What have you done to see to it that this never happens again?

[rickisbroke]

I'm putting $10 a week into a savings account. I can touch it if I need it, but am trying to keep at least $100 in there. Not much, but it will keep me reaching for the credit card if I have an unexpected bill or expense. I knew my dog was due for shots and made sure I had at least $80 set aside for that, which is a big step for me compared to my past. I've cut way back on alchohol, fast food trips and late night pizza delivery, lottery tickets, movie rentals, and have been more careful about what I spend at the grocery store each week. I'm being even more diligent about shopping sales and using coupons than I have in the past. I have also taken on a roommate, not my favorite thing, but it's nice to have a little breathing room with the income I get from him in rent.
I did treat myself to a new TV with my tax refund and I'm going to be able to take a short trip to Florida this summer to see my grandparents.
With all of that said, I still have a strong desire to gamble, drink, order pizza, whatever. It's taken more discipline than I knew I had to manage money better. I fall off the wagon some, but I have to have SOME fun. It's been nice to be able to pay my bills and not be completely out of money before my next paycheck comes.
Things are still tight, but I am living more comfortably now.

[WoodSprite]

This is the way I see it... for me to do anything but make the best possible use of this reset button would be immoral, and for me to do everything I can not to end up here again would be almost criminal!

...

Someone once said that there was a difference between being broke and being poor. I think that I truly understand that now! We have all been broke on this board, but I will say that I have NEVER been poor! Broke is a lack of money, but poor is a state of mind!

...

At any rate, I will hang out for a while longer here, but I think that I am going to start a blog and try to encourage people as well. If I can do it, anyone can!

Wow...Never_Again, you took the words right out of my mouth. Seriously, I have been thinking for the last three weeks at least that I should put the energy I devote to this forum into a blog.

And then I think about how much hope this forum has given me, and the way I look forward to reading posts by Flamingo, and you, and PhillyManHere, and so many others, and I feel responsible for sticking around for those just beginning the process. And then I read my own posts and wonder if I sound preachy and holier-than-thou, and I go away for a few days. Then I come back and my heart goes out to some poor frightened newbie. <Sigh...>

Don't go yet, okay? And send me the URL of your blog if you get there before I do!

WS

[Never_Again]

Woodsprite, that was my feelings as well! There has to be an end to the cycle. If you have not dealt with those issues, you will cycle right back here again.

I find myself reading posts on here less and less. There are some great people on here, with much to give, but I can still see many who blame their problems on Chase, AMEX, the bank, The car companies, George W. Bush... you get the picture. It is just so discouraging! When I read a post about someone who wants to have a second child, and the first response is that there is plenty of help from the government if you need it. WTH??? Shouldn't you try to raise your family without the government? I can see help for those finding themselves in unfortunate circumstances, but not for those who plan to get themselves there?

I should answer them... "There is plenty of help from hard work and a second job if you need it!"

I don't mean to sound harsh, but really!

Another post about a story about someone living in his car and talking about the lack of a social safety net?

And yet another about sticking to those evil demons (or something like that) encouraging everyone that it was a great thing to not pay a credit card company?

And let's not forget countless posts on here asking, "How can I borrow more money quickly for a car?" Or, "My credit score has gone up 9 points, wow I am so excited! How can I increase my credit score some more?"

This is the way I see it... for me to do anything but make the best possible use of this reset button would be immoral, and for me to do everything I can not to end up here again would be almost criminal!

So, I am NOT tracking my FICO score. I am tracking my net worth, as I emerge from this. By careful planning, we plan to have a $20,000 emergency fund by this time next year. Then, I begin investing for retirement. Sure, I used to think that it was important to have a credit card, but not anymore. "What if you need to buy plane tickets?" Well, I have never had a problem buying them with a debit card. "What if you need to rent a hotel room?" Same answer. "What if you need to rent a car?" Well, I will transfer some of that emergency fund into my checking account, and it should have the same effect as a credit card. "Oh, but they will hold that money for 15 days!" Well, it is an emergency fund, and I probably won't need it for 15 days.

Someone once said that there was a difference between being broke and being poor. I think that I truly understand that now! We have all been broke on this board, but I will say that I have NEVER been poor! Broke is a lack of money, but poor is a state of mind!

I had to face the facts... nobody is going to change my situation for the better but me! I am thrilled that my future looks bright, and I understand that some have different circumstances, but I just want everyone to feel the freedom that I do!

At any rate, I will hang out for a while longer here, but I think that I am going to start a blog and try to encourage people as well. If I can do it, anyone can!

[WoodSprite]

That is my worry, Sprite. Has everyone learned their lesson?

I know exactly what you mean. Every time I see a new person's story with the casual aside "we filed ch7 in 2001", my heart sinks.

I really (REALLY!) don't want to get into politics here, but I just wish I could hear our leaders and potential leaders actually leading on this issue, and rather than trying to convince us that everything's okay, encouraging us to show some responsibility and restraint. Deep down I think many people envy the Americans & Brits of a few generations ago, who were asked to pull together and make sacrifices for the greater good - which made them feel they were actually a part of the effort, and doing something that mattered.

As JRScott pointed out in another thread:

You can't debt your way out of debt. Every single one of us at this forum have learned that. It's time the government did as well.

This isn't a political rant, it's a plea for civic responsibility. Wouldn't it be something if we could learn from the past - skip the Depression this time and just go straight from the giddy high times, to the crash, to industriousness and frugality? And then maybe our grandkids could go us one better and skip the crash, too...

Okay, NOW I'm dreaming.

[AngelinaCatHub]

Okay, maybe you are a nerd - but at least you use your powers for good. Seriously, I'm really impressed! I love to use a well-designed spreadsheet, but although I can create a database-driven web site with Access, I just can't seem to really master Excel. Must use a different slice of brain...

Thanks a lot for starting this thread, though. It was beginning to scare me that almost nobody ever seemed to make the transition from the top forums to the "lifestyle adjustments". I hope it's just that everyone has learned their lesson and wants to move on and forget this part of their lives.

[WoodSprite]

I built my spreadsheet myself. I continue to build onto it as I need to... the further I get into this, the more changes I see at times that need to be made.

Okay, maybe you are a nerd - but at least you use your powers for good. Seriously, I'm really impressed! I love to use a well-designed spreadsheet, but although I can create a database-driven web site with Access, I just can't seem to really master Excel. Must use a different slice of brain...

Thanks a lot for starting this thread, though. It was beginning to scare me that almost nobody ever seemed to make the transition from the top forums to the "lifestyle adjustments". I hope it's just that everyone has learned their lesson and wants to move on and forget this part of their lives.

[Never_Again]

I built my spreadsheet myself. I continue to build onto it as I need to... the further I get into this, the more changes I see at times that need to be made.

[b_girl]

We've learned the hard way that we can no longer count on my income (we had to file because of my medical problems and inability to work) so we're basing our expenditures strictly on his current and projected income. That way, if I am able to work in the future, it will always be extra.

While we are applying for credit cards (in order to repair our credit scores), we will not be using them unless we can pay the amount charged within a month. And most importantly, we're not buying items if we're able to do without.

We're finally tending to our retirement by investing in the stock market using Sharebuilder, which allows us to buy a set amount of stocks twice monthly.

[WoodSprite]

It actually felt good to see money. I know that sounds weird...

Doesn't sound weird at all! It sounds like someone who's clever enough to avoid repeating mistakes, and determined to make a better life.

We'd really need to build a cushion, and we're trying to make that happen (musicians make more money at Christmas time!), but in the mean time there is so much satisfaction in simply having ENOUGH.

WS, my DH would be out there with you in a heart beat! Sounds beautiful!

Plenty of room, as long as you're quiet! Bring your own tools. We've got a 20-foot ridge pole we're going to need help raising in the spring.

Well, we're surviving, anyway! Thanks, Hub. We'll have to look that up. I'll bet it's at the library.

I hear that. The rules of life seem to have changed completely, haven't they?

I know we're bucking the system, but it's fun to see our weirdness begin to spread. I've turned a couple of hopeless shopahaulics I know into Freecycle junkies. It didn't address the root of the problem, but it certainly keeps them out of the mall!

And this is really nice...our former landlady, who owns the nearest shack on our road, is returning to her old hippie roots. (The whole hundred acres surrounding our place was a commune in the 70's, and she was one of the original members) Anyway, she's become completely infatuated with the notion that we don't notice when the power goes out until somebody in town tells us it happened. She knows we're struggling, and although she's no Rockefeller herself, she keeps looking for creative little ways to help us out. So she wants to pay us to install a grid-tied solar system and a hand pump like ours over at her place. Everybody wins.

[AngelinaCatHub]

Woodsprite have you ever seen the old movie “Wilderness Family”? It sounds like you. Yes you are a survivalist but don’t realize it. Very good one too.

My best break is we are out of checks and I’m not ordering a new box. I have not bounced a check in 45 years. This year, it has cost me a fortune on NSF charges as you cannot beat the check to the bank with tomorrow’s deposit. Float time is gone in our electronic age. We use a debit card only and if there is no money, the ATM stubbornly refuses to spit out money.

I once sent my Trustee a personal check for my payout monthly amount. We sweated bullets about that check. It did clear and we vowed, 0.45 cents for a money order is a very good investment, and peace of mind. ‘Hub

[BROKENN]

I use Quickbooks for accounting (accountability!), Excel for budgeting and recently have envelopes It actually felt good to see money. I know that sounds weird, but I have been looking at ones and zeros a long time. Would have a few yuppie coupons (twenties) in my wallet, years went by working hard and never SAW the money we were making! It gives me a different perspective as I too am changing our lives drastically.

WS, my DH would be out there with you in a heart beat! Sounds beautiful!

[WoodSprite]

I don't use the actual envelopes. I use an Excel spreadsheet that balances my income...

It is amazing how liberating that it is to make purchases knowing that the money is already allocated! No more stress!

But then again, maybe I am more of a nerd than most!

I'm all for whatever works for you. I'll bet that liberating feeling is exactly the same, whether you achieved it with high- or low-tech means.

Did you design the spreadsheet yourself, or was it a template?

[Never_Again]

I don't use the actual envelopes. I use an Excel spreadsheet that balances my income, and I can allocate it to different accounts. I then use a ledger to enter each and every transaction! All transactions use the debit card.

It is amazing how liberating that it is to make purchases knowing that the money is already allocated! No more stress! It also adds accountability to me knowing that every transaction needs to be entered. I also have a source to track the spending in each category and with each merchant.

I have always found that cash just disappears too quickly, and it is easy to not know what it was spent on or where it went.

I tried different programs (I used to use Quicken, and used it for years), but there are only a couple that model it after sub-accounts or envelopes. And many of them just do not give the function that I want. Yes, I have to enter my transactions manually, but I find doing so gives me maximum control, and maximum accountability.

But then again, maybe I am more of a nerd than most!

[chloe0724]

We too use actual envelopes. When it's gone it's gone. I fill them twice a month. We figured out a monthly dollar amount for everything, and then I split it in half. That way we can't spend it all before the months out. The only thin we don't have an envelope for is gas.

[WoodSprite]

I noticed that a couple of you have mentioned using envelopes....are you literally taking cash for each budgeted expense and placing it an envelope? I've thought about doing this myself but was never sure if it worked well

Thanks!

Yep...exactly. It works perfectly for me, but I do seem to remember someone once posting that this didn't work for her because her kids and spouse kept raiding the envelopes for lunch money. I don't have anybody else in the house but hubby and a very honorable sock monkey.

After the anxiety of the last year or so, I find that the satisfaction of having a system and of KNOWING there will be enough to pay the bills more than outweighs any temptation to pilfer from myself.