Cari Fischer: Real Nerd - Fake Princess

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WE. SOLD. THE. TRUCK! Well we've made a huge leap forward in our quest for no debt! Danny and I work hard and in the past year have put ourselves in the best financial shape that we've ever been in. So why sell off our beloved truck? Because we can be even better. For the next year, maybe a little longer, we will be a "one" car family. I put quotes on that because two of our girls have cars so it won't be impossible for all of us to get around. We very rarely all 6 go anywhere anyway. If we can keep up this momentum, and not run into any major roadblocks, we will be free from credit card debt by the end of the year. After that, we aggressively tackle student loans. We have already seen our credit scores improve and there is a certain amount of satisfaction watching the balances on my spreadsheet drop month by month. We are a little broken hearted to see the truck go, but we know that the Fischer's one year from now will be so proud of the Fischer's who made the choices they did today. Next short term goal . . . payoff credit card number 4. . . . till then.

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Important Update

Still paying down the debt little by little. Truck has still not sold, but we have been able to dump a little more into the credit cards. It’s been a great month! The best news is that I’m already seeing my credit score rise! We just need to keep it up!

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And with that . . . ONE DOWN!! We are making progress and have successfully knocked out the first credit card. I have spent some time developing spread sheets so we know where we should be at the end of the year. Every so often something throws a wrench in the mix. This morning we had a plumber come out and it cost us $170. Thankfully we can now use our master bathtub again!! I can’t wait! Preparing for a large amount of bills in August for back to school but thankfully the second credit card should be paid off shortly after! . . . till then.

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Update . . . and other things.

Cutting off the cable was a huge savings but has uncovered another problem. We have realized that our internet speeds really stink. Streaming has been frustrating. After consulting my genius brother-in-law, we are going to replace our modem/router with something a little more powerful. Spending a little money, but still saving about $90 per month so it will be worth it. PHONES! One thing that our parents never had to worry about was a $300 cel phone bill. We have great supportive family who has temporarily allowed us to join their family plan literally saving us $350 per month. That money will be added to the minimum payment on one of the credit cards which will knock it out quick. So that's about it. Truck is listed but not a lot of movement on it. Not super surprised. It's expensive. Every little bit counts! Thanks for all of the suppport that we have recieved. It's been great to hear and read the comments. It's kept me accountable. I'll keep you all updated! . . . till then.

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I’M A DOG GROOMER!

NOT! Ok, we all know we are trying to save money, but have you ever tried to groom a dog? It. Takes. Forever. And it’s gross. I’ll say it . .. the butt. Yes, I tend to make Danny do that. I just don’t have the stomach for it. He’s the wildlife biologist, right? Anyway, Doug is now significantly lighter. He could probably stand to go a little shorter, but I’m done.

Money saved: $45

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Said “no” to a pay-per-view movie that we both wanted to watch.

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Houston - We Have A Problem

After spending 4 days per month budgeting and planning and paying bills and negotiating where our funds will go, to I decided it was time to sit down with my husband and make a plan. HE THINKS BIG . . . So here we go! Today is the first day of our life-changing financial make-over. I've read many plans, talked with financial advisors in the past and talked with family. Putting all of that knowledge together, we have a plan to get rid of our debt! Today was a huge help! Dan's paycheck (Danny works a commission only job) was much higher than expected. I payed all of our bills and decided to use a chunk of what was left to pay off 2 of our phones that we were making payments on saving us $50 per month. We canceled our cable and decided to use streaming services only saving us $90 per month. What a great start! The next part is the biggy. Two years ago we purchased our dream truck. We had big plans and ideas of starting our own business using the truck, but have quickly found out that we may have jumped the gun. We just aren't ready to start that adventure in our lives. So . . we are selling the truck. With the payment, gas and insurance, this will save us almost $900 per month. We have decided to be a one car family until the bad debt is gone. Pardon me while I choke back tears . . . This is going to be so hard. I do know that the Fischer's one year from now will be so proud of the Fischer's today if we can make this all happen. We are going to snowball the 3 credit cards, then medical bills, then pay off my daughter's braces. The one car we have is already paid off so that's also a great start. WE CAN DO THIS! We have decided to gift ourselves one last harrah before we begin. Work has been crazy, all bills are paid and we have some left over. We could put the money on a credit card, but decided we are going to take a 4 day road trip. Nothing fancy, just driving a little ways out of town and getting away for spring break. We've had a great start and the next 12 months will truly prove our strength. Please pray for us, and I'll keep you updated on the progress. Beware, there will be highs and lows and I'm prepared to share them all. ... till then.

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Well here we go! It's time to clean out the wallet and live cash-only until all debt is paid off! All credit cards have been put in the fire box, and a plan has been made. The wallet is nice and light!

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Are you happy?

Of course!!!

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Cari Fischer: Real Nerd - Fake Princess turns 5 today! Thanks so all of my followers! I know that I hardly ever post anything, but I've always enjoyed your company!

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I MISS SWEEEETS! Days 7 and 8.

So, this one will be short and sweet. Tip of the Day: Find a way to indulge! This also plays into the fool your brain tip. I recently received this great little tool called "Yonanas." It's a wonderful little machine that takes frozen bananas, or other fruits, and turns them into ice cream! Last night my anxiety was stupid high and I HAD to take care of that craving so I took a frozen banana out of my freezer, zipped it through my Yonanas machine, stirred in about 10 dark chocolate chips and BAM! HEAVEN!! It was perfect and exactly what I needed! 2 ingredient ice cream? Yes please!!

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Day 8! Back on track!

Phew! That weekend was rough, but day 8 was sooo successful! For dinner, tilapia and squash cooked in foil packets in the oven. There are so many recipe's out there for meals like this. Search for one that you think you'll eat. My entire family liked this one!

Tip of the Day: Something Easy!! This is what I've been struggling with. I'm so tired of cooking, cooking and cooking! I found this great recipe on Pinterest and it is awesome!

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins http://fitandhealthywithdebbie.blogspot.com/2012/10/banana-oatmeal-breakfast-muffins.html#.VEbHh2fBFjc Now I have something to grab in the morning when I'm just not feeling like a shake. Today I feel AMAZING! Bring on the rest of this challenge! I'm going to kick it's ass! . . . till then.

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My First Weekend on the Advocare 24 day Challenge

Ugh . . . it wasn't good my friends! Family reunion. Enough said. I may have eaten half a cupcake. In my defense . . . I would have eaten 2 in the past! Tip of the day: T-Fal Actifry! This thing has been an absolute life saver. I miss butter and salt so much, but this little beauty has made cooking so quick, easy and healthy. You MUST check it out!

This was our dinner. Super small steak with the delicious potatoes cooked in my Actifry with just a little seasoning (no salt) and only a tablespoon of olive oil.

After a rough weekend of not only cupcakes, but a beer or 2, I'm back on track this week. Peeps . . . it's only 10 days! We can do this! . . . till then.

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It's taken years for me to get over . . .

http://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/article1118161.html#/tabPane=tabs-170f8633-1 My daughter was one of the 4 in her care that day. I never knew that she admitted to putting the others in that seat. It took me 6 years to trust another daycare. I cry almost every day that I drop my new son off. I adored and trusted Jessica, but I was a registered daycare provider too and we all were told the same thing: NEVER PUT A CHILD IN A CAR SEAT TO SLEEP. If caught, we would lose our license. She knew . . . she did it anyway . . . Kailee died. I think involuntary manslaughter was a light charge and she should be thankful . I know this is an old post, but I've never really spoke out about this. I was always torn because I considered her a friend. The truth is that my life will never be the same.

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Day 2 . . . FIBER BABY!

Let's just get this out of the way first thing. I only drank 48 oz of water yesterday and because of work and a family dinner right after . . . didn't exercise one bit! TIP OF THE DAY: FOOL THE BRAIN!

Please ignore the coffee spot on the counter. :-) I decided to add a few ice cubes, strawberry and banana slices to my fiber drink and BAM! . . . super easy to drink now. If your brain is expecting the grittiness of an icy drink, it won't notice that extra stuff in there. Delicious! Day 2 lunch and snacks the same. Salad (a bigger one this time) and then apples and almonds for a snack. Dinner kinda went down-hill. KFC. That delicious greasy bastard. Family dinner offered me dry salad greens, scalloped potatoes and that amazing original recipe! I TRIED TO BE GOOD! I took a chicken breast and removed all of the skin. I know it's still not great for you, but I felt that was a huge step for me. I struggled with the dry lettuce so I would eat each bite with a piece of chicken. I ate 3 very small slices of potato. I was starving. I grabbed a bite of chicken with the skin still on and ate it! DON'T JUDGE ME! I'M WEAK! :-) And it was sooooo good! My mom made everything better with apple slices with peanut butter and pecans. YUM! What a great snack to end my day. Took my fiber pills and went to bed. Touching on family dinners . . . we all get together and eat every Thursday night. It's wonderful. We are new to our town and haven't met anyone we could call friends just yet. What would we do without family?! Day 3 will be my last fiber shake for awhile. HALLELUIAH!! This will all be worth it! 22 days to prove it! . . . till then.