Debt Dumpers - 2018

[jen7233]

We made it through the wedding and had a fabulous time! My daughter and her husband are here until Saturday and we have stayed on budget during that time as well. We are excited to black Friday shop and have it all budgeted for so no bill at the end of it! Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

That's great! I hope mine finds her significant other one day!

We are Black Friday shopping online for Christmas wish list items the kids have written down. They barely had anything this year on their lists, though one has an Xbox request so we'll see if we can get either the Kohls, Walmart, or Dell deals online for it. The other wanted a Nintendo Switch then decided to take it off. I feel like the tween and teen ages for gift shopping is a little bit of a struggle for me I just don't see anything very interesting, and they really didn't know what to ask for either! DH always likes to try a store out on Black Friday, I can't stand doing that though I have in the past and it overwhelms me, I will stay home!
Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Tygerlilly]

I feel like the tween and teen ages for gift shopping is a little bit of a struggle for me I just don't see anything very interesting, and they really didn't know what to ask for either!

I had such a hard time finding stuff for my nieces one year that instead of random gifts we do an individual shopping date. Get lunch somewhere. And then we browse the mall or wherever and when she sees what she didn't know she wanted, we get it.

 

[Eureka]

That's great! I hope mine finds her significant other one day!

We are Black Friday shopping online for Christmas wish list items the kids have written down. They barely had anything this year on their lists, though one has an Xbox request so we'll see if we can get either the Kohls, Walmart, or Dell deals online for it. The other wanted a Nintendo Switch then decided to take it off. I feel like the tween and teen ages for gift shopping is a little bit of a struggle for me I just don't see anything very interesting, and they really didn't know what to ask for either! DH always likes to try a store out on Black Friday, I can't stand doing that though I have in the past and it overwhelms me, I will stay home!
Happy Thanksgiving!

My kids are hard to shop for right now too because they are busy with school and sports and don’t seem to spend much of their free time doing stuff except for going out to eat with friends or in one case, watching YouTube on weekends, which is free. They are 15 and 17. We celebrate Chanukah, Christmas and one DS’s birthday in December. This year for the holidays we bought sports and show tickets but still like to have something for them to open. I picked up their favorite snacks for Chanukah and will fill in the other nights probably with a $5 or $10 bill. Got some t shirts they’ll like for Christmas so far, one of which I bought on a Kohl’s BF sale while ordering DS17’s college towels for a steal. Never mind the fact he’s not going to August! (But he’s already been accepted to two schools and each one gave him $29k in merit scholarships so we know he CAN go to college now!)

 

[Aurora_Australis]

Well I wasn't doing any shopping but then our vacuum blew up yesterday so I've ordered a lovely new Dyson online and will pick it up tomorrow. Had to go on card as I was planning on buying it in the Boxing Day sales but we need it now and DH and I both get big pays on Wed with Christmas bonuses.

 

[jen7233]

Black Friday came and went with no major expenses except did get a few items online from Christmas lists. Waiting to see if any stores will offer discounts on Disney gift cards, hoping this happens over the holidays at a 10% discount to get some in order to cover park costs for dining/souvenirs in park during next visit with a little bit of a discount.

 

[Dentam]

Well I wasn't doing any shopping but then our vacuum blew up yesterday so I've ordered a lovely new Dyson online and will pick it up tomorrow. Had to go on card as I was planning on buying it in the Boxing Day sales but we need it now and DH and I both get big pays on Wed with Christmas bonuses.

Mine did too last weekend but luckily it was just the belt so a cheap fix. I've heard Dysons are great!

 

[StacyStrong]

I am bleeeeeding money on Christmas gifts. Luckily I had it all put to the side for budgeted gifts. But eesh.

 

[DLgal]

Ugh. We spent like $1200 in the past three days. $500 at the dentist for cost shares. $400 for new fall clothes for the kids and husband (we scored big time with black Friday deals at Gap and Old Navy here). Another random $150 at Amazon for random odds and ends we needed. $150 on groceries and still haven't even started Christmas shopping yet. The dentist expense was a surprise...apparently our kids dentist is no longer "in network." So, stuff that used to be fully covered isn't anymore. The fall clothes were also unexpected. It just started cooling down and when my boys went to put on pants again (after like 9 months of wearing shorts), NONE of their pants fit them and their long sleeved shirts are just about all too small as well. I say unexpected because neither has grown much at all in the last year, so I just assumed everything would still fit. Not so much.

I HATE this time of year. Money just flies out of the accounts.

 

[Alexle2007]

@Jen and Ashwin I believe you did the Harry Potter lootcrate this year. How did it work out? Trying to decide on gifts for DS11 who has no list except for a request for a rabbit (which isn’t happening.)

 

[jen7233]

Trying to decide on gifts for DS11 who has no list except for a request for a rabbit (which isn’t happening.)

lol, I know the post is not for me but I have a similar situation, have been asked to please get a rabbit, a hamster, turtle, etc. I always say no, maybe it's a right of passage or I should let them, but I still say no thinking it'll get expensive or I'll end up caring for it and don't want to do that. We went through a period of time about a year where I was maintaining a fish tank, and that was a big pain.

Trying to stay within budget for Christmas to keep on track and not assume any extra cc debt.

 

[Tygerlilly]

Well, I avoided black Friday during peak black Friday shopping, but I did have to go to walmart for a few grocery things and ended up getting socks (which I needed anyway) and a couple $5 wooden puzzle sets for my 3 year old. Also went ahead and grabbed a few of their stocking stuffers while I was there. Stopped into Kohl's around 12:30 afternoon, which was a mad house, but I saw at the front their $5 books and stuffed animals are Mickey and friends, so I'll be heading back when it's not crazy to get the girls a Goofy and Donald.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

We made it through Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and DS's 1st birthday party almost entirely unscathed- it almost seems to god to be true! We have to drive 11 hours each way to visit family so we had hotels each way (budgeted ahead for those) and food. Managed to keep that all cheap and have plans to on the way back as well. DS got WAY too many presents from his family for his christening, birthday, and Christmas so I don't feel bad at all for stopping now on his Holiday gifts (he has more than enough from us anyway). His godmother is a wonderful baker and part of her gift to him was his cake, which was Dr. Seuss themed and adorable! Saved me a lot of money right there, and since dinner was covered by Thanksgiving dinner and treat bags were made by an aunt the party cost us next to nothing.

All I got on Black Friday was 2 tins of Pokemon cards for my godson's birthday at Target online, and I had them shipped right to him so I don't have to worry about paying to ship them since they shipped free with my redcard. I'll get him one other thing at some point and then he'll be done.

I just have stocking stuffers to get for DH and I'm done. I've actually given out most of my holiday gifts already since I won't see my family again during the holidays, so it's a big weight off my shoulders to know it's done.

We start our trek home today and will stop halfway tonight. We'll do dinner and that'll probably be the most expensive thing we've done! We're home this week and leave for Florida this weekend for a week! So far so good!

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

@Jen and Ashwin I believe you did the Harry Potter lootcrate this year. How did it work out? Trying to decide on gifts for DS11 who has no list except for a request for a rabbit (which isn’t happening.)

I really liked the items overall. We also get the regular lootcrate box and I think that the items in the Harry Potter box are much nicer. The quality on all of the items has been really good. There was a box that came with a banner for the house that you are signed up for and I really want to collect the other 3 houses so that I can have a full set of banners to put in our finished basement someday. My only caution is that some of the items definitely leaned a little towards the more girly side in some instances. For example, one box came with a women's decorative scarf (not a winter scarf), but it was one of my very favorite items of all the boxes. And several have had pins that are more along the lines of a brooch that an older lady might wear. But man are all the items super cool.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Well, budget is pretty much completely blown for the month. Just expenses from our WDW/USO trip earlier in the month and Thanksgiving groceries. We honestly didn't do too much Black Friday shopping. A couple clothing items, but nothing major. Our overall numbers are still looking good though, so just going to keep moving forward. We don't have too many Christmas presents to buy next month, so December should look pretty good for us.

 

[crazycatstacy]

Made it through Black Friday with $40 left in the black Friday budget! Now we focus on paying down debt enjoying the holiday. Of course now that we think we are back on track my husband needs new tires on his truck. Hopefully that is it and we can make some progress in the next couple months as we head to Disney in March. March is our first time staying off property and I'm a little nervous money wise. Usually we stay on site with the dining plan so basically everything is already paid when we go.

 

[jen7233]

Made it through Black Friday with $40 left in the black Friday budget! Now we focus on paying down debt enjoying the holiday. Of course now that we think we are back on track my husband needs new tires on his truck. Hopefully that is it and we can make some progress in the next couple months as we head to Disney in March. March is our first time staying off property and I'm a little nervous money wise. Usually we stay on site with the dining plan so basically everything is already paid when we go.

I'm going also in the spring although a little later, so I'm also saving for it in an earmarked vacation account. We have never done the dining plan. I'm not paying ahead the hotel or meals but have a budget in mind for the meals and souvenirs, and trying to hit that savings goal before we go. The only certainty I know are the ticket prices and the hotel, I'll try to think about some probable meal/snack costs per day and get a likely amount set aside for that. Will put on the hotel and dining on a card while there, and then pay the balance once we return from the vacation account.

 

[disney-inspired]

I was involved in a car accident last week. While unfortunately it's going to push back my consumer debt free date, it hasn't caused me to stress too much since I'm much better off financially now than I was at the beginning of this year.

 

[crazycatstacy]

I'm going also in the spring although a little later, so I'm also saving for it in an earmarked vacation account. We have never done the dining plan. I'm not paying ahead the hotel or meals but have a budget in mind for the meals and souvenirs, and trying to hit that savings goal before we go. The only certainty I know are the ticket prices and the hotel, I'll try to think about some probable meal/snack costs per day and get a likely amount set aside for that. Will put on the hotel and dining on a card while there, and then pay the balance once we return from the vacation account.

we have annual passes purchased already so tickets are taken care of and my mom and her husband are renting the house off site so that is taken care of as well. We have car rental, baggage, food and souvenirs to pay for. I have the car booked and know what luggage fees will be (we are flying on American and you cannot prepay your luggage). I just worry about food- it seems to add up quicker than we expect usually. We have said we aren't doing hardly any sit downs- we are doing one at Mama Melrose with everybody, a pre-park opening breakfast at Hollywood and Vine (our nephew will be with us for 4 days so we want to do Jedi Training), a pre-park opening at Crystal Palace (again when our nephew is with us), and we are paying for us, our nephew, my mom and her husband to go to brunch at California Grill as a thank you for getting the house and it is my mom's birthday (we have this budgeted as well).

We are planning on eating breakfast at the house and splitting quick service stuff throughout the day for us.

 

[crazycatstacy]

I was involved in a car accident last week. While unfortunately it's going to push back my consumer debt free date, it hasn't caused me to stress too much since I'm much better off financially now than I was at the beginning of this year.

Hope you are okay!

 

[Alexle2007]

I really liked the items overall. We also get the regular lootcrate box and I think that the items in the Harry Potter box are much nicer. The quality on all of the items has been really good. There was a box that came with a banner for the house that you are signed up for and I really want to collect the other 3 houses so that I can have a full set of banners to put in our finished basement someday. My only caution is that some of the items definitely leaned a little towards the more girly side in some instances. For example, one box came with a women's decorative scarf (not a winter scarf), but it was one of my very favorite items of all the boxes. And several have had pins that are more along the lines of a brooch that an older lady might wear. But man are all the items super cool.

Thanks! Loot Crate is having a BF special today for 3 crates for 1/2 price so it was only $62. We’ll give them a try. I did Ravenclaw since that is his house.