Okay, so the car that turned out not to work is sold. I put all the money from the sale onto debt and in the bank for my medical bills. All is taken care of and good. The good thing is, I'm really starting to see some progress on the smaller of our two credit cards. It's not been below $4,000 in over a year and now it's sitting pretty at $3,714.50.
Every so often I get horrendously frustrated with paying off debt. It causes me a lot of stress and really impacts the choices that I can make with my life. But, I know it's not forever. Sometimes, when I sell a book on Amazon or some other small thing I might put $7 towards my debt, or another small number. It may seem silly, but it makes me feel better.... lighter somehow.
You have to keep going with the little stuff. You have to keep snowballing your debt. It's really the only way to do it. I'm being much more vigilant about making sure the debt on my BoA card doesn't increase any more. We have a couple of things that get automatically charged to it, and I'm being really good about paying them off right away. You have to do that too, else you never get anywhere. My goal is that the next time my statement ends, the amount of interest won't max out the card. I don't think that's actually happened yet on that card. But when you're paying $150 a month in interest, it's easy for it to happen.
You have to keep sucking it. Keep going.
Current Totals
Prosper - $0
AmEx - $3714
BoA - $11866
ING - $833
Total - $16413
Showing posts with label debt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label debt. Show all posts
Monday, August 13, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Goodbye Soon, Stupid Car
Back when I moved to Las Vegas 18 months ago, I bought a car the first day I moved here. After a week, I completely hated it.
I paid way too much for it, and I did what so many people do when they get new jobs:
I purchased an item based on what I perceived my income would be, rather than money I had on hand.
Honestly, this is a really common occurrence. Lots of people get into debt this way. They get a big increase in salary and they don't pull their punches with their spending.
So, this car has been a real pain since I bought it. It's got many little things that keep going wrong, the air conditioning no longer works, and I've honestly gotten tired of it.
Sorry to whine. I made a bad choice and it's haunted me for a year.
So, anyway. I'd saved up the $350 to fix my air conditioning, when a friend of mine told me she was leaving town and wasn't planning on taking her car with her. On a hunch, I asked her what she was looking to get for it. She came back with $600 for a car in really good working order. Since that's just $250 more than my air conditioning, I'm buying her car and selling mine. This means I get to go back to driving a late 90's Toyota, which is honestly my preference over the 2002 Ford Escort!
I should also be able to recoup some money by selling the Ford, which makes me super super happy! So, probably in a month when all of this is done and barring crap happening, because crap certainly happens, I should be able to put another chunk on a credit card. Things certainly are moving in the right direction. We've taken $900 off our debt in the last four weeks. Here are the new totals:
Starting Debt: 07/02/11 - $21543
Updated 6/15/12
Prosper - $0
AmEx - $4257
BoA - $11869
ING - $1004
Total - $17130 (20.5%)
Onwards!
I paid way too much for it, and I did what so many people do when they get new jobs:
I purchased an item based on what I perceived my income would be, rather than money I had on hand.
Honestly, this is a really common occurrence. Lots of people get into debt this way. They get a big increase in salary and they don't pull their punches with their spending.
So, this car has been a real pain since I bought it. It's got many little things that keep going wrong, the air conditioning no longer works, and I've honestly gotten tired of it.
Sorry to whine. I made a bad choice and it's haunted me for a year.
So, anyway. I'd saved up the $350 to fix my air conditioning, when a friend of mine told me she was leaving town and wasn't planning on taking her car with her. On a hunch, I asked her what she was looking to get for it. She came back with $600 for a car in really good working order. Since that's just $250 more than my air conditioning, I'm buying her car and selling mine. This means I get to go back to driving a late 90's Toyota, which is honestly my preference over the 2002 Ford Escort!
I should also be able to recoup some money by selling the Ford, which makes me super super happy! So, probably in a month when all of this is done and barring crap happening, because crap certainly happens, I should be able to put another chunk on a credit card. Things certainly are moving in the right direction. We've taken $900 off our debt in the last four weeks. Here are the new totals:
Starting Debt: 07/02/11 - $21543
Updated 6/15/12
Prosper - $0
AmEx - $4257
BoA - $11869
ING - $1004
Total - $17130 (20.5%)
Onwards!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Goodbye Prosper
Today is a good day. I paid off the Prosper loan today. We had it for 15 months, paying it off 21 months early. It took a lot of extra work, but this is a huge mile marker on the road to get out of debt.
Without this loan, we now free up an extra $150 a month to put towards the American Express credit card, which is currently holding a balance of around $4400. That, plus putting anything extra that we can towards it, should mean that we can really start to snowball out of this situation.
I'm incredibly relieved, though I confess it was a bit anticlimactic!
I've been working hard on projects like getting Voiceover work and finding other ways to make extra money. I have a roommate now, and wouldn't have been able to pay off this loan without his financial contribution. Needless to say, the hard work is starting to pay off!
How's your debt journey going?
Starting Debt: 07/02/11 - $21543
Prosper - $0
AmEx - $4494
BoA - $11913
ING - $1133
Total - $17538 (18.5%)
Sunday, May 20, 2012
I Know, I Know
I know it's been a while. I'm sorry. There has been so much and I'm so focused on my food blog that I've totally neglected this one. I'd say No more!! I shall regularly update and prevail! but I really don't want to make a promise that I can't keep.
So, instead, an update.
I've been getting lots of extra work lately doing voiceovers. I just recently landed a contract to record an Audio Book which will help hugely. I have no AC in my car and I simply can't handle it anymore (it's already over 100 degrees in the Valley) and this will give me the last of the money that I need to finally get that handled, plus some extra to pay down my day.
Hey shameless plug! If you need voicework, no matter how big or how small, check out my website here.
So, my Stunt Guy is back in Atlanta, trying to get some work. It's done a little to alleviate the financial strain, but we have a really long way to go. Hopefully he'll get some bigger gigs soon and we can start taking big chunks off our debt. In the meantime, I've got a roommate and gone into hunker down survival mode. This has involved lots of pantry purging and not doing things that cost money. I've also done really well at getting myself in shape, even running a 5K. I'm getting close to my goal weight, and continue to plug away at it.
So, here is the real update. When last I posted, here was the state of the union:
Prosper - $3026
AmEx - $4282
BoA - $11708
ING - $968
Total - $19,984
Now, this is where we stand:
Prosper - $367
AmEx - $4494
BoA - $11913
ING - $1133
Total - $17907
So we've paid over $2000 in the last few months. We've been paying it on our highest interest loan. It's almost paid off and I am so very happy! This loan has been a pain and being done with it will be huge. We'll be able to start snowballing our minimum payments and hopefully the rest will flow nicely. I calculated that if we snowball minimums, we're looking at 32 months worth of debt. I find that to be unacceptable, and am pushing really hard for us to try and get all this paid off in half that time or more.
I'm happy that once we move on to paying off the AmEx, I can throw random dribs and drabs of cash at it whenever I want. With the Prosper loan, we always had to pay at least $150 at a time. I find it better to be able to whittle in down.
I still can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, though I'm sure it's there. But I'm going to keep trucking.
So, instead, an update.
I've been getting lots of extra work lately doing voiceovers. I just recently landed a contract to record an Audio Book which will help hugely. I have no AC in my car and I simply can't handle it anymore (it's already over 100 degrees in the Valley) and this will give me the last of the money that I need to finally get that handled, plus some extra to pay down my day.
Hey shameless plug! If you need voicework, no matter how big or how small, check out my website here.
So, my Stunt Guy is back in Atlanta, trying to get some work. It's done a little to alleviate the financial strain, but we have a really long way to go. Hopefully he'll get some bigger gigs soon and we can start taking big chunks off our debt. In the meantime, I've got a roommate and gone into hunker down survival mode. This has involved lots of pantry purging and not doing things that cost money. I've also done really well at getting myself in shape, even running a 5K. I'm getting close to my goal weight, and continue to plug away at it.
So, here is the real update. When last I posted, here was the state of the union:
Prosper - $3026
AmEx - $4282
BoA - $11708
ING - $968
Total - $19,984
Now, this is where we stand:
Prosper - $367
AmEx - $4494
BoA - $11913
ING - $1133
Total - $17907
So we've paid over $2000 in the last few months. We've been paying it on our highest interest loan. It's almost paid off and I am so very happy! This loan has been a pain and being done with it will be huge. We'll be able to start snowballing our minimum payments and hopefully the rest will flow nicely. I calculated that if we snowball minimums, we're looking at 32 months worth of debt. I find that to be unacceptable, and am pushing really hard for us to try and get all this paid off in half that time or more.
I'm happy that once we move on to paying off the AmEx, I can throw random dribs and drabs of cash at it whenever I want. With the Prosper loan, we always had to pay at least $150 at a time. I find it better to be able to whittle in down.
I still can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, though I'm sure it's there. But I'm going to keep trucking.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Under 20,000
Today is a great milestone for me. I just made a couple of debt payments, and we've finally got our debt under $20,000. This is a great motivational boost. The 20,000 number has always felt huge, nearly insurmountable. It really makes me feel good to see it shrinking. It's taking a lot of time, but it'll be worth it when it's all done. I'm hoping that my tax return will be the next big boost that we need.
It's hard, especially around this time of year, to put extra money onto debt. We've been traveling, and we have Christmas Gifts to pick up, but a little can go a long way in the end. Even though we're only putting a little extra onto debt at a time, it's going to make a big difference. Right now, we're overpaying on all of our minimum payments. Not, by a lot, sometimes, but it's these little dents that help. When I have a bigger chunk, it goes on our Prosper loan. Thats the big goal right now, getting that one paid off.
But that number having a 19 in front of it instead of a 20 is an awesome sight.
It's hard, especially around this time of year, to put extra money onto debt. We've been traveling, and we have Christmas Gifts to pick up, but a little can go a long way in the end. Even though we're only putting a little extra onto debt at a time, it's going to make a big difference. Right now, we're overpaying on all of our minimum payments. Not, by a lot, sometimes, but it's these little dents that help. When I have a bigger chunk, it goes on our Prosper loan. Thats the big goal right now, getting that one paid off.
But that number having a 19 in front of it instead of a 20 is an awesome sight.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Total Love
I love re-doing my totals for debt right after I've made all of my payments. It goes up from there, but for a few days I feel like I've made progress.
It's slow going. I'm not making progress as quickly as I would like, but we're owed about $800 in extra income that will all go to debt if it ever gets here.
I hate how long it takes for freelance checks to show up. You'd think I'd be used to this by now.
The one thing I do have to look forward to, though, is that I should get a tax return this year. I hope I do, because I want to get rid of my Prosper loan so badly I almost itch.
Here's hoping.
It's slow going. I'm not making progress as quickly as I would like, but we're owed about $800 in extra income that will all go to debt if it ever gets here.
I hate how long it takes for freelance checks to show up. You'd think I'd be used to this by now.
The one thing I do have to look forward to, though, is that I should get a tax return this year. I hope I do, because I want to get rid of my Prosper loan so badly I almost itch.
Here's hoping.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Here's Where We're At
So, I'm in Vegas, working for my dream company. Things have not been great on the work front for my other half and as a result we've gotten into a bit of a rut with our debt.
It's frustrating when you look at your paycheck and see your year to date income and wonder where the heck it all went. These things happen, though. Moving across the country wasn't cheap and of course things happened before and after we got here.
But now it's time to fix it. It's time to hunker down and get out of debt. I'm working on getting a few extra projects (mainly voice work) going, and I've been working on a new blog that I'm quite happy with. Writing for me has been something that I work on when I'm busy and happy, and though I haven't been terribly happy, I'm going to try and step it up a notch. It may well be that writing MAKES me happy.
As for my other half, well, he's getting there slowly but surely. He's also much better at being frugal than me often times. He's usually the one to say "we don't really need that right now", whereas I tend to be a bit more spendy. He's right though.
So with a new effort, and for transparency sake, it's time that I stick the old total bar back on the side of the blog and again list my debt. It's worked before, it should work again. It's also time that I set myself some goals about making extra money. Obviously, I want to make as much extra money as possible, but for now we'll be starting small. I want to make an extra $200 a month. So, here is the state of the ugly ugly union:
BoA - This is our major credit card. All our moving expenses went on this, as well as incidental things that have come up. And, I'm ashamed to admit it, so did a big chunk of my car.
Current Balance : $11795
Min Payment : $242
AmEx - This was another credit card that was used for all kinds of incidentals and then the rest of my car... mostly the warranty went on this.
Current Balance : $4348
Min Payment : $89
Prosper - This is a short term loan that we used to pay our 2010 taxes. We had both freelanced all year and, though I had put some money aside, it got eaten up in the move.
Current Balance : $3285
Min Payment : $149
ING - This is my checking account overdraft. Any time we travel, it's ended up on this. I really need this to be empty so that I can use it in case I have to fly home in an emergency.
Current Balance : $1091
Min Payment : $100
Total Balance : $20519
Total Minimum Payment : $580
So we need to pay all of this off and quite quickly. The current plan that I have is to pay off the ING and Prosper accounts first. I really need the ING account cleared so I have it as an emergency fund. I'm also working on building back our emergency fund but that isn't going to be full for a while. I have to get this debt paid down.
Anything that my other half makes, luckily, can go primarily towards our debt, so if he got, say, one movie, he could wipe out an enormous chunk of it. Of course, that's not exactly something that we get to bank on so we'll be assuming that won't happen.
So here we go. Nose to the grindstone. Time to fix it all.
It's frustrating when you look at your paycheck and see your year to date income and wonder where the heck it all went. These things happen, though. Moving across the country wasn't cheap and of course things happened before and after we got here.
But now it's time to fix it. It's time to hunker down and get out of debt. I'm working on getting a few extra projects (mainly voice work) going, and I've been working on a new blog that I'm quite happy with. Writing for me has been something that I work on when I'm busy and happy, and though I haven't been terribly happy, I'm going to try and step it up a notch. It may well be that writing MAKES me happy.
As for my other half, well, he's getting there slowly but surely. He's also much better at being frugal than me often times. He's usually the one to say "we don't really need that right now", whereas I tend to be a bit more spendy. He's right though.
So with a new effort, and for transparency sake, it's time that I stick the old total bar back on the side of the blog and again list my debt. It's worked before, it should work again. It's also time that I set myself some goals about making extra money. Obviously, I want to make as much extra money as possible, but for now we'll be starting small. I want to make an extra $200 a month. So, here is the state of the ugly ugly union:
BoA - This is our major credit card. All our moving expenses went on this, as well as incidental things that have come up. And, I'm ashamed to admit it, so did a big chunk of my car.
Current Balance : $11795
Min Payment : $242
AmEx - This was another credit card that was used for all kinds of incidentals and then the rest of my car... mostly the warranty went on this.
Current Balance : $4348
Min Payment : $89
Prosper - This is a short term loan that we used to pay our 2010 taxes. We had both freelanced all year and, though I had put some money aside, it got eaten up in the move.
Current Balance : $3285
Min Payment : $149
ING - This is my checking account overdraft. Any time we travel, it's ended up on this. I really need this to be empty so that I can use it in case I have to fly home in an emergency.
Current Balance : $1091
Min Payment : $100
Total Balance : $20519
Total Minimum Payment : $580
So we need to pay all of this off and quite quickly. The current plan that I have is to pay off the ING and Prosper accounts first. I really need the ING account cleared so I have it as an emergency fund. I'm also working on building back our emergency fund but that isn't going to be full for a while. I have to get this debt paid down.
Anything that my other half makes, luckily, can go primarily towards our debt, so if he got, say, one movie, he could wipe out an enormous chunk of it. Of course, that's not exactly something that we get to bank on so we'll be assuming that won't happen.
So here we go. Nose to the grindstone. Time to fix it all.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Poor Decisions Regarding Cars
So, I'd previously mentioned that I'm back in debt again. It makes me sad when I look at how far I came before and where I am now. Granted, I'm making more money than I ever have before. I have great benefits. I absorbed my Stunt Guys salary with some extra. I should be in great shape. So why am I not?
Well, there were many many contributing factors. One of the biggest ones though was a 2002 Ford Escort affectionally named " I Hate You You Stupid Car".
When I moved to Las Vegas in January, I took a look at my beloved 1996 Toyota Corolla and I realized that it wouldn't make it to Nevada without falling to pieces. I thought about what to do and decided that what would be best would be to leave it in Atlanta and buy a new (to me) car once I got to Vegas. I figured that I should be okay to find a car quickly.
I got to Vegas in the middle of the night and quickly realized that I would be spending a fortune if I had to apartment hunt with taxis. As I was losing relocation expenses every night I spent in a hotel, I decided to hurry along and buy a car to make my life easier. I found a dealership with a $2900 (eek!) car that looked promising, and took a taxi there in the morning, knowing I would be driving out of there in a car.
This was my first mistake. I was in a hurry and I left myself with no room for error. When they didn't have the car I saw online in stock anymore and I asked what the next cheapest one would be, the only option I was given was a car that would be $5,000 including taxes. I shouldn't have done it, but I decided maybe that would work. It was a much newer car, a 2002, but I wasn't too worried because I figured I would drive it to death and it would be fine. I asked to finance it.
Then, things went very very wrong and this is where I should have walked away but I didn't.
They wouldn't finance a car less than $8,000. Not wanting to spend that much, I decided to pay cash for the car. That would save me money in insurance too I thought. I also bought a warranty because I wanted to make sure the car wouldn't break down. Because I didn't really have the cash, I called my bank, extended my credit limit and charged the car.
This was the dumbest decision I think I've made in a long long time. I shouldn't have done that. I regret it. It was the beginning of a big pile of trouble. Extending my credit limit mean that my minimum payments on the car would now be much higher. I was also a lot closer in the realm of maxing out that card than I had been.
Bad choice. I should have found a cheaper car. I should have taken more time, but I was in a hurry. So I messed it up. Now I'm paying for it. That car also ended up needing $600 of work. I haven't really paid off any of it yet.
So my advice is don't rush, take your time, and listen to yourself when you realize you are about to make a mistake. I'm going to be literally paying for this one for a long time.
Well, there were many many contributing factors. One of the biggest ones though was a 2002 Ford Escort affectionally named " I Hate You You Stupid Car".
When I moved to Las Vegas in January, I took a look at my beloved 1996 Toyota Corolla and I realized that it wouldn't make it to Nevada without falling to pieces. I thought about what to do and decided that what would be best would be to leave it in Atlanta and buy a new (to me) car once I got to Vegas. I figured that I should be okay to find a car quickly.
I got to Vegas in the middle of the night and quickly realized that I would be spending a fortune if I had to apartment hunt with taxis. As I was losing relocation expenses every night I spent in a hotel, I decided to hurry along and buy a car to make my life easier. I found a dealership with a $2900 (eek!) car that looked promising, and took a taxi there in the morning, knowing I would be driving out of there in a car.
This was my first mistake. I was in a hurry and I left myself with no room for error. When they didn't have the car I saw online in stock anymore and I asked what the next cheapest one would be, the only option I was given was a car that would be $5,000 including taxes. I shouldn't have done it, but I decided maybe that would work. It was a much newer car, a 2002, but I wasn't too worried because I figured I would drive it to death and it would be fine. I asked to finance it.
Then, things went very very wrong and this is where I should have walked away but I didn't.
They wouldn't finance a car less than $8,000. Not wanting to spend that much, I decided to pay cash for the car. That would save me money in insurance too I thought. I also bought a warranty because I wanted to make sure the car wouldn't break down. Because I didn't really have the cash, I called my bank, extended my credit limit and charged the car.
This was the dumbest decision I think I've made in a long long time. I shouldn't have done that. I regret it. It was the beginning of a big pile of trouble. Extending my credit limit mean that my minimum payments on the car would now be much higher. I was also a lot closer in the realm of maxing out that card than I had been.
Bad choice. I should have found a cheaper car. I should have taken more time, but I was in a hurry. So I messed it up. Now I'm paying for it. That car also ended up needing $600 of work. I haven't really paid off any of it yet.
So my advice is don't rush, take your time, and listen to yourself when you realize you are about to make a mistake. I'm going to be literally paying for this one for a long time.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Forward and Back
Well, I'm in debt again. Not a huge amount compared to previous escapades... about $2,000. Definitely too much though. Luckily, I have a four shows booked... a total of 7 months work booked between now and May. Thats a lot of solid work, all of which pays above my minimum. I'm hoping that between now and the end of the year I can get all the way caught up, even replenish my savings a little. Every large bill has been covered as far as I can tell. This of course does not include the unexpected, but it's definitely a good thing that I don't have to stress about bills for a while. I'll still be working as much extra as I can to get this debt cleared.
I've never really been able to get ahead. It's been a huge weight on my shoulders and I can't wait to get it off of there. I'm on a pretty hefty spending freeze excluding planned things, and I really can't wait to start working at a new theatre company on August 30th.
England was great. I have the cutest nephew and niece in the world. All is well there and my brother had the most gorgeous wedding. I'm so glad that I went.
I've never really been able to get ahead. It's been a huge weight on my shoulders and I can't wait to get it off of there. I'm on a pretty hefty spending freeze excluding planned things, and I really can't wait to start working at a new theatre company on August 30th.
England was great. I have the cutest nephew and niece in the world. All is well there and my brother had the most gorgeous wedding. I'm so glad that I went.
Friday, September 25, 2009
All Gone!
So today I made the very last payment on the last little bit of my credit card debt. I am now officially out of consumer debt. The only money I owe is my student loan that is not interest bearing (I owe it to my parents).
This is huge for me. My finances are under control. I'm starting on a new budget on October first that will skyrocket my savings, which will allow me to finally not panic when bad things happen, and hopefully I'll be able to travel home next year. I can also start paying down my student loan significantly. I'm also upping my spending money a little too, because, well I think I've earned it!
I'm still working extra jobs and trying to make some extra money because I like being busy, and because I need to keep building my technical theatre resume. That means working nights and weekends and keeping my regular 9-5 job too. I'm not out of the woods yet, because I'm not out of debt yet, and $25,000 is a huge sum of money that I still have to pay off. But I have three and a half years to do it, I'm not paying interest, and I make enough money that I don't have to struggle with my bills. So here is what really made the difference for me:
I got a roommate. Monthly savings : $480
I cut my grocery bill as low as I could. Monthly Savings : $200
I stopped buying things that I couldn't afford. Monthly savings : $300
I snowballed my debt. This allowed me to pay off thousands of dollars in just over a year.
I purged assets I wasn't using, like my camera, books, clothes. I stopped eating out and drinking out.
I worked my ass off to get where I am and I have to say, I'm really proud. Right now, I'll be out of debt sometime around February 2013 and I plan on making it sooner than that if I can. I'm still going to be blogging about my money stuff and my financial goals. So with that, here are my current savings goals that I'm working on:
Emergency Fund to $3000 (Currently at $235)
Travel Fund to $3600 (Currently at $109)
Medical and Dental Fund to $1000 (Currently at $1)
Car Maintenance Fund to $1000 (Currently at $1)
2009 Roth IRA to $1500 (Currently at $195)
I'm certainly not done yet with my goals, but it feels good to have interest coming in, not going out for a change! Yay me!
This is huge for me. My finances are under control. I'm starting on a new budget on October first that will skyrocket my savings, which will allow me to finally not panic when bad things happen, and hopefully I'll be able to travel home next year. I can also start paying down my student loan significantly. I'm also upping my spending money a little too, because, well I think I've earned it!
I'm still working extra jobs and trying to make some extra money because I like being busy, and because I need to keep building my technical theatre resume. That means working nights and weekends and keeping my regular 9-5 job too. I'm not out of the woods yet, because I'm not out of debt yet, and $25,000 is a huge sum of money that I still have to pay off. But I have three and a half years to do it, I'm not paying interest, and I make enough money that I don't have to struggle with my bills. So here is what really made the difference for me:
I got a roommate. Monthly savings : $480
I cut my grocery bill as low as I could. Monthly Savings : $200
I stopped buying things that I couldn't afford. Monthly savings : $300
I snowballed my debt. This allowed me to pay off thousands of dollars in just over a year.
I purged assets I wasn't using, like my camera, books, clothes. I stopped eating out and drinking out.
I worked my ass off to get where I am and I have to say, I'm really proud. Right now, I'll be out of debt sometime around February 2013 and I plan on making it sooner than that if I can. I'm still going to be blogging about my money stuff and my financial goals. So with that, here are my current savings goals that I'm working on:
Emergency Fund to $3000 (Currently at $235)
Travel Fund to $3600 (Currently at $109)
Medical and Dental Fund to $1000 (Currently at $1)
Car Maintenance Fund to $1000 (Currently at $1)
2009 Roth IRA to $1500 (Currently at $195)
I'm certainly not done yet with my goals, but it feels good to have interest coming in, not going out for a change! Yay me!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
And Then There Were Two
Last Friday I made the final payment on my scooter loan. This was a 36 month loan that I managed to pay off in just 16 months.
I am so ridiculously proud and happy that it's done. It was really important to me to get that cleared, and it wasn't just about the money. That was the last tie to my accident last year. Now it's all over and done with and I can finally move on with me life.
Now I'm left with the two biggest debts. I have a credit card with about $4,500 charged to it to pay off, and then my student loan of over $25,000. This student loan isn't a real student loan but money I borrowed from my parents over the last 7 years. I'm working hard on getting both paid off. Right now I'll be throwing everything I can at that credit card as it's my last interest bearing debt.
With the extra work I do, and with working at my new company, I'm hoping to pay somewhere around $1,000 a month on the two debts. I'll be putting big lump sums on the card, and making smaller payments from my part time job on the student loan.
This is the rocky part. This is where it's harder to get to having a debt paid off and get that high that comes from making a final payment. I know I can get out of the credit card this year and I fully intend to.
I've worked so hard on this and it sucks working 60 hour weeks and never spending any of the money I earn. I hate it sometimes, but the end will justify the means. One day, those pay checks that I work so hard for will really be mine.
I am so ridiculously proud and happy that it's done. It was really important to me to get that cleared, and it wasn't just about the money. That was the last tie to my accident last year. Now it's all over and done with and I can finally move on with me life.
Now I'm left with the two biggest debts. I have a credit card with about $4,500 charged to it to pay off, and then my student loan of over $25,000. This student loan isn't a real student loan but money I borrowed from my parents over the last 7 years. I'm working hard on getting both paid off. Right now I'll be throwing everything I can at that credit card as it's my last interest bearing debt.
With the extra work I do, and with working at my new company, I'm hoping to pay somewhere around $1,000 a month on the two debts. I'll be putting big lump sums on the card, and making smaller payments from my part time job on the student loan.
This is the rocky part. This is where it's harder to get to having a debt paid off and get that high that comes from making a final payment. I know I can get out of the credit card this year and I fully intend to.
I've worked so hard on this and it sucks working 60 hour weeks and never spending any of the money I earn. I hate it sometimes, but the end will justify the means. One day, those pay checks that I work so hard for will really be mine.
Friday, May 1, 2009
So Beautifully Close
Today I got paid at both my part time job and my full time job. The best thing about this is that I was able to put some extra money on my scooter loan. And now it stands at a balance of $69.27.
No I didn't miss a zero. $69.27 is all that is left of that debt. I will be able to pay it off next Thursday. I am so happy and excited! After this, I get to start putting money towards my credit card and my student loan. I am focusing on the credit card primarily because it has interest on it. If I manage to make the payments I think I can make on it, I'd estimate it at being paid off by the middle of October.
That would be so very very wonderful if I could make that happen. To have all of my consumer debt gone this year would be a dream come true. Then I would be able to blow through this student loan in just over two years.
So now comes the time to set a new and realistic goal about when I can get out of debt. We are looking at January of 2012. This may seem a way away, and it feels like forever. But it's a year and three months sooner than I thought.
Let's see if I can meet my own challenge!
Let's see if I can meet my own challenge!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
And the Beat Goes On...
I admit, I am sad that my updates on here have been infrequent and I know that I'm not the most thrilling read right now. But I do appreciate everyone sticking with me and here's a state of the union update.
Last night we finally moved the last of the things from our old loft. Though it was a great place to live, it ended up costing us an absolute fortune. We got a fair bit credit card happy with decorating it, and we really were living beyond my means.
My new apartment is lovely and I am so happy about it. It's not perfect, but it's much more my style. Now, of course, it is absolutely filled with stuff. I have a lot of unpacking and sorting things out to do.
It's hard. There are things that I want to buy for the new place. I want a smaller microwave. I want a couple more orchids (I collect them), I want to get some plants for the yard, I want a curtain rod and curtains. I also want a new couch, since Andrew will eventually be taking the day bed that I am currently using.
I can't have these things right now. I don't have the money and I have to force myself to wait until I do. Sure, I could throw that stuff on a credit card, but how would that help? I'd just feel guilty.
In looking over my finances, I realized that making those huge student loan payments wouldn't be feasible or logical right now, so I am back on my Snowball. I was able to make another payment on my scooter loan to get that paid down. Now, even if I just went back to the minimums, it will be paid off by December. I think I can actually have it paid in full by June.
I'm sending extra money towards my student loan at this point, and I'll be working on some other strategies to try and make some additional income.
I also got the notice today that the lawsuit against me has officially been settled and that the dismissal papers are on their way to me. I can't explain how happy that makes me. I am so utterly relieved by that. I can't wait to actually get those papers in the mail. I will be baking up a storm in a little bit for my lawyer.
I'm working on very slowly rebuilding my emergency fund. It was completely decimated because of the lawsuit and not having it makes me really really edgy. But, I will persevere and hopefully I can have it back up to a sizable amount by the fall.
In the sidebar of the blog, I've got a list of debts and goals now that I am updating frequently. These are to keep me more accountable towards my goals and because I'm not hiding anything. I know I'm in debt, you know I'm in debt, thats why I have this blog. It's full disclosure time.
With the loft out of the way, I have more time to work on other projects now. I will try and make this one of them.
Last night we finally moved the last of the things from our old loft. Though it was a great place to live, it ended up costing us an absolute fortune. We got a fair bit credit card happy with decorating it, and we really were living beyond my means.
My new apartment is lovely and I am so happy about it. It's not perfect, but it's much more my style. Now, of course, it is absolutely filled with stuff. I have a lot of unpacking and sorting things out to do.
It's hard. There are things that I want to buy for the new place. I want a smaller microwave. I want a couple more orchids (I collect them), I want to get some plants for the yard, I want a curtain rod and curtains. I also want a new couch, since Andrew will eventually be taking the day bed that I am currently using.
I can't have these things right now. I don't have the money and I have to force myself to wait until I do. Sure, I could throw that stuff on a credit card, but how would that help? I'd just feel guilty.
In looking over my finances, I realized that making those huge student loan payments wouldn't be feasible or logical right now, so I am back on my Snowball. I was able to make another payment on my scooter loan to get that paid down. Now, even if I just went back to the minimums, it will be paid off by December. I think I can actually have it paid in full by June.
I'm sending extra money towards my student loan at this point, and I'll be working on some other strategies to try and make some additional income.
I also got the notice today that the lawsuit against me has officially been settled and that the dismissal papers are on their way to me. I can't explain how happy that makes me. I am so utterly relieved by that. I can't wait to actually get those papers in the mail. I will be baking up a storm in a little bit for my lawyer.
I'm working on very slowly rebuilding my emergency fund. It was completely decimated because of the lawsuit and not having it makes me really really edgy. But, I will persevere and hopefully I can have it back up to a sizable amount by the fall.
In the sidebar of the blog, I've got a list of debts and goals now that I am updating frequently. These are to keep me more accountable towards my goals and because I'm not hiding anything. I know I'm in debt, you know I'm in debt, thats why I have this blog. It's full disclosure time.
With the loft out of the way, I have more time to work on other projects now. I will try and make this one of them.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
A Short Guide to Paying Off Debt in Baby Steps
Image by Oli YoungWhen you first get started paying off debt it is by no means easy. It's a series of baby steps and little wins.
Discover the Problem
The first thing to do when paying down your debt is to go through your finances and figure out how much money you owe and to whom. Make a list of your debts from smallest to largest. It also helps to check out your interest rates and see if you can do some 0% balance transfers or call and see if you can get your rate lowered. Once you understand what you are up against, you can make a plan to eliminate your debt.
Make a Plan
Figure out how much all of your minimum payments on your debt are. Next, make a realistic budget for your life including your living expenses, putting money in savings and so on. When making the budget, try and give yourself a little extra breathing room for those times when your bills are higher than predicated. Now work out how much extra money you have to pay off your debt. Even if you can only squeeze a few extra dollars out of your budget it will make a difference.
Put Your Plan in Action
Start by paying all of your minimums on time and then put the extra money you have to spare on the smallest of your debts in addition to the minimum payment. Any time you get a windfall or any other extra money, put as much as possible onto that one debt. When you've paid it off, roll your minimum payment over onto the next biggest debt. This is the Snowball method and is very effective because you start out with those little wins that give you a psychological boost. All of the little snowflakes add up to a big thundering ball of progress.
Keep Yourself Debt Free
The last baby step is to keep yourself out of debt. Don't buy things you can't afford. Protect your progress by cutting up your credit cards, keeping the card with the best rate for emergencies. Be sure to build an emergency fund so that if something does happen, you don't have to rely on your credit cards any more. Plan large purchases in advance and save for them rather them buying them on credit and paying interest while you pay them off.
Take one tiny step at a time towards debt elimination and before you know it, you'll be sprinting.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Resetting My Debt Snowball and Making a New Budget
Since I quit my second and third jobs and got a raise at my first job I've needed to rework my budget.
I know that I will have less money coming in, but my income will be less erratic. When I was working on my Snowball before, I found that I wasn't really paying my set minimums on to my debt, I was just chucking everything I could on there and not following the plan.
I've decided to go to greater lengths to budget my money accurately, so I've reset my snowball and created a budget that involves giving me some "fun" money.
So, here is my budget:
I earn $1345.48 a month.
$850 - Living Expenses (this is a fixed rate that I contribute to our joint account)
$91 - Savings
$80 - Gas (this is a bit of an estimate, since gas prices are odd right now)
$101.01 - Prosper Loan
$105 - Bank of America Credit Card
$15 - AmEx (Minimum Payment)
$100 - Disposable Income
This gives me a potential $3 wiggle room every month. The gas money and the fun money will come straight out of my weekly paycheck and be moved to my ING Direct Checking Account and I will stop using my normal debit card. By isolating this money I think it will be easier to keep on track with this budget. I've put $50 in the account as an initial floater because that $45 won't immediately clear when I transfer it over.
The income from the sale of my business will go straight on to my debt. Any additional income over $50 will break down as 50% to debt, 25% to Savings, 25% to Disposable income fund. Anything less than $50 will be snowflaked towards my debt.
So that's my new plan. I guess we'll see how it goes!
I know that I will have less money coming in, but my income will be less erratic. When I was working on my Snowball before, I found that I wasn't really paying my set minimums on to my debt, I was just chucking everything I could on there and not following the plan.
I've decided to go to greater lengths to budget my money accurately, so I've reset my snowball and created a budget that involves giving me some "fun" money.
So, here is my budget:
I earn $1345.48 a month.
$850 - Living Expenses (this is a fixed rate that I contribute to our joint account)
$91 - Savings
$80 - Gas (this is a bit of an estimate, since gas prices are odd right now)
$101.01 - Prosper Loan
$105 - Bank of America Credit Card
$15 - AmEx (Minimum Payment)
$100 - Disposable Income
This gives me a potential $3 wiggle room every month. The gas money and the fun money will come straight out of my weekly paycheck and be moved to my ING Direct Checking Account and I will stop using my normal debit card. By isolating this money I think it will be easier to keep on track with this budget. I've put $50 in the account as an initial floater because that $45 won't immediately clear when I transfer it over.
The income from the sale of my business will go straight on to my debt. Any additional income over $50 will break down as 50% to debt, 25% to Savings, 25% to Disposable income fund. Anything less than $50 will be snowflaked towards my debt.
So that's my new plan. I guess we'll see how it goes!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Debt Snowball Progress #3
It's so exciting that I can post more Debt Snowball Progress. My last post on this was five weeks ago when I paid off my medical bills. Now I get to report that I've paid off the third of seven debts.... my car!
2. Medical Bills - PAID (106.40 Minimum to Car)
4. American Express - Balance $570.15 - Minimum $321.40
5. Prosper - Balance $2435.46 - Minimum $101.01
6. Bank of America - Balance $4693.28 - Minimum $101
7. Student Loan - Balance $23821 - No Minimum
Get My Networth to below -$28000 - Currently at -$28,567 - So close!
Get my Prosper Loan down to less than $2000 - Currently at $2435.36
Pay off my Banana Republic Card - DONE
Pay off my American Express - Currently at $570.15
Get Emergency Fund to $1000 - Currently at $244.71 (This took a hit when I had to buy tires)
My car was technically Debt 4 but I chose to pay it off earlier than my AmEx card because it was to a real live person and it was my highest minimum payment. Paying this one off allows me to finally make more than I spend in bills, so I don't have to worry about scrambling to find extra cash in order to break even.
1. Banana Republic Card - PAID ($20 Minimum to Medical)So here is how my Snowball looks today:
2. Medical Bills - PAID (106.40 Minimum to Car)
3. Car - PAID (306.40 Minimum to AmEx)
4. American Express - Balance $570.15 - Minimum $321.40
5. Prosper - Balance $2435.46 - Minimum $101.01
6. Bank of America - Balance $4693.28 - Minimum $101
7. Student Loan - Balance $23821 - No Minimum
Total Remaining - $31519.89
I am, again, making really fantastic progress on all of this debt. I'm down to two jobs now, and I feel so much stronger financially than I did a few months ago. I'm so much less stressed about money. My plan is obviously working, and I'm confident that I'll have my AmEx paid off by the end of November. It's scary to think about hitting the Prosper Loan and the Bank of America Credit Card because those debts are both really big, but I think that if I keep my eye on the target I will make it.
I've still got several more payments from the sale of my company coming in, and I'm hoping to get some more freelance writing work soon.
I have met my October goal 11 days early!
Here are how my 2008 goals are shaping up:
Get My Networth to below -$28000 - Currently at -$28,567 - So close!
Get my Prosper Loan down to less than $2000 - Currently at $2435.36
Pay off my Banana Republic Card - DONE
Pay off my American Express - Currently at $570.15
Get Emergency Fund to $1000 - Currently at $244.71 (This took a hit when I had to buy tires)
I'm getting really close to hitting some of these. I still think that I might not make my Emergency Fund goal, but with my raise I'm putting more money in it a month than I used to, and I'll be saving more of the money from my second job to give it a boost. I really want it at that $1000 mark, and I might bite the bullet and put some extra in there if I manage to meet the other goals.
If I keep going this way I really will have everything but my student loans paid off within a year. That will be such a sweet and fantastic feeling!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Debt Snowball Progress #2
It's been just over a month since I could report progress on My Debt Snowball.
Get My Networth to -$28000 - Currently at -$30,102
Get my Prosper Loan down to less than $2000 - Currently at $2508
Pay off my Banana Republic Card - DONE
Pay off my American Express - Currently at $610.22
Get Emergency Fund to $1000 - Currently at $339.94
A few weeks ago I reordered my Snowball based on paying off the smallest debts first rather than leaving the ones that aren't interest bearing for last. Due to this restructure and working very hard at my second job (and some extra work at my first), I was able to write a check yesterday for Step 2 in my Snowball and pay off my Medical Bills!
My Debt Snowball now looks like this:
1. Banana Republic Card - PAID ($20 Minimum to Medical)
2. Medical Bills - PAID (106.40 Minimum to AmEx)
3. American Express - Minimum $126.40
4. Car - Minimum $200
5. Prosper - Minimum $101.01
6. Bank of America - Minimum $101
7. Student Loan - No Minimum
Thanks to the sale of my company and my second job, I'm making really great progress. I had predicted that I would be able to pay off my next debt by mid-September and I was right! Now the next calculations show that I should have my American Express card paid off by the first week in November if not sooner. With the Debt Snowball, whenever you pay off a debt you transfer that minimum payment to the next one. My minimum payment on my American Express card is only $20, but adding in the minimum payments from the paid off debt allows me to pay a bigger chunk of that debt down every month. I also throw everything I can at the debt that is at the top of my Snowball.
Here is how my 2008 Financial Goals are going:
Get My Networth to -$28000 - Currently at -$30,102
Get my Prosper Loan down to less than $2000 - Currently at $2508
Pay off my Banana Republic Card - DONE
Pay off my American Express - Currently at $610.22
Get Emergency Fund to $1000 - Currently at $339.94
I still think that with three and a half months to go I'm on track for everything but my Emergency Fund. I normally put 5% of my regular salary into that fund, as well as any ING Direct bonuses. When (and if) my raise comes through I will be adding more to it, since I am giving my savings account a raise too... but it still might not be enough to make it.
Writing that check to pay off my medical bills, though, was one of the best feelings. I am so happy right now!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Handling Impatience
I'm at a point with My Debt Snowball (yes, I'm capitalizing it now... it's time) where I'm having patience problems. I'm working hard on my second of seven debts, and I'm making great progress, but I feel like it's not moving fast enough. After this debt, I have to work on a really really big one that is more than double the last one. If I'm getting impatient now, how will I be then? I still think that I can clear everything except my student loans by the middle of next year, and probably clear a lot by Christmas, but I'm really flagging here.
Right now I'm working seven days a week at two different jobs, I'm trying to do some freelance writing and I'm using some of my down time to make some money online.
I know I'm running on empty and just have to keep working at it, but I really really wish that I could make it all go faster. Patience, I know, is a virtue. But wow this is hard!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Debt Snowball Progress
When I had my accident it sent me into a giant pit of financial despair. I have medical bills, I had to buy a car, I have to pay car insurance, and many other little things keep surfacing that I have to pay for.
I decided the only way to get a grip on all of this was to just bite the bullet and get a second job. I am now working seven days a week in order to stay on top of everything. My second job is sales, so I get a base rate plus commission. So far I haven't been doing too badly, and combined with another six month long income stream, I can stay on top of my debt with a little extra to start paying down some bills.
Yesterday I received my first check and was able to pay off the first of seven debts. This was also the first end of year goal that I managed to meet.
My debt snowball now looks like this:
Banana Republic Card - PAID ($20 Minimum transferred to AmEx)
American Express - Minimum $38
Prosper - Minimum $101.01
Bank of America - Minimum $105
Car - Minimum $200
Medical - Minimum $86.40
Student Loan - No Minimum
There are a couple of non-traditional aspects to my snowball. My car and medical payments carry no interest so although they have lower balances, I am working on the interest bearing debts first. My student loan was a loan from my parents and we have a separate agreement regarding it's payment. My normal job only allows me room to pay $130 in minimum debt payments currently, so the goal is to get all of my debt paid off or my minimums below $130 before I can stop working two jobs.
Paying off my Banana Republic card is a great first boost. I am very happy that I was able to do that and I think that with some hard work I might be able to pay my AmEx off within another two months.
My 2008 Financial Goals are:
Get My Networth to -$28000 - Currently at -$30,981
Get my Prosper Loan down to less than $2000 - Currently at $2575
Pay off my Banana Republic Card - DONE
Pay off my American Express - Currently at $1075
Get Emergency Fund to $1000 - Currently at $243
It looks like I am definitely on track to meet all of these goals with the only one I consider questionable being my Emergency Fund Goal. There is definitely a little light at the end of the tunnel though.
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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
How Aware Are You of Your Money?
It's very easy when you are having a hard time affording life to duck under the covers and only come up for air when you have to. It seems easier to live day to day rather than getting all caught up in what money is owed where and what happens when you get your next check and so on.
I used to be this way for the longest time. I was never really looking to get my debt paid off, I was merely looking to maintain it at its current state.
Now I know the balance on every debt that I have. I have a little balance sheet that contains all of my balances, minimum payments and goals. I can quote the numbers if asked. It's very organized and a little concerning.
I am hyper-aware of my money. I know what I have, what I need, and I have a plan.
I firmly believe that this is the key to getting myself out of debt. Here are some tips for making yourself more aware of your money and figuring out how to get where you need to be.
1. Make a Balance List
I have a list in simple text format. At the top are all of my debts and their balances in the order that I would like to pay them off. Then I have the total of all of these. After that, I have the list of minimum payments again in order. Below that I have the total of my minimum payments and my goal of what I would like to reduce them to. Next is how much all of my expenses come to and how much extra money I need to make each month in order to pay for them. At the bottom is a list of my assets.
I update this list almost daily, which allows me to track my progress.
2. Track Your Net Worth
Every month I input everything into my NetWorthIQ Profile. This allows me to really see my progress month to month. I've not been doing it for very long, but I have found it useful. I count my vehicle as an asset, but I don't include any other personal property on the list. The really good thing about doing this is it also tracks your percentage change in each category so you can see what area has been affected the most.
3. Allocate Extra Money Immediately
Whenever I make extra money, be it from freelance writing or from my second job, I immediately put the money where it needs to go. This means I often make more than one credit card payment in a month. Since interest is usually calculated daily, making early payments benefits me since I can save a few cents here and there. Also if you are making these payments, you can again see the progress you are making. Make sure you update your balance sheet when something has been paid. I usually put an asterisk by my minimum payments on my sheet and delete them when that payment is made. I also almost always pay my bills early.
4. Make a Plan
I have a Debt Snowball plan. It needs to be updated, but I'm working hard towards a goal. I'm very close to having the first of 7 debts paid off and believe me, there will be much rejoicing. I've been through all of this once before and then I let it go when I moved and everything became more expensive. Having a plan is going to be the only way to get completely out of debt before I am thirty.
5. Keep Track of Your Spending
Keep an eye on where your "fun" money goes. It's a good idea to try and restrict over-indulgent spending. My husband and I noticed that we like to buy a lot of books. So now every month, on the first of the month we have "book day". We each purchase one book from Amazon.com (and we order together to get free shipping). If we want another book later in the month we add it to our wishlists, and we wait. I have an entire shelf of unread books, so I tend to steer towards cookbooks now. I am even picking up the odd magazine subscription instead. If you buy coffee three times a week, try cutting down to two. Go to your favorite Indian Restaurant every week? Make it bi-weekly and go at lunch time when it's cheaper. Allow yourself the good stuff, but try and cut it down and keep it manageable.
Awareness of a problem tends to be the first step towards recovery. How aware are you?
Related Posts
June Networth Update
Setting Goals
Five Things You Can Do Without
I used to be this way for the longest time. I was never really looking to get my debt paid off, I was merely looking to maintain it at its current state.
Now I know the balance on every debt that I have. I have a little balance sheet that contains all of my balances, minimum payments and goals. I can quote the numbers if asked. It's very organized and a little concerning.
I am hyper-aware of my money. I know what I have, what I need, and I have a plan.
I firmly believe that this is the key to getting myself out of debt. Here are some tips for making yourself more aware of your money and figuring out how to get where you need to be.
1. Make a Balance List
I have a list in simple text format. At the top are all of my debts and their balances in the order that I would like to pay them off. Then I have the total of all of these. After that, I have the list of minimum payments again in order. Below that I have the total of my minimum payments and my goal of what I would like to reduce them to. Next is how much all of my expenses come to and how much extra money I need to make each month in order to pay for them. At the bottom is a list of my assets.
I update this list almost daily, which allows me to track my progress.
2. Track Your Net Worth
Every month I input everything into my NetWorthIQ Profile. This allows me to really see my progress month to month. I've not been doing it for very long, but I have found it useful. I count my vehicle as an asset, but I don't include any other personal property on the list. The really good thing about doing this is it also tracks your percentage change in each category so you can see what area has been affected the most.
3. Allocate Extra Money Immediately
Whenever I make extra money, be it from freelance writing or from my second job, I immediately put the money where it needs to go. This means I often make more than one credit card payment in a month. Since interest is usually calculated daily, making early payments benefits me since I can save a few cents here and there. Also if you are making these payments, you can again see the progress you are making. Make sure you update your balance sheet when something has been paid. I usually put an asterisk by my minimum payments on my sheet and delete them when that payment is made. I also almost always pay my bills early.
4. Make a Plan
I have a Debt Snowball plan. It needs to be updated, but I'm working hard towards a goal. I'm very close to having the first of 7 debts paid off and believe me, there will be much rejoicing. I've been through all of this once before and then I let it go when I moved and everything became more expensive. Having a plan is going to be the only way to get completely out of debt before I am thirty.
5. Keep Track of Your Spending
Keep an eye on where your "fun" money goes. It's a good idea to try and restrict over-indulgent spending. My husband and I noticed that we like to buy a lot of books. So now every month, on the first of the month we have "book day". We each purchase one book from Amazon.com (and we order together to get free shipping). If we want another book later in the month we add it to our wishlists, and we wait. I have an entire shelf of unread books, so I tend to steer towards cookbooks now. I am even picking up the odd magazine subscription instead. If you buy coffee three times a week, try cutting down to two. Go to your favorite Indian Restaurant every week? Make it bi-weekly and go at lunch time when it's cheaper. Allow yourself the good stuff, but try and cut it down and keep it manageable.
Awareness of a problem tends to be the first step towards recovery. How aware are you?
Related Posts
June Networth Update
Setting Goals
Five Things You Can Do Without
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