Cutting back on snowflaking.
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Cutting back on snowflaking.
| Wed, 07-09-2008 - 3:55am |
This is going to be long WARNING,
I see no other choice but to cut back on the snowflaking and it get down to a resonable amount a month. I just wanted the bills and payments to go down so bad. I think I have gotten caught up in it so much I am dragging my self down faster then the amount of bills are going down.


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{{{{HUGS}}}} Mary Ann.
Maybe taking a break from snowflaking will be a good thing.
Mary Ann - you're doing the right thing.
All my best,
Danni
I don't, of course, know what your insurance coverage is for the glasses BUT take a look at Zenni optical: www.zennioptical.com. They have great prescription glasses starting at $8.00 a pair. Really, look at it. We got our glasses there and they are at least as good and probably better than the $350.00 we paid at the regular optical place. And they can do all kinds of prescriptions -- complicated ones -- for way less.
Then, if it helps at all, we have to do a new budget each month, since things show up that we have to take care of -- something breaks or wears out, or some bill is due that we hadn't planned on. Then the snowflakes come after. So the snowflakes are not the same each month.
Don't cut so close that it makes you want to give up. We did that, and it took a while to get back into sending any extra to the cards.
Hang in there.
Megan
Thanks Ladies
Just sometimes things get to me. Everything around me like everyone else is going up. Just like the debt it is out of my control and I can not
I will check into the place but I was planing on keeping my frames to save money My lens are always high because I have very bad eyes and
Hi,
Just to clarify for Zenni optical -- the prices you see are for frame and lens -- bifocal are a little higher but not much. And they are a regular frame and lens company.
Also, you might want to look at www.Jitterbug.com which has really cheap monthly rates. It might work for you since you really only want a phone for your husband to have for emergencies.
Do you have Fed and Local taxes withheld from the checks? Or do you have to hold out $$ to pay them? In other words, are the amounts you listed net after taxes, or gross?
You have both cable and DSL -- you might want to call your cable company. Usually they have lower rates if you bundle your land line, TV, and internet.
You might possibly cut out the newspaper -- you have internet for news and could print coupons for discounts from some of the free coupon sites.
You also might want to consider why you are carrying life insurance on both of you -- is it really necessary. Will that $ have to be used to replace $ you are receiving from SS and the other check.
Can you save money on insurance by bundling the the car and house insurance together? Often you get a discount if you do. And since you still technically own "the other house" you could probably add that to the insurance bundle also.
You don't list either income or expenses for the "other house" except for the taxes, so unsure what the financial cost/month is for that. And is the tax bill of $775.00 for the whole year? Anyway, I would make sure you have the taxes ready -- if you are going to have enough, then you need to get $150.00 into the bank this month, and have to also count the month of November, so hopefully the taxes aren't due until later in the month of November. I can't remember when you said that your tenant would assume ownership of the house. But it's too bad you are stuck with paying those taxes.
And I meant to ask what the P+I means here:"Mortgage 656.90 P+I taxes and insurance. Mortgage is 4.9%". If it is Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), then maybe you could cancel it if you have enough equity in the house to = 20% of the mortgage.
We get our dog's shots and tests at the pet food store on Saturdays -- saves a lot of money.Maybe they have something like this where you live.
Hope this helps,
Megan
Edited 7/9/2008 2:57 pm ET by looking4info2005
First check is after taxes and health insurance. Second don't pay taxes on so both are
Mary Ann
I'm located in New Zealand, so may be a little out of touch with what costs can be like where you are.
- Newspaper - why do you get this delivered? Could you use the internet for getting that same news (most papers have websites)?
- Cellphone - $45 per month seems high to me - have you shopped around for something cheaper? Not sure if you can do it there, but in NZ we can put our cellphones on a prepay system. This works well if the main reason for the cellphone is peace of mind when out.
Hi again,
You said: "Stay at home mom's which I was for most of our marriage do not get SS on their own. I don't have the credits to get my own SS Check."
And that is true while your husband is alive, but when he dies then you are eligible for his social security benefit -- the same amount he was (or is now) getting. They reduce the amount slightly if you are not at "full retirement age" according to social security.
You can figure out full retirement age on this chart:
http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/agereduction.htm
This is a link to an electronic social security booklet on survivors benefits
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10084.html
Or take a look at the answer to this question:
My wife doesn't have enough work to qualify; can she qualify on my record?
Question
My wife doesn't have enough work to qualify for Social Security or Medicare. Can she qualify on my record?
Answer
The question you've raised applies to husbands as well as wives. Even if he or she has never worked under Social Security, your spouse at full retirement age can receive a benefit equal to one-half of your full retirement amount. (If your spouse will receive a pension for work not covered by Social Security such as government foreign employment, the amount of his or her Social Security benefits on your record may be reduced. Take a look at the fact sheet, Government Pension Offset for more information.)
Your spouse can begin collecting the benefits as early as age 62, but the amount will be permanently reduced by a percentage based on the number of months up to his or her full retirement age. Your spouse who is caring for your child who is also receiving benefits can receive the full one-half benefit amount no matter what his or her age is. Your spouse would receive these benefits until the child reaches age 16. At that time, the child's benefits continue, but your spouse's benefits stop unless he or she is old enough to receive retirement benefits (age 62 or older) or survivor benefits as a widow or widower (age 60).
If your spouse has also worked under Social Security--If your spouse is eligible for retirement benefits on his or her own record, we will always pay that amount first. But if the spouse benefit on your record is a higher amount, he or she will get a combination of benefits that equals that higher amount. It doesn't matter if your spouse starts getting benefits before, after, or at the same time you do--we will check both records to make sure that your spouse gets the higher amount whenever he or she becomes entitled to it.
NOTE: A spouse cannot begin receiving benefits until the number holder is receiving benefits.
I'm pretty sure you qualify at age 65 for medicare benefits also based on your husband's work:
What are the requirements to receive Medicare benefits?
Answer
There are many ways to qualify for Medicare. There are two parts of Medicare, each of which has its own requirements:
Hospital Insurance (also known as Part A)
If You Are 65 or Older
Most people 65 or older are eligible for Medicare hospital insurance (Part A) based on their own—or their spouse's— employment. You are eligible at 65 if you:
* receive Social Security or railroad retirement benefits;
* are not getting Social Security or railroad retirement benefits, but you have worked long enough to be eligible for them;
* would be entitled to Social Security benefits based on your spouse's (or divorced spouse's) work record, and that spouse is at least 62 (your spouse does not have to apply for benefits in order for you to be eligible based on your spouse's work) ;or
* worked long enough in a federal, state, or local government job to be insured for Medicare.
The only reason I've copied this information is to let you know that your are eligible for spousal benefits based on your husbands's work. While he is alive, the benefit is usually 1/2 of what he gets (he continues to get his full amount, while you would get an additional check for 1/2 of his benefit). When he dies, you would get survivors benefits, his full check.
They do not automatically enroll you for social security benefits -- you have to apply for them. If you are at the full age for benefits, apply now. You might want to apply now for the spousal benefits even if you personally haven't reached full retirement age -- they would just reduce the amount of your 1/2 check by a small percentage.
Sooooo If you haven't applied (an altho you joke about how old you are, I really have no idea how old you are) you may want to. And there should be some comfort in knowing that you will be eligible for your husband's check when he dies.
If you are 65 you should definitely check on medicare coverage, since you would be eligible based on his work.
I'd suggest you make an appointment to go in person to a local social security office and make sure you get correct information on all of this.
Getting an extra check could go a long way to helping with the bills.
Hope that helps,
Megan
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