Biggest Challenge?

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Biggest Challenge?
20
Tue, 12-30-2008 - 9:46am

What do you consider to be your "biggest challenge" on your debt reduction journey?


Has your "biggest challenge" changed along the way on your journey?


What challenges do you anticipate in 2009?

All my best,
Danni

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Avatar for sohappilyme
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 12-30-2008 - 10:41am

Our biggest challenge has been being in the red most months. Then we got to the point where our budget balanced on paper (er, on spreadsheet) but because we were running behind on everything the late fees kept us in the red. Catching up, of course, was out of the question. Now that I'm "working" we're much better off.

Luckily we have NOT had a problem with spending. DH is just as on board as I am and he won't even spend $3 on lunch without checking with me first. (He usually takes leftovers but with seven of us sometimes there aren't any!) We very rarely spend money that we don't have to spend -- not even on clothes or entertainment. Having a guy that is 100% into becoming debt free is a true blessing!

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Goal #1:

Sarah
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-02-2008
Tue, 12-30-2008 - 10:51am

1. My biggest challenge in all of this was telling my DH I was hiding debt. I didn't even do that - he found out and I was faced with having to own up to it. I am not 100% at fault here - we had debt before that my DH knew about. I was just not doing a good job of telling him to NOT spend and I was using the c/c for gas/groceries and household items. Anyway, that has stopped. NO c/c use since July of 2008. That was my biggest hurdle in all of this.


2. Right now my biggest hurdle is staying positive. With layoffs at work and layoffs with friends that I hear about its easy to get depressed and scared. I am trying to be positive that when I'm at home at night I am pleased to have a house that is paid for this month and heat for my babies and food in their bellies. :) Small steps along the way.


3. My BIGGEST challenge for 2009 is my friends wedding in April. It's a destination wedding for us - she is in Boston and we are in Chicago. I am SO looking forward to going. But, I have taken a second job to help pay for it and its not easy. I want to pay for this trip FREE and clear but its hard. I feel once her wedding passes I can focus on complete debt repayment. Right now I worry about our debt and this wedding.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-10-2003
Tue, 12-30-2008 - 11:03am

What do you consider to be your "biggest challenge" on your debt reduction journey?


Thats a good question. I would have to say


Bex -

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Tue, 12-30-2008 - 1:02pm

Our biggest challenge over the last three years has been job losses for my husband.

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2005
Tue, 12-30-2008 - 2:56pm

Our biggest challenge is our irregular income.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-14-2008
Tue, 12-30-2008 - 3:58pm

What do you consider to be your "biggest challenge" on your debt reduction journey?

**I used to think my biggest challenge was not paying off the debt fast enough.

Has your "biggest challenge" changed along the way on your journey?

**Now my biggest challenge is not adding more debt before I can continue paying it off!

What challenges do you anticipate in 2009?

**biggest challenge is going to be staying positive! I am having a very hard time with this right now. Depression lurks in my back yard.



iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2007
Tue, 12-30-2008 - 4:17pm

What do you consider to be your "biggest challenge" on your debt reduction journey?


My biggest challenge was to curb my shopping (books, jewellery and DVD's).


Has your "biggest challenge" changed along the way on your journey?


Yes.

Kate


empty purse

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-1998
Tue, 12-30-2008 - 5:30pm
I anticipate that it's going to be groceries. No matter how hard I try, I cannot get my grocery bill under $800 per month (for 2 people). It's insane, I know. I hate to cook and I'm bad at it. So even if I manage to force myself to prepare a meal, my daughter and I never want to eat the leftovers. But, as God is my witness, I am going to find a way to lowere that grocery bill this year!!!



I usually only have 2 of us to cook for too as we are not good at eating leftovers either, so I have started cooking smaller amounts so that there is no leftovers. I will make 2-3 items that all need to baked so that I only have to turn on the oven to cook everything. (possible menu - 2 pieces of chicken in casserole dish with veggies around them. and a couple of potatoes - baked potatoes are a favourite here) another easy one is pasta and sauce. I buy the jarred sauce so that I can just use the amount needed for that night. And it will keep for a few days so that we have pasta 2-3 times in a week. And if by chance I haven't made enough and we are still hungry I can open a can of fruit to have for dessert. It sure has helped with not having as many science projects in the fridge and I don't waste as much food anymore.


Or can you join a community kitchen where they will help you with the cooking and you get to take home several different meals in small portions? You get a good variety and I think it is usually a decent cost.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2007
Tue, 12-30-2008 - 5:42pm

What do you consider to be your "biggest challenge" on your debt reduction journey?


Cutting back on things to find the money to snowflake. Not charging anything else to make the balance go up. Getting my ticker to work. Tee Hee.


Has your "biggest challenge" changed along the way on your journey?


It seems like my biggest challenge now is not going over board on the snowflaking.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2007
Tue, 12-30-2008 - 7:20pm

Thanks for the tips, ileea!

Kate


empty purse

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