prizes

i feel like i am an entry lunatic lately. want my email? sure! want my address for a sample? no problem!! want an hour of my time for 10 miles on (insert any) airline point programs? um-k!

{cred}

so when i saw anna was doing a cool giveaway it was no different. i tweeted and blogged and facebooked about it to increase my chances to win this great print for my apartment. i'm thinking in my walk in closet. remind me, daily, that i have SO MUCH STUFF and, in fact, don't need that $239 dress from jcrew.

want less.
xoxo ashleycolean

a grown up weekend

this weekend i went to the crossroads theater in denver to see anna jones of and then she saved talk about her journey out of debt!! it was so fun to hear her tell the story i'd read in person, and getting to meet her was pretty rad too! she was so nice and so helpful with all of my questions.
i'm sure people that aren't religious and then she saved-ers thought i was ten kinds of crazy, but whatever! :)

a financial advisor also spoke. her name is hannah raynes. she helps people plan their financial futures and figure out how to best make their money work for them. when i have a grip on my financial situation (and by that i mean when i am out of debt-or at least further out of debt) i'm going to find someone to help me make some plans.

a few things i noted at the seminar that are good reminders, amazing math, or just general good advise:

getting rid of the temptation to spend (like removing all stores and the internet) is unrealistic so you have to learn to live in and around a society obsessed with possessions.

get rid of your credit card debt first.

people in debt have more health problems. specifically those in credit card debt. they are more stressed, overweight and generally unhealthy than those without debt.

realign your priorities and take a look at your finances because they will show you where your priorities lie (if the majority of your money is going to nordstrom-you may have warped priorities).

learn how to say no to yourself.

'stop spending money you don't have. stop spending money you do have.'

in regard to artists-but i think it crosses the artistic line-'charge what you're worth or do it for free, but don't do it for cheap.' anna

if you saved $300.00 a month and invested it-you would have $841,356 in 30 years. yes please!!

average inflation is 3% a year. so if your money isn't making at least 3% annually, you are actually losing money.

make your money work for you. INVEST!

only 1 in 8 americans close to retirement feel comfortable with their retirement accounts as they currently are.

the average monthly social security check is $1,050.00 -not that we'll even have that to factor in to our retirement as gen-y ers.

typical americans will never pay down their debt.

historically, when the S&P has a drop their is a double digit return.-man, here's hoping!

men should save 10% of their income, and women should save 12%. here's why.

so there's just a snip it of the good info i walked away with on saturday.

here's to 65 year old me-chilling on the beach.
xoxo ashleycolean

spent

i found this amazing thing on the always amazing and then she saved the other day. so eye opening-even for me-and i feel like i have a decent grasp on reality...

i only lasted 11 days (then tried again and lasted 16).
click here to try it for yourself

nothing like a little perspective.
xoxo ashleycolean

and then she saved

{cred}

so my 'month of the ad' on and then she saved is over.
and what a nice month it was.
anna posted this the other day, and i loved it!
if you haven't checked her site out, you should. she's pretty great.
super inspiring.
super determined.
super fun.

let's all do this!
xoxo ashleycolean

'please stop'

anna from and then she saved has done it again. check out her hilarious (and totally adorable) plates on her etsy site. i love these. so funny. she also has super cute onesies, i told you about here.

do you think, if given as a gift, these would offend? ha.
xoxo ashleycolean

for the newbies

{credit}

now that i'm picking up views from and then she saved traffic (thanks to my free ad from anna) i thought i'd offer up a bit of a recap of what's been happening over here for the past couple of months.


after seeing anna in 5280 i decided to try and make a go of it myself-get out of debt $34,114.73 in 24 months. hefty goals. big cut backs. the works.


month one was tough-but totally rewarding with a total debt pay down of $1,950.52! it was amazing to me how free i felt financially even though i was totally cutting back on virtually everything. i knew if something came up, i could cover it-because (unlike previous times) i hadn't spent that (hospital copay, car tags, prescription, etc) on 5 so-so tops from H&M.


month two i did some investigating about what i really needed to keep in savings and what i could take out of my emergency fund to put toward my debt. thanks to a bit out of savings and somehow keeping my nose to the grind stone, my total debt payment for june was $3,108.09! in june i did a lot of reading, and got pretty obsessed with the 'out of debt' prospect!


so far this month. i'm cruising. i did make the mistake of spending the majority of my optional cash early in the month, which sucks, but hey-i'm still learning. i'm no expert. i'm no genius. i'm no money guru. i'm just trying to make this happen, and have fun with it, so one day i can look up and feel proud of where i am financially rather than feel horrified about where i am.


total debt down to date: $5,058.61! :)
follow my little baby beginner blog by clicking 'follow' on the right.
i promise not to spam you.
xoxo ashleycolean

holy macaroni

big happenings over here in my little baby blog camp today, ya'll.

the anna, from the and then she saved gave little ol' me a little ad space for the month on her site. amazing! she is after all the reason that i started my financial lockdown in the first place!!

{credit}

you can see my mini face on her site starting now!
xoxo ashleycolean

compulsive debting-eek

i found this checklist on anna jones' blog and thought i'd give it a go.

these questions are from debtors anonymous and they can help you determine if you have a spending/debt problem.

1. being unclear about your financial situation. not knowing account balances, monthly expenses, loan interest rates, fees, fines, or contractual obligations. -i've always been good about this. even when i was spending irresponsibly, i knew i was

2. frequently "borrowing" items such as books, pens, or small amounts of money from friends and others, and failing to return them. -nope. never been a problem for me.

3. poor saving habits. not planning for taxes, retirement or other not-recurring but predictable items, and then feeling surprised when they come due; a "live for today, don't worry about tomorrow" attitude." -ehh, sort of. i tend to take money out of savings too much, but i do plan for other expenses.

4. compulsive shopping: being unable to pass up a "good deal"; making impulsive purchases; leaving price tags on clothes so they can be returned; not using items you've purchased. -jackpot.

5. difficulty in meeting basic financial or personal obligations, and/or an inordinate sense of accomplishment when such obligations are met. -not really

6. a different feeling when buying things on credit than when paying cash, a feeling of being in the club, of being accepted, of being grown up. -how about of getting points??!! that's always been my problem, not 'feeling accepted or grown up'

7. living in chaos and drama around money: using one credit card to pay another; bouncing checks; always having a financial crisis to contend with. -no.

8. a tendency to live on the edge: living paycheck to paycheck; taking risks with health and car insurance coverage; writing checks hoping money will appear to cover them. -no.

9. unwarranted inhibition and embarrassment in what should be a normal discussion of money. -nah.

10. overworking or under earning: working extra hours to earn money to pay creditors; using time inefficiently; taking jobs below your skill and education level. -man, i would if i could figure out how to. i'd love to have a tiny side job that would help me pay this debt down. but i don't know many places that are looking for a waitress to only work sunday brunch. let me know if you do!

11. an unwillingness to care for and value yourself: living in self-imposed deprivation; denying your basic needs in order to pay your creditors. -no. but i have cheaped out and avoided the grocery store to buy overpriced shoes-so, kinda.

12. a feeling or hope that someone will take care of you if necessary, so that you won't really get into serious financial trouble, that there will always be someone you can turn to. -no. i've always taken care of myself financially.

images c/o google images

Most compulsive debtors will answer "yes" to at least 8 of the following 15 questions.

1. Are your debts making your home life unhappy? N

2. Does the pressure of your debts distract you from your daily work? N

3. Are your debts affecting your reputation? N

4. Do your debts cause you to think less of yourself? N

5. Have you ever given false information in order to obtain credit? N

6. Have you ever made unrealistic promises to your creditors? N

7. Does the pressure of your debts make you careless of the welfare of your family? N/A

8. Do you ever fear that your employer, family or friends will learn the extent of your total indebtedness? N

9. When faced with a difficult financial situation, does the prospect of borrowing give you an inordinate feeling of relief? N

10. Does the pressure of your debts cause you to have difficulty sleeping? N

11. Has the pressure of your debts ever caused you to consider getting drunk? HA-N

12. Have you ever borrowed money without giving adequate consideration to the rate of interest you are required to pay? Y-when i was young and had no idea what i was doing (student loans).

13. Do you usually expect a negative response when you are subject to a credit investigation? N

14. Have you ever developed a strict regimen for paying off your debts, only to break it under pressure? N-but we shall see.

15. Do you justify your debts by telling yourself that you are superior to the "other" people, and when you get your "break" you'll be out of debt overnight? N-but kinda. not better, just more financially responsible.

phew. i passed. but still, could have had healthier spending habits in the past. but, the past is the past and i'm strollin' through this new lifestyle.

strollin' i tell you!
xoxo ashleycolean

two sided coin

so when i decided to put myself on financial lockdown, i did so, largely in part to reading the story about anna jones-of and then she saved. she was young, fun, fabulous, a fellow denverite, and fighting her way-uphill-to get out of debt. i was instantly into it.

after a week or so pining away about if i could do it, stick to it and actually make is even sort of interesting to read about-i wrote it down and made it happen.
granted-i'm still a newbie at this. but, i'm doing it. and i'm super proud of myself.

i got a pretty bad spending pang today and as irony would have it, it came from cruising anna's etsy site.
her site hit on the majority of my spending triggers...adorable, funny, one of a kindish. i love popping things in the mail to kc-and onesies are no exception.

i mean really-

d bird-you need these. i'll try and skimp on my 'wants' budget the rest of the month to send it to you!

if nothing else-keep your eye on the mail for this one...

love you d bird.
xoxo ashleycolean