Toxic Shock Syndrome: vacation

Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts

7/07/2014

Achieving Another Degree of Financial Freedom (again)

Back in late 2010 we paid off all our consumer debt. We bought our last new car along the way but we basically stayed debt free through 2012. Then we moved to Austin, Texas in early 2013. That move cost us some money and put us back into debt. I'm happy to say that we've done it again and paid off all our consumer debt for the second (and hopefully last!) time. The last two new cars we've purchased both were paid off early; each with two years to spare.

There are two reasons the move put us back into debt. The first was exhausting our emergency fund in 2011 when I was laid off for a number of months. I wasn't able to build it back up before we moved. The second reason is that we short sold our house in Virginia, and that came at a cost - a substantial out-of-pocket cost. That forced us to rely on credit cards to finance the move.

The only debt we have left is a sizable student loan. We haven't even begun to figure out how to pay that off. For right now we are making the monthly payments. We have more pressing shorter term financial goals to achieve before we can make a dent in the student loan. Those shorter term goals are rebuilding the emergency fund, saving for a house down payment, and for a family Disney and Legoland trip.

We're celebrating our debt free(dom) by taking a family vacation. We booked a beach weekend in August.

5/31/2011

Car Free Once Again

Cross posted at the Shock Family Circus blog.

As quickly as it arrived, it was gone. I no longer own my 2000 orange Miata I named "Orangina". The job I bought it to commute for I quit before I even started for a job that is Metro accessible. Despite how much I liked the car, I didn't want to keep it if I'm not going to drive it on a regular basis. We lived with one car for three years before I bought Orangina, so I wouldn't be blazing uncharted territory. But we went a step further. We traded in the Miata and our beloved Xterra, a.k.a. "Ruby" for a "family" car. We bought a 2012 Mazda5 wagon. Known to car enthusiasts as the "minivan for those who hate minivans". And we hate minivans. We're back to being a one car family but with a 6 passenger family car. We've already broken in the car Shock family style by hauling our hairy dog in the back on our holiday weekend roadtrip. He definitely left his mark.

12/11/2010

Debt Free

Image via Wikipedia(Cross-posted on the Shock Family Circus blog.)

My family is debt free! That's the best holiday present money can buy. We paid off our car two years early in August and I paid off my student loan a few days ago. We pay our credit card each month in full, so we don't have any credit card debt. As one of my friends so eloquently posted on Facebook "Congrats! not owing shit to anyone is a great feeling." It is.

We celebrated by spending money! We are going to an exclusive New Year's Eve party in New York City with my sister Lisa (a.k.a. Aunt Lili) and bro-in-law Steven. My company has an office on the 31st floor of a building in Times Square, eye level with the ball drop! We're going to be all dressed up with an awesome place to go. We also booked a weekend getaway to a quaint riverside inn at historic Smithfield Station for just the two of us. Thank you Living Social Escapes.

1/25/2010

LEGOLAND Florida scheduled to open in 2011

LEGOLAND Florida will be the second LEGOLAND park in North America. It will be located at the historical Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven Florida and will open at the end of 2011. LEGOLAND Florida will be the biggest LEGOLAND Park ever opened and will offer a unique mix of more than 50 rides, shows and attractions, including spectacular LEGO models and other interactive elements for the whole family to enjoy together. It will provide a full-day, year round, theme park experience geared towards families with children between the ages of two and 12. Its design will mirror the successful concept of the four existing LEGOLAND Parks in Denmark, Germany, UK and California. However, as with the other four, it will also have its own unique “twist” reflecting its stunning location and adding a Florida flavor.

all I can say is Merlin is a genius for buying the site and placing a LEGOLAND theme park that close to Disney World. Right in Disney’s backyard, but far enough away to avoid the fallout. Legoland California is set up almost the same in relationship to Disney Land.

7/14/2008

LebowskiFest 7:11

IMG_1285
Originally uploaded by invisoteeth

We attended the 7th Annual LebowskiFest July 11-12 in the Bluegrass State. That's a picture of me as "The Dude" with another character from the movie. Can you figure it out?

Here is here full account of the weekend: http://chroniccatastrophe.blogspot.com/2008/07/lebowskifest-2008.html