Debt repayment is going slowly.
Good News:
I have paid off one more debt. I had a $1500 student loan that was not in forbearance that I have been paying $40 towards each month. With my previous paycheck, I paid off the remaining $690 balance. I know that it wasn’t the best move from an interest rate payoff perspective given the loan only had a 5% interest rate, but it was an annoying debt to deal with month after month. I’m glad it is gone. This will free up $40/mo to go towards my credit card payoff.
Other News:
I’m on the verge of shutting down my gym membership. Despite living only 1.5 blocks away, I have been there only once since signing up, and that was for an equipment orientation. There is no excuse for this, except for one thing — exhaustion.
I don’t know how people do it. My main job is very stressful for me because it is a lot more responsibility than I am used to. I still feel as though I’m thrashing around in the deep end of the pool so to speak. When I come home after a cramped 1 hour rush-hour public transit commute, I’m exhausted. All I want to do is drop my heavy laptop bag and fall face first into bed, but I can’t. I have more work to do. Between my two jobs, there is always more work to do.
I am very grateful for my two jobs, however I have been having a few warning signs of impending health problems. One such sign is constant fatigue. Exercise would help relieve the stress, but how do I get the energy to exercise? I know this sounds like a whine-fest. I’m going to have to make an effort to at least work out at home and see how that goes. I’m going to make a good faith effort to use the gym before shutting down my membership…
Work:
Despite the stress, it is going relatively well. I admit that for the first couple of months, every time my manager asked to speak with me, I became terrified that I was going get fired.
I have since learned that this is fairly typical among those who were fired from their previous job. Now, I just get a little nervous, but not panicky like I used to. Ugh. Debt and fear are the worst.
Social/Dating Life:
Zilch. Nada. This is another source of stress, but it is another post (or 10!) entirely…
For now I need to focus on one thing at a time.
#1 Health
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“Debtor’s prison is real, and opportunity cost is a bitch.” (DDSW)
Double Debt Single Woman 
I can’t remember if you covered this but………..How did you handle explaining being fired from your last job during interviews?
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If I was asked why I was no longer with my previous employer (not all companies even asked), I told them that I was laid off from that position, but that it was a great opportunity to learn about xyz… Interviewers didn’t pry any further. I think it is just as important HOW you say it as what you say. I didn’t sound scared, or sad, or angry or try to hide it any way. I said it very matter of factly and said only positive upbeat things about my former employer and all the great things I was doing there. In my case it was not dishonest to say lay-off as that is what appears on my termination letter. Hope this helps.
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Your transparency is admirable. My wife and I are currently in full blown student loan repayment mode, and can’t wait until it is over. Also we can completely relate to wanting to shut down your gym membership. We lived a block away from our gym and couldn’t get in there more than twice a week. We have to regain our fitness discipline.
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Thanks! Yeah, I’m still on the fence about the gym. Arrgggh!
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Dump the gym membership – and other “subscription services”. These cumulatively add up to hundreds of dollars a month.
– gym memberships
– cable TV
– smart phones
– satellite radio
– website memberships
– anything with a monthly fee.
Each one seems like a “small” expense, and people defend each of these kinds of spending. But the reality is, we can all live without cable TV and smart phones. In fact, in the olden days (like 30 years ago) we all did – and did quite well.
If you never went to the gym in three months, then chances are, you never will go. Don’t be surprised if they keep charging your debit or credit card, even after you cancel.
Need exercise? Try walking a mile every day. Walk to the store and back, or take a walk in the park. It burns calories, keeps you fit, and costs nothing.
I spend $100 a year on GoPhone (1000 minutes a year) and use an old flip-phone I bought on eBay for $6. Many of my broke friends send me messages lamenting how awful they have it, with the tag line, “Sent from my iPhone” – they just don’t get it.
And Cable TV? An utter waste of time. It causes depression and makes people lethargic and overweight (sitting for the 4.6 hours a day that the average American watches, is bad for the body. No really, most people watch 4.6 hours a day – or more).
We do rent DVDs on netflix, but try to limit our viewing to an hour a day or less.
You are doing a very admirable thing trying to change your life. But there is no reason to “sit on the fence” on a gym membership YOU’VE NEVER USED…..
See:
http://livingstingy.blogspot.com/2011/05/should-you-join-gym-or-health-club.html
http://livingstingy.blogspot.com/2010/12/subscription-model.html
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Hi again,
I was reading too quickly before my first reply. I just realized who you are. Thanks for stopping by. I just visited your blog [LivingStingy.blogspot.com] and now see that you have returned to posting! That’s great. I’ve missed it during your break. Yeah, I’ve pretty much decided to 86 my gym membership. Cable is included in the rent for my apartment, but I don’t watch television. I don’t have a car so I walk and take public transit everywhere. Yeah, I’m pretty much doing the things you listed. I have a post about it somewhere on this blog. The last thing to go will be the smartphone. Arrgh!
Thanks again for reading and for the encouragement.
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