I actually took a slight satisfaction in paying off bills this week because I paid off a credit card and sent in the last payment for my wedding rings and new digital camera. I’ll be paying off one more credit card next week after some money transfers and then we are all ready for our NEW PRIUS which should be here in 2-3 weeks!

• $17 grocery
• $1142 rent
• $39 AT&T
• $366 Bill Me Later
• $42 pharmacy
• $77 NIPSCO
• $65 Sprint
• $791 Banana Republic
• $27 gas
• $279 collections (hubby – NOT ME!)

We took a little Disney vacation, but we’re back and I’m canceling credit cards!

I just cancelled 5 credit cards within 30 minutes. No questions asked. All cards with medium spending limits that haven’t been used in quite some time, but accounts in good standing that the creditors had no desire to keep. I didn’t even get a 0% balance transfer offer.

I’ve read mix opinions on how closing accounts effect credit scores, but my take is that lowering my available cash to something more reasonable makes me more dependable and more likely to be able to cover all of my debts in the eyes of a potential lender.

We have a new car on order to be delivered this spring and want to be a house by 2010, canceling those rarely used credit cards now and dealing with the a potential credit score hit now will pay off in the long run, and I think we’ll actually improve our standing.

Even though we did break the golden rule of budgeting by going out to dinner last night when our entertainment fund was empty, my husband and I do cut quite a few corners to save extra money to help with Debt relief.

• We have a piggy bank – loose change ads up, and we’re always reminding each other to empty our pockets into the piggy bank.
• Turn off the AC – our dog doesn’t care that if it’s 55 or 78 degrees inside during the day, so we turn the AC off when we’re at work in the summer, and we turn the heat way down when we’re away in the winter.
• Debt consolidation – we’ve paid off our small credit card balances and consolidated the rest so that we are only paying one bill each month. We’ve taken all those small payments and rolled them into one big monthly payment.
• Full loads of laundry – we only do full loads of laundry so we aren’t wasting water, electricity, and detergent.
• Buy online – the majority of the time, I can find an item cheaper online than I can in the stores, and I’m a whiz at digging up free shipping coupons.
• Coupons – steal your neighbors Sunday newspaper and use those coupons! It may not seem like much, but put that savings in a piggy bank and see how much you have in six months!
• Buy generic – you really can’t tell the difference between catsup and ketchup.
• Cut out pop – not only is it better for our budget, it’s better for our wasteline. No costly pop and juice in our house!
• Mooch – eat dinner with your parents as often as possible. As long as you’re pleasant and chatty, they won’t realize you’re eating their steak and drinking their wine.

I realize that if you’re in big financial trouble, and not just pinching pennies, these solutions won’t do much, but there’s no shame in getting Debt help, so start by visiting Bills IQ. A quick financial quiz will tell you how much you know, how good you are at managing your finances, and provide you with tips and resources to Consolidate debt, make your payments on time, and make your money work for you.

If you’re in the Chicago-land area, and you’re terrible with money, or just want to try to improve upon perfection, check out Money Smart Week Chicago when begins April 20th and runs though the 26th.

There are loads of events like how to save the environment and money, secrets of being a first-time home-owner, how to be smart at the supermakret, learning from life coaches, and touring the Chicago Board of Trade.

We are on the cusp of a “Come to Jesus” talk about finances and our relationship. We know enough about finances that credit counseling isn’t necessary (although it is there if we need it), but we need to get on the same page about our approach to debt management and our short-term and long-term financial plans.

We can obtain a lot of detailed answers to our financial questions from Care One Credit Counseling, which has been featured in Time, Forbes and on Fox News and start saving money and paying off our debt immediately. There’s nothing worse than thinking you are on the right track financially and then learning that you’re on the dirt road next to the right track, and that’s the situation that we are in right now.

My husband and I checked out credit score on Credit Karma this morning and were pleasantly surprised. My husband found the site, and it’s completely free and only takes a few second to get your score.

My husband doesn’t have a good track record when it comes to finances, so I took over about six months ago, got his accounts current and refinanced his car, and his credit score is now in the “good” range. I’ve recently paid off some smaller debts and kept up my stellar payment history to land me squarely in the “very good” range.

Looks like we’re not as far from owning our first home as I thought we would be!

Most people just don’t wake up one day in financial trouble. There are usually signs that you’re headed for a financial disaster. If you recognize the signs, you may be able to avoid disaster and get your finances back on track.

1. Your bank balance or credit cared statement is a surprise – you’re not paying attention to your finances and are probably floating payments and bouncing checks.
2. You have no savings – there’s no cushion to account for surprise expenses.
3. You carry credit card debt – you’re paying more for things by letting interest rack up.
4. You have no discretionary income – paychecks are spent before they are deposited and your fixed income may be too high.
5. You don’t know what kind of mortgage you have – you’re not keeping track of your expenses and may risk losing your home.
6. You’re uninsured – you have no protection should an accident occur!
7. Your business is losing money – you may start pulling some of your personal finances to cover business expenses, further over-extending your paycheck.
8. You’re borrowing form one lender to pay another – paying debt with debt never gets you anywhere.
9. You’ve missed a payment – missing payments can trigger fees and higher interest rates, digging you deeper into debt.
10. You’ve taken out a payday loan – again, paying debt with debt.