Save Money on Deodorant!

No, I'm not advocating that you not use it. I've heard of this stuff before, but forgot about it. Since I'm trying to save money AND be healthier, I bought one of these the other day. Depending on where you live, they probably cost between $5-7. But they last a YEAR. Yes, that's right, a year. Plus, there's no aluminum chlorohydrate or whatever that stuff they put in deodorant is. So get one of these today. You'll probably find them in the health food stores. I found mine at Kroger's in the health food section.

There's supposedly no scent and no white stuff to get on your clothes, and I've not noticed any body smell, so give this a try.

Hardly Working

I only got five hours this week at my retail job, which means that I will have a skimpy paycheck at the time I will need it most. Looks like that emergency fund might be paying for everyday things, instead of "emergencies."

My Account Was Compromised

Wanted to make a deposit into my credit union account, only to discover my card had been deactivated. A few phone calls later, I found out mine was one of the 40 million or so accounts that had been compromised while shopping at Target. The credit union sent me a card, I was able to make my deposit (in person) and all seems to be well.

This is another argument for paying cash.

Overdrawn

I'm nearly $100 overdrawn on my Wells Fargo account. Happy New Year.

Also, my Fort Financial Card was deactivated last night. (I was trying to deposit money, to avoid being overdrawn from THAT account.) We'll see what's up soon.

The Emergency Fund

Had to break in the emergency fund today for a car repair. I've GOT to get a low-limit credit card soon.

Check the Oil in Your Car

I think I screwed up royally. I went skiing in Michigan, but didn't check the oil in my car. How long has it been since my last oil change? Can't honestly remember.

Anyway, I stopped to get gas for the ride home. I turned the key and there was a POP! and I swear I saw the hood move up a little. So my car is in Michigan, and I won't know the fate of it until sometime next week. I hope the car is repairable. I CANNOT afford a car payment, as my income dropped. I am only teaching one class next semester. I MAY have another part-time job starting in March, but I'm not sure I can depend on that. The car is super-old, but if I can't afford car payments, I see no choice but to get it fixed, or buy a moped.

So check the oil in your car. I may have thrown a rod, or screwed up a piston. When the kind gentleman at the Mobil at Jefferson Road and M-89 checked the oil in my engine, the dipstick was pretty dry. Oops.

An Excerpt from My Book

I've decided to upload excerpts of my bankruptcy memoir. It's not done, this is just what I have so far. So enjoy!

Disclaimer

This is a book about my time spent in Chapter 13 bankruptcy. However, it is not a how to declare bankruptcy book. State laws vary, so the situations I talk about in this book may or may not apply to you. The poverty and scraping by will, so pay attention to those parts.

If you are curious about what it's like to be in Chapter 13 bankruptcy, this book IS for you. Bankruptcy is a word that gets thrown around frequently. People are close to it, teetering on the edge, or have been through it, but no matter how you've come to it, people feel ashamed to have to declare it. I was no different. I declared bankruptcy to save the little I had. And to perhaps salvage something for the future. I had fucked up, and I wanted to make amends. Considering I don't even make $30,000 a year working three jobs, it was certain that it would have taken me a looooooong time to pay off the more than $100,000 I had in debt. If, by some miracle, I had been able to pay it off, I would have been much older, and have had nothing saved for the future. But since I probably won't be able to retire, one can argue I should have paid my debt off anyway. Having known an older couple who did just that, and then went out and bought a home costing more than $100,000 right around the age they should have been retiring, I'm glad I declared bankruptcy when I did. There is no way I want to be 75 years old and have to work retail in order to survive. (Which is what that older couple is doing—the wife is 65, her husband is 75.)

Shopping Before the Storm

I wonder what the average grocery bill tab was today in northeast Indiana. I stopped to get pet food, some fruit, and some beef stew, along with some Sominex, and my bill was less than $30. The way some people shop, you'd think they were going to be snowed in for a week. Maybe if you live in a rural area that could happen, but I don't. I live within walking distance of two grocery stores, a Dollar General and a Walgreen's. I have more than enough food (my appetite has been down) to survive three days of being snowed in, and the last time it was really bad, it was the Blizzard of '78.