All Forum Posts by: Karen Coffelt

 Thomas, let me clarify something about my job. Even though I may be on the clock for 12 hours, I probably have anywhere from 3 hours or more break time. Lately it's been closer to 5 hours or more, as this is our slow season. I still get paid the same even if I have lots of downtime. I can utilize that down time however I want, which means I can get on the forums on BP, listen to podcasts, watch videos, whatever. I just need to be available in case something comes up. They try to include as much downtime as they can for their drivers, because I know how stressful it can be if we work too hard. Driving can be stressful, especially here in the valley. Lots of aggressive drivers.

 Thanks, Rachel. Yes, been through some rough times, but I'm thankful for what I have, and I'm sure better days are ahead.

@Caleb Heimsoth, thank you for your input and encouragement. I will definitely be looking into different options for a better-paying job. I've already decided I'm giving up the Starbucks and cable, which will put about $180 extra into my pocket every month. When I become this determined, there's no stopping me! LOL! That's a good thing!

Thanks again for your encouragement and advise, @Kyle Dutson. Those are definitely some options to look into. I did have that book The Automatic Millionaire. I'll have to see if I still have it. There are many books that I got rid of when I moved. I read the book, but at the time I wasn't willing to make changes in my life. I'll have to reread it.

I would just like to clear the air here, Thomas, and for anyone else here who has read into my comments that I don't want to change. Maybe I don't make myself clear enough, maybe my writing is not the best. I have mentioned several times that I'm willing to make the changes necessary to get out of debt and fix my credit so that I can eventually put myself on to the path of REI. I have no illusions of becoming a RE mogul. All I want is to get myself set up eventually with a nice little stream of passive income from rental properties, so that I don't have to be worried about my finances when it comes time to retire.

I have already mentioned that I'm willing to give up Starbucks, which is a $100 a month habit, and to give up cable TV, which will save me another $80 a month. I can also cut back on other little things here and there, although there isn't much more that I spend my money on. I don't go out to eat, I go to the movies maybe once or twice a month, and that is at the $2 theater, and I don't buy anything to eat when I go. My job allows me to eat most of my meals at home, and if my schedule happens to change where I'm not able to get home for my brunch (I don't eat breakfast, but rather brunch), then there was always QT where I can get a breakfast bowl for $2.99 plus tax. I have a car that I have to pay insurance on, but I don't have a car payment. I have to pay for health insurance, my cell phone bill, food and household expenses, lot rent and utilities, student loan payments and IRS debt payments.

As far as finding a better-paying job is concerned, I could do that at the expense of my sanity. Right now I'm thinking seriously to get my Arizona realtors license, but first I need to save up enough money to take the classes. That might take me a few months, but I know I can do it. I'm pretty sure selling real estate is something I'd be happy doing. I have a friend in Massachusetts who has been a broker and realtor for years, and she's quite successful at it. She keeps trying to encourage me to get my license and get into it myself, and I keep thinking that that is probably what I'll be doing.

As far as selling my place is concerned, I keep coming back to thinking about that, but I'm still on the fence about it. I hate the thought of giving it up, because I like it, and it's in a nice neighborhood. I'm not worried about displacing my tenant, because I'm sure he could find someone else to live with.

I've been financially irresponsible all my life, and I'm finally trying to do something about it. As a matter of fact, I've learned to be a lot more frugal than I ever was in the last couple of years since I moved here to Arizona. You see, I had to sell my parents home, the home that I grew up in and had dreams of staying and for the rest of my life. It was in major disrepair, and I was behind by about $10,000 on the taxes. My father died in 2013, a day after I lost a job that I loved and that payed decent, that I had had for 11 years. I went into a deep depression. I took a cab driving jobs that I enjoyed, but it wasn't enough to pay the bills. I rented out rooms in my house, and I could tell you some horror stories there.

Anyhow, it came down to me having to sell the house, because I just couldn't cut it anymore. I decided I would move back to Arizona, where I lived back in the early 2000s for a few years, and where I had a couple of friends. I ended up having to sell the house way under market value because of all the repairs it needed. After splitting the profits for ways with my siblings, as per my father's request in his will, I had just enough to buy the place I'm living in now and for my moving expenses. I had a lifetime of accumulated things from my late parents to go through in the moving process, and if it wasn't for the help of my realtor and many friends and relatives, I just would not have been able to do it. It was an emotional and stressful time in my life, but it's over now, and I've been needing to move on.

I'm very motivated to make the changes needed in my life to get out of debt and fix my credit so that I can eventually get into REI. As I mentioned before, I'm not interested in becoming a RE mogul, but I would like to get some rentals to get that passive income eventually.

When I become this motivated about something, are usually dive right In and learn as much as I can. A little over a year ago I was diagnosed with diabetes, and I was determined to take control of it and turn it around. I did not want to become one of those people who died of diabetic complications, and I did not want to be on diabetes medication for the rest of my life. I took it upon myself to learn everything I could about reversing it. I took control of my eating habits, a lifetime of abuse to my body, major changes. I'm happy to say that in less than a year I have totally reversed this disease. Not that it's been cured, because there's no cure, and I will have to continue to eat the way I do now for the rest of my life, but I'm determined to keep it in remission. I figure if I can do this, then I can do anything I put my mind to.

@Kyle Dutson, thank you so much for the encouragement. I am currently in the process of reading, reading, reading! Lol! And listening to podcasts, and watching videos. Like you, when I get on fire for something, I dive in and get as much information as possible. I soak it up like a sponge!

Case in point: last year I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. That was in August 2016. I was determined not to have to take medication. I researched all I could about reversing diabetes, and started changing my diet. The more I researched, the more changes I made. In April of this year I finally went on a ketogenic diet, and things really started turning around at that point. Not that they hadn't been turning around before, but it was even more so when I went ultra low carb. I had gotten off of my diabetes medication about a month after I was diagnosed, and I kept my blood sugars in check with just my diet. After going Keto it was less than a month before I was no longer getting any diabetic blood sugar readings. I continue to read as much information to improve my health as possible. It will be the same when it comes to getting information on fixing my credit and learning about REI.

Thanks again!

@Maria McCreless , thank you for your encouragement. I don't remember Hotteenia Jenkins mentioning anything about my age. Maybe I miss that part. Quite possible, as I just found your posts. Somehow I missed them before and didn't get a chance to reply until now.

@Paul Choi, thank you for your input. I think what I need to do right now mostly, after reading everyone's input, is just cut down my monthly expenses and work on fixing my credit and getting my debts paid. In the meantime I can save money towards an eventual down payment on a place.

@Leather Nix , I believe you're right, and that's the best course of action that I need to take right now, because with my credit score the way it is and my debts I know I won't be able to qualify for any loans. Thank you for your input. 

@Jay Hinrichs and @Rachel N. , I wish I could listen to the BP podcasts while I'm driving. Unfortunately, the speaker on my phone doesn't get loud enough for me to hear it while the car is moving, as there's too much noise from the tires running over the road. Also, there is no auxiliary plug in in my company car stereo for me to plug my phone in to listen to it through the car speakers. I do listen to the podcasts during my downtime, which is actually better for me, because I like to take copious notes. I have a hard time remembering things if I don't write them down.