A little over seven years ago, I found this site and at the beginning, I used it to my full advantage. We were married over 13 years and still weren't homeowners. I learned so much from the forums and the blogs. So much so, in two years, we were able to clean up enough of our act to finally purchase our first home.
We did all the things you aren't supposed to do, even after we learned so much and worked so hard. The brand new (HUGE) house needed blinds, didn't it? Home Depot credit card. We needed a table to eat at and a couch to lounge on and a bed to sleep in, didn't we? Furniture store financing.
See? All the wrongs. Ever.
We are five years in, five years older, and ready to get back on the wagon.
We do not have any credit cards. We do have some debts left, mostly medical. We have two car loans and my student loans.
Our income has increased over the years and we have plenty of money to pay our debts and save at the same time.
I've updated my sidebar accordingly. Well, sans savings balances... I will get to that. We are just starting to build back up again, but I think across our accounts we have a little over $1000... which, obviously isn't enough. In the past few years, if an emergency came up, we paid cash from the closest pay day, which was essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul... late.
We do have some back taxes we are paying on... evidently we weren't taking enough out based on our income... the IRS now demands we take the most out possible for the next three years (we got a very official letter). I think this means we may actually start to see some returns?! If my math is accurate.
We are getting up there in age... 
So we really, really, really need to focus on savings.
That's why I am here. Again.
We've had so much fun over the past few years, but if we want to have ANY fun at all during our retirement years, we need to get a move on.
On our 20th wedding anniversary last year, my husband took me on a trip to Disneyland - I had never been. It was magical. And romantic. And fun. And, unbeknownst to us, we came home with a little souvenir. At 38! With a 19 year old! And a 16 year old! And an 8 year old! What the heck!?! We were thrown for a loop, but were super, very excited! We had to change gears in life... And then change gears again when we found out our son passed away in utero at 17 weeks. He was born sleeping on March 31 and we buried him next to family. Want to know the worst thing, ever, to spend money on? $2000 for a tiny little casket and a tiny little plot.
My partner and crime, whom I affectionately refer to as my boyfriend, take the good and the bad, and really try hard to balance it all. Which is why I call this our lemonmade life.
This Lemonmade Life
September 13th, 2015 at 06:54 pm
September 13th, 2015 at 07:50 pm 1442173828
I would love to see you focus on each of those debts one-by-one and eliminate them!
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