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

Well it is only 26 days away...my goodness this year has just flown by!!

Christmas is done, I only have some fresh foods to get closer to the day but that is all...its summer here so we have a lot of salads and fruit etc on xmas day..so makes it easier...but all gifts are done.

We no longer have our storage unit we have emptied it and handed it back...so saving $330 starting next month, that is going straight to savings...will still treat it as a bill. we got all our rubbish collected...honestly planned on 2 mini skips...at $500 each....but everything fitted into one so that was $500 we didn't need to spend....we still have 2 paydays left this month and I do still need to pay a couple bills but that will be done by end of year...which means I should have a bit extra to put on the CC which means a little less we need to pay next year!

Budget for 2024 is done and I am feeling positive about 2024!!

Just found out a friend that I went to school with died a few days ago...that is the 2nd school friend we have lost this year...what is happening these girls were only early 50s....makes life real knowing that it can happen to anyone..anytime...I just can't think straight about it....we are all far to young to be losing friends like this already....thought we would have like another 20 plus years before things like this happened....she is australian but lived in the US so they wwill bring her ashes back when they can to spread them.

On other news I have been working on my budget we should get rid of our storage unit by mid dec and the what we pay on that will go straight into savings...going to treat it just like a bill that we were paying...have decided that I will also pay our CC down and it should be paid off in april (earlier if we have extra)...its not what I wanted but it is what it is...and I will just continue to pay it down and save and see what the future holds....but it is looking brighter

So I have started doing quite a bit around here, I have gone through 2 sheds and tidied them up and now have a big rubbish pile and stuff to sell....we have done 4 car loads from storage shed to our home....so we are trying to do 1-2 a day until we get to the bigger stuff like shelving and wood then we will just get a truck for the day...will be more expensive but can't move them in our car...will hopefully be done by end of year with everything....this weekend I will take photos of some of the stuff we want to sell and advertise it and hopefully sell some of it....hubby has been cleaning the driveway....he should finish it today...just cleaning it but don't think it has been cleaned since it was poured in the 60s and we just need cleaner spaces. I am hoping the yard/storage/house/shed will all be done by end of year so we can start 2024 off in a clean positive way.

They asked hubby if he would like to go into a trial...it was for 11 days and would have paid $6500 but since his cancer is back he couldn't do it...so as much as it would have helped...you don't miss what you never had...maybe next time..I'm sure god has other plans for us!

I don't think with what we have to pay out to get rid of rubbish etc that we will get the CC paid off by end of year...but going to pay as much as we can so hopefully early next year!

So my hubby and daughter have a lot of "hobbies", they are both very creative people and always have been they redo furniture, sewing, leatherwork, gardening, jewellery (making/selling), camping and metal detecting...thats between the 2 of them...a couple they do together so we have a lot of stuff and since we moved into this house 2.5 years ago we have had a storage shed with all our "excess" stuff....I told them by end of year I want the storage shed gone as it costs money we don't need to spend...so today we went and did a couple car loads and will do it all by end of year (hopefully)...it is starting to warm up so while its not to bad I want to get it done and they can go through it rebox it, sell some of it etc....hubby can no longer camp or do his detecting so that can go...it will be nice to have an extra $330pm...if we never had that storage shed we would have had approx $4000 in our pocket....so fingers crossed we can get it done by end of year and start putting that money into savings....normally I would put it on the CC but we need to start saving again!!

So my hubby and daughter have a lot of "hobbies", they are both very creative people and always have been they redo furniture, sewing, leatherwork, gardening, jewellery (making/selling), camping and metal detecting...thats between the 2 of them...a couple they do together so we have a lot of stuff and since we moved into this house 2.5 years ago we have had a storage shed with all our "excess" stuff....I told them by end of year I want the storage shed gone as it costs money we don't need to spend...so today we went and did a couple car loads and will do it all by end of year (hopefully)...it is starting to warm up so while its not to bad I want to get it done and they can go through it rebox it, sell some of it etc....hubby can no longer camp or do his detecting so that can go...it will be nice to have an extra $330pm...if we never had that storage shed we would have had approx $4000 in our pocket....so fingers crossed we can get it done by end of year and start putting that money into savings....normally I would put it on the CC but we need to start saving again!!

So my hubby and daughter have a lot of "hobbies", they are both very creative people and always have been they redo furniture, sewing, leatherwork, gardening, jewellery (making/selling), camping and metal detecting...thats between the 2 of them...a couple they do together so we have a lot of stuff and since we moved into this house 2.5 years ago we have had a storage shed with all our "excess" stuff....I told them by end of year I want the storage shed gone as it costs money we don't need to spend...so today we went and did a couple car loads and will do it all by end of year (hopefully)...it is starting to warm up so while its not to bad I want to get it done and they can go through it rebox it, sell some of it etc....hubby can no longer camp or do his detecting so that can go...it will be nice to have an extra $330pm...if we never had that storage shed we would have had approx $4000 in our pocket....so fingers crossed we can get it done by end of year and start putting that money into savings....normally I would put it on the CC but we need to start saving again!!

Don't you just hate it when you pay money on to a debt and it takes a couple days to process it...like I want to see the progress now....and does anyone else who has a CC charge you to make payments?? Ours does we have to pay .95c everytime we make a payment....but we are getting rid of this CC slowly but surely!!

Made a $700 payment on the CC yesterday....have 2 more pays so hoping to put another big chunk on it this month...and hopefully stay on track to have paid off dec/jan

So November is going to be a very heavy spend month as we have so many things to pay...but I have managed to pay all the bills for the month except the dreaded CC I am hoping to pay between $1000-2000 this month (all going well), we have a tyre that we will get fixed monday and then I will put some on the CC on monday and then we have 2 more pays this month so will hopefully reach our goal and hopefully will be aid off or almost paid off by end of year...

Seriously....how do people do it....especially when you are on disability...so our microwave and toaster broke and we need to replace them, our elec bill came in and they have skyrocketed here ours went up 19% (last I looked) for each quarter (most companies went 30-40% increase), so that was super high, now we need a new rim for our car (2009) plus a complete new tyre...not sure how but we have a 16" as a spare when the rest are 18"....don't know if the car came that way or not (bought 2nd hand a few years ago) and we have never used it...will go back and get it changed tomorrow as they had to order it in (tyre) but as for the rim the cheapest we have found is $770 for a used one...I'm not paying that....and why so expensive...because of our liberal govt that was in power we no longer manufacture cars in our country which means no spare parts etc are made anymore...and our car is well maintained and we are not going to buy a new one...I'm just hoping nothing else goes or we just won't be able to cope with it financially...nothing will be going to savings in the next month due to all this which sucks.

Told my hubby I'm not going to budget anymore as soon as I did our budget for the rest of this year and next year..everything started happening....so frustrating!!! (yes I will continue to budget but I literally just done it and all this happened)...murphy is having a good laugh at us right now

So I did my budget and thought that finally we could start saving in november...but yesterday our toaster and microwave both broke down...so we were pricing them and our youngest daughter decided to pay for the ones we wanted and have them delivered....we will pay her back but she said no hurry...I love that we have great kids that do this and we should have her paid back by next week...so no real inconvienience to her...but more out of our pocket again...and our electricity went up 19% this quarter and it was quite high compared to normal...we knew it would be but damn much higher than we normally pay...so will have to adjust our budget again...especially since we are suppose to have a hot summer...so we are hoping nothing else messes up in the next few weeks and we can stay on track as much as possible...especially with becoming debt free!!

On another note not sure if anyone remembers all the saga with our US taxes...we finally got them paid only because I called them to see if they were finalised and they told me what we needed to pay...and we paid it...finally had an amazing lady who knew what she was doing....but we have never received any paperwork from them that we were suppose to...so glad that we called but don't have any paperwork from them at all...so that is frustrating