rachaeljean

Also as part of this, I want to get a credit card with good miles for rewards and then GAME THE SYSTEM. Transfer my AmEx balance (currently has a REALLY bad APR – in the 20’s) for a 0%-for-18-months deal. Eventually, once the balance is PAID OFF, I want to set it to automatically pay utilities that take credit (phone bill, internet, possibly more?) and then automatically pay the card from my checking account in that exact amount each month.

So, basically, earning miles on utilities.

Hopefully we can take our 10th anniversary Caribbean trip for free airfare this way! :)

We have done this several times. Probably every 3-4 years really. Pay off the credit cards and celebrate! But, then, life happens and we use them again. I hate it. I’m sick of interest. No more.

This year I want to pay them off FOR GOOD and build up an emergency fund so we don’t have to use them again. I’m reading Dave Ramsay’s Total Money Makeover right now. I have long term goals that I am trying to keep my eyes on.

We are pretty well off right now – able to live quite comfortably on just my husband’s income. We have a great house, 2 paid off cars, and can make the payments on my student loan. However, we have got to reign in the spending a bit and pay off our debt. We have another baby on the way this year ($1k-$2k in hospital bill, not to mention prenatal visits), we have 2 out-of-state trips coming up this fall & my big 30th birthday bash. I want to be able to pay cash for these things. Not to have them be stressful setbacks.

Long Term Goals this is related to:
1. Getting out of consumer debt (by 2013)
2. Saving 3 months expenses in an emergency fund (by 2014)
3. Go on awesome 10th anniversary trip we can afford to Caribbean (end of 2014)
4. Pay off student loan debt (currently at like $70k. Private grad school FML.) By 2019… or look into forgiveness after 10 years thing?
5. Never have a car payment again (NOW… I want a bigger car for my expanding family, but I refuse to go into debt to do so. My car is serviceable, if small!)
6. Pay off mortgage early, save a crapton of money for retirement, take the family (or just hubz & I) on tour of Europe, see the places in the world I want to see, and live happily ever after :)

FINALLY we got a dog! :) I’m not sure when I added this as a goal, but it must have been one of my first ones – in 2005 or so!

Lots of things had to happen to prepare for our pup. We had to buy a house with a yard (did in ‘10)... then we had to fence in that yard, which we did ourselves. Finished it this summer (‘11). Still we weren’t entirely convinced it was the right TIME to get a dog – until I had a run in with a sort of scary, threatening door-to-door panhandler. I live near a highway and unfortunately this scared the crap out of me. So, we decided to FINALLY get that dog I have been wanting! :)

Did lots of breed research. Looked for a couple of weeks online at ads. E-mailed about a couple. Finally, we found one who might be “The One” for our family. We had a 3 hour drive to go see him though… luckily it was to the beautiful Oregon coast on a gorgeous late September day :)

Lobo is a 3.5 year old purebred AKC registered German Shepherd Dog. We got him from a rescuer who specializes in the breed. He is the most wonderful dog I think I have ever owned 95% of the time. Rescues have their quirks though – Lobo has separation anxiety. So we have to kennel him whenever we leave the house (after an incident involving carpet & plantation blinds…...) which means we can only leave for so long. If we go on any extended trips, our 104-lb canine companion has to come with us. In my Jetta. :) We are quite the sight.

Wouldn’t trade him for the world though, he is so loving and obedient and wonderful. He’s fully trained & housebroken – hurray for no puppy stage (cute as they may be)! He is super bonded with my son, which is the most important thing, and very protective of his new family. :)

We love you Lobo! Looking forward to years together as a family!