I don't know what's wrong with your dog/cats ears but if it's ear infections i might be able to help you. My dog got ear infections all the time and a guy at the dog park suggested giving her a couple of spoonfuls of probiotic yogurt each feeding. I have done that for a few months and she never gets ear infections and there are a few other benefits. I get the Stoneyfield plain probiotic yogurt at the reg grocery store, nothing specific for dogs. Cats can use it too
We will absolutely get some and try it - it can't hurt! Gus seems to regularly get ear infections (every.. 8-10 months or so) even though his bedding is clean and he gets regular baths so it could be something off with his gut health. The others don't end up with ear issues so I don't think it is environmental. Plain probiotic yogurt is going on the shopping list!
I agree watching how people budget does give you good feed back and opens up other avenues ! Keep it positive and make progress ! Glenda happy 2025 ! 🎉
Hi Mrs M. Great recap. Sorry to hear about ur pups ears! Great job pivoting! You got your e fund back over 1k and made a sizeable extra payment to the car! Well done 😊
Remember how you put the odd number of dollars to Discover? What about putting the odd number of leftnover dollars into the Emergency Fund? Optionally put actual infusions of money into the EF but just shuffle the odd dollars of left overs into it.
Thank you Beau! It is just ridiculous how much it costs for us to try and take care of our health and have some kind of coverage. But we'll do what we have to do!
Good job being flexible. I am not sure how much is owed on his car however I would think about talking to one of my credit cards and see if you can get a 0% offer with a convenience check and transfer the loan to the card and pay it off that way. Something to think about. It made sense for us to do this and we paid it off quicker and less in transfer fees than paying the interest on the car loan.
That is an interesting idea - I don't think I've ever considered going that route - thank you for the suggestion! We would definitely need to see if the amount we'd save in interest would make it worth any transfer fee vs the time we think it'll take to pay off. Hmm. Definitely something to discuss!
You're still doing great! Your flexibility, determination and skills are a huge benefit to you. Poor Gus! I can't remenber if he has dropped ears. Our terrier does and the only thing I know to do is we hold his ears down, flat to his head when we wash his head during a bath. Once in awhile we squirt in a bit of ear wash after his bath (from the vet) and wipe out the best we can...it seems to help dry the inside of his ears. I read the suggestion of greek yogurt ... it's certainly worth a try. As your health insurance has a high deductible, you'll have copays. Will you need an envelope (or leave an amount in your account) to cover copays? It's good news that you'll be working in January! I wonder if you'll end up being hired in place by one of the buyers?
We have some ear wash so we're going to do that every 2 or so weeks. The doctor recommended 2 weeks to a month so we're erring on the more often side. He does have the floppy ears except one is cauliflowered now because he had blood pockets that made it balloon up and then once it was drained it crinkled up so he looks like he has an ear perm. We've bought some yogurt to see if that'll help - everyone is getting a few Tbsp a day, I figure it can't hurt!
Whether you yourself are steadfast on tne stepping stones or direction you'll be taking, I like that you are receptive to listening to others' alternatives. This said, I was fascinated with your 75%-25% split of left overs and how well that has worked for you. What is important to as you consider others' alternatives is the why. Why are they advocating an alternative because the why's are more likely to filter through than the specific whats.
The 75/25 was absolutely a game changer for us and we aren't necessarily abandoning it going forward but we are open to looking at our budget and implementing things that make sense as things change and evolve!
Try to get MrM to call the holder of his car loan. Someone, some where else has discovered that there is actually a way to ma,make, a principle-only payments on thier car loan. Making extra principle-only payments ts doesn't seem to alter the regular, minimum payment nor the number of interest dollars paid with each minimum payment. Reducing the principle owed does reduce thier liabilities, make for nicer numbers in thier personal debt reduction spread sheets, and undoubtedly makes things nicer somehow in tne credit reporting world some how. They happen to owe enough that it will be a while before there are any end of loan considerations to be made. HOWEVER I cant help but think that if there were a substantial income change resulting in that person having to go back to the lender to try to make some type of arrangements, the more principle they can get paid off the more options they would have.
We definitely can make principle only payments - he had never gone that route so he didn't realize it was doable. Luckily I was able to find the option so now any extra payments we do make will be principle only!
@MistakesWereMade-MWM i am possitive there are financial gains and reduced interest some where or some time during the loan's term by making principle only payments. From a more hand to mouth perspective it says you can more easily afford an accident even if its not your fault and your insurrance pays well. From a different hand to mouth perspective its a win-win type of personally supplied insurance against future financial disruption; your options just go up. - Besides, if you're keeping spread sheet numbers on debt reduction the numbers justno,ain come out looking better. This is wonderful news!
@MistakesWereMade-MWM i remember late spring of '24, each paycheck felt like a bit of a gift to the budget and fiscal goals. Then come summer, it was every 2 paychecks and a while month. By harvest time and fall it was a blessing for every 6 week's worth of paychecks and milestone count downs in the debt reduction journey. December 1 came along, Reflect was gone, and you were still treading with your head above water through Gus' vet bills. - I guess we'll be back to celebrating every paycheck you get for a while out here in utube land while you're living the job.
@@MistakesWereMade-MWM With those amounts I would run off to Vegas and get married. Just kidding. Health care in the US is so weird to us. But at least you have insurance now. I hope you never have to use it. Wishing you a healthy 2025.
@@kayvandermeer8994Right? Between the health insurance, tax benefits, and legal protections if something catastrophic would happen, I would be going to the courthouse with my partner.
Life definitely happens and this is amazing progress.
Good job yall.
I don't know what's wrong with your dog/cats ears but if it's ear infections i might be able to help you. My dog got ear infections all the time and a guy at the dog park suggested giving her a couple of spoonfuls of probiotic yogurt each feeding. I have done that for a few months and she never gets ear infections and there are a few other benefits. I get the Stoneyfield plain probiotic yogurt at the reg grocery store, nothing specific for dogs. Cats can use it too
We will absolutely get some and try it - it can't hurt! Gus seems to regularly get ear infections (every.. 8-10 months or so) even though his bedding is clean and he gets regular baths so it could be something off with his gut health. The others don't end up with ear issues so I don't think it is environmental. Plain probiotic yogurt is going on the shopping list!
I agree watching how people budget does give you good feed back and opens up other avenues ! Keep it positive and make progress ! Glenda happy 2025 ! 🎉
Happy New Year Glenda - and have a wonderful holiday as well!
Here listening as i work
Hi Mrs M. Great recap. Sorry to hear about ur pups ears! Great job pivoting! You got your e fund back over 1k and made a sizeable extra payment to the car! Well done 😊
Things are looking better with Gus so we're happy about that and having our EF back up is keeping stress levels down!
Remember how you put the odd number of dollars to Discover? What about putting the odd number of leftnover dollars into the Emergency Fund? Optionally put actual infusions of money into the EF but just shuffle the odd dollars of left overs into it.
Hey! Stop jumping ahead! 😉
@@MistakesWereMade-MWM Sorry ...
You all are still killing it!
Thank you ma'am!
You did a great job making the changes. I think they are all smart decisions.
Thank you Amber!
Insurance is way too expensive. Good job being flexible and planning fir all these variables. 💜Beau
Thank you Beau! It is just ridiculous how much it costs for us to try and take care of our health and have some kind of coverage. But we'll do what we have to do!
Good job being flexible. I am not sure how much is owed on his car however I would think about talking to one of my credit cards and see if you can get a 0% offer with a convenience check and transfer the loan to the card and pay it off that way. Something to think about. It made sense for us to do this and we paid it off quicker and less in transfer fees than paying the interest on the car loan.
That is an interesting idea - I don't think I've ever considered going that route - thank you for the suggestion! We would definitely need to see if the amount we'd save in interest would make it worth any transfer fee vs the time we think it'll take to pay off. Hmm. Definitely something to discuss!
Well done at being flexible and making your budget meet your needs. I hope Gus has settled down now.
Thankfully he is done with his meds, now we'll see what might be in the pipeline for our lab, Nyx!
You're still doing great! Your flexibility, determination and skills are a huge benefit to you.
Poor Gus! I can't remenber if he has dropped ears. Our terrier does and the only thing I know to do is we hold his ears down, flat to his head when we wash his head during a bath. Once in awhile we squirt in a bit of ear wash after his bath (from the vet) and wipe out the best we can...it seems to help dry the inside of his ears. I read the suggestion of greek yogurt ... it's certainly worth a try.
As your health insurance has a high deductible, you'll have copays. Will you need an envelope (or leave an amount in your account) to cover copays?
It's good news that you'll be working in January! I wonder if you'll end up being hired in place by one of the buyers?
We have some ear wash so we're going to do that every 2 or so weeks. The doctor recommended 2 weeks to a month so we're erring on the more often side. He does have the floppy ears except one is cauliflowered now because he had blood pockets that made it balloon up and then once it was drained it crinkled up so he looks like he has an ear perm. We've bought some yogurt to see if that'll help - everyone is getting a few Tbsp a day, I figure it can't hurt!
Whether you yourself are steadfast on tne stepping stones or direction you'll be taking, I like that you are receptive to listening to others' alternatives. This said, I was fascinated with your 75%-25% split of left overs and how well that has worked for you. What is important to as you consider others' alternatives is the why. Why are they advocating an alternative because the why's are more likely to filter through than the specific whats.
The 75/25 was absolutely a game changer for us and we aren't necessarily abandoning it going forward but we are open to looking at our budget and implementing things that make sense as things change and evolve!
@MistakesWereMade-MWM Budget, fiscal goal, and all the rest you are in a whole new era having minimal to do with the calendar.
That insurance premium seems pretty plucky.
Try to get MrM to call the holder of his car loan. Someone, some where else has discovered that there is actually a way to ma,make, a principle-only payments on thier car loan. Making extra principle-only payments ts doesn't seem to alter the regular, minimum payment nor the number of interest dollars paid with each minimum payment. Reducing the principle owed does reduce thier liabilities, make for nicer numbers in thier personal debt reduction spread sheets, and undoubtedly makes things nicer somehow in tne credit reporting world some how. They happen to owe enough that it will be a while before there are any end of loan considerations to be made. HOWEVER I cant help but think that if there were a substantial income change resulting in that person having to go back to the lender to try to make some type of arrangements, the more principle they can get paid off the more options they would have.
We definitely can make principle only payments - he had never gone that route so he didn't realize it was doable. Luckily I was able to find the option so now any extra payments we do make will be principle only!
@MistakesWereMade-MWM i am possitive there are financial gains and reduced interest some where or some time during the loan's term by making principle only payments. From a more hand to mouth perspective it says you can more easily afford an accident even if its not your fault and your insurrance pays well. From a different hand to mouth perspective its a win-win type of personally supplied insurance against future financial disruption; your options just go up. - Besides, if you're keeping spread sheet numbers on debt reduction the numbers justno,ain come out looking better. This is wonderful news!
Did I hear you say you will be working into January '25?
You sure did!
@MistakesWereMade-MWM i remember late spring of '24, each paycheck felt like a bit of a gift to the budget and fiscal goals. Then come summer, it was every 2 paychecks and a while month. By harvest time and fall it was a blessing for every 6 week's worth of paychecks and milestone count downs in the debt reduction journey. December 1 came along, Reflect was gone, and you were still treading with your head above water through Gus' vet bills. - I guess we'll be back to celebrating every paycheck you get for a while out here in utube land while you're living the job.
It’s too bad you couldn’t be added to your partner’s health insurance. My company allows domestic partners to be added, even if unmarried.
Unfortunately, since we aren't legal domestic partners (with the documentation) it wasn't an option.
@@MistakesWereMade-MWM gotcha.
@@MistakesWereMade-MWM With those amounts I would run off to Vegas and get married. Just kidding. Health care in the US is so weird to us. But at least you have insurance now. I hope you never have to use it. Wishing you a healthy 2025.
@@kayvandermeer8994Right? Between the health insurance, tax benefits, and legal protections if something catastrophic would happen, I would be going to the courthouse with my partner.