tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64925572093169873232024-03-13T23:24:55.907-05:00Twenty-Four Poor[2.4 million pennies saved is 2.4 million pennies earned]Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-85027658499158666122011-09-28T13:02:00.000-05:002011-09-28T13:02:18.484-05:00we're back<div style="text-align: center;">hi, hello.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">we're back, and are greatly humbled. </div><div style="text-align: center;">we didn't make a decision to stop blogging, to stop publicly celebrating our commitment to be debt-free - - it just sort of happened. </div><div style="text-align: center;">and since we will always, <b>always</b> share the <span style="font-size: large;">facts</span> on this blog - </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">the truth is that </div><div style="text-align: center;">we somehow started spending more</div><div style="text-align: center;">and now, almost a year later</div><div style="text-align: center;">we have peaked at </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">$34,000</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">or, if you will, "thirty-four poor"</div><div style="text-align: center;">but have inched down from there to </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">$32,800</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">and, as i said,</div><div style="text-align: center;">we are back on the horse. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">if there is anyone in the world still reading this, thank you. </div><div style="text-align: center;">if there is not- then this is for US. </div><div style="text-align: center;">we are going to do this!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">here is a quote from <a href="http://www.engagedmarriage.com/finances-careers/our-debt-free-marriage-how-we-paid-off-54500-in-the-name-of-freedom">engaged marriage</a>. this is our plan: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><strong>"It takes passion, energy and commitment to pay off a large amount of debt</strong>. And it takes a lot of hard work. There’s really no substitute for effort if you want to make a major change in your financial future and live a debt-free marriage.</i></div><div> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>For us, this meant a firm commitment to incurring no additional debt and a new mindset focused first-and-foremost on paying off our stupid debts. Practically speaking, the real key for us was building and strictly following a <a href="http://www.engagedmarriage.com/finances-careers/budget-software-reviews-choose-your-tool-for-successful-money-management" target="_blank" title="Budget Software Reviews">family budget</a> that reduced our spending on things like shopping and <a href="http://www.engagedmarriage.com/finances-careers/holy-crap-i-eat-out-a-lot" target="_blank" title="Need to work on this again!">eating out at restaurants</a>. We didn’t take vacations and we kept our entertainment on the simple side. In a word, we got <em>frugal</em>.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I also worked a LOT, and we used any small amount of money we could come up with to pay off the next debt in our <a href="http://www.engagedmarriage.com/finances-careers/dave-ramseys-baby-steps-a-real-path-to-family-financial-freedom" target="_blank" title="Baby Step 2: Debt Snowball">debt snowball</a>. There weren’t many big moments of major progress. Instead, it was all about being consistent and maintaining our intensity over the course of several years."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">so - this is just to say - we're here, and get ready.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">those numbers are <span style="font-size: x-large;">going down! </span></span><i> </i></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><br />
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</div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-76026837565630814492010-11-19T12:26:00.000-06:002010-11-19T12:26:16.506-06:00free money!<div style="text-align: center;">Does that title sound like spam or what?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Well, hopefully, if you are still reading this, your spam reaction must not have been sufficiently violent to close the window immediately, assuming that I must be about to offer you a chance to free the President of Nigeria for only a small payment, etc. Or earn 22.2 percent interest on a no-hassle investment. Or turn your jewelry and silver place settings into CASH NOW!!!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">No, I'm not offering any of those things.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm offering something better.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">A touch of American nostalgia and a little precious metal. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">We are rapidly approaching our FIRST BOX checked SOLELY through website income!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Not bad, considering we only post a few times a month these days.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">To celebrate, we will be having a CELEBRATORY GIVEAWAY.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Someday soon, after the mark has been reached, we will open up the floor for our readers to enter this contest. (To enter we'll ask you to do a few basic things like comment on our blog, link to the blog post from your blog, and click on our ads.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And then one lucky reader will receive some US minted silver. Why? Because I was a coin collector as a kid, and I've got all these coins lying around. Plus, silver is becoming a safer and safer investment these days. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://moneymorning.com/2010/09/08/silver-2/">Quick Article about Silver Investing</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Talk to ya'll about this again soon.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">_jack</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-46451361474381043242010-11-12T12:23:00.000-06:002010-11-12T12:23:26.218-06:00the list of our dear friend Craig...<div style="text-align: center;">People are always throwing away furniture. It's in your home, you want to replace it with something, so you put it in the alley or bring it to the dump. Problem solved.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">However, this is a perfect opportunity to make some money.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flavor8.com/images/renovation/dump1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://www.flavor8.com/images/renovation/dump1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These couches, for example. Cash in the trash.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">So you <i>sell </i>them. On CRAIGSLIST! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Once, I had a hideous green couch that I got from some relatives. Distant relatives. Wife's parent's cousin's relatives. Bottom line: couch was free and ugly.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I put it up on craigslist, just to see what offers I could get and sold it for $120!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Accounting recap: </div><div style="text-align: center;">Initial investment = $0.00</div><div style="text-align: center;">Final sale value = $120.00</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Net Profit = $120.00.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">If only that worked every time. But let me run through a list of other things that have worked:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bedroom set: bed, side tables, dressers:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bought: Free Sold: $100</div><div style="text-align: center;">Coffee Table:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bought: Free Sold: $25</div><div style="text-align: center;">Ugly Couch #2:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bought: Free Sold: $50</div><div style="text-align: center;">Ugly Couch #3: (thank goodness for slipcovers)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bought: Free Sold: $35</div><div style="text-align: center;">Cool Chair in Disrepair:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bought: Free Sold: $25</div><div style="text-align: center;">TV's found in our Apartment Storage Unit:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bought: Free Sold: $15 & $25</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Obviously we've got something good going here. If only I could accumulate a free inventory of furniture I could be quite a businessman. What a business model.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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But how does one sell on Craigslist? Isn't it a hassle? Aren't people untrustworthy? What if I don't want strangers in my home?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSWAbfgqm4_GCG0USzamUdJWQkRyTuigT_wAOuJ8CSTkXkuF7PSZw" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSWAbfgqm4_GCG0USzamUdJWQkRyTuigT_wAOuJ8CSTkXkuF7PSZw" width="191" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Step One: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Take pictures of it looking its best. You don't want pictures of it upside down or in storage or at night. Dress it up nice and take a good picture.</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTFQBARYmxtAJSKF1cQRkBIxL9HPysQTtOTFPF8tWd_Yq-JuiUb" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTFQBARYmxtAJSKF1cQRkBIxL9HPysQTtOTFPF8tWd_Yq-JuiUb" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Step Two:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Get it out of your living space! If you want this thing gone, move it to the basement, the back entryway, a storage unit. Save your sanity while you try to sell it. This has the added benefit allowing you to deal with potential buyers in a place other than inside your home, such as a garage or storage area.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTxYHVTErE5lg6vfdw41iKuFaWyXl3XMfkK-f9s7LzpDFpu-1Bi" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTxYHVTErE5lg6vfdw41iKuFaWyXl3XMfkK-f9s7LzpDFpu-1Bi" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Step Three:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Describe it accurately, only put your phone number on the listing if you want to. Be selective about your offers. Be totally competitive. If people are coming to see your item, ask them to call you before they leave, or call them 15 minutes before they are supposed to arrive before you start getting ready for them. This way you won't be disappointed an hour later when they call and cancel. Bring the item of furniture out of your home for additional safety if you desire. Specify cash up front and have change ready. Be firm! Let them know other people are interested. Ask $25 more than you really expect and then take less if you want.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And of course:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Making-Craigslist/dp/1592579493?ie=UTF8&tag=twentfourp-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">this book</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=twentfourp-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1592579493" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> couldn't hurt.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Making-Craigslist/dp/1592579493?ie=UTF8&tag=twentfourp-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Money with Craigslist" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1592579493&tag=twentfourp-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=twentfourp-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1592579493" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Good luck!</div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-51834630164175103592010-11-04T11:26:00.000-05:002010-11-04T11:26:25.356-05:00The Art of the Haggle<div style="text-align: center;">So here's a scene you don't see too much anymore: brightly lit grocery store, customer with a cart full of items, shopkeeper running the items through the scanner when the customer says, "Five dollars a pound for those cantaloupes is pretty expensive. Would you take three?"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnt_zozogslBvNeHLa-8dhE4JpPrKYM0sh-wm1-rfrO1Z_cYrcQd2Dh1yJooTZDg5dI4s35Pxx6yz6lY3AsZ1dZK1opOm8EdO6CxdYZfbqvzqL0vTR4NvOc_S731Ymd6lL4vxymXY0yL-/s1600/old-shopkeeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnt_zozogslBvNeHLa-8dhE4JpPrKYM0sh-wm1-rfrO1Z_cYrcQd2Dh1yJooTZDg5dI4s35Pxx6yz6lY3AsZ1dZK1opOm8EdO6CxdYZfbqvzqL0vTR4NvOc_S731Ymd6lL4vxymXY0yL-/s320/old-shopkeeper.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Gone are the days when you could dicker with the shopkeep when buying ponchos.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Why don't we see that anymore? Because it doesn't work it huge supermarkets. You can't haggle your way down with a cash register clerk. You can't even do it with the manager at the chain store supermarkets. It would be, in a word: ridiculous. Not only would it never work, it would embarrass everyone around you, particularly loved ones.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">However, there are still an entire world of situations in the modern world where you <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>can </i></b><span style="font-size: small;">haggle</span>.</span> And sometimes you just have to go looking for them. Great opportunities for this exist at farmer's markets, antique stores, thrift stores, garage sales, craigslist.com offers and really any small business where the owner of the business is the person you're talking to. Non-chain service stores such as repair shops, contractors, and design/art studios are perfect examples of this. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">There are two basic strategies involved in the art of the haggle:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">"Its Not Personal; It's Business." For this mindset you have to believe that you aren't taking advantage of this person, you're simply getting the best price both of you can afford to give. They want your business, and you don't want to pay more than you have to. To this end, you can comparison shop, ask for better prices using competitor's advertisements and offers, and interact with these businesses as if you were getting bids on a construction contract, for example. Act as if the entire operation is a business transaction, not a personal one, and this can be very successful. However, this is not the best tactic with extremely personal sellers, such as artists and garage salers. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">"Quick and Painless." For the more personal business transaction (think, buying a knicknack at a garage sale or a spur of the moment purchase) follow a few guidelines. If the price is $35 and you want to pay $20, offer $15 and be prepared for them to lower the price to $25. Counteroffer $20 or pay the $25 if you feel it is a fair price. The key to this type of tactic lies in the details. Have your cash ready so that you don't need change, as this just increases awkward downtime during the transaction. Don't be afraid to note something that might be wrong with the item or another reason to justify lowering the price. ("Do you have the missing kickstand for this bike anywhere? No? Oh, well would you take $20 for it then?") </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">2/3rds of the time, this will probably work, and the truth is that people would rather be offered deals that they have the power to say no to then never sell their item. So be fearless and confident. And never try to haggle if it makes you feel bad (in a developing country, from your relatives, etc.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Try it - it can't hurt!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">_jack</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-34831806473734986902010-11-01T12:22:00.001-05:002010-11-01T12:23:52.638-05:00hi, olivia here<div style="text-align: center;">i've been MIA lately on this blog, and i apologize. </div><div style="text-align: center;">jack's been doing a great job apparently! i love what he has set up with the ads and the clicking and everything. </div><div style="text-align: center;">i have been busy with my fitness instructor class. a little too busy - hopefully it will settle down soon.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">we scored a few GREAT furniture finds on Craigslist last week. a FREE bookshelf and a small hutch/tv stand that looks a bit mid-century modern, and is very cool. i should be more regular in my craigslist free-stuff browsing, because we are really wanting some more furniture to help us organize things. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">let's see, as far as money-saving goes, i think we have settled into a new mindset, and it's so good. the other day i was really craving this restaurant near us, and i mentioned it to Jack since we were downtown and close by. i think in the past he would have said, "you want to? sure, let's go." but this time he said that he really didn't think we should. it flashed through my mind that this answer could be really disappointing and annoying, but my honest reaction was relief. we didn't need to go out to eat, we were on our way home, and that he stuck to his gut, and our convictions, was really reassuring to me. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">we're talking about the small purchases as well as the big ones, and verbalizing it all helps us appreciate the value of each dollar. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">{but you know that we also don't want to become stodgy and stuffy with money... so it's a balance between digging in our heels and saying NO, and choosing to let go a little bit and say YES.}</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">fun fun fun.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">i will also be honest and say that there is this $50 table that i am having a hard time either choosing to say NO to and forgetting about, or figuring out a way to raise/earn $50 extra dollars to buy. It would be the perfect craft/dining table, and to be quite frank, i just WANT IT. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">more to come on that. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">thanks for reading. this blog has been such a joy for us!</div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-46724700379501282342010-10-30T08:14:00.000-05:002010-10-30T08:14:27.450-05:00You bunch of Clickers.<div style="text-align: center;">Wow. Yesterday we had more add clicks than we have had in all of our previous history combined. We had a 26% click-through-rate, which means that one in four of you clicked on our ads yesterday. I'm betting you did this just because I asked you to, and not because you were interested in revitalizing the look of your eyebrow hair. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Google's AdSense gives you all these tools to dissect your audience information. We know the number of advertising clicks, the number of page views, where in the world the viewers are living, and what websites are referring them to us! It's pretty fascinating, you can generate reports, compare trends and launch new advertising campaigns (although we can't control what ads come onto our site very well - so unfortunately you'll have to put up with these shenanigans on the right side.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">And so we doubled our advertising revenue, bringing us closer and closer to a debt-free life. Maybe I should just end every post with a desperate plea for clicks on our ads. Like this: <i><span style="font-size: large;">we can't earn website income without you!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(It's true: Google won't count it when we click on our own ads. Not that we've tried or anything.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">_jack</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-54760460293540154762010-10-29T15:38:00.002-05:002010-11-04T11:28:46.426-05:00A Penny Made is a Penny Paid (to the Credit Cards)<div style="text-align: center;">So we've finally gotten the hang of using our blog to make money - luckily our Blogger blog is connected to the Google empire, so we have automatic advertising built into our site if we want it, a serious blessing when compared to other blog sites like WordPress which do not include advertising, and make it very difficult if you want to include it on your own. (Think learning and using complex computer code: very 1980s Apple IIe.) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.applefritter.com/images/a2g00-4098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.applefritter.com/images/a2g00-4098.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So we've covered our blog in advertising, which admittedly hurts the aesthetics but will hopefully translate to some real money - ideally more and more as our blog "takes off." This process really is the old hope of any writer, waiting to be discovered, but in the blogging world it is much more anonymous, much more random.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">While we apologize for the clutter of these random links and text which most likely are referencing things that <b><i>you </i></b>have been searching for lately, so know that each time you see them, and <i>especially </i>each time you click on them, you will be <b>helping us get out of debt</b> and helping another family to boot when we donate these profits in the future. The most dramatic effect comes each time one of these highly personalized and yet anonymous ads is clicked, which pays big. <span style="font-size: x-large;">Real big. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">While we still have a long way to go before Google will let us cash out any of our advertising earnings ($100 minimum payouts - not ideal for small-time bloggers like us) we are excited as that day draws closer. An entire box checked off our <a href="http://twentyfourpoor.blogspot.com/p/beginning.html">Debt Checklist</a> just from people like you clicking on random links!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Just think "helping them + 1 other" when you click on: "<a href="http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/tales.html"><i>Eliminate Debt with These 3 Weird Old Tips</i></a>" or "<a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=snake-oil-salesmen-knew-something"><i>100% Guaranteed Snake Oil</i></a>" or "<a href="http://www.backhair.org/"><i>Exfoliate Your Back Hair Now</i>.</a>" You'll be doing a great thing, and you will have learned something about back hair exfoliation, weird old debt tips or snake oil.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And you will have our thanks.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">-Jack<br />
<br />
[Thanks to the Carnival of Debt Reduction for featuring this post at <a href="http://www.carnivalofdebtreduction.com/">http://www.carnivalofdebtreduction.com/</a> Many thanks to all who clicked! _jack] </div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-20132284950344315792010-10-23T14:12:00.000-05:002010-10-23T14:12:09.609-05:00the cleaning supplies plan<div style="text-align: center;">We are natural cleaning supplies people - something that wouldn''t necessarily translate into lowering our credit card debt. However, we have a plan that so far has been working very well.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">When we were making our wedding registry, we included a lot of high-quality natural cleaning products, such as Seventh Generation, Method, and Mrs. Meyers. We also included plenty of the refill packs, knowing these were the kind of things we would appreciate down the road. We ended up receiving almost all of what we asked for, with many of our guests bundling them into attractive bathroom sets in garbage cans, etc. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">However, eventually those refills began running out, and we decided to refill them ourselves. We found a huge bottle of <a href="http://www.drugstore.com/qxp184765/mrs__meyers/clean_day_all_purpose_cleaner_basil.htm?fromsrch=mrs.+meyer%27s">Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day All-Purpose Cleaner</a> concentrate on sale, and have been refilling our various bottles with distilled versions of this.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Do regular toilet cleaners do a better job cleaning the toilet than this makeshift version? Not noticeably. When it comes to the cleanliness of your toilet, clean is clean. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And this stuff smells way better. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">-Jack</div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-77370033643829497472010-10-21T07:32:00.002-05:002010-10-21T09:46:11.734-05:00slow savings days = free amazon eBook<div style="text-align: center;">It already feels like it is harder to save money when you are busy, possibly because it is harder to <i><span style="font-size: large;">make</span> </i>money when you are busy and so much easier to <i><span style="font-size: large;">spend</span> </i>it out of "convenience." We have been on the go non-stop this week, and it is pretty clear from our bottom line that we are going to have to catch up next week or even this weekend. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
For now, I am going to take advantage of this offer on Amazon.com for a FREE Kindle eBook:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Gregory Karp's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014YHKWM?ie=UTF8&tag=comsenwitmon-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0014YHKWM">Living Rich By Spending Smart: How to Get More of What You Really Want.</a>"<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61nU1kgT-kL._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-16,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61nU1kgT-kL._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-16,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Amazon is offering this book FREE for a limited time, so I downloaded the Kindle app (which is free and can be viewed on a number of phones, computers and other devices.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If I can't seem to save money right now, at least I can <i><span style="font-size: large;">learn</span> </i>about how to save money in the future...right?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-Jack </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-33382856217935327322010-10-17T23:47:00.001-05:002010-10-28T14:08:41.057-05:00$20 date<div style="text-align: center;">Well, we haven't been posted for two days or so because - - really, nothing has happened in the Barley Barn of Personal Finance. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We did break our own rule a little bit tonight and went on a $20 date. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it was a great choice. The food was <span style="font-size: large;">delicious</span>. I had tortilla soup, Jack had a pizza with prosciutto, cheese, garlic and caramelized onions. The real to-die-for was the bread and butter, served in a terra cotta pot. The butter was whipped to perfection with some kind of chipotle/sweet sauce, and I was basically licking it out of the little ramekin. Which is not an exaggeration... </div><div style="text-align: center;">Maybe tomorrow we'll go back for a $5 date, just for the butter. It was also a great date because we both ended up having really busy days, so we had a lot to talk about. And then we came home, and are now watching episodes of Modern Family online... and I just wanted to pause and blog about it, because it was the best kind of splurge. </div><div style="text-align: center;">We have read and heard that it is absolutely essential to have a few splurges along the way, in order to keep on track with your goals, and in order to feel like your entire life is not wrapped up in saving saving saving... Not going on occasional dates would cost us far more than $20 in the end, and we are aware of that. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Yum. I can't stop thinking about that butter. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">("Maybe we could learn to make it?" -Jack)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">YES. Then we could eat it EVERY DAY.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>(We would like to thank the Carnival of Debt Reduction for featuring this post on their weekly Debt Reduction update, which you can view here: <a href="http://www.carnivalofdebtreduction.com/2010/10/25/carnival-for-25-oct/">http://www.carnivalofdebtreduction.com/2010/10/25/carnival-for-25-oct/</a>. Thanks to <a href="http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/">mbhunter</a> for recommending that we submit our site!)</i> </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-81007140594561706442010-10-15T12:27:00.001-05:002010-10-15T16:02:28.345-05:00First Milestone!<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Celebration is in order.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">We have paid off our first $1,000 ($1,200 really) and are renewing our energy into the construction of this blog. We want it to become something truly helpful.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"> One of our big discoveries this month was that Citibank, one of our credit card account holders is offering a reward to it's cardholders by <b>giving them 20% </b>of any payments they make over their minimums!</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">The max amount you can earn each month is your monthly interest amount, so you can be darn sure we will be getting our max each month for the next five months, <b>effectively negating our interest</b>!</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Is there anything more </span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b>exciting </b></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">than </span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b>personal finance</b></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Jack</span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span></div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-76828037310786944762010-10-15T10:59:00.002-05:002010-10-15T16:02:58.642-05:00Jack's two cents<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">It really is freeing to write so openly about one's money. The stigma of moneytalk is one of the things that make it so easy for married couples to avoid discussing it. We all have experiences and baggage wrapped up in our feelings about money, and these feelings definitely contribute to the way we handle it.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjOBG41kzH-u-SeJEiHpRr6YXimPstP8i3TycTFdOYack1djwYvZ4_E0lhEggCpn4jdjWh00S6BPFsg-R7eO4WYazmmxJP288WTEHu2aub9gtLnskhRt0ICbcGEITK1BPEQzPXNV5UW8g/s320/aaron_board.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Just imagine this hanging over your dining room table.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><b>This public declaration</b> of our state of fiscal emergency <b>is like having a huge whiteboard</b> <b>in our apartment</b>, with ideas and problems and solutions scribbled all over it, reminding us of our current situation and encouraging us on to find the solution. It's like having one of those fund-raising thermometers tacked up in our living room. (By the way - if anybody has a good link to one of those gadgets we would love to use one on our blog to show our progress, but we can't find one anywhere.)</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">As we check off more boxes, I find myself getting more frustrated about the <b>biggest danger of credit card debt</b>: interest payments.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Last month we paid <b>$87.54 </b>just for the pleasure of being in debt to these credit card companies. $87.54! And we are paying far less interest than the average consumer, thanks to low-interest cards and an interest-free introductory period whose end is approaching quickly. According to <a href="http://indexcreditcards.com/">indexcreditcards.com</a>, the average credit card interest rate for October 2010 is 16.75%, so for an average borrower in our position, they would be paying <b>$4,020 a year, or $335 a month! </b>And this is assuming no fees, fines, compounded interest or other dangers.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">This is where the dreaded "snowball effect" comes into play, and can swamp families that aren't prepared. It is most frustrating to me, knowing that each month of interest payments is another box we can't check yet.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Our plan: Know our interest rates. I have made a list of all the various interest rates, and will be paying off the high rates first. Transferring balances to introductory rate cards if possible can be helpful, as often this original fee will only equal what one month of interest payments would cost you, and you will save money over the rest of that interest-free period.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
-Jack<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-32586289403921983792010-10-08T11:08:00.000-05:002010-10-08T11:08:07.993-05:00feeling a little wobbly today<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">3 more boxes checked off... We are almost to our first $1,000 mark! </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">Spent my $10 allowance yesterday on iTunes music. Felt GREAT about it. I love having new music. I bought 2 smaller albums - the <b>Blind Pilot</b> "iTunes Sessions EP" and the <b>Gregory & the Hawk</b> "The Boats and Birds EP". Both are awesome; I've had them on shuffle/repeat since yesterday. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">I've felt<b> </b><span style="font-size: large;">very tempted</span> this week to buy things. Almost bought a $<span style="font-size: large;">16 notebook</span> yesterday at Paper Source for my class, and then realized that I didn't really love it, didn't need it, and was wanting a new notebook because I'm wanting SOMETHING to make me feel more secure and confident about my decision to take this class. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">How often have I done this in my life? Many, many times, I am sure, and it's not good. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">We were standing at the cash register, and I said, "You know what, nevermind." <b>I felt relieved immediately.</b> That is a good sign; as a rule I tend to put lots of things back right before I get to the cash register, and tell myself that if I'm still <i>dreaming</i> about it the next day, I'll come back. 99% of the time, I never think about the put-back things again. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">What I needed to do was find security inside myself, not as a result of a crisp, artsy new notebook. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">I should say need, not needed - because I am still feeling insecure about this class. Can I really be a fitness instructor?? It's hard - you have to show your stuff in front of everyone, and I'm still such a beginner, and others are so much better than I am... </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">All the more reason to realize that a notebook is not going to help me! </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">haha... doesn't it sound so ridiculous now? But that is truly where my mind went... "Ahh, I'm feeling unsure of myself - <span style="font-size: large;">a new notebook</span> will help me feel strong and capable and smart!!"</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">Silly! It's so silly. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">But I can see that I am learning, and my mentality is changing a little bit. With each relief-filled item put back on the shelf and declared unnecessary for my happiness, security, and self-worth, I am gaining control. And that, my friends, is <span style="font-size: x-large;">the goal</span> here. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">-O</div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-89930437631757683472010-10-05T09:58:00.000-05:002010-10-05T09:58:05.669-05:00check<div style="text-align: center;">woo hoo!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">5 boxes checked off since September 25th!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">and with Jack's eBay sales, we will probably check off a few more either today or tomorrow. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">He has been so disciplined about looking at thrift stores and garage sales for things to sell - and then he brings them home and has such a quick turnaround! Nothing just sits around, waiting to be sold. I love his system, and I am so proud of him for doing this, because with such huge profits it really starts to feel like "free money!!" : ) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I did some grocery shopping yesterday and broke our every two-week rule, because we ended up running out of things like eggs and butter and milk. I was baking bread and making cookies for our small group, so I felt like it was necessary. We might have to be flexible with the two week rule, and maybe do one BIG shopping trip every two weeks, but also be willing to do a very small run for necessities every week. I don't know. I don't want to be weak sauce about it. Since it's still the beginning phase of all of this, we are giving ourselves some wiggle room to figure it all out. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-31064454839798558862010-09-30T16:19:00.000-05:002010-09-30T16:19:11.902-05:00blogger beginner<div style="text-align: center;">Just getting the hang of this blogging thing. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I am excited about the "pages" option. It feels more like a real website than just a normal diary/blog with organized sections. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">It's fun to blog about this! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I know we will look back on these days and smile because we are</div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;">just so gung-ho!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But we need to hype this up as much as possible! The more we put our goals into writing, the more likely we are to stick with them. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you to everyone who has come over to check out our blog... It makes us excited just to see that 31 strangers have looked at it. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And nervous. We REALLY have to stick with our plan. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We will! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We are committed to each other and to living debt-free <span style="font-size: large;">FOR LIFE. </span></div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-38605354336561744682010-09-30T12:47:00.000-05:002010-09-30T12:47:30.447-05:00$10/week & Taking It Personally<div style="text-align: center;">I spent the first of my <span style="font-size: large;">$10/week </span>allowance today. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Bought coffee at a coffee shop on the way to work. </div><div style="text-align: center;">It felt so good! I've had this $10 in the back of my mind all week, wondering what to spend it on. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">In the old days, $10 would be long-gone by now. I probably would have gone to a coffee shop at least once, and made some kind of other purchase at the grocery store or something. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm learning to love making things at home like special coffee drinks, iced coffee... And spending time doing things at home that I love. I've been getting back into knitting and crocheting... and we've been watching some great movies. We love our place.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I feel settled in a new way. Courageous and convicted and like I am doing the right thing. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Now if I could just drag myself to the gym since we still have a membership we can't get out of. </div><div style="text-align: center;">(working on that!) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">found a great quote on <a href="http://marriageconfessions.com/">Confessions of a Young Married Couple</a> the other day:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="ii gt" id=":l4"><div id=":l5"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>"And no matter what end of the spectrum you find yourself, the first thing to remember about money is that you can’t take it personally</b>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">I know, I know. It’s your <i>money.</i> Of COURSE its personal. And I’m not saying that it isn’t personal. I’m just saying you can’t take it <i>personally</i>. Having the discussion (and subsequent discussions throughout the rest of your marriage) about money is already hard, but it helps to talk about it as if the two of you are starting a small business. And you sort of are. Operating a family budget makes you the CFO of your own company, your own little empire. And you can’t be a good CFO if you take every discussion about money personally."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This was a helpful quote, because money <span style="font-size: large;">feels</span> so personal. Our deep-down reasons for getting into this much debt are insecurity, lack of self-control and who knows what other reasons - but they are most definitely personal! (Even if we'll talk about them here) That's what makes the decision to face the facts and <span style="font-size: large;">pull out of it <span style="font-size: small;">that</span></span> much harder! We have only ourselves to blame, and we have only ourselves to save us. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And we need to address this in a business-like fashion. As though we are the CFO's of our own company. Our debt payoff company. It helps to not get bogged down in hopelessness to think about it this way. </div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-34794531881884901872010-09-28T14:01:00.000-05:002010-09-28T14:01:55.699-05:00<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">Ok, so we are both feeling really committed to this cause. And a little scared. But fear is good, in this case. We need to be afraid enough to never, ever let it happen again. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">Unless anyone is confused, we have <span style="font-size: large;">$23,900 in credit card debt</span>, not including student loans. This is partly due to our wedding, and mostly due to <span style="font-size: large;">carelessness </span>and <span style="font-size: large;">living above our means</span>. We have not yet reached the point where we can't make our monthly payments on these cards, and we are thankful that we are catching it in time... <span style="font-size: large;">but </span>obviously the point is to pay off the entire bill at the end of each month, and that is our goal.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">we did our grocery shopping a few days ago. a lot of vegetables and staples. we are going to start shopping for groceries every other week, and start using up more food that we have on the shelves instead of running out for more of what we've used up. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">Jack has listed over 30 things on eBay, and we are hopeful about that. In fact, we might already be able to check off a few more $100 boxes from the eBay sales he just made last week. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">Also we are trying to decide whether or not I should take a few classes and become a fitness instructor. If I do, I can phase out of my old job and into that... which would be really nice, and wouldn't cause a decrease in pay. But if I decide not to, that money can go directly towards our debt, and would check off a lot of boxes. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">So, we are thinking about that. I will have to make a decision after the first week of class, which starts next Wednesday. I'm not going to decide until I've gone to at least one class, so we'll see. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">I have noticed myself holding back from buying any surplus items. No coffee from coffee shops, no magazines, no extra, unnecessary groceries. I thought it would make me feel trapped and poor - but it doesn't! I feel liberated from all of that spending, and I feel smart and like I'm making good choices. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">We are already talking about Christmas. I already have one present for Jack that I bought before we started this, and it was $40. We might decide to stick within $50 for each of our gifts, and then focus on handmade for our family/friends. We have said that we want to do that for the past few years, but haven't put it into practice 100%. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">This Christmas will be about <span style="font-size: large;">meaning</span>, not <span style="font-size: large;">money</span>. </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">I feel more cheerful about it already!<br />
<br />
-olivia </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6492557209316987323.post-62437110777995779612010-09-25T20:14:00.000-05:002010-09-25T20:21:11.763-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vkBoeHiO146RNsS3SESJ8JsiJIZYnzWM4zx4nL10o7y5OyG_-NamPXRW-fgsYzzvmDcnkPnu8jF4ouCd6ewdxG1Q-iDiSGW-ZIdU1GmaQo2py4BgdTBvXnsnFV9FeFoMEs4HK2FX1cTg/s1600/IMG_1403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vkBoeHiO146RNsS3SESJ8JsiJIZYnzWM4zx4nL10o7y5OyG_-NamPXRW-fgsYzzvmDcnkPnu8jF4ouCd6ewdxG1Q-iDiSGW-ZIdU1GmaQo2py4BgdTBvXnsnFV9FeFoMEs4HK2FX1cTg/s640/IMG_1403.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The <span style="font-size: x-large;">number</span>: $24,000</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The <span style="font-size: x-large;">long-term goal</span>: Debt-free by September 2012</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The <span style="font-size: x-large;">short term goal</span>: $1000/month</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The means:</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TkaDzLCBM1ipJYk8E5-lzQenmWRChAv_t0bC8xk02b11-psM3i8KWgoMn-Pl_dcu_X-EJ3lMvI85aKH3_NMqMI7gZ4PeJ0jJabF7PS15r6q22G7dTQqrjR0LCDB0fzAhfdnhVfhqgDgN/s1600/IMG_1408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TkaDzLCBM1ipJYk8E5-lzQenmWRChAv_t0bC8xk02b11-psM3i8KWgoMn-Pl_dcu_X-EJ3lMvI85aKH3_NMqMI7gZ4PeJ0jJabF7PS15r6q22G7dTQqrjR0LCDB0fzAhfdnhVfhqgDgN/s640/IMG_1408.JPG" width="523" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:sell unnecessary possessions on ebay + craigslist (Jack)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:vamp up my (O's) etsy shop - promote it and work hard to sell more. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:$10 a week personal spending each for coffee dates + small luxuries</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:cut back text + data plans</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:rejoice with each $100 box check-off and celebrate $1000 milestones (freely.) </span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:bike more</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:grocery shop every other week instead of weekly</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:keep the temperature in our apartment warmer when it's hot outside and colder when it's cold outside</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:stop gym membership when contract expires in February</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:sell clothes at consignment shops</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:be grateful for what we have</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:stop coveting what others have</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">:stop turning "wants" into "needs"</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Jack + Olivia Barleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05509113140463396868noreply@blogger.com0