Mumof2's Personal Finance Blog

So with 40 days left till christmas thought I had better get a start on shopping usually I am great and have everything done by aug except food of course...but not the last couple years.

I had decided that my daughter and I would go take 1 day beginning of dec and do all of our christmas shopping and get it over and done with...but I have been really unwell and not handling much at all so being out all day in busy shopping centre didnt appeal to me at all...so today I used my CC to buy stuff online...still have some stuff to get...and yes I know I shouldnt use the CC but will transfer all the money we spent back on the card on ...so no worries there...but my health is priority right now.

I do find it hard to get things for my family as they are all adults they buy what they want when they want...and also stocking stuffers dislike giving stuff I know they won't use as it is wasteful..so makes it difficult and I do give some cash but still like gifts under the tree...was so much easier when they were little...as for my mom I always give her a gift card that she can use to either buy groceries/clothes etc depending on where she wants to spend it...it is a useful gift and she likes that she can get "free" groceries...another words she isn't paying for them...she is 86 she really doesn't need "stuff" she has enough..so it works for her...we will have to go into store so we can get the "lucky dip" prizes...so much fun...I still call this a no credit christmas (like every other one) because the cash is there to use so we don't actually use cc's to buy things and never have...I know people who spend so much at christmas they are still paying it off all year and then finally get it paid off just to use it again....even when we get grandkids I will do the 5-6 month layaway they have here in store...that way you pay it off over months and they store it for you until a week before christmas!!

I usually buy gifts for a charity for foster children but will just send them money and they can add it to the pot to buy christmas gifts. will also donate money to a homeless shelter for their annual christmas lunch like we do all year.

so how is everyone else going with their christmas shopping/gift giving...can't believe how fast this year is going..47 days and it will be 2025😮

Have paid off another smaller debt paid off we are down to 2 CC which total around $7,500 so should be paid off by march next year could do it sooner but working on adding to my ice account as it was completely depleted from the move from hell and the week after....so will be debt free next year...we will close one and keep the other "just in case" until I get a substantial amount in our bank account!!

I am just wondering what people think will happen to the economy after the election? I don't want to talk about the election or results but I am guessing whoever gets in it will affect the economy in some way not just in the US but around the world so just wondering if people thing the economy will improve or not?? 

I know they are saying here in australia our inflation rate is the lowest it has been in 3.5 years so hoping it continues downwards as does interest rates but I know the election will affect our economy in some way...just don't know how much since we are close allies.

Well I have seen on here what people are spending on groceries and I just laugh....seriously though if our groceries are not $1000 or more a month then I am amazed. We only buy our meat from a local butcher (so much better) and yes we try to use farmers markets when we can, and yes my hubby and daughter drink A2 milk as it is better for hubby breathing issues and my daughters stomach..I dont drink milk and that alone is $6.90 per 2 litres (which I would convert but aust gallons are different to the US gallons), eggs are around $8 for 12, bread is around $4.20 plus for basic loaf...yes you can buy really cheap stuff but it tastes like cardboard and I'm not willing to go there yet....petrol (gas) prices have been the lowest the last month than they have been in awhile $1.60 per litre (sometimes drops into the 150's)...I honestly think our food is better for us for the most part but the cost is just unbeliavable these days....I am trying to spend no more than 300 per week on food starting next month and see how we go.....what do others think of the differencefood costs....also have to say that we don't do coupons over here and most CC don't have rewards on them and store cards really arent a thing...woolworths has one where when you get 2000 points you get $10 off your groceries...or you can store them up for christmas....so a little different here...what are your thoughts...yes we have a costco here but it is like a 45 minute drive one way and we rarely go like every 3-4 months and usually only to get cleaning stuff in bulk...our main stores here to shop at are woolworths, coles and aldi

We are finally settling into our new home and it is starting to feel like home now that things are being put away...still have lots to do but we will do it in our own time, we can live comfortably and just do a few boxes every couple of days so it's not so much. This house has less space than our last one, which they didn't renovate and they must not have had many takers as they have lowered their rent by $30pw...

Unfortunately with all the stress I think with the move etc our daughters IVF didn't work so she will try again and see how she goes...doing things a little different this time see if that helps

Finally had time to get the budget back on track, will take a little bit to be debt free but that is okay considering what we had to go through but we have a plan and I think our petrol (gas) will go down as we can walk so many places now.

Just need to start menu planning and getting the food budget under control again...way to much take out etc with the move, but it is warming up really fast here so will hopefully be doing a lot of BBq's

Well it's been a week since we moved and it has to be the worst move that I have ever been involved with (and there have been a few)...first we had everything organised and it should have been a smooth move. First the movers were 5 hours late..suppose to be there at 8am...almost 9 so I call the company and they called the movers they had truck (8 tonne)  trouble so should be there by 10....no show at 10 so I call again, they say the truck needs to go back to base and they should be there by 12...12.45pm they finally show up with 2 smaller trucks and there are 2 movers...at this point I am annoyed as I have had to constantly call them they never called me. They were the slowest packers ever, and they broke my daughters cupboard within the 1st half hour...theyhad half truck packed they were not listening to me when I told them to pack the heavy stuff and they started with boxes...I told them to finish the truck and that they could deliver to the new house and they were done...they also refused to park on the driveway as it has a small slope and wanted to charge me $200 to walk to the truck on the driveway!! so they go to the new house and my niece unpacked more than one of the workers and let me say it took them 5 hoours to pack/unpack a truck (small). I called their boss and gave them what for and gave them the worst review ever. So know we have to try and get family to help us finish packing up the truck (we had to hire one) and moving, it took us an hour and half to pack/unpack the truck. We finished up sat...I then stayed and cleaned the house. 

Of course before we move in and we get electricity put on in the home only to find out that the company had turned it off at the street as I guess they were really behind on their bills but there was elec coming to the house, so they sent someone out to check it out...and what do you know the previous tenants had rewired things in the electrical box and badly to get free elec...so they cut it off and we had no power untill the rewired the electrical box completely and then it had to be inspected and tehn turned on...we finally got power on wednesday night around 9pm...but things around the house still need to be fixed etc. We also lost around $150 worth of food as we bought it on friday when we had power.

On top of all of that my daughter had her ivf procedure on the sat that we moved...so the last week has been hectic and costly with the price of trucks, movers, paying family, takeout food etc.

the last couple days we have had rain so not much we can do so just resting up and hoping things start improving!!

So we are busy packing up everything (and yes there is a lot) as we are moving on friday...decided that we would pay movers, they were cheaper than a lot of others so hopefully they will be okay and take care of everything...we are only moving like 25 minutes from where we live now...hubby still isnt sure if he wants them to move his tools or not so we will see how we go (he is fussy about his tools and who touches them) and on saturday my daughter does her first IVf transfer. then on tuesday hubby has his last needle in his eye so it is going to be a very busy week for us...the only day it isnt suppose to rain is friday when we move so fingers crossed it doesnt...our cats will go into care at the vets just for the day and the dog will stay with me at the old house for the day while they pack and I will clean and when they are done hubby and daughter will be at other house to supervise the unpacking...not sure if they will need to do 1 or 2 loads...fingers crossed it is a smooth transition...not happy about the extta $70pw increase in rent for a smaller house...but that is life we will save mone as well as we are walking distance to everything we use!!

So we will be moving on the 27 sept...looking forward to it...but also not...love moving and getting to start over but hate the moving of boxes etc...so we have hired a company to move all of our "big stuff" which is also the heavy stuff as we just can't do it anymore....and we will rent a truck and do the rest ourselves...will be tough on me as hubby can't really do much and my daughter is getting ready for ivf that week as well...so I will be doing a majority of it as will my step son....people ask why we dont just get movers to do it...simple fact it will cost between %5-6,000...yes that is right and I'm just not willing to pay that...but we will get it done. We already have a bunched packed and I have started to clean as well so not that much to really do when we move except a general clean and the garden (general tidy as we do keep it up pretty well)...won't have to do the kitchen as they are renovating it....hence the reason we have to move.

BUT..we are moving back to our old neighbourhood...we still shop down there (25 min drive) our docs are there etc so when we move we will be in walking distance to everything, including the beach (we are in this house as well), so we will get more exercise and also save on gas (petrol)

I have already done my budget to add in the extra rent for the rest of this year actually put it $20pw more than it actually is but that is ok...and have also done budget for 2025....all bills are paid but not paying on debt till we are moved and settled then will start knocking them out...so where I have actually added money to the petrol/groceries amounts per month I may be able to reduce them a bit so that will go into savings which we will be starting when we move again...back at the beginning with everything but we will get there

Well I had trouble getting on this page and the tech people on here did an awesome job of fixing the issue so thankyou very much, I really appreciate it!!

Can't believe we are midway through august already this year is flying by so fast, our first priority is looking for a new rental, the market is slim and over priced and 3 that we looked at had water damage so I won't even apply as we don't know if they will actually fix the damage. So we have applied for some, rejected some, waiting on some and have been told no on some...so hopefully soon we will have a moving date and can get moved.

I have starting next month budgeted for a higer amount of rent so that shouldn't affect the budget when we move, I have also had to raise the grocery and gas (petrol) amounts as they just were not working well and groceries have skyrocketed, we spent $350 on groceries that had no meat and we got 4 bags, granted the milk we buy is $6.90 per 2 litres, but a block of cheese is $12, 12 eggs are $8 plus...so it all adds up...I mean what choice do we have although we do use a butcher for meat and we try to go to the markets for fruit/veggies when we can as it is cheaper and local,

I only have 3 debts left to pay off 2 should be done in a couple months and the last one is a student loan and will pay on it monthly but no set time yet. Also when we move will get the ice account back up, start saving for a car (next year) which will be joint for us/daughter, and start saving for a house....so I have this years and 2025 budget already done and feeling confident with it....and getting back on track financially...pretty much starting from scratch again and I am okay with that

Hi

Just wondering if people can see this first I had trouble getting on my page then they fixed that...Thankyou very much!!

Then I posted an update and it said it was posted but nowhere to be found...so trying this to see if people can see it or not...before I write another update

We have been looking for rentals and they are so over priced it is ridiculous...but I have also noticed how many have exclusions on their properties of what you can use and not use....which I would never rent...if Im renting a property I want to rent the entire property not just parts of it especially since you are over charging for it... and they usually only have 1 open....so we were suppose to see a nice house today but hubby had an eye appointment (has to have a needle in his eye each month) and the doctor was running 2 hours late so we didnt make it, I did call and explain, but you also can't apply for a house without looking at it so it makes it a bit difficult as well...my mom was coming over to look after our dog (has severe seperation anxiety)...so we didnt get to look at the property but we had my mom over for dinner and spent some time with her and all was good.

I am inclined these days just to go with the flow...no we didnt get to see that house but if we were suppose to we would have....but we had a nice dinner with my mom...my hubby got treatment on his eye and its my daughters birthday today (30th) so all is good...what I can't believe is that it is almost august...where has this year gone...it feels like we just had christmas a few weeks ago!!

So we didnt get the house and the house is over an hour away and just not practical to move there when we will be down this way all the time, rent would be more, gas (petrol) would be more..so not practical. 

My oldest DD didn't get the procedure done, she went into hyper stimulation so has to wait at least another month...but she is doing okay with that...has been a 4 year journey for her so far.

Hubby now had to have monthly injections into his eye..he had a bleed in his eye and has macular degeneration..was diagnosed a couple weeks ago when he got his first shot...his eye sight has already improved..so that is good.

The dog had the vet and we are just waiting on blood test results...he had put on a couple pounds over 3 weeks for no reason, so that cost us almost $500...

On the upside we have all been doing good, I have 1 debt paid off this month..all bills are paid...still looking for houses but the right one will show up...so life is pretty sweet!! 

So we have new tenancy laws coming into effect monday so our landlord has decided not to renew our lease as they want to renovate...well they have to renovate to abide by the laws and then they will probably ask for more money for the rent. So we are starting to look around but it is slim picking...we found 2 so far...and one is an hour away so not good and the other one we can make it work but it has been trashed by the last tenants so they have some big repairs to do...so we have applied but will look at the house once it is ready if we get accepted to make sure it is done. Not what we need to be doing here but it will also save us around $160 a month in rent...and t closer to where we do all our shopping, doctors, hospital stuff so will save on gas (petrol) as well..but it is winter and wet and we will have moving costs...but if it is meant to be it will be...we have to october to move.

on the upside our oldest daughter has started her ivf journey and our youngest is planning a wedding for 2026...so that is great.

So we have had so much happening in the last few years with illness, housing, moving, appliance etc...the list goes on...so over the last couple of days I have done a complete overhaul of paying off debt...most of it is my hecs (student loans in the US)...because I am on dsp right now I dont have to pay it but it is indexed each june so it is creeping up, we have some smaller debts all total our debts are around $37,000.

By debt it also includes money to start my ice acct again and money I want to give our daughter for her wedding..so not real debt but to me it is

Our bills are always paid on time (minus dreaded CC), we own our car and maintain well, as it stands

we will have 3 smaller debts paid off in july, one in aug, one in sept, that will only leave my hecs debt which should be paid off in june 2025.

Our big goal will then to start saving a deposit for a house which will be around $105,000...most houses in our city are around 1 million that will fit our family but ours is based on $900,000 ...no there isnt anything cheaper that we have found yet but we have time...and yes most of that is in fees that is $56,000 that you need to pay up front.

So that is the plan right now...we are working with specialist diligently to try and get me back to work in the next 12 months so that shuld help as well...so this is where we stand at the moment...been a real eye opener....

These are also based on lower income ours can change with the exchange rate so we will probably have a bit extra but I dont bank on it so dont add it in.

Well just received another letter from our gas/elec suppliers...we already pay one of the highest prices in the world and the most in australia and yet it is set to rise again...this is part of the letter

In South Australia, the energy regulator sets a 'reference price' each year, which is their estimate of your

electricity cost for the year. Your reference price is $2760 (GST incl.). This is based on the consumption of

an average-sized residential customer in your electricity distribution network (SA Power Networks) on the

same electricity tariff type as you. We estimate your new electricity rates will cost you $3809 (GST incl.)

over 12 months, using the same assumptions. This means that after your new prices become effective, we

estimate your electricity prices will be 38% above the reference price, as of 1 July 2024. Please note, this is

an estimate only and your electricity costs will depend on your actual usage.

South Australia (SA): SA has one distribution network – SA Power Networks. The average electricity rate for this network is 45.3c/kWh, making it the most expensive state for electricity in Australia. This is due to the high reliance on renewable energy sources in SA, which can be more expensive to produce

So guess we now have to start comparing prices again and see if we can do better....I mean $1000 plus every 3 months is just not okay....wish we had solar it would be so much cheaper...evrything has been going up in price...although have to say it is nice that the big grocery stores are being audited because of price gouging so some of their prices have a dropped a bit.

So we thought we were done with taxes...but we got a letter in today stating they need us to send forms which we sent at the time....I swear the US govt has to be one of the most incompetent "businesses" we have ever had to deal with and trying to get anything done is damn near impossible...so now we have to call them..they gave us 30 days to respond to them..we got the letter today 6 weeks later...so that time has lapsed...they cashed our owed cheque in feb...so not sure why it is still ongoing..I swear they just do anything to mess with people!!

So more late night and expensive phone calls because they can't do their job...maybe just won't do taxes anymore!

So we want to change our bank and we were able to do everything fairly easily..but my hubbys US social security gets put directly into our account (started 13 years ago)...so we call them (1am our time) and they start asking questions...we answer them....we get to our acct details we give them to them..they say its not right they need a routing number...I tell them we use swift codes here and give it to them...doesn't work...so I google our bank and finally find a routing number...nope that doesn't work either...so we ask them what we can do to get this done...so we go to our bank the next day and talk to them about it and they have no clue what they are talking about because they do it but only use swift codes...Now I know that banking has changed a lot over 13 years and we can't get an online account because we dont have a US address....so we call SS back and explain this to see what we can do to change it...their response...you need to take ID and your banking details to the nearest office....I said do you know where our nearest office is...it's not going to happen....yes our nearest office is in the Phillipines....that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard...we couldnt get forms to fill out or anything so not sure how we are going to get this done....always something with the US govt departments and they don't make it easy for people living overseas!!

Rant over...it's just been very frustrating!!

Does anyone use any budgeting apps/tools as I am looking at using one but have no idea what I should be looking for...am sick of the way I am doing it and want it set out better...if anyone has nay good ones they have tried let me know...or if you have had some that havent been good let me know as well

Thanks

Well my taxes were delivered (had them sign for them) and then noticed that the check we sent had been cashed so I am guessing they have been done hopefully we will get some paperwork in to say so...we still haven't got any from last year....so fingers crossed all is good and done for the year.

Had to have a colonoscopy and endoscopy done tuesday...the staff were amazing I tend to get sensory overload when it comes to noise and lights and they saw that i was starting to struggle so they took me to another room where is was darker and quieter (hubby stayed with me), they kept checking in on me....the thing I love about our health system is that the prep medicine, the procedures and the food etc were all free...the only thing that cost us was for the chocolates we bought the staff for all their amazing work...so professional but also very caring and compassionate...also made sure I wrote to the head of the hospital to tell them what an amazing job they did as I think it is important to put in complaints when needed but also good reports for staff so they are recognised...I think people should do that more often.....well at least we do that 😊

It's pay week this week so will hopefully get everything paide we have a lot of expenses this month as well as helping our daughter save for her ivf...but I have my plan and we should be debt free july/aug

So we have done our taxes and we owed yet again....but after last years saga we have learnt to send over where they have to sign for it and it also has tracking (in case it goes missing again)...it cost us $27 but worth it considering the headache then we will know when they have it, we sent the cheque with the taxes so hopefully once processed it will be done and dusted for the year...have also upped what they take out for taxes and they have started that this month so hopefully we won't owe next year...fingers crossed!!

Okay so sorry but this will be long just to give you a brief rundown of our history so you might understand what I am saying and thinking.

So I had 2 really bad pregnancies and deliveries for both I had really really really bad morning sickness to the point if I moved I threw up I was in hospital every other week to be rehydrated...this was for both pregnancies...had to have epidurals (2 for the 1st one) both labors were 14hrs and 5 mins...the 1st one I had a 3rd degree tear and the 2nd I died on the table and had to be brought back...I weighed 92lbs after my 1st one and 82lbs after my 2nd one....couldn't breastfeed as I had to weight back on....never felt like I ever recovered from having them...and was always tired. The girls would sleep 10-12hrs at a time from when they were born but were also on monitors as they were sids babies and could stop breathing up to 25 times a night all the way through till just over a year old....my youngest had a blood disorder that started when she was 5 months old but grew out od it by the time she was 11-12 years old...other than that we had 2 very well behaved, intelligent, healthy children.

I never felt like I recovered and was always exhausted and doc just said it was because I had to young kids...but it was more than that I could sleep 10 hours and wake up exhausted...they did tests and nothing showed up so I just learnt to live with it...eventually I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue...but not much was known about it (talking mid 90s) so we just struggled with it....then my hubby got real sick and they told us he had 6-12 months to live...so he couldnt work and I had to go to work....he eventually got better and they said his diagnosis was wrong....I then decided that I would go to university...and my hubby would go back to work...our kids are now 12 & 14...my daughter then got epstein barr virus and got real sick....to the point where you couldn't wake her up...you could touch her eyelids and there would be no response...so hubby gave up work to look after her as she needed 24/7 care...it took her months before she could eat and stay awake for more than an hour...she couldnt go to school which she hated because she loved school and was a straight A student and always wanted to be a teacher...she got depressed as she was just exhausted and couldn't go anywhere or do anything....she was finally diagnosed with chronic fatigue....by this time I had also had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia...so we decided to move to the other side of town to be closer to family so we had more help if we needed it...(family was no help, but that is another story)...then in 2007 hubby had a stroke...so I had to take care of him and our daughter, plus deal with my illnesses...it was a lot...I finished my studies...hubby was doing better so I went back to work....that work place was toxic and the stress of working there after it sold to new owners put my health so far down due to my illnesses and I never really recovered. 8 years ago I woke up dizzy and it never went away....I couldn't even walk by myself...I have done different therapies and I am doing better but I can't be left alone as I do fall, my body goes into meltdowns, I can't travel far and only in the back seat of a car...I have bad anxiety...I have adverse reactions to meds and with all the specialists and hospital visits they are saying its stress as nothing else shows up...so far my daughter still isn't recovered fully, my hubby has had 2 bouts of cancer, 17 tias and 7 hemaphylgic migraines...so my thoughts are..........

If the doctors back then would have listened to me I think the trauma would have been dealt with and I would have had a much better life...working and providing for my family better, being able to buy a house again much sooner, having savings and retirement funds etc....I am hoping that I can undo the trauma my body has been through and be much better in the future and provide for my family...I am so glad that now we have the internet so I can research as I think I have done more for my family than any doctor/specialist has done for us.....

Sorry so long but wanted to give a quick rundown of the main things, so has anyone on here been through medical trauma and finds it spills into the financial side of your life? let me know what you have done...or if you have any ideas or thoughts on this

Well my shoulder and knee pain has finally gotten to the point where it is affecting my life to much so I asked the doc for xrays or scans...she did both for shoulder and xrays for my knee...I do have oesteoarthritis in both knees and have tendonitis with floating calcium in the shoulder...it has been hard to do things but hubby and daughter have been helping a lot and my physio has been helping with massage...but god I am so bored not being able to do much and also my eyes have been bad and getting worse...I am thinking it may be my liver (who knows) so I also have to go see eye medics to get them assessed as when I wear my glasses my eyes really hurt...but they do get really dry...and I do tend to put eye drops in around 4 plus times a day...other than that things are just rolling along

While doing our budget this year I figured we pay over $29,000 a year in rent....that really sucks...but guess we are stuck doing it for now

Well I have decided to regularly put our debt updates on here to keep my self accountable..so the first 2 bills we are working on is our daughters hecs debt and the CC...obviously we need to pay the CC every month (don't have enough to pay off right now) and my daughters hecs I decided to pay that for her while she saves for her ivf....it's a choice I made so no remaqrks on that please.

hecs debt start $2040.88...owe $1500

CC debt start $5250....owe $4785.11....I did pay $500 but they did take the monthly interest out.

It's a small start but we are on the road to being debt free....and we have 1 more payday this month which we will add more money to these bills and reduce the numbers again.

Wish us luck!!

Well I have completed paying all but 3 of my bills for the month, tomorrow is payday so I will pay 2 of them and them the last one at the end of month on our next payday. 

I know many pay their bills differently and although the hecs debt get indexed in june of each year where the CC charges monthly (when you owe) I have chosen to pay off the smallest first as it will only take a couple months then the CC which should be done by april...so not a lot of difference. 

Also I like to pay things like insurance annually but last year that all got messed up so the first months of the year I am putting away extra so it can go back to annual payments...so that makes it a little tighter as well but afer that (around 6 months) payments go down to a more reasonable amount and we are back on track now.

Our freezers are pretty full so not really buying any meat this month so can hopefully save a couple dollars ready for next months menu. 

I have stayed away from stores as I don't need or want anything...I actually hate shopping so that makes it easy...and I can do click and collect for our groceries...so the only stores we go to is the butcher and the central market (like an indoor farmers market) as their food is much better quality and locally sourced. 

So far so good this year financially and yes I know its only a few days in but almost all the bills are paid for the month and we are staying on track so to me that is a big win!!

Well the bad news first...my friend who has health issues and lives with her sister and BIL was found at the end of her bed unconscious...she was taken to the ER and is in icu but they haven't figured out what has happened to her yet..she is moving around but not conscious or following commands...so hopefully fingers crossed she will pull through not the way anyone wants to end the year. This has brought my anxiety on big time so not having a great day.

The 2024 budget is up and running and since we got paid early then I have been able to start it, the budget will be tight this year as we want to get everything paid off this year so probably no savings but to be completely debt free will be fine. We have done our menu plan for the month and already done the january monthly shop as we were paid early so we will only need to get things likefruit/veg/milk/bread each week or as needed. 

I am unlike you all where I can write what we have paid off and saved as we just aren't there yet to where we do that but will get there. But I am feeling very positive for 2024 and I want to wish you all a happy and prosperous new years...and yes it news year here tonight 😀

Many everyone dreams and goals come true

Well don't know how many have seen australias weather but half is burning and in heatwaves and the other is flooding...yes our weather is going crazy this year....well we are the ones with flooding....not major but enough to where our back room got flooded and we had to pull everything out and all our daughters furniture has to be chucked out...we do have a plumber coming out tomorrow to have a look and we have put in an insurance claim so its just a waiting game now...not what we need this close to christmas but that is life...lets hope it is an easy fix and can be done beofre next year.

I was at the store the other day when I overheard a couple of women talking and one said "I just finished paying off the CC from last christmas and now maxing it out again for this christmas"..her friend said "we are doing the same...it's a yearly ritual for us" 

I have never put christmas on credit I either have a seperate account to put the money in (we put it away monthly) and there is alao an option here for a 5 month layby (layaway) for christmas (all toy related including game consoles etc) from one of the major retailers here...you just pay it off over that time and pick it up right before christmas...so I don't understand the concept of paying off gifts over an entire year...plus the interest you pay on the CC...do others do this for christmas?? or do u just pay for christmas as you pick up things??

Is there a way to work out how much tax we would probably owe (US) it is only federal taxes...just not sure where to find it...any help would appreciate it

Well I am hoping next year that we have an easier time with our taxes and social security then we did last year...we will owe again...we did ask that extra money be taken out of our pay but it doesn't look like they did it....and we never got a letter from social security saying what we will get paid this year and we never get one at end of year...so that is going to be hard to figure out how to get this done...but we will figure it out and get them done at the beginning of the year next year!! Wish me luck