My car battery died 6 days ago. At the time, I thought maybe I left the lights on, but I wasn't sure. We've had the car about 3 years, but it was purchased used. I didn't have any jumper cables and couldn't find anyone to jump it, so I signed up for AAA online and got them to send someone to jump it. Well, here it is 6 days later and it's dead again. I tried to leave for work this morning and it's totally dead. This time I'm 100% sure I did not leave the lights on. I researched a little and found out most car batteries need to be replaced after 3 years anyway and I know ours is AT LEAST 3 years old. I still have AAA and I know they can come jump it and possibly replace it for what they say is a "good rate" but I'm not sure. I work at WalMart and can get a discount if I buy the battery there, but my WalMart doesn't have a Tire and Lube center so they can't replace it for me. Do you know if garages will replace a battery that I bought from somewhere else? When I got the car jumped a week ago, AAA sent out a local garage to do it, so there's not an actual AAA here. I tried to research replacing it myself but it looks complicated as I don't even know how to change my tires (sad, i know!) and DH doesn't drive so he has no idea how to work on cars either. I guess I just need some advice on whether I'd be better off buying the battery and calling AAA to see if the garage can install it for me, or calling AAA to send the garage to sell me a new one and install it, or trying to install one myself? My only other option is to get it jumped again, which will hopefully hold the charge this time for a little while, and drive 45 minutes to the closest SuperWalMart and buy it there and get them to replace it all at a 10% discount. I just don't know because gas will cost a fortune anyway. Thank you!

Question. I owe $6,832.65 on a credit card that has 0% interest until April of 2009. I currently have $1,000 extra in my bank account that I can use. Would I be better to pay the $1,000 on the credit card or put it in my ING Savings Account at 3.00% interest and add to it anything over the minimum payment and then pay as much as I can in March and transfer it to another 0% card. Or should I put it in a 6-month ING CD at 3.30%? Advice would be greatly appreciated!

*Edit: YES I meant 2009, not 2008, oops!

Personal Health Challenge: $2.00

So DH called to cancel cable but the problem is our cable and internet are in a bundled deal. Right now, our internet is only $15, but if we cancel cable, our internet will go up, and our total savings will only be $15 a month, versus $50 as I thought it would be. They have internet specials, but they are for new customers only. We are thinking of canceling our cable AND internet for 30 days so we can be considered new customers again and get a deal on internet. I have to have internet for school, but since I am in summer school right now, I think I would be okay for 30 days since I am taking fewer classes. Hopefully by next week we can cancel both and save a lot of money for a month, and then get a good deal on internet after that.

Well, I'm about to go to work in an hour. I have a tricky situation with walking to work. We live VERY close to my work, but to get there I have to pass buy a very sketchy trailer park. Now, I'm not judging, I grew up in trailer parks till I was 12 years old. However, the few times I have walked home, I've gotten drunk men following me, yelling obscenities at me, and it's really scary. DH definitely prefers me to drive. I hate to waste gas to drive literally 2 blocks, but idk what else to do. Sometimes, even when I get home and get out of the car, drunk men will start yelling at me and I have to hurry and get inside. I'm not assuming drunkenness either, I've seen them holding bottles either straight out, or in brown paper bags and stumbling about. The problem is, I work evenings usually, so it's the worst when I get off at 11pm, but i've had them yelling even during broad daylight. Any ideas? Should I just keep driving? Maybe it's not TOO much gas since I don't go very far.

Anyway, I better go get ready.



Personal Health Challenge: $0.50

DH and I have had issues with our weight for a while now, though it's hard to understand how being poor allows you to overeat. We buy a lot of convenience foods: chips, cookies, taco bell, etc. These foods can be cheap, but eating healthy can be cheap too. I need to prove that to myself. I'm going to start a challenge for myself to improve my health. My clothes that fit are very limited. A month or so ago, I actually split my favorite pair of jeans when I bent over. I feel guilty buying bigger sizes because 1. they cost more, and 2. I'm throwing away the money I spent on the jeans that fit for maybe a month and haven't fit since. I will give myself a little bit of a break because I have hypothyroidism, but I am on medication for that. Here's how my challenge will go:

For every meal I eat healthy, I will add $0.25 to the pot.
For every snack I eat healthy (my worst vice), I will add $0.25 to the pot.
For every 15 minutes I exercise, I will add $0.25 to the pot.

I'm not rewarding myself for pounds lost, because that isn't always a sure thing. I am rewarding myself for making healthy choices, and hopefully will turn them into regular habits. At the end of each month, whatever my total is will be my limit for buying a new pair of jeans, shirt, underwear, whatever. If I am doing really well, I should be able to fit into smaller sizes and need new clothes as I'm doing this anyway. If I don't lose anything at the end of the month, I probably haven't been doing very well and won't have much to spend anyway. I currently have exactly 1 pair of jeans that fits well, and one pair that is about to not fit anymore. I have several shirts, that I hate, that were given as gifts years ago but were always too big, that now fit, but wearing them reminds me of that, and makes me feel mad at myself.

One big thing that motivated this was last weekend, I saw a shirt that I walked past everyday (I work in retail) that I wanted really badly. I loved the color, style, everything. However, it was $7, which seemed too high. I told DH about it and he said I was being stupid and I should just buy the shirt if I wanted it that bad. Well, I decided to try it on first.

I got the biggest size they had, an XL, went in the dressing room, and... it looked disgusting on me. It was way too small, I had to double check the label to make sure it wasn't a size small or medium. It was an XL and made me realize just how much weight I've gained. At my healthiest, I was 120 lbs. (when I started college), and now 5 years later I'm in the 170's. I'd like to lose 50 pounds. Anyway, I realize I've been rambling for a while, so I'm gonna get going so I can catch the bus in a few minutes anyway.

Someone asked me in a previous blog how I keep my electric bill so low ($41 this past month), so I thought I'd share my methods with everyone. I make sure to keep lights and computers and such turned off whenever they're not necessary. I switched to the compact florescent bulbs in our 3 rooms that we need the light for the longest periods of time. I wash clothes in cold water only and only wash clothes and dishes when there are full loads. I do dry my clothes, but always make sure the lint trap is cleaned before each load, and dry for the minimum amount of time necessary. If I'm doing multiple loads, I make sure to be prompt about putting a new load in the dryer as soon as the first one finishes so the heat isn't wasted. I also unplug things that use electricity even when they're off, such as my laptop and cellphone charger, the microwave, etc. It helps that I live in the mountains where it doesn't get too hot, but we dress in light clothes i.e. tanktops and shorts indoors and use box fans and drink ice water to keep cool (we don't have air conditioning). If it's really hot, I take a quick cool/lukewarm shower so my wet hair will help keep me cool when I get out. We have low-flow shower heads in our showers which helps preserve the hot water. I use cold water to brush my teeth and rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. All of this may sound like a lot, but once you make it your regular routine, it really doesn't feel like any effort, and it truly makes a huge impact on the electric bill. Good luck everyone!

Well I panicked and asked DH to wait a couple of days before canceling cable because I got scared I would miss it too much. However, in that time I was able to discover I spend more time watching movies (we have Blockbuster Online) and playing video games we already have than I spend watching TV. So DH will be canceling it today.

Oh, and we got our power bill in yesterday, I've gotten it down to $41!! YAY!! A few weeks ago I installed the energy efficient bulbs in both of our bathrooms, and they're in the kitchen already and it sure is helping. My next task will be shopping for food. For now, we have cereal, bread for pb&j, and a few frozen meals but I'd like to get some new stuff before we run out of those so they can become back-ups for days when I have no time or desire to cook.

Oh, I also got a rebate check from my CC yesterday for almost $60! And now the balance is getting transferred to my 0% card so I will have nothing left on that card. Well, I better get going so I can catch the bus to campus on time, bye!

So my cooking skills are very limited and it's very hard to get my grocery bill down when I'm buying frozen dinners all the time. DH and I are trying to lose weight so we need to eat reasonably healthy. I buy bread and do low-fat pb and j, but there are only so many pb&j sandwiches you can eat. Plus, we usually do the sandwiches for lunches and frozen meals for dinner. My cooking knowledge is tiny, but here's what I know how to cook: spaghetti with canned pasta sauce, hamburger helper, shake and bake chicken, and boxed macaroni and cheese. I do have a George Foreman Grill, but all I've made on it is hot dogs, hamburgers, and plain chicken - and the chicken can get very boring. Hot dogs would be cheap but we only eat the low-fat ones so that adds up the price. Hamburger meat is expensive.

The Shake and Bake Chicken is something we like, but it takes so long to cook.. I think we generally like the frozen meals for their convenience. I've read somewhere about people making their own "frozen dinners" by cooking and freezing them in little trays or something. I like that idea but how do I prevent them from getting freezer burn?

I was thinking of getting a bag of frozen chicken breasts and making a bunch of them with the shake and bake seasoning and freezing the extras. I have tupperware, clear clingwrap, aluminum foil, and freezer ziplock baggies. What do I need to do to keep them from getting freezer burn, and how long should they be microwaved for when we want to eat them?

I apologize for all the silly questions, but my mom never taught me this stuff growing up, and now that we don't speak anymore, it's too late to ask. I'm also too embarrassed to ask people at work, so I hope some of you wonderful cooks out there can help me. Thank you!

Well, I've been gone for a while. I didn't feel right calling myself frugal when I was spending money on my wedding and honeymoon. Luckily, since we already live together we asked for honeymoon donations instead of regular gifts, and wow were we shocked! We got over $1800 in donations. People were so generous. Between that, my tax refund, and 2 bonuses at work, our entire honeymoon and wedding was paid back.

Now I'm back though. I am determined to get out of debt and cut up all those darn credit cards once and for all. I owe $6832.65 in credit card debt, all of which has been consolidated to a 0% interest credit card (until April of 2009). I also owe a lot in student loans, but I will target those after I tackle my credit card debt. I have been picking up extra hours at work and am working on getting a promotion which would mean a nice raise. This weekend I have picked up 11.5 extra hours already! DH will be calling the cable company Tuesday and canceling cable, which will save us a lot! We are also going to be relying on the public bus system around here instead of driving, as the bus here is free for everyone. Now, if I can just learn how to cook and get our food costs down, I will be doing great!

As I mentioned last night, I am moving in about 3 weeks. It is mostly a good thing, but I am slightly concerned, because I thought I would be able to transfer my job to their location in Boone, but they refuse to let me because they are cutting hours in January. I have asked my current manager so many ways to call up there and see if he could pull any strings, but he refuses.

I guess I'm not as valuable to them as I thought. I am disappointed though, because I thought I would be guaranteed a job up there. It is difficult to apply for a job when you are over 100 miles away. Especially when the jobs you qualify for are low-level ones that you have to apply for in person. I have checked craigslist, business websites, and classified ads, but haven't had any luck yet. I will save my bonus though that I get from work tomorrow and use that the first week we are there, so I can go job hunting, for whatever I can get, until I find something better.

Anyway, there are many good things about moving though. For one, depending on my job situation, we may not need the car at all. No gas, no oil, no nothing. Our apartment will be within feet from the bus stop for campus, and one block away is a big shopping center where we can buy groceries and hopefully where I can get a job. Not having to rely on the car will take a huge burden off of us.

Another good thing is the school I will be attending is MUCH better. This is the first school I attended for college, before we had to move to live with the in-laws, back when my parents were causing problems and took my car and wouldn't sign for me to get financial aid in my own name, and all that chaos. The professors are MUCH better and the environment is just wonderful. I love it up there.

Alright, well DH needs me to get going so we can run some errands. I sold 2 books on half.com today and MIL is taking me shopping for wedding supplies. (It is a LONG story and if you really want to know, I can PM it to you through savingadvice.com) Most of the supplies are going to be "hand-me-downs" haha from SIL's wedding. That's okay though. I am appreciative that we are able to use them. A coworker suggested I try goodwill for a wedding dress. Ok, well time to go. Bye!

I am so thankful to all the wonderful people on these forums who gave me great advice and were so nice when I was in serious trouble a while back. DH and I ended up getting some food from the food bank and were able to make it off of that until I got paid again. Things are much better now. Still trying to save money, as always, but definitely no longer in such a dire situation. I am moving at the beginning of next month, to go back to school. I ended up withdrawing from the semester a few months ago, because I needed to work more because we needed the money. I think it was stupid of me now, because I wasted the hours I had already spent in class that semester. Oh well. I am starting back at a better, less expensive school in January. The holidays have been hard though. My workplace has cut everyone's hours drastically. However, a lot of people quit recently, so I have been getting overtime every week. I stayed 30 minutes late the past 2 nights. Next week I am getting 11 extra hours to help make up for being understaffed! That will help for sure. My paycheck this week is going to be great, as we are getting our bonus! Mine is a little over $200, which is wonderful. I feel so blessed this year that I picked a child off the Salvation Army's Angel Tree and bought him his "dream gift" which was a skateboard, along with a helmet, elbow/knee/wrist pads, and some nice shoes. I got my discount on everything, but dh bought the shoes online at a discount site. Anyway, it's time for bed.

So I am really feeling guilty for buying that sun visor. It just gets so hot here, and I hate getting sweaty on my way to work. It was probably a stupid decision though, because we're running out of food. Yesterday, we found chicken noodle soup in the cupboards and ate that for lunch. Last night, I made hamburger helper using old frozen turkey burgers that I cut up, and a box of hamburger helper mix that MIL gave us from the food pantry at her church a few months ago. It was really delicious though! Crunchy Taco flavor, and had the sauce mix, plus rice, corn chips, and cheese sauce. I wish we had some left, but we were VERY hungry and ate all of it.

Today I think we'll be eating the last of the chicken noodle soup for dinner. I have one more box of mac and cheese for lunch. Then, we have 1 more box of hamburger helper from the food pantry. I only have 2 frozen turkey burgers left though, which will only be 1/2 a pound of meet, instead of the 1 pound it recommends, but that's ok. Then we will be officially out of meals. I think I have 1 little bag of brown rice, 1 can of corn, and 1 can of peas, so maybe we will have a veggie night. We do have a bunch of canned fruit. I guess it would be smarter to just have the veggies with the meals to stretch them further, wouldn't it? I need to stretch what we have 3 weeks (to feed 2 adults).

I'm going to make a list of everything so I can refer back to it:
1 box Hamburger Helper
2 frozen Turkey Burgers
1 box Mac and Cheese
4 bags Brown Rice
1 can Peas
1 can Corn
1 can Cream of Chicken
1/4 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
2 cans Pineapple
3 cans Peaches
1 can Fruit Cocktail
3 cups Raisins
1 jar Applesauce
1 bag Sugar
1 sample Coffee mix
9 servings Hot Chocolate w/ Marshmallows
1/3 can Cappuccino
2 Creamsickles
2 Ice Cream Sandwiches
2 cups Italian Ice
3/4 gallon skim Milk
4 Snack Packs (pudding)
8 bags Popcorn
2 1/4 boxes Wheat Crackers
1/2 bag Pretzel Sticks
1/2 box Cereal
1/2 bag Candy
1/2 jar Peanut Butter
20 Saltine Crackers

Yes, we have more junk than anything. Any combo. ideas? I'm thinking the Peanut Butter and Saltines could work for 1 meal. The only problem is I'm hypoglycemic and can't go more than a few hours without eating or I pass out, and sometimes have seizures. Well, I better go make lunch before work.

So, yesterday was ALMOST a no-spend day, but my sun visor for my car has been slowly dying for the past few months. I've had it for maybe 5 years or so. It just stopped staying up and would fall down, so it just wasn't serving it's purpose anymore. I had been flipping it using it frontward and backward to try to extend the life, but finally, it was just too mushy. So, I went to Wal-Mart last night and found one on clearance for $2.00. I wouldn't have bought a new one, but I feel keeping my car cool keeps me from needing the air conditioning as often, and maybe saves on gas as well. Maybe it's just psycological, I dunno. Oh well.

Today I brought a snack with me to work to eat during my break so I wouldn't purchase anything. I came home for lunch (I live about 5 minutes away from work) and ate in. I also cooked dinner, using up the last of our frozen chicken breasts. I ended up cooking extra too so it won't be so tempting to grab something "quick" for dinner tomorrow. Lights have been kept off and I unplugged everything, as usual.

I also washed a load of laundry in cold water this morning, using half the recommended amount of detergent, and hung everything to dry afterward. I sold 2 more books over the weekend so I am wrapping them (using cardstock paper that I have leftover from a long time ago) and will try to ship them tomorrow. I got a rebate check from my rewards CC (which is payed off!) for a little over $50, and will deposit it with my paycheck on Thursday (so I only have to drive to the bank once). Now I'm going to relax and watch the rest of the game with DH. Goodnight all

I washed laundry in cold water and hung it to dry. Then, I flipped the breaker for the washer back off. I unplugged everything, kept lights off, etc. I wore light clothes so I could keep the thermostat as high as possible to keep the air from coming on much. We ate out for breakfast: FIL took us out as a thank you for taking care of their dog while they were out of town. Somehow I wasn't hungry again until dinner, and we ate in: Hotdogs and fruit cocktail. Yum. Oh! I also listed a bunch of books on half.com, and already sold 2 today, making a total of almost $100! Yay!

I wanted to quickly refer anyone who may be interested to my other blog, which is honestly more weight-loss related right now, but I tend to update it more often. http://nevergiveuplisa.blogspot.com/

Moving on, I am working hard trying to get our utility bills down. Mainly electric, since our water is included in our rent. I washed 2 loads of laundry the other day, in cold water, and hung EVERYTHING to dry. Everything was stiff afterward, so I put them in the dryer on the "Fluff" setting for just 10 minutes and they were nice and soft. I'm sure 10 minutes of fluffing is still much better than 60 minutes of high heat drying!

I have been keeping our lights off, only using the kitchen and bathroom lights when we need them, as they have energy efficient bulbs. I am keeping things unplugged as much as possible. We have been eating in more as well. We did eat out at Subway yesterday, but we had a coupon for a free bag of chips, so we got 1 combo (sub, chips, drink) and 1 more sub and the free chips, and just split the drink. I have definitely been drinking more water. DH loves his soda, so he gets generic, and I try to stick with water so his soda lasts longer.

If you read my other blog, you'll see that I'm working hard on controlling my eating so my snacks last longer. I find it helps if I buy things I don't LOVE, such as pretzels and wheat crackers (both generic of course!) so they last longer.

I paid off 2 of my credit cards recently (YAY!!) but noticed one was a rewards card (I had no idea) and I had enough points to order a $10 gas gift card, so I bought gas with that yesterday. Too bad $10 worth of gas isn't as much as it used to be. It only got me to 1/2 a tank. Oh well. I am doing well driving slower, keeping our tires properly inflated, and avoiding using the a/c to keep my gas consumption down. Not going many places helps with that too. It also helps because it's hard to spend money when you're not out shopping!!!

I am really happy because I got promoted at work recently, and along with my yearly raise, I am now making $1.30 more per hour, plus $1 extra per hour on Sundays. It's definitely helpful. I also earned some personal hours too, which I am thinking of using at the end of October so I can attend a birthday party for a close friend's little boy.

Anyways, it's time to get going. Remember to chek out my blog: http://nevergiveuplisa.blogspot.com/

Well, yesterday wasn't perfect, but it was an improvement for me. We really wanted to see a new movie that came out Friday, so we went to the cheap theater and saw a matinee (only $4.50 each). We brought our own small snacks and really had a great time. I sold a book on half.com yesterday too, and it completely covers my movie ticket, so I'm happy about that. I'm about to leave for work soon. I work a 9 hour shift today, so that will be a good earning for today. I also get paid today. That money will be used to pay rent though.

I have been really working hard at not using my credit card at all. I used to pop it out like gum (I don't know quite the right reference here lol), but I've been resisting and saying, if it's not in my checking account, it's money I don't have. I do have to be careful though, because I can risk getting my checking account dangerously low using it all the time. I guess I have to tell myself if I don't want it so low, I can't spend any money.

I'm coming home for my lunch hour today so I can save money by eating at home instead of buying lunch at work (I live literally 5 minutes from work and it's mandatory that we take hour lunch breaks, unfortunately).

I'm trying to make an important decision about something. Months ago, I asked off for this Saturday because I was invited to go to an amusement park with some friends. I'm rethinking it though because even getting in $10 cheaper (my friend has discount passes) doesn't help me with food costs or anything. I mean, I'm already off from work for the day, but I almost think I'd be better off staying home saving money than going off spending money that I Don't Have!

Also, I've just been told the updated carpool status is 5 people will be riding in 1 tiny car. Did I mention, I only know ONE of the people going. The others I've never met, and I'm not thrilled at the thought of being squished up against someone I've never met for over an hour drive. Hmm, I thinking of canceling. I have a nice vacation coming up in August that's already prepaid for anyways, so I don't really NEED this one. Well, I need to pack some snacks for my short breaks at work (I'm hypoglycemic), so I better get going.

Of all the tips I've learned and advice I've received, the following are my favorites and most used:

1. Unplug things. Basically, unless something is a huge hassle to unplug (i.e. all the cords behind the television, alarm clocks, etc) it stays unplugged. I even flip the breakers off to the washer and dryer when I'm not using them. No phantom electricity zappers in my home.

2. Keep lights off. With the exception of the bathroom and kitchen, which both have energy efficient CFL bulbs, I keep lights off. During the winter months, and the summer if it's not too sunny out, I keep the curtains open and use the light from that to do my daily activities.

3. Minimize the a/c in the summer. I keep our air conditioner set at 80 degrees F during the summer. We try to wear minimal clothing when we're home and use box fans to keep the air circulating (we don't have ceiling fans) if it's really hot. I also have a stash of freeze pops that are down to the flavors nobody likes (at least in my household!) - red and yellow, but I eat them when it's really hot and boy do they taste great then!

4. Minimize the heat in the winter! We keep our heat no higher than 60 degrees during the winter. We bundle up in sweats, hoodies, and toboggins and use lots of blankets on the bed at night. I also like to leave the oven open after cooking (with it turned off!) to warm up our home too.

5. Free samples! I am always on the lookout for freebies. I use free samples to prevent having to buy things like deoderant, shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, etc. as much as possible. I also collect freebies if I am not interested in them to create gift baskets to give as gifts during birthdays and such. This is especially helpful with people who are hard to shop for, as they have lots of variety in their gift (perfumes, lotions, body washes, etc).

6. Save Gas. I try to leave early to get to my destinations so I can drive the speed limit and save on gas. I also regularly check the air pressure in my tires (we have a local gas station where the air is free!) and keep them properly inflated. I keep our windows down when driving under 45 mph and up with fan if possible, otherwise air if needed when driving on the highway. I try to avoid letting stuff sit in the car. I like it to be as light as possible to keep the gas use down. I also regularly use the sun visor and keep the windows cracked. I figure keeping it cooler in the car as long as possible should help reduce how much gas evaporates when I'm not in it. I also make sure to drive responsibly: always use my turn signal, headlights during the day if it's cloudy, completley stop at stop signs, etc. to help reduce my risk of an accident. I also park far away when I go places to A) reduce how many cars park nearby which could ding my car with their doors and B) get in some extra walking, which is always a good thing for me anyways.

Well, that's all for now. Perhaps I'll post more in weeks to come.

Well, I decided to start over and really work hard on getting myself out of debt, namely credit card debt. In my first few years of having credit cards, I rarely, if ever, carried a balance. I dutifully paid each card in full every month. Unfortunatly, due to personal family problems, I ran into some problems with college and found myself in desperate need of money to pay for my college tuition. Three semesters later, I am in deep credit card debt, and astonished at how I let it get this bad.

I currently have three credit cards with the following balances and interest rates: $1157.00 at 0%, $1797.32 at 0%, and $3179.28 at 14.4%. The third ones is the worst, and I did call and ask to get the interest rate reduced a few months ago (it used to be over 18%!). I am about to transfer MOST of that balance to a 0% card and then throw that card in the freezer for emergencies only, as out of all the cards, it is the one I would like to keep when all the others are paid off and cut up.

I owe several thousand in student loans, but I'm not concerned with those until I graduate, as the credit cards are the most pressing issue for me. Most of my student loans aren't gaining any interest until I graduate anyway.

Anyways, I've worked hard at my job and have just gotten a raise, and a promotion (which means ANOTHER raise) so I should soon be making about 90 cent more per hour. I've created a pretty strict budget using Microsoft Excel and plan to stick to it pretty strictly. I have my regular job, which I will be working 24 hours a week once school starts at the end of August (pretty much full time hours until then). I can't work more than 24 hours a week once school starts because I will be taking 18 credit hours worth of classes, and a 50 hour unpaid mandatory school internship on top of that. In addition, I will continue to do paid surveys online whenever I qualify for them and get free samples of things such as shampoo and the like to keep my expenses low.

I have many goals for myself starting next month (although I have been keeping track of my finances this past month just to have a comparison). One is to stick to my budget and pay off my credit cards. The second is to do my very best in school and earn respectable grades. The third is to eat healthier, while still sticking to my budget. The fourth is to exercise regularly. I feel all of the goals actually work together to support my getting out of debt, as improving my health should help me need less medication (I hope) and fewer doctor's visits (fewer illnesses).

Well, these are my goals and my plans to reach them. I'll try to post more regularly this time.