become financially solvent

I want to be debtfree by the end of 2010

We’re always treading a thin line between BROKE and broke. We live paycheck to paycheck, and I can see from just one week of tabulating receipts that we spend waaaay too much on junk food.
This didn’t matter quite so much before our baby was born, but we MUST be responsible now. Financial solvency means having an emergency fund/6 months of expenses, paying all the bills on time, and having money to begin eliminating our debt, which is not insignificant.

Well I lost my job about 2 months ago. Borrowed enough money from father to pay the rent and for storage until the lease let up last month. Now I’m staying w. a friend for a bit. Things were headed this way even if I hadn’t lost the job as it was not paying enough to meet the bills. Had to give up the cats as well.

On the plus side, I finally got another job and am starting tomorrow. W. no rent or vet bills, I should be able to start paying down my debts. With an improved credit rating I should be able to get a decent job. So I’m on my way to not being homeless in about a year. My major concern right now is that the car may die on me or just be too expensive to keep legal.

Well, thought I’d at least get myself in the black for a month or two. But it seems the Census Bureau had enough people that phase 1 is ending early. I’ve got about 20-30 hours of work left and then I’m done.

In the meantime my car is continuing to wind down, the bills are piling up, and my computer is dead (using one at work right now).

The closest I can come to a silver lining is that my weekends and evenings will be a little freer again for hiking and climbing and that I’ve been extra motivated to get up off my ass and get some resumes out and apply myself at work more.

I’m doing work for the Census in my off hours. Pays over double my regular job. Would have liked to put more hours in but my work won’t let me adjust my hours. This won’t fly for phase 2 of the Census next year. But for two months I should be able to pay all my bills without help from the family. Hopefully something will come up that will let me work normal hours and meet the bills. Right now I have little time left over for any self improvement.

work out my payments with my creditors, including the IRS