Chaning the budget

I’ve saved up a few bucks and now have enough money in the account to pay for my monthly expenses.  So I’ve decided to change how i’m paying my bills.  For December I am paying everything on the first of the month and then as I get paid i will refill the general fund.  Any income more than what I budgetted and spent will go to savings. 

Starting in January I will add a few more catagories in my budget and save for them (i.e. birthday fund and christmas fund)  That way i’m not budgetting them in the last minute. 

Other News

The wife is going to school still and has maintained all A’s.  She was going to apply for a grant type program through the state that would pay her tuition but her GPA is a hair shy so she didn’t qualify.  This bummed her out.  The good news is if she keeps at least a C average this semester she will qualify to apply.  That would be a great blessing for us.

I made two major purchases that last few weeks.  I bought a Glock 35 for myself and a Ruger sr9c for the wife.  This is something I’ve wanted to do for quiet some time.  It has nothing to do with politics.  Some nuts out there think the president is going to circumvent the second amendment and I just have to say they are nuts.  He might want to ban high capacity rifles, but he will not ban guns.  That is all I’m going to say on that subject. 

So I bought these just because I wanted something for home protection.  I love the feel of the Glock and my wife loves the feel of the Ruger.  They are both great weapons. 

(Please don’t leave comments about how guns are bad.  You will be wasting the time and effort, because statistically violent crime is higher per capita in areas where guns are harder to get legally.)

The GOOD:

My wife is finally getting the hang of school after being out so long.  I don’t see her as stressed as she once was when she first started.  I am super proud of her for going back.  From what I’ve seen she’s doing great grades wise.  My son (5 years old) is doing great at school.  He received his first report card and has received all A’s.  My wife and I talked and we are going to pay our boys for the grades they get.  It wont be a lot but it will be a reward for doing good. 

A= $1

B= $.50

C= $.10

The Bad:

We had some unexpected bills come up this month, which depleted our ER fund.  I hate looking at my account and seeing nothing as a back up.  The good news is the OT I’ve been working lately will help re-establish the ER fund. 

I went to the VA and I don’t feel like I’m getting much help there.  I told the case worker that I feel bad anxiety and she seemed more interested in the little anger issue I have.  I know she’s the “expert” but it feels like nothing is happening.

The Ugly:

The night after I went to the VA I had a bad panick attack that night.  I woke up unable to catch my breath.  I know that people out there will say it’s my sleep apnea.  This was different.  It wasn’t like something was blocking my airway (that is how I feel when I have a sleep apnea attack).  It was like I just couldn’t catch my breath.  My heart was racing.  It was scary.

The entire ride back to work today I had time to think.  I thought about all the things in my life that i’m tired of.  Why haven’t I been able or willing to change these.  How I need to changes these and what will happen if I don’t. 

I’m tired of…

Being fat – I currently 5′ 11 and just north of 280 pounds.  I am so overweight that I have to use a CPAP machine at night to breath.  I get winded just tying my shoes, and don’t even talk about walking a mile.  This is all my fault to.  I used to be in great shape.  I could run a couple of miles in 14 minutes. 

Living Paycheck to Paycheck  I hate worrying if my next check will come in time.  This usually only affect with the mid month point.  We have been great about sticking to our budget.  I get paid usually twice a month and it’s the mid-point I get to worrying about.

Being in Debt – This one is kinda obvious since I’m in debt.  I’m tired of having not much left over at the end of the month.  I’m tired of having to work OT, and take time away from my family to do this.  I know that my story is mostly a lack of income problem, and that is in the process of being taken care of.  But I’m tired of not having money.

Not being able to give – And this isn’t money.  I want to give my time.  But I don’t have any.  I can’t volunteer to help those less fortunate because all my time is spent trying to bring more money in the house.  Or taking care of my two boys.  Don’t get me wrong I love my boys and I want to spend as much time with this as possible.  But I want to give, and I just can’t.

Missing my Wife – We work two different shifts.  She works during the day, and I work in the evenings.  She goes to school two nights a week after work.  I work OT whenever it pops up.  This has put a strain on my marriage.  I can’t wait for the day when she’s out of school working, and I can afford to go to the day shift and we can be a family.  I miss my wife.

My Anger Issues – Every since returning back in 2003 from Iraq I’ve been dealing with these issues.  Actually that’s kind of a lie.  I didn’t really start dealing with them till last year.  I have been struggling with them since 2003.  It’s not directed at anybody.  Sometimes just people.  Sometimes just events.   Sometimes just life.  The VA is helping but they are overwhelmed and It takes time to get the help.

This is my short list of what I’m tired of.  I know people out there that have it worse than I.  Maybe that’s why I kept it bottled in so long.  What are you tired of?

Why I changed

So to me a hosting company is just the same as any other.  At least that is how I felt before today.  I know some like company A over company B.  But like I said to me they are all the same.

1. Price -

Price isn’t a whole lot different, but I ran the numbers and Andrea’s company is saving me money.  It’s not a big sum of money but enough to make it worth it.  I went from paying about $90 a year for hosting and registering to paying about $75.  Again not a lot but worth it to move.

2. Supporting Local Business

I’ve been a fan of Andrea’s for a while.  She lives in an area where job opportunities are few and far between.  Does she sit on her but and collect welfare?  No.  She started her own business and it’s branching out.  She is the true definition of an entrepreneur.  I will always support local over national business.  They work the hardest, and provide the best service.

How did it Start

So my work subsidizes our travel to and from work. Actually by law, all businesses could do this. They could all get tax write-offs for helping their employees join a car/van pool. So we had been enjoying our van pool to and from work, when the company we went through decided, this past february, to raise the rates. Usually we paid very little out-of-pocket, and with works subsidy, it covered all the expenses of travel. All the sudden we were only getting half the gas allotment and for a couple of months no allotment at all. This really pissed us off. So we shopped around. Everyone was going expensive. I couldn’t believe it was costing this much to run a van pool.

So I did some calling around and asking questions. I found out what they paid for insurance, maintenance, and the sort. I wrote budget out on those facts averaging what information I could find. Then the lightbulb dinged. I could do this for this money. Because it’s through where I worked, I couldn’t be on the company anywhere. So she started and LLC. (it’s cheep here in Kentucky.)

Step 1: Make a business plan.

Now this isn’t a difficult process. But the more detailed you are the better off you are. Mine was very simplistic, at first. I have since changed it and it’s working well for me. This should tell how you plan on making money, what your expenses are, and an overall budget would be helpful.

Step 2: Starting a LLC

Like I mentioned starting a LLC is fairly simple, and in KY it’s fairly cheep. Andrea, at So Over This details this process better than I can. You should go over and read her post.

Step 3: Buying a Van

So this was probably the easiest step. We already had a van we weren’t really using. It was in good condition and not new by any means. If you plan on starting out buy a good reliable used van. I owned it outright which made it where more money was going to my pocket.

Step 4: Insurance

You can’t use regular car insurance for a van pool. If your insurance company finds out they will cancel on you. Or if you wreck and they find out, they will not cover you. You have to get specialized insurance. It’s not crazy expensive. I have $1 million coverage for 1500 a year.

What’s next

First off I would recommend that you set ground rules for the van. It’s not their property so others wont treat it with the respect it deserves. For instance, the rules on my van dictate everything from conduct, to smoking policy (which is zero tolerance), to cleaning the van. The more detail the better.

Now I’m saving every bit of money (since this is my first year) to see what taxes will be like. I would also recommend talking to an accountant. My goal is to buy a few more van’s and start a fleet. We shall see. My business is debt free, and I will keep it that way.