[amberbamber]

Here's my idea about the whole life insurance for my kids- they will pay for their weddings and or that can be a nice gift for a down payment on their first house.

I checked the policies about cash value...and honestly with all the money we've already put into them I'd cry at what we would actually be getting back from them. Still think it's a good idea?

We will be stopping the 529 plans for 1 year. Then we will pick it back up.

The lease on the van we'd have to pay a 2500 penalty for early return, plus an over the mile fee @ 10 cents a mile- over by about 2000 miles. Plus we'd have to pay the difference in the value that the van is now. It's a 2006 Honda Odyssey. So, I can see that being about $5000 to just get out of it. Does that make sense? We don't have the $5000 right now to even think about doing that.


The Student Loan #1 cannot be refinanced...as it already has been. Combining about 4 loans total.

The personal loan is 0% and to DH's parents so it's really not on our radar right now. But eventually we'd like to pay it back, KWIM?

Thanks for all the advice. I really am doing everything that I can to conserve, we cloth diaper both of our children that are in diapers, I hang clothes on the line, etc. I am very frugal, but some very spur of the moment decisions and bad decisions at that have caused us to get to this place. I have never felt so out of control of debt in my life!
Thanks again, keep it coming! PLEASE!