time after time, it is proven that creativity and success go hand in hand. Remember, just because one person doesn't appreciate your idea, it's your "baby" and you need to stay positive. A truly successful person stays away from negativity and stays focused on making an idea a reality.

All of us are working on making an idea a reality. We have enrolled in one of CareOne's debt relief plans and we are working to become debt free. It's hard to stick with the plan at times, but most of us find a way to keep going. All of us have to become creative at living on a budget so that in the end we will achieve success and be debt free. This is no small matter and, at times, we may feel like giving up. But, we don't give up-we find a way to go on. We're talking about creative thinking now.

Remember creativity and success go hand in hand. You may have to take a second job, or start using public transportation rather than driving your own vehicle. You may have to give up a gym membership or magazine subscriptions. Creative thinking will allow you to find a way to stay on course and complete your plan. At that time, you are debt free and success is yours!

Success is not a destination, it is a journey. You have to practice continuously to achieve success. You have to improve your knowledge, skills, and abilities, according to the needs of the changing times. Read life stories of great achievers to inspire you to do more and achieve more.

As I said, I have reached the age of retirement, so my focus on creativity is different. I'm looking to improve my lifestyle, enhance my resources, and feel good about the things I do. My successes will be different because they will not be world shaking. But I will continue to strive to reach new levels of success and fun.

Kimberly Johns

Kimberly has been on the CareOne Debt Management Plan (DMP) for just under a year. Kimberly is very active in the Community Forums, some of you may recognize her Community user name; Tiquie. Recently retired, she is going to share how she and her husband manage the financial challenges of living on a fixed income. The John's have found some really creative and fun ways to offset the limitations of a retirement income, which Kimberly is generously planning to share in her My Journey out of Debt blog! Compensated Blogger for CareOne Debt Relief Services.

Looking Under A Rock

dlbauman — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:10:00 GMT

Saving money to help get out of debt is like looking under a rock-you find different ways to save money to make life more bearable. Here are some ideas that we have used to help us find that extra money to pay off bills and get out of debt sooner. Some of them are just common sense but you might not have given them much thought before.

Around the House:
- Turn off lights and electronic devices that are not being used for awhile.
- Don't use your dishwashers drying cycle; instead, let dishes air dry.
- Organize your refrigerator so the foods you use most often are in the front. You pay more for every minute you keep the door open.
- Turn off your oven and burners just before the cooking is finished. The heat that's left will usually finish the cooking for you.
- Keep the oven door closed as much as possible while cooking. You lose valuable heat every time you open the door.
- Use the proper size burner when cooking on the stove. You waste energy when you use an over-sized burner.
- Put a lid on pots when cooking. Trapped steam cooks food faster and uses less energy.

Use your air conditioner more wisely:
- Check and change filters when dirty.
- If the outside air, especially at night, is cooler than inside air, just use the fan.
- Use fans and ceiling fans when air conditioning is not really necessary.

Heating your home:
- Make sure your windows and doors are air tight, especially near the thermostat. You can use caulking and weather stripping to help seal these areas.
- Use venting fans, such as those over the stove and in the bathroom, sparingly. They can blow away warm household air that you paid to heat.
- Change furnace filters when they get dirty.
- Seal air leaks around your attic door.
- Turn thermostats down and wear warmer clothes.

-Water Usage:
- Do not keep water on when brushing your teeth; this uses a lot of unnecessary water.
-Shower instead of bathing. A shower uses about half as much water. You may even shut the water off while you lather your body, and then rinse.
- Use a broom instead of a water hose to clean sidewalks and driveways.
- Lower your water heater temperature to conserve energy.
- Use warm water only for whites and hard to clean clothes.
- If you can, hang clothes out to dry instead of using the dryer.

How about it? Look under a rock. Be creative. I am sure you can find other ways to save money, giving you more money to pay down that debt sooner.

Dennis Bauman

Dennis Bauman has been on a Debt Management Plan (DMP) customer with CareOne Debt Relief Services since October of 2007 and recently graduated to become debt-free!! Dennis Bauman works in the manufacturing industry, creating floor tile. Having officially completed the Debt Management Plan, Dennis Bauman is excited to share what his experience on the DMP was like as well as what made his experience a successful one. Look for more posts under the My Journey Out of Debt blog. Compensated CareOne Debt Relief Services Blogger.

The Cost of Gas. Enough Said.

Katie_S — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:30:00 GMT

Turn on the news. Open a newspaper. Check online. Heck, just drive down the road and you will see it, hear it and complain about it: gas prices.

We are all talking about these rising gas prices, but no one knows what to do about it.

With gas prices on the rise, it creates a catch-22 for many of us. You need to GO to work in order to get paid, but you wind up using a lot of that paycheck to get to work. It's a pretty vicious cycle.

I am fortunate enough that I now work from my home. I don't have a commute that I have to worry about, but that doesn't mean rising gas prices aren't leaving a mark on my finances. My husband and I stop and consider every trip out of our home now. Even an afternoon drive for a mini getaway is no longer really worth the expense of what we will put in our gas tank.

We think twice about driving to see family for holidays or get-togethers . . . it is sad to say that in some cases it would even cost less for us to fly to these events than drive.

With so much going on in our lives, why do we have to worry about gas as well?

The reality is, you and I can't change the price of gas, but we can prepare better for it. That means having to change our lifestyles in some pretty significant ways. Are you prepared to do that?

Rising gas prices impact more than just our transportation. We are seeing rising costs in other things in our lives including food and how we heat our homes. Can we make changes that will take us out of our comfort zones to ease the pressure of rising prices?

Here are some ideas that my husband and I are trying out:

1. Consider buying in bulk. There are certain things that you can get away buying in large amounts and storing to last longer-rice, peanut butter, pasta, canned foods.

2. If you can, get rid of your SUV and research low-MPG vehicles.

3. Ready for some exercise? Walk, ride a bike, or use public transportation when you can.

4. Research other ways to heat your home if you heat with gas.

We are in for some challenges, but we all know the name of the game is not to hide from those challenges. Recognize them, address them, accept them, and move on.

Related Posts:

7 Easy Ways to Save Energy

Eating for the Season

The Gas Crunch

Katie (Simmons) Lupo

To follow CareOne click here!