15% of me of gone!

Weird title right?! 

About 3 months ago (well really for many months in reality) friends and I started talking about the need to be healthier in our eating choices and ditch some of the weight we had on.  But this time two of us got really serious about making changes.  We didn't do anything drastic but we did start making changes.  We often run together and would talk about what we were doing and what was working.  This time that "something" that needs to click in my head just did. 

I've lost 21lbs (15% of my starting weight) and am feeling amazing.  Not all because of the weight loss either.  I've started eating so much healthier and making much better choices.  I always said once I paid off the debt I was going to up my grocery budget and start making better choices.  I find it can be pretty expensive to eat healthy.  Especially when it does you no good to buy things in bulk.  I've kick my sugar addiction and don't have cravings like I used to at all.  I haven't eaten chocolate in 2 months and for me that was a huge vice.

I spent the past 3 days doing a juice cleanse.  I chose to do with www.rawrawcleanse.com and even though it is pricier than some would choose to spend I am so happy I did it.  The owner was amazing and so supportive and helpful.  (Just so you know this is not a sponsored blog.  Only my personal experiences)  I offered it up to my friends as well so I could have the support of a group and had 2 join me.  1 only lasted one day but the other stuck with it for the whole time even though she said she was always hungry.  I had a great experience and feel like I learned a lot about my body and my mental state.  I'm so happy to get rid of all the toxins I had been pumping into my body for years now and reboot to a much healthier me. 

In other news, I'm taking on some big goals for the new year.  In order of how they will happen during the year they are:

a 30km road race
another marathon 26.2 mile (42.2km) in Cleveland
a half Ironman distance 1.2 mile (1.9 km) swim, 56 mile (90 km) bike ride, and 13.1 mile (21.1 km) run
and a 12hr trail run  from 8pm to 8am

I'm so excited!  There will be a lot of training and I've already put out quite a bit of money towards clothing and equipment but I think its worth every penny. 

I know I've been abandoning my blog but it's all in the name of health and fitness.  I'm so happy with all the changes that are happening and I am really working on being a better person in all areas.  I know I've got a long way to go and that it will take a life time to get there but I feel like I am getting in a pretty good place.  I've had some tough times (not that we all don't) in the past years but I have finally over come that hump and am making some great positive changes.  My friends and family have been incredible and so supportive and one friend in particular has been the anchor.  I am very blessed and grateful.  That is what is happening in my little corner of the world.  Hope you are all fabulous!

I ran a MARATHON

My next huge accomplishment!  I ran a full marathon, 42.2km (26.2miles).  It was AWESOME!!!

Along the route.

The big finish!

I'M DEBT FREE!!!

I'M DEBT FREE!!!!!

I'M   D.E.B.T.  FREE!!!!

I paid the car loan in full today!  I did it, I finally did it.  It felt awesome for a couple of hours and then....

going home for lunch I totally rear-end another car!  I am not even joking!!!  Luckily no one was hurt and there was not a lot of damage done.  UGH!  Can you even believe it?!  Whatever, I'm still debt free!!!  Can't rain on my parade! 

I have to figure out if I should claim this through my insurance or just pay out of pocket.  I'm leaning towards putting in a claim, isn't that why I have insurance anyway.....

I'M DEBT FREE!!!!   :)

I Made An Offer On a House

Yep, I found a house I really like and put in an offer...

Thanks for all your great advice and insight on my last post.  I really appreciate it.

So I am one week home from the course I had to go away for as part of work.  It was exhausting and my energy levels are just starting to resemble something slightly normal.  And on top of that I added in weekend of house shopping/bidding.  The bidding didn't go anything like I expected though.  The sellers made a counter offer and at the same time disclosed that the home has vermiculite in the attic which contains asbestos.  Their agent tried to comfort me by telling me that as long as it wasn't disturbed it was harmless.  Ok, I completely understand this and I would have no reason to go into the attic. However, I am going to have to sell this house a few years down the road when I get posted and I don't need that hanging over my head.  My counter asked them to remove it.  Getting quotes took three full days only to have the sellers come back to me and tell me that if they had it removed (to the tune of $10K) they were only will to move slightly on their asking price.  I didn't feel the house was worth what they were asking so I decided to pass.  I feel this was the best decision for me and my situtation.

The process wasn't anywhere close to the exciting experience I was expecting.  I was actually terrified and am kind of relieved that I didn't get it.  All I could think was all the money it was going to cost and could I actually afford it and could I handle the responsibility.  I might be just as happy saving up a big down payment before I put in another offer.  There isn't anything else in the area I am looking that peaks my interest at the moment either. 

In the meantime I plan on saving all the extra money in my account until I have enough to pay off my car.  This way if I do come across a home I am interested in I will have some of the funds I need to get started and if not I will be paying off my car sometime around the end of October time frame.  This started with a $700 deposit to my saving account tomorrow morning. :)

Something Big and Exciting.... Maybe

Hey Friends!

Thanks so much for all the love on my last post!  I have been wanting to get on here and get another post out so much sooner but life seems like its flying by and it's not slowing down.

Since my last post I've been working and training for the marathon and that's pretty much my life at the moment.  I'm enjoying the training and am noticing a difference in my performance.  It's nice to see the hard work paying off.  Now to just drop some lbs! 

My new job is so busy and I have lots to learn.  Some days are stressful but once I catch on it won't be quite as bad (I hope) :)  I am going on course for a little bit and won't have access to the computer.

Ok so my big and exciting news is that I am going to start looking at houses.  I went in today for a meeting with the mortgage specialist and although I am not officially pre-approved he said he doesn't think it should be an issue.  Just in case, I am not getting my hopes up too high until I hear back. 

I wonder if Sandra will come help me?!

This is such a huge step that I just never really thought would ever happen for me in the foreseeable future.  I am looking to keep my payments around the same amount that I pay for rent but am ok with pushing it by an extra $100 a month or so.  There doesn't seem to be much out there in my price range but I'm not in a rush so I'll take my time and see what comes up.  

Any advice???  :)  Do you think I'm making a wise or silly decision?

Updates and on to the next goal!

Hey Friends!

I'm sorry I've been missing so much of what's been going on around here in the PF Community.  I wanted to stop by with an update on what is happening in my life.

I started my new position at work about 2 weeks ago and it's a really big change.  Very busy and lots of new things to learn.  I'm confident I'll catch on but it will take me some time that's for sure.

I've been staying even on the financial front.  I haven't made much progress (other than regular payments on my car) but I'm not back in debt either.  I've been enjoying the summer and buying somethings that I put off buying all of last year while I was paying off debts.  I have certainly made splurges and bought wants and I can't keep on this same track.  So I have set my mind to my next goal on my list.  Paying off the car and becoming 100% debt free!

Here's the plan:

Approx amount that I currently owe on my car is $6100.00.  For July I will pay an extra $500 leaving me starting August owing $5600.00.  My regular monthly payment is $373 and about $340 of that goes to the principle.  For August and September I will pay an additional $1320 each month.  According to my calculations this will leave me owing a little less than $2000 starting October.  So my goal is to be debt free on 31 October 2012!

I am also currently training for the Marathon which is in October as well. 

I'm not so exciting these days and not sure I have too much to tell that would be worth reading but I will trying to post regular updates and keep you all in the loop.  If anyone is interested in reading about my marathon training I could try doing a few posts here and there about that as well.

I sure do miss you guys!

Little Lamb :)

All For Great Friends!

Hello Friends! 

I have something very special to share with you today. 

Isn't she a cutie?

This is my little friend, Makenna.  Makenna is the daughter of one of our fellow bloggers, Makky's Mom.  Makky's Mom and her family have become wonderful friends of mine since I started blogging about a year and a half ago.  In that time this family has been through some very scary health concerns with this sweet little girl.  I'm going to let her mom share their story.

Little Lamb has given me the spotlight today.  She is a very kind and compassionate person and has extended her heart to help us raise money for research into safe and effective treatment options for a disabling condition that many people know very little about – Narcolepsy.

Can you imagine how you’d feel after 30 hours without sleep?  And virtually nothing, not even sleeping, would make that sleepiness ever go away?  That is what it feels like to have Narcolepsy!

Narcolepsy is near and dear to my heart because my 6 year old daughter, Makenna, suffers from a severe form of childhood narcolepsy.   She was diagnosed 13 months ago after a bout of pneumonia.  Prior to that she was a perfectly normal and healthy child.

Narcolepsy is a neurological sleep disorder.  It is believed to be an auto-immune disease where the body’s immune system attacks a small part of the brain that controls sleep/wake cycles.  It is typically triggered by a viral or bacterial infection, stress or the hormonal changes of puberty.

People with narcolepsy spend most of their sleep time in REM sleep (which is the sleep phase in which we dream) and do not get enough deep restorative sleep.  As a result, no amount of sleep is restorative enough to prevent frequent periods of daytime sleepiness.

Narcolepsy symptoms can range from mild to severe.  Narcolepsy is highly underdiagnosed and the majority of mild cases never get diagnosed.  It is believed the incidence of narcolepsy is 1:2000 people worldwide. 

Severe narcolepsy can be devastating and disabling.  It is truly an invisible disability because people with narcolepsy “look” normal, but are struggling to cope with the everyday activities of life.  Treatment options exist, but typical medications for narcolepsy are often not well tolerated.  Some medications, when used long-term, can cause significant cardiac damage.  There are no safe and effective treatment options approved for children with narcolepsy.  Currently, there is no cure for narcolepsy.

Symptoms of narcolepsy are:

-          Excessive daytime sleepiness requiring 1-4 naps per day.

-          Cataplexy (sudden loss of muscle tone resulting in weakness ranging from buckling knees and head drops to complete paralytic collapse)

-          Sleep Paralysis (being unable to move when waking up)

-          Frightening hallucinations when falling asleep or waking up

-          Disrupted nighttime sleep similar to insomnia

People with narcolepsy need others to understand that their need for daytime naps is a true medical need.  They are not lazy.  They are not depressed.  They are not unmotivated.  They are simply tired, and they need for people to learn more about this condition.  They need us to spread the true facts about narcolepsy.

They also need research dollars.  A small research team at Stanford University School of Medicine, under the supervision of Dr. E. Mignot, works tirelessly to find treatments and perhaps someday, a cure for this debilitating condition.  They need our help.  As a family personally affected by narcolepsy, we have organized a 5 km Wake-Up Walk for Narcolepsy Research.  Every dollar raised on this WALK for Narcolepsy will be donated directly to the Center for Narcolepsy at Stanford, and will be used solely for Narcolepsy Research.

Please consider making a donation towards this needy cause, in honour of the lifelong struggle my daughter faces.  Every dollar raised is a dollar closer to a safe and effective treatment or cure.  Please email me at Taylenne@yahoo.ca to receive our paypal information for donation purposes, or alternatively, if you’d rather donate directly, please send a cheque made out to Stanford University, with a letter requesting that your donation be used for narcolepsy research.  Mail your donation to:

Gift Processing
Sleep Center Administration
1050 Arastradero Road
Bldg. A 2nd Fl. Ste. A248
Palo Alto, CA 94304

Thank you for considering our cause for your next charitable donation.

And a special thank you to Little Lamb for opening up her blog to a cause that means the world to us and to our little girl.  

  

If this has touched your heart and you would like to donate a little or lot, it would be great appreciated!!!  As we all know from some other fundraising efforts in our blogging community every little bit adds up and makes a big difference.  If you would feel more comfortable sending a donation through me, I can do that as well.  Just email me at canadianbunny@gmail.com and we can make it happen.  Thanks so much to Makky's Mom for sharing her story and for being such a great advocate for her daughter and this disorder.

Exciting Things To Share

Ok first things first almost two weeks ago I was given the opportunity to check off another item on my bucket list.  Here's a video so you can see.

(sorry for the green portion.  I can't figure out how to get rid of it) 

This was INCREDIBLE!!!!  I highly recommend it!

And in other news:

- My credit card balance is once again zero and I paid no interest on that little mess I got myself into!!! 

- I sold my old bike and used the money to get myself back on track!!!

- I am back to running with much less trouble/pain than before!!!

- I'm still working on how to restore some balance to my life - I need to do this soon as I will be ramping up my fitness routine to start training for the marathon

- I MISS you guys!  

- My brother and SIL will be relocating to the same area that I live in so I will soon have some family very close

Here are a couple of pics just for fun, oh, and one more video.... of my puppy dog.  :)

Out on the boat in the bay

After a good run with great friends

Bella's first time singing!

Ok hope you enjoyed!  :)

Secret Sister Swap Gift

Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily is always up to something fun!  This time she hosted a Secret Sister Swap.  Last week I received my gift in the mail.  It was from Toni over at Birdie Something.

I LOVE my gift!!!  She couldn't have done better!

Cutest Hand-Decorated Tin EVER!  Beautiful handmade card and awesome book

Close up of the tin.  I LOVE it!!!

What was inside the tin?  All kinds of awesome stuff!

Thanks so so so much Toni!  You really over did yourself. 

I have more exciting things to share with you all but I will save it for another post in the next few days.  Thanks for stopping by!

My Money, My Stress

Well I think it's time I fess up to what's been going on in my life. 

I've finished paying my consumer debt 2 months ago and have been spending like crazy pretty much since then!  HELP ME, PLEASE!!!  Oh my word people, I think an alien has taken over my body.  Ok not serious about that alien part but the rest is true. 

I've been sharing my living accommodations for the past 2 months (helping out friends and company) and it's stressing me out!!!  This has hurt me some in finances.  I've been paying all the bills and paying for quite a few extras that I can not afford at all.  I've been stressed and at some points resorted to spending to help me feel better or get me out of the house (bad, bad Little Lamb).  In addition to this I've been nursing injuries and haven't been able to run, which is my MAJOR stress reliever!!!  I've also been paying out extra money trying to get the proper care and items to help me heal so I can get back to running.  And I went home for a visit and spent more than I planned.  And I just bought a new road bike!

Ok there.  That's my confession!  On top of all this I have to take Bella to the vet for her yearly check-up and shots and I forgot to budget for that.

I think I need to go throw up cause this is stressing me out!  

See, I didn't change......  I'm going back down that same old road.......

Pay it Forward

Thanks to Carla at My Half Dozen Daily here is some more blogging fun! I couldn't resist playing along and am looking forward to working my creative side for some handmade fun.  :)

Here's the low down:

1. I will send a little "something special" to the first 3 people who comment (nicely) on my blog. It's supposed to be sent within 365 days, but I will do it as quickly as I can.
2. You must play along. You'll need to post the PIF button on your blog and promise to send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who comment on your blog as well.
3. You must have a blog & it must be regulary updated. 
4. You must link me up AND have your handmade PIF post on your blog within 48 hours. After you've done that, come back, link me up to your post and I'll confirm that you're my 'top 3'!

Sound like fun?  Join in!  I'm excited to see who signs up.

If this isn't your cup of tea how about Carla's Secret Sister Swap or Mother's Day Giveaway?  Check them out! 

Nova Scotia!

Here are some pictures from my trip back home, finally!  These first few are the beach that I grew up playing on!  Also used to be featured on the back of the Canadian $50 bill.  

Kitten cuteness!

Do you see the Cardinal at the top of my dad's ginormous rhododendron. 

Meeko's favorite place to hang out.

We have a Winner!!!!

Yay!  I did the draw for the Debt Free Dash from everyone who posted and told me they gave themselves a physical challenge and worked to complete that goal!  Great job everyone!  Since I like the old fashion pick the name out of the hat idea....  here's the draw in photos.

All the participants!

Since this was a physical challenge I decided to use my runner

instead of a hat (that's a new shoe so it's not gross) hehe

All the names are inside... ready to pick the lucky winner!

Jane from 

Life Doesn't Begin at Retirement - Life Begins Today!

Congratulations Jane!  And congratulations everyone!  

Keep up being physically active.

Jane, just send me off an email with your choice of gift certificates and your mailing address to canadianbunny at gmail dot com

I Hosted the Debt Free Dash

Well today was my local area Debt Free Dash!  We had 20 people turn out and we raised $200 for charity.  Yay!  I will post some photos at a later time because a friend took the pictures and I don't have any copies of them yet.

I also went home to the Maritimes for visit as well!  It was wonderful and I will do a post about that very soon with pictures for you.

However, you have only a short period of time to complete your Debt Free Dash challenge and check in here!  You have until 2pm EDT tomorrow!!!  Remember there is a $25 gift certificate of your choice up for grabs!  :)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Happy Spring!

HELLO FRIENDS!!!

I'm so happy that Spring is here.  The trees are starting to bud, the flowers are breaking through the ground, the birds are singing such beautiful, happy songs.  It's wonderful!  God has given such blessings!

I missed my blog-iversary! (March 9th)  It's been quite the year!  I want to say a HUGE thank you to all of you whole have been part of my journey for the past year.  I couldn't have made it this far with out all of you!  I really mean that.  From your encouragement, helpful ideas and sharing your journey on your blogs.  It is said often but it's so true, this is such a great community! 

Sorry I have been a little MIA lately.  It's been quite busy around my neck of the woods.  I have a friend staying with me now.  She just moved back from out of province and is looking for a job and a place to live.  I am happy to be able to help her and having only the car loan to pay now makes that much easier to do.  :)

I will be getting a promotion this year and will be starting a new job.  I've know this for a little while but was much to focused on the debt pay down to break the news here.  I'm excited but also very nervous.  The promotion does come with a pay increase which will be nice.  Although rent has also increased so that will eat a portion of it. 

Currently with my finances I am working on rebuilding my EF to $2000.00 and enjoying a little more freedom with my numbers.  I promise I have not gone crazy but I did spend $35.00 at Winners the other day.  I bought a new running tank top ($10), new tweezers (finally!) ($6), hair product because I am so tired of my frizzy hair! ($10), a small gift for a friend and a chocolate bar ($9).  This was the first time in so long that I went in a store and purchased wants like that!  It felt wrong and I did feel guilty.  I haven't even taken the tags off of the shirt yet!  I am looking forward to hitting a thrift store in the next week though.  My wardrobe is looking pretty sad. 

If you haven't completed your Debt Free Dash challenge you still have 11 days!!!

Chatting it up with SNCC

Thanks again to Carla for hosting regular SNCC.  I'm changing things up to fit me a little better but I think Carla will be ok with that.  I'm looking for a way to be a bit more accountable with the physical activity.


What I did for fitness this past week - Ran a combined total of 30km's, and attended a yoga class

What I plan to do for fitness this week - Run at least 32km's, go to yoga and research pool hours so I can get back to swimming (thanks Louise!)

Happy you accomplished this week - I was super busy this week, or at least I felt like I was.  I did get quite a bit done.  The big thing was that I purchased my tickets for a trip home to visit with family.  I'm really looking forward to it. 

Looking forward to next week - My friend is moving back after being way for a year.  I can't wait to see her tomorrow! 

Thankful for today - Dallen (one of my bunnies) wasn't feeling well one day this week so I had to make a rush visit to the vet.  I am thankful for my emergency fund so there wasn't stress about being able to afford the bill and I am most thankful that he is doing better!

DEBT FREE DASH - IT'S TIME!

Holla!  I'm consumer debt free so it's time for YOU to get moving!

Did you sign up for the debt free dash?  If you can't remember or you forgot what you challenged yourself to do check here.  You MUST be signed up on the original post.  I will be giving away a $25.00 gift certificate to one individual who challenged themselves to do something a little more then they would normally do (see original post for details), complete that challenge and report back on this post by 2:00 pm EDT on 1 April 2012. 

 I will be hosting a run in the local community also!  I'm super excited.  It will be on 31 March and I'll be reporting back with photos and such. 

What are you waiting for?  Go out and get active! 

Sunday Night Chit Chat

Bella and Chloe enjoying a nice summer breeze last year

 Joining in on Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat.

Reading -

I read this book in 2 days.  I didn't want to put it down.  I highly recommend it!

Watching - Tonight I will watch Amazing Race.  Love seeing all the different places in this incredible world.

Listening to - I love my local Christian Radio station.  It's available online to listen to all around the world.  Just click on the link and it will play.  It's the only station I ever listen too. 

Happy and thankful for this week - So many blessings this week.  Some I am choosing not to share here on my blog but a big one you all know about...  I am now consumer debt free.  :)  I will share some of the other good news in the coming months.

Looking forward to next week -  Next week I will attending International Women's Day activities at work.  We normally have a few speakers so I am hoping for some informative and interesting topics.  Also I will be attending a completely clean Comedy night at a local church.  I don't know about you but I LOVE a good laugh but really don't like going to most comedy nights because of the swearing and other profanities.  I am really looking forward to this. 

Thank you!

Dear Friends,

I would never have made it through the past year and met my goal of becoming consumer debt free if not for all of you, your help and support.  It kind of feels surreal and I'm not really sure it has actually sunk in yet.  I am very happy though!  I am all set to get started on the car loan and can't wait to be completely debt free! 

I AM CONSUMER DEBT FREEEEEE!!!!!!!!

Pardon me for a moment while I go do a HAPPY DANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok I'm back.  THE CONSUMER DEBT IS GONE!!!!  The credit card debt, the student loans, the line of credit, all that stressful, interest incurring consumer debt!!!  Car loan - next it's your turn!

Money, Money, Money

Well I checked my tax refund online today and I found this:

Your 2011 return was assessed and a refund of $1,069.92 will be deposited on March 5, 2012. 

YAY!!!  I'm getting some of my hard earned money back.

I will put this together will my end of Feb pay and my budget will look basically like this:

God's Money $220
Car Payment $372
Insurances $122
Bank Fees $4
Groceries $60
Gas for car $60
Pets $130
Entertainment $65 (Church Comedy night with friends and supper with work friends)
Race Registration $60
Gifts $460
Emergency Fund rebuild $720

And that will be that.  You will noticed there is NO consumer debt repayment in there!  :)  Plus I haven't spent this much in entertainment in over a year!!!  Two nights out.  I'm spoiling myself.  Especially with registering for a race at the same time.  Gifts is high because back a few months ago I decided that I wanted to thank a few important people in my life for all their support. 

Can't wait to be consumer debt free!  Only a couple of days now!!!

Gas Prices in North America and Australia

I was curious how much gas was selling for in other places and decided to do some research.  Here's what I found using Gasbuddy.com for North America and FuelWatch for Australia.

Conversion is 1 US gallon = 3.785 litre  or 1 litre = 0.264 US gallon


Current Exchange Rates are as follows according to XE.

1 USD = 0.998 CAD (reverse 1.002)
1 AUD = 1.071 CAD  (reverse 0.934)
1 USD = 0.932 AUD (reverse 1.073)

 USA - A few random spots

Portland, OR
Low - $3.63/g = $0.96/l
High - $4.09/g = $1.08/l

Philadelphia, PA
Low - $3.49/g = $0.92/l
High - $3.99/g = $1.05/l

Santa Barbara, CA
Low - $4.03/g = $1.06/l
High - $4.69/g = $1.24/l

Tampa, FL
Low = $3.54/g = $0.94/l
High = $3.89/g = $1.03/l

High amount converted to CAD -  $1.24/l
High amount converted to AUD - $1.33/l

CANADA - A few random spots

Halifax, NS
Low $1.35/l  =  $5.11/g
High $1.365/l = $ 5.17/g

Toronto, ON
Low $1.247/l = $4.72/g
High $1.329/l = $5.03/g

Saskatoon, SK
Low $1.149/l = $4.35/g
High $1.23/l = $4.66/g

Vancouver, BC
Low $1.259/l = $4.77/g 
High $1.49/l = $5.64/g

High amount converted to USD -  $5.65/g
High amount converted to AUD - $1.39/l

AUSTRALIA - NSW

Low $1.379/l = $5.11/g
High $1.564/l = $5.92/g 

High amount converted to CAD - $1.68/l
High amount converted to USD - $6.35/g

Interesting?  What do you think?

Gas here went from $116.6/l to $129.6/l in one big jump.  That's what inspired this post.  I'm a little surprised at how much cheaper it is in the US and at how much more expensive it is in Australia.

A Picture Worth 98%

Today I decided that I would take the LOC payoff amount out of my EF ($682.74).  I've been thinking about doing this for a little while.  I wanted to save the hassle of the interest since it incurs daily and tomorrow is the day it is all added on.  I still have money in my EF and will be fully funding it back to $2000 over the next month. Since I used the EF money it has been somewhat anticlimactic.  But I will be consumer debt free in one week.  The only thing left owing is the balance on my SISIP loan ($242.87) which automatically comes off my pay.   :)

Today I ...

Went to see the movie "The Vow".  I REALLY liked it.  But I am a sucker for a sappy chick flick.

A friend and I decided that we will train for a marathon (42.2km or 26.2 miles) which is in October.  This will be our first Marathon.  We will also being doing a half marathon at the end of April.

 

Did some couponing and price matching at Wally World.  This was my biggest so far.  Just trying my hand at it and easing myself into it.  It's fun though.  Just have to figure out how to get more/better coupons.  

(I realize this photo is confusing!  I used 2 (yep 2 whole big ones) coupons and did some price matching.  Somehow a picture of 2 coupons seemed too pathetic to post!  Sorry, Gill.  You are a coupon queen to me!  I have LOTS to learn.)

Shoveled some snow... not too much but enough.

 

Ran 11km with friends.

Those were the highlights of my day.  How about you?

Less then a Grand!...

...is what I now owe!  My outstanding balances on my LOC and SISIP loan are $676.43 and $242.87.  That equals $919.30!  92% of my debt is gone!  I have paid off $10,479 of debt in just under a year.  With the interest added in there I will probably have averaged about $975 a month for 12 months to pay off my debt. 

If you take that $975 and add in the $363 I paid a month on a car loan that means I was paying $1338 a month to debt.  That is about 41% of my take home pay.  Boy I am glad I am almost at the finish line for this marathon!

Hope you are all training for the debt free dash, it's getting close!

May 2011 - Each ring represents $100 of debt

Today - There are 10 rings ($919.30)