Well, I was able to scrape together roughly 450 bucks and make one, last, final payment (baring any unforeseen cash that God is planning to rain down upon me from the heavens). So, my totals from April until October are:

I am very, very pleased with my progress, and I think I did a pretty good job.
There are 177 days between 04-16-2005 and 10-10-2005. In that 177 day period I paid off 8057.22. That averages to 45.52 PER DAY. Not bad.

If you want to learn how I did what I did, and how I am doing what I am doing, read Dave Ramsey’s books…and check out this blog, as well.

Thanks to all of you who supported me, cheered me on, stepped on my toes, and held my hand. I needed it all.

I will be back Monday with a “Final” report on making my goal, and with details about what I am planning to do in the future. Until then, check out the blogs listed on the right, and good luck getting out of debt!!!

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(If you know what the title refers to, then you have kids, or you baby-sit, or you have a great memory of the songs of your child-hood).

I spent the better part of today cleaning up our kids’ play-room. Wow. How in the world did my two children gather unto themselves more toys than Santa’s Elves make in a decade? Seriously, as I began to sift through the mountain of Barbies, My Little Ponies, and Matchbox Cars, my mind wandered to all of the things that I COULD have been doing, all of the things that would have been more pleasurable. Like mowing my lawn with a pair of scissors, or shingling the neighbors house for free. So much stuff!

I now know where my retirement savings have gone. To Geoffrey the Giraffe. ToysRUs…you are the devil!

I purchased two 6 foot tall shelving units, put them together, and organized my daughters stuff. Also, I was able to convince her to throw out 3 garbage bags FULL of stuff. (We also found 1 bag of stuff worth donating to good-will).

I now know where my kids’ college savings have gone. To Ronald McDonald. McDonald’s…you are the anti-christ!

I would wager that I threw away AT LEAST 60 cheap, plastic toys from various fast food restaurants. I am a terrible, terrible father.

If you have gotten this far, you can see that I have NOTHING to report along financial lines. WHY? Because, I will receive just one more paycheck before 10-10-2005, and it will be for less than 600 bucks. SO, unless some miracle happens… I will miss my pay-back deadline.

I am bummed, and I am trying to do a ton of projects around the old house to keep my mind off of my “failure”. (I know, I know, it’s cool that I have paid off so much already, but I really did want to make my goal. I am afraid I will lose my motivation…Breathe, ncn, breathe.)

Well, the play room is all nice and neat now, and that makes me happy. I am blessed, my kids are night-night in their beds, and the wife is curled up with a book, reading quietly. I have plenty to eat, dry clothes, and I am surrounded by people I love.

I think I will forget about personal finance for a few days, and just be thankful… for runny noses, happy faces, big-two-year-old boy messes, kindergarten successes, and kisses good-night.

Clean-up, clean-up, everybody everywhere…
Clean-up, clean-up, everybody do your share…

Night All…

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Okay, if you only come here for the pf stuff, check out now…none of that for today.

Today, I want to talk about my weight. Yep, I am a fatboy. Technically, I am obese, according to every single chart I can find. I was hoping to find one that would just say “over-weight” BUT, they all say obese. (Oh yeah, this a little personal finance worthy…if you are fat, your life insurance rates are higher…). SO, I have been on a “diet” and I am trying my very best to lose the pounds. So here is my progress since I began to be “strict” last Monday, Sept. 26. I will use this as my date of reference for all weight loss posts. (I have actually lost and regained the same 4 pounds since April…I usually diet at least 2 days a week, then I pig out the rest. Now, since the 26th, I have been “sticking” to my plan)

I use weight watchers points system. I do it on my on without benefit of meetings. I hate their meetings. I am a dude, I am straight…I do NOT want to spend an hour in a room with a bunch of fat women complaining about their cycles. I got my own stuff to deal with.

Well, here are the results from the first week. Not great, not bad, just a start, but, ya gotta start somewhere.

Goal: 48 Pounds by 01-13-2006.
Lost: 4.5 Pounds
Left: 43.5 Pounds

There is now a weight loss chart on the right.

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