Next week, I walk into the unknown. Things feel a little scary already. I really, really hope things go well, or at least well enough to get me through the next several months. In any event, my days of freedom are nearing their end, one by one. Read More
Woot! 😀 It feels good to see that balance dropping again!
I got my last regular paycheck today from my old job. Because of all of my recent job drama, I’d been holding on to my cash for the last month or so instead of paying down my debt. My new job doesn’t start for another week, but I threw the money at the debt today out of sheer impatience.
I’ve been told that I should get one more check for unused vacation hours accrued this year. That check will go to the debt too. Read More
I’ve decided to go back to making semi-monthly payments. Waiting an entire month to see my balance drop was feeling excruciatingly slow. I think this way will keep me more motivated.
Fireworks aren’t the only thing going up these days. Read More
Hey Peeps!
I know. I know. Long time, no write.
Where have I been? Where else… at work. I certainly can’t afford to go anywhere else. I had a string of projects that left me too drained to blog. It all culminated in an all-nighter session to get some deliverables submitted on time that took me three days to recover from. Getting older sucks.
Since then, things at work have returned to a manageable level…at least for the time being.
Meanwhile, back at the BatCave, I have some good news on the debt front. As you can see from my progress bars in the footer of this blog, I have made great progress on my credit card debt. I just received a year-end bonus at work. Yeah, I know it’s February, but that’s how my employer works. Anyway, I took every penny of it…well, every penny of what was left after taxes (ouch!), and put it towards the credit card debt.
I now have $520 left in credit card debt!. *screams*
It’s only a matter of days now before the final blade lowers.
I…CAN’T…WAIT..!!!!!
I can’t wait until I can finally end this credit card debt once and for all. I already have a nice place picked out for it to rest…eternally.
I get giddy with excitement every time I think about it. No more credit card debt. Gone forever and hopefully burning in the fires of hell where it belongs. Does this make me sound evil?
I assure all of you that I am not…well, not much. 😉 It’s just that $30,000+ of credit card debt has been financially strangling me for years. I have likely single-handedly financed someone else’s retirement with all the interest I’ve paid over the years. I will not be sad to see that debt die. 😈
Finally, I’ll be able to save up for a small savings fund. The next few months will give me a breather to save at least a $5k – $6k buffer, so I can sleep better at night. After that, I plunge into tackling my mountain of student loan debt. Watch out Sallie Mae, you’re next!
In another bit of good news, my retirement savings (investments) are accumulating faster than expected. I have increased my 2015 investment savings goal (including employer match) from a $20,000 total to an even more ambitious $30,000 total.
In the meantime, will DoubleDebtSingleWoman defeat the Evil Plastic Menace? Come back to see part 2. Same Bat time. Same Bat channel.
“Debtor’s prison is real, and opportunity cost is a bitch.” (DDSW)
Have you ever been so obsessed with paying down debt that you’ve checked your debt account(s) multiple times every day to see your new amount due when a payment posts? The wait from the time you send payment until the time that the lower balance shows up on your screen seems excruciatingly long, doesn’t it? Why can’t payment be instant?!! Arrrgh!
Do you read (or at least subscribe to) dozens of personal finance related blogs and sites? If you own any books or e-books, are they mostly money related? Can you remember the last time you read a fiction book for fun? Can’t stop looking for one more way to squeeze a penny?
If so, I can relate. I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about my finances, too much time. And that needs to change. I need to do some rebalancing in my life. I need to ‘slow down’ for a while – not forever – just for a while. I need to pace myself.
When I say ‘slow down’ I don’t mean relaxing my drive to get out of debt or lowering my debt payments or loosening my budget (by much). Instead, I’m referring to stopping acceleration, taking my foot off the gas and going on ‘cruise control’.
What does financial cruise control mean?
For me, it means pausing plans for a second job and side hustles. It means reducing (not eliminating) the amount of time that I spend reading about and obsessing over debt and debt payoff. It means adjusting my debt-life balance. It could mean something different for you.
Why go on financial cruise control when it comes to debt?
If you have a long debt repayment plan, it may be necessary at some point(s) along the way to automate your finances so that you can divert your attention elsewhere for a limited period of time. Reasons for this generally fall into one of two camps, both of which are closely related.
My job has always been stressful and that is likely to increase. The vacancy created by my manager leaving has not been filled and may not be in the foreseeable future. So I’m having to take on some of that extra work and responsibility. It’s nerve wracking to be expected to perform at the same level as my former manager who everyone loved and who had 8 years of experience in that role. I have 11 months of experience and I’ve been doing a shaky / mediocre job at best so far. I bring work home in the evenings and work over the weekends half the time as it is.
Not many things are as important as getting out of debt for us, but they do exist. For me, my ongoing health concerns are at a point where medical intervention will likely be needed. Chances are high that I may need to have surgery at some point within the next year. I need to prepare for the costs associated with that, but regardless it is imperative that I get in shape and improve my diet (reduce sugar mostly).
I’m trying to exercise on my own, but the willpower isn’t there. In the past I’ve done much better with the structure of a class. I have found a gym not too far away from where I live now – a nice long walk by foot. They offered a free class and I took it. The workout had me sore for a week. THAT is what I need. I haven’t gone back because I’m debating whether or not to shell out for the monthly membership, but what is the cost of health? Now if I could just find a cheap personal chef, I’d be in business.
Woohoo! My latest payment FINALLY hit my credit card. I love seeing that balance go down!
Am I hopeless? 🙂 (Sigh.)
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“Debtor’s prison is real, and opportunity cost is a bitch.” (DDSW)
