tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36231428845279696872024-03-13T22:52:27.875+11:00My Journey to Eliminate DebtI started this blog in 2007 with a goal of paying off my mortgage in five years. After a long absence, I am back to finish the journey to eliminate debt.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger551125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-68777100159524929512012-02-11T04:31:00.000+11:002012-02-11T04:31:32.002+11:00If you can see this could you update your blogroll link to http://www.myjourneytoeliminatedebt.com/I've moved to a new address: http://www.myjourneytoeliminatedebt.com/
look forward to seeing you over there! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-84977248968064795602012-01-20T07:51:00.000+11:002012-01-20T07:51:37.082+11:00Moved to a new address; www.myjourneytoeliminatedebt.comThis blog has been moved to www.myjourneytoeliminatedebt.com due to content theft Google searchers - here's the links to these two very popular pages you might be looking for:
Debt Free Stories
Goin' Gazelle
&Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-57491149840867174702012-01-17T08:13:00.000+11:002012-01-17T08:13:52.851+11:00Refinance is Approved!We found out last night that our refinance application has been approved! The paperwork is in the post, it will take another few weeks to get everything transferred, new accounts set up and old ones closed. It's a relief to know that if anything happens to my job in the next few months, our payments are now at least affordable.
Our current mortgage payment is $1097 per month.
Our new mortgage Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-21946302760957253652012-01-12T10:21:00.002+11:002012-01-12T10:24:35.462+11:00An expensive week!I spent 8 hours in the car yesterday taking DS back to college. So today I'm having a rest day before we head off tomorrow for a 6 hour drive in the other direction for DD's photography course. It's been an expensive week here unfortunately!
I had the car booked in for a service earlier this week and had budgeted $200 for it, the usual fee. Well I nearly passed out when I went to pick up the carUnknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-5055126850569119202012-01-09T06:55:00.001+11:002012-01-09T06:56:01.241+11:00Back from a blogging break.We are still waiting to hear back about our refinance. I really hope it's soon! . Once it comes through we'll be able to work on the big jobs like the new kitchen, the paving and the new balcony railing. I'd like to have the loan finalised before I go back to work in two weeks.
Speaking of work, I've been very busy making plans for going back into business for myself later this year. But my planUnknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-80141788447179733082012-01-01T14:33:00.001+11:002012-01-01T14:35:17.578+11:00Happy New Year! Renovation realities!
It's been flat out here the last few days. We have three rooms now in various stages of being painted and repaired. It seemed like a good idea at time....
My house, while it may be decluttered, is a real mess. Furniture has been moved and stacked from the rooms where we are working and the ironing that needs doing appears to overtaken the spare room completely. We all had to go without a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-57775827252415327642011-12-29T07:01:00.003+11:002011-12-29T07:06:56.933+11:00Grocery shopping costsThe paint is still not on the office walls yet as the walls needed a bit more prep than we expected. The first coat should go on this morning so pics are coming soon!
I thought I'd post my grocery shopping for the week and how much it all cost. It helps keep me accountable and I know I always find it interesting to compare prices in other countries so I thought some of you might too. It's Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-932927577324551202011-12-27T08:09:00.001+11:002011-12-27T08:51:36.871+11:00Home Project #1 - The OfficeOK - It's time to roll up our sleeves and get down to the nitty-gritty of making over this house for sale. Every week I'll be blogging our progress and tracking our expenses.
Our first room is the office. It's a small room off the main lounge room & kitchen that could also be used for a formal dining room. I moved my office into this room when Dad came to live with us.
As we makeover the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-72041504190617556902011-12-25T08:26:00.000+11:002011-12-25T08:26:18.790+11:00Merry Christmas from Downunder
It's Christmas morning here and we are just about to open our presents and then head off to my wonderful in-laws for a traditional hot lunch, afternoon naps and games of cricket. Yesterday it finally got stinkin' hot here - so now it really does feel like Christmas Day!
I just want to wish you all a lovely Christmas, and say a special hello to those lurkers that visit every day but whom I'm Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-62725003303788292572011-12-24T06:52:00.000+11:002011-12-24T06:52:20.836+11:002012 Goals & Plans
When I started my blog 2012 was the year that I expected to have completed paying off our mortgage. Then we jumped on a roller coaster called 'life throws you a curve ball 'and instead of decreasing our debt we added over $70,000 to it.
So 2012 feels very significant to me. Our goal is to reduce our mortgage, if not get rid of it completely, by selling up and downsizing next year.
Last week DHUnknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-38094430080932506022011-12-23T06:14:00.000+11:002011-12-23T06:14:06.082+11:00I found my Christmas mojo...
What a difference a day makes! Yesterday I went to work feeling great about my Bankwest payoff and the day just got better and better. Now some of you know that part of my work involves working with Youth as Risk - in fact thats the part of my job that I absolutely love!
Well yesterday I got the best Christmas present ever! One the kids that I've been working closely with for the last 14 Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-84955786502382848082011-12-22T04:30:00.001+11:002011-12-22T04:32:36.273+11:00Bankwest is done and dusted!!
I just paid off the Bankwest card!! Another one down and yes - I feel good!
Last night DH and I were working on our new budget for 2012 and how fast we can pay down our refinance. It's all looking good at the minute, but the budget is a post for another day. Today I'm just going to revel in how good it feels to have another credit card Gone For Good!
I got you - Bankwest!!
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-27585229547942646952011-12-21T18:13:00.000+11:002011-12-21T18:13:33.065+11:00Just got my electricity bill....and it's good news! We've reduced our average daily consumption from 20.88 KWh ($6.49/day) down to 12.76 KWh ($4.55 a day). So my bill for 3 months was $386.68 ( down from $590.83 last time). So the efforts to turn things off and use the solar lights was worth it.
I would like to get it down even further. But I know there's a limit to how frugal the rest of the family will be. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-82013953723368495892011-12-20T07:53:00.001+11:002011-12-20T20:08:34.594+11:00Busy week here!A quick update before I dash out the door for work ( only 3 days to go!)
I didn't get anything done on my list for the weekend, ended up in bed sick for a few days
Heard back from the loans officer yesterday - everything is looking good for approval! YAY!
I bought a mini Christmas tree for $2.50 in Spotlight - thats my decorations done for this year :)
Dad has deteriorated further and been moved Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-74612101039371161552011-12-17T07:55:00.000+11:002011-12-17T07:55:29.234+11:00We can do it!
I've been doing a lot of number crunching and planning for 2012 this week. It's left me feeling annoyed with the situation we are in and our part in getting here. I've realised I just can't let myself look backwards at how we ended up here. It does me no good at all and it doesn't make a scap of difference!
So I've been trying to keep my focus on where we are headed and why we're doing Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-44926038278137205292011-12-15T07:32:00.001+11:002011-12-15T07:33:39.397+11:00Finding my Christmas mojo.
Only 10 days till Christmas - how did that sneak up on me! I realised this week how lacking in the Christmas spirit I am this year. My head is elsewhere - sorting out the refinance, planning the renovations and getting healthy. Also I don't go down to the shops much so you kind of miss the Christmass frenzy/ buildup.
I had to go to the shops on Tuesday and people were rushing about, kids were Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-63920797952073009212011-12-12T19:25:00.003+11:002011-12-12T19:30:57.546+11:00Sunday/Monday night Chit Chat
This is the beautiful rose garden at Cook Park in Orange, and my photo doesn't do it justice. I had lunch there a few weeks ago when I was out travelling for work. I always stop here and visit when I can as this is the park where my grandparents used to go 'courting' back in the early 1930's. They used to meet here and walk around the grounds together, have picnic lunches, visit the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-46269271690919437772011-12-11T16:48:00.000+11:002011-12-11T16:48:33.865+11:00And the winner is....Thanks so much toThe Hawaii Plan for the Liebster award! I enjoy blogging, it still amazes me that so many people visit and read my blog and I'm so grateful to the lovely 'blog friends' I've met along the way.
"Liebster" is a German word meaning dear, sweet, kind, nice, good, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. What a gift to be awarded with such kindnessUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-29949333538398117302011-12-09T18:37:00.000+11:002011-12-09T18:37:31.860+11:00Insert clever title here... :)It's been a busy week and I haven't been online as much as usual. I've been juicing this week and it takes extra time in the mornings to prepare my juices for the day, so I have less time to read blogs before work. I'm decided to blog my weight loss journey, my blog is 50by50.
Here's a general update:
Cars
My car has been playing up over the last few weeks. It's going to need a new battery andUnknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-69063086326847916892011-12-05T19:37:00.001+11:002011-12-05T19:44:17.347+11:00Sunday/Monday night Chit ChatEven though it's Monday here I thought I'd join in Carlas Sunday night chit chat, stop by and visit for a catch up on what everyones been up to.
So, I'll start with a photo from the weekend....
My plans to have a quiet weekend went badly astray. I think I needed to burn off some energy so DD and I completely decluttered her bedroom, the computer desk and the sideboard. This is the last Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-43057250377351657442011-12-03T09:20:00.000+11:002011-12-03T09:20:21.376+11:00Reviewing 2011 goalsI've been reading everyones goals for next year and reviews of 2011. With less than 30 days to go I thought I'd better review mine and see what I have left to accomplish before 2012 rolls around. These were my goals at the start of the year:
2011 Goals
Finances
To be gazelle intense in our debt reduction efforts - I am pretty happy with our debt reduction efforts and I think we hit gazelle Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-68968440073201126822011-12-02T13:39:00.001+11:002011-12-02T13:40:37.670+11:00What I know for sure...
Somehow Dad pulled through again. He's still not very well but has picked up over the last few days and seems to be out of the immediate danger period. I could see that he has deterioratated a LOT in the last month since I was there. He is so very frail. Life can be cruel sometimes and I wonder how much longer this will go on for. I would not be surprised to get another phone call some Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-46419035783579730652011-11-29T06:04:00.000+11:002011-11-29T06:04:28.531+11:00Offline for a while...I've been flat out with work the last week which is why I haven't posted or been visiting blogs much. I guess this is just a quick note to say that I'll be out of action for a bit longer.
I got a call late last night that Dad has had a small stroke so I am taking the rest of the week off and heading off to be with him shortly. Often a small stroke preceedes a big one. Who knows what the week Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-76139758737703994092011-11-24T07:25:00.003+11:002011-11-24T07:34:23.874+11:00Don't lose focus in the silly season!I made a payment of the Bankwest card last night and the balance is now only $1774! If things go to plan it will be gone in 2 weeks. The debt snowball really is begining to speed up now! With each card that is paid off there is more money for payments. Every day we don't spend money, eat cheaply, use the solar lights and ignore the shopping hype there is even more money to pay off Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3623142884527969687.post-32019826605334959042011-11-22T07:55:00.000+11:002011-11-22T07:55:24.622+11:00Something to make you smile...Need cheering up? This'll put a smile on your face before you head out to work...
Of all the things I miss from veterinary practice, puppy breath is one of the most fond memories!
Dr. Tom Cat Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8