I have been quiet on here.  I suppose I just didn’t know what to type.  I have been thinking over the last few month how life is different because we have had a emergency fund.

My son is starting high school this year.  A lot more expensive than I could have ever imagined.  New uniforms, books etc.

We also had been able to go away for a small camping trip.

I would have had to pay by credit card and mostly likely would not have gone away on our trip without it.

I am very tempted to use the credit card.

We do have a emergency fund and savings.  Our credit card paid off.

My son is starting high school next year.  I thought that school fees could gradually be paid off.  But no it appears I will have to pay for books, school camp and other expences all at the same time.  I am so hesitant to take money out of our savings.  Its so nice having an amount saved and I just don’t want to touch it.  I am trying to convince myself.  Yes.  I will pay it back very soon.  The government here in Australia are giving out a certain amount of money to those who have children and have a income that qualifies. The income is up to about 100k which is quite high to me.  Maybe I could use that to pay it back.  But then I was thinking of using that to put into our savings or help pay off the 9k worth of debt that is remaining.

I know a few people have read the blog. But it is good just typing this out.

So expensive when children get older.

I have just started this blog and I have hardly made any posts.

There is a good reason.  I had surgery last week to remove the right side of my thyroid.  Having a health issue always makes me rethink my values and what is important.  What I had previously stressed out about is not so important anymore.

Australia has a good public health system so I have not had health insurance.  Now I am beginning to rethink.  I have my house insured and the contents.  Also the car.  Why is the family not insured?

My husband had to take time off work to take care of me.  What would happen if I had a long term illness.  I have no parents or brothers and sisters.

I am glad we do have an emergency fund but now I know we need more.

I would so much love to be self sufficient and have no debt.  I can’t wait until this day arrives.

Our credit card is the first debt that I have decided to snowball. It has the lowest balance and also the highest interest rates. So I am quite excited to say that it will be paid off in the next few weeks

The bank obviously doesn’t like this. Received a letter in the mail to offer a extra limit on the card of an extra amount of 1,300 dollars. I did rip in up and put it in the bin. There was no option to reduce the limit! There has been this option in past letters we have received.

Our next debt to pay is our persona loan and I can’t wait until that is cleared. If we use the snowball method it may be cleared in 8 months. Found out about the snowball method on the simple dollar blog. It is a great resource. Especially for a person who does now much about figures. The sight of heaps of numbers and a graph can make me physically ill! Didn’t do well at maths at school.

But it is hard to live frugal and watch every penny. Summer is coming in Australia and I love shopping for clothes. My sons birthday is coming up and Christmas.

What happens if you and your partner have slightly different views on saving and getting out of debt.

My husband thinks in the now. I tend to think for the future. I am thinking if we are strict we can be debt free in one year. While we are doing this we have to be frugal. Then we can do whatever we want.

My husband loves going away. After we went skiing this weekend I looked at out bank balances and we had spent more than what I had thought. My husband thinks its ok to take out money from savings to do things like this and I don’t.

I feel right now we will never be debt free if we continuously have to take out money from savings to pay for little trips.

I can’t argue too much as he is the principal income earner. I just want to be debt free.

Yesterday I went out with a friend.  What was meant to be just a short trip to the shops for me friend to get some clothes ended up being almost a long day.

She told me how she had washing her car in a great car wash.  How she had so much fun going through it.  Well I was convinced to have a try.  It was only 7 dollars.  I did and what a waste it was.  I could see the paw print my cat had made on dusty windshield still.  We did have fun though had a few laughs as I don’t like being in tight places.  So I laugh it off.

Then we went to the shops.  My friend took almost an hour to find 1 top.  As she was looking I did grab 2 dresses for my daughter and a wool hat.  I am proud that I took the dresses back but I kept the hat.
She does need it.

Well of course my daughter got hungry so I purchased a hotdog for her and me.  then another friend arrived and wanted coffee.  So a day that I was not meant to spend anything I spent $20.  I find it all frustrating.

I have had a new obsession to reduce debt and to start saving.  I find this extraordinary because I hate numbers.  I can feel my anxiety rising just by looking at too many charts with numbers on it.

I just need to keep an account of myself on what I do.

I have some goals to live a more frugal life.

I normally do this quite well.  But.  I do love shopping.  I do get a rush when I purchase something and it does make me happy.  For a while I do feel like a better person.  More successful.  A very deceptive feeling.

My first small goal is to have less coffees  with my friends.  I will see a friend at the shops and we decide to have a coffee together.  Often this is quite early, like a bit after nine am.  So often we haven’t had breakfast so we have that too.  One week I think I spend about $17:00.  Would add up to quite a bit.

So here I go