Random Weekend Q&A

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Andrea

this pic is about as random as it gets

I was tagged by Mysti at Digging Out From Our Mess in a meme that’s been sweeping the PF blogs I read.

Here are the rules:

#1 - Post these rules.
#2 - Answer the 11 questions from the person who tagged you.
#3 - Create 11 new questions for the people you tag.
#4 - Tag 11 people and link them to your post.
#5 - Let them know that you tagged them.

Now instead of tagging people (since I can’t keep up with who has already been tagged), I’m going to ask 11 questions for you guys to answer in the comments. You can answer as many (or as few) as you’d like. If you just really want to make it a post, link to your post in the comments so I can be nosy and see what your answers are!

My Answers

What financial decision would you still make, knowing what you know now? I’ve made so many poor financial decisions, I’m not sure I’d want to repeat any of them. I do think I would stick with the decision to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. At the time that my ex-husband and I filed, we were seriously so deep in debt we couldn’t afford to buy food. It was our own fault, but I was relieved to have an option to start over. I just wish I would have been ready to change my habits instead of getting back into debt a year later.

First car? A 1991 Honda Accord. I got it in 1999 with 127k miles, then proceeded to drive it until the wheels fell off. I made it 7 years before I had to trade it for something dependable - trade-in value was a whopping $500.

Favorite meal? Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, my grandmother’s dressing, green beans, corn, and macaroni and cheese. What can I say? I’m a Southern girl at heart.

Pancakes or waffles? I’m not sure why this has to be an either/or thing. I love both!

If you could change your real name, what would you pick? I’m pretty used to my name, so it’s hard to imagine changing it. Yeah, I got nothing. I’ll just leave it.

How did you meet your significant other? Bwahaha, a question I don’t have to answer. As a single lady, I have no significant other to talk about!

How do you take your coffee? In a cup that belongs to someone else? I’m not a coffee drinker.

What color do you have the most of in your wardrobe? Given the fact that I just decluttered my closet, I’m not really sure I have anything left! I do wear a lot of coral because people always say it looks good with my skin tone.

If you had $10,000 to spend on a vacation (and only a vacation!), where would you go? OMG, I need a vacation in the worst way. I’d love to go to Barbados. Another blogger is thinking about going - I can’t remember who it is at the moment - and it got me thinking how awesome it would be.

If you have kids, what is your biggest parenting mistake? Comparing Jayden to other kids. For obvious reasons, that’s not a good idea, but it’s really hard not to do it!

What one thing do you not like to admit about yourself? I can only pick ONE??? I hate admitting that I don’t know how to do something. Instead, I usually spend a lot of time with my BFF Google so I can learn on my own.

My Questions For You

1. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?
2. Tell me a time that a $1000 emergency fund would have saved your butt.
3. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
4. What’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?
5. What things do you take with you everywhere you go?
6. Who is your favorite person to spend time with?
7. Are you a dog person or a cat person?
8. What is your best quality?
9. What is your worst quality?
10. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
11. Tell me something you need to do that you’ve been putting off.

Kraig @ Young, Cheap Living
1. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?
I would get in the car and go visit my family and friends and spend the day with them. Heck, maybe I would fly them all out to the Caribbean and spend the day drinking margarita’s on the beach in the hot sun.
2. Tell me a time that a $1000 emergency fund would have saved your butt.
When my car broke down 4 years ago in the middle of California, a $1,000 emergency fund would have potentially helped change my mind from trading it off to just fixing it. I was looking at almost $2,000 in repairs and, being young and stupid, I figured that justified trading it off for an expensive car way out of my price range. It was not a smart move.
3. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I’m a night owl by nature, but I try to keep it within reason.
4. What’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?
There are too many to narrow it down to one.
5. What things do you take with you everywhere you go?
My wallet (with my debit card, cash oftentimes, credit cards and my driver’s license), my phone and my car/apartment keys.
6. Who is your favorite person to spend time with?
Again, too many to narrow to one. My close friends and close family.
7. Are you a dog person or a cat person?
Honestly, neither. They are okay at best but sometimes nice to have around.
8. What is your best quality?
My genuineness.
9. What is your worst quality?
My bad memory of everyday happenings.
10. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to own my own car dealership.
11. Tell me something you need to do that you’ve been putting off.
I need to write some blog posts and figure out if I am going to the financial bloggers conference and book it already.
http://MLISunderstanding.blogspot.com/ MLISunderstanding
After I graduated college, I was unemployed for about a year. I didn’t have consumer debt, but I did owe on my student loans, and I was too stubborn or too scared or too stupid to contact the financial aid people and let them know I couldn’t pay. And I just hadn’t thought about money until that point. I ate up my meager savings living (rent-free, thankfully) in the big city, and around Christmas that year I was flat broke and unable to buy groceries. It was a mess. $1000 would have paid 17 months of minimum payments on my student loan, or bought some combination of cat food and people food, public transportation passes, work-ready wardrobe, and prescription medications until I found a job.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NNQTITGQC3L7GHWAKXTTBRIDVA Rachel
1. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today? I’m pretty sure I would have a nervous break down, likely while on the phone with my mother.
2. Tell me a time that a $1000 emergency fund would have saved your butt. That would have been the day I got the certified letter saying I was being sued for medical debt of approx $900.
3. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Night person my whole life. My 5th grade report card had a note saying it would be less disruptive if I was on time to school.
4. What’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? I was walking down the road once and ran full on into a sign.
5. What things do you take with you everywhere you go? driver’s license, debit card/or cash (usually the card cuz I rarely have cash), my keys and my phone
6. Who is your favorite person to spend time with? hard to narrow this down…i luv my peeps
7. Are you a dog person or a cat person? yes i’ll take dogs and cats please
8. What is your best quality? great listener
9. What is your worst quality? total lack of common sense…please include directions with pictures or a video
10. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? astronaut
11. Tell me something you need to do that you’ve been putting off. starting a book review site. i typically read at least one book a day, and I’ve been wanting to turn something i like to do into something i get paid to do. i need to get content going for this thing.

http://www.sooverdebt.com Andrea @ SoOverDebt
Definitely try out the book review site! I’m always looking for something new to read.

http://www.silverforgefarm.com/ Shannon
1. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?
Spend the whole day snuggling up and loving up on my family, and figuring out if I could increase my life insurance to the moon (lol)
2. Tell me a time that a $1000 emergency fund would have saved your butt.
Back before we had an emergency fund (now we have one that is probably too big, but it gives me a feeling of security, so there you go), a car repair would have wiped us out and made up go to a credit card, or everyday expenses in the summer (I’m a hs teacher)
3. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Night owl! Pity my first period students!
4. What’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? Probably have blocked it out
5. What things do you take with you everywhere you go? Not much - the clothes on my back. I keep my purse in the car more often then not and my phone is a “Car phone” - I leave it plugged into the charger in my car at all times!
6. Who is your favorite person to spend time with? The husband, my oldest now that she’s such a big kid, my girlfriends…
7. Are you a dog person or a cat person? Dog person, but that being said we have three cats, and they aren’t so bad.
8. What is your best quality? Even-keeled
9. What is your worst quality? Avoiding problems!
10. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? An artist, a vet…as a teacher with a farm and a quilting biz, I think I’ve integrated all that pretty well.
11. Tell me something you need to do that you’ve been putting off. Find our seeds - and if they were ruined in the flood this September, buy new ones. Go to the dentist. Get our expenses/profit sheet ready to do taxes.

http://www.sooverdebt.com Andrea @ SoOverDebt
Ugh… I wish you hadn’t mentioned the dentist. It just reminds me that I need to go finish up some work I started in late 2010. I HATE the dentist!

http://profiles.google.com/heidi.orlanderson Heidi P-O
1. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?
- Call everyone I know and talk to them. I’m “allergic” to calling people, so that’s a big deal for me.
2. Tell me a time that a $1000 emergency fund would have saved your butt.
- We had to have the sewer line replaced at our house and thank goodness we had the money to pay for it. We put it on a credit card first but paid it off before it was due.
3. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
- I’m an afternoon person.
4. What’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?
- There isn’t enough space to put it down!
5. What things do you take with you everywhere you go?
- phone and keys
6. Who is your favorite person to spend time with?
- My hubby
7. Are you a dog person or a cat person?
- I love them both, but we have cats. Hubby’s not a dog person.
8. What is your best quality?
- I’m a good listener
9. What is your worst quality?
- I’m a listener, not a talker.
10. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
- a librarian (which I am!)
11. Tell me something you need to do that you’ve been putting off.
- start our taxes. Ugh. I dread it every year.

http://www.sooverdebt.com Andrea @ SoOverDebt
That’s so cool that you actually became what you wanted to be when you were a kid! So few people do that.

http://upendilife.com/ Rafiki
You do realize if you ever land in my home country Barbados that we have to link up right?
I would love to steal one or two days of your vacation. Of course I’ll show you parts of the island and let you get a taste of the local life instead of being a complete tourist. Only exception would be if you came only to relax, then we just have to meet.
It would be an honor.

http://upendilife.com/ Rafiki
P.S
And a complete pleasure to do so.
http://www.sooverdebt.com Andrea @ SoOverDebt
If I ever make it there, I promise you’ll be the first person to know! We can compare iPhone apps.

http://needtospeakout.wordpress.com/ Stella Inchaurregui Kennedy
1. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?
I know it seems like a cheesy default answer, but I’d let everyone I care about know I love them, and spend the entire day with my kids, trying to treasure every last moment.
2. Tell me a time that a $1000 emergency fund would have saved your butt.
I can think of several times, actually, which I am a bit ashamed to admit, but one of the most notable times was a few years ago when we were short (and subsequently late) on paying our rent right before the lease was up, and because of this, the homeowners decided not to renew our lease and we had to move.
3. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Absolutely a night owl. Always have been and I there’s no foreseeable signs that will ever change.
4. What’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?
I’m not really sure. I know I’ve had plenty of things happen to me that a normal person would most likely be embarrassed about, but I really don’t get embarrassed easily. I suppose in general I have a hard time asking for help when I need it. So I’m probably most embarrassed of the times I let things fall to shambles by trying to do everything myself instead of asking for help when I really could have used it.
5. What things do you take with you everywhere you go?
My purse and my cellphone. Always. Even if it’s just around the corner.
But as a caveat to this, my purse is practically an emergency kit in and of itself. In my purse I have a Swiss Army type knife, complete with screwdriver, bottle opener, scissors, corkscrew, etc - which has come in handy in various situations for me many, many times. I also always carry in my purse: matches (just in case, because you never know when you might need them), several pens and at least one pencil, a pad of paper, napkins and tissue (ladies, how many times have you gone into a restroom to discover no toilet paper?), wet naps, a small halogen flashlight, a password protected USB flash drive, a small hair brush and hair ties, chap stick, emergency “feminine items” and my wallet with insurance cards, IDs, and the like. Finally I have a little notebook in which I have written all sorts of information that I’ve found I need access to at times, like phone numbers (if the cell phone dies), past addresses, past employer history and addresses, etc. Then I also usually have the case for my glasses, with the glasses in it if I’m not wearing them, and my keys. Occasionally I have makeup (even though I rarely, if ever, wear any), makeup remover, lotion, and a small emergency travel size deodorant.
The funny thing? My purse isn’t really all that big.
6. Who is your favorite person to spend time with?
My children. Though I still need a break from them from time to time.
7. Are you a dog person or a cat person?
I’m a person that acts like a cat who prefers to own dogs.
8. What is your best quality?
I’m smart. Not to toot my own horn, but I really am. I learn things very quickly and have a very good memory. I’m pretty good at most things I set my mind to if I try.
9. What is your worst quality?
I’m smart. No, really. This can get you in a lot of trouble as well. People don’t like when you know more than they do about things. When you’re clever you often outdo or correct others, or just can’t let things go in an argument when you know you’re right.
10. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
First a ballerina. Then an astronaut. Then an actress. Then a writer.
Still working on the growing up part.
11. Tell me something you need to do that you’ve been putting off.
Sleep. I always stay up later than I should once my kids are asleep. I love my kids, but I also like to enjoy my quiet “adult” time and try to do things I can’t do when they’re awake.

http://www.sooverdebt.com Andrea @ SoOverDebt
I have the same problem with sleep! (As evidenced by the fact that it’s 2am and I’m responding to your comment.) My son is a night owl like me, and by the time he goes to sleep I feel like I’ve wasted the day if I don’t get some “me” time.

http://needtospeakout.wordpress.com/ Stella Inchaurregui Kennedy
Exactly! Something about having to do something for myself, or trying to fit in something that I didn’t do during the day.
Sometimes even something as silly as watching a show or movie I know I can’t watch while the kids are up.
Sesame Street is great, but come night time I want something non-kid-friendly, like zombies eating cursing gangsters while rabid puffins tear apart a muppet… or something…

http://www.sooverdebt.com Andrea @ SoOverDebt
It’s so awesome when they’re old enough for the good shows… For example, Jayden LOVES The Walking Dead. And he’s finally old enough to watch it, which means I don’t have to miss the new episode tomorrow night. I’ve always kept a tight leash on what he’s allowed to watch, but at nearly 14, I think he’s old enough for PG-13 stuff. It’s a huge weight off my shoulders.

http://needtospeakout.wordpress.com/ Stella Inchaurregui Kennedy
My oldest (my daughter) is at that age. She’s 14 now, and will be 15 later this month, so I can share the fun stuff with her. And I’m the same way in that I’ve only just recently lightened up on my super-strict restrictions on what she was allowed to see before.
However, with the twins (my other two) it’s like starting all over again. They only just turned a year old, so…

http://moneymamba.com/ JT
1. Go to a bar; leverage it into free drinks. (Most depressing question ever; I refuse to have an answer!)
2. Car repair, I guess.
3. Both. Late night into the early morning, right. I think I’m more productive in the morning, but more creative at night. Totally depends on what I’m doing.
4. Pass!
5. 3-pat test. Wallet, keys, phone!
6. Especially now - friends that come home after a long time away. At that weird age where the relationships you build over a long time fade simply due to adulthood.
7. Dog. Cats scare the hell out of me. I like animals I can outsmart LOL.
8. Problem solving.
9. Making problems I have to solve.
10. Stockbroker. Now that I know more about financial services, that’s not a goal. Finance is still in, though!
11. Taxes.

So Over Debt

A single mom's journey - not to financial freedom, because that's out of reach - but to breathing room.

Random Weekend Q&A

My Answers

My Questions For You