Blogging Away Debt

Hope’s Debt Update – January, 2026

Phew! I didn’t realize that I didn’t check in here even one time last month. I apologize for that. The holidays and all the peopling and visiting family…it was a lot for this introverted mama. I loved having the kids here, but man, was I glad when everyone went home and the quiet returned.

Oh, and then the flu struck. Not me or my parents…but the kids. So we’ve been on flu watch here, but so far so good. And kids are all on the road to recovery. Terrible way to bring in the new year.

But here we are, welcome to 2026!

And my only debt to contend with is my student loans. But this is the year, this is the year, I become 100% completely debt free! So this is where we are starting.

Debt Description	October, 2023 Total	Interest Rate	Minimum Payment	Current Total	Payoff Date (Est)
Student Loans	$22,121	2.875%	$176	$15,959
CC - Apple**	$500			$0	May, 2025
CC - Frontier	$3,857	29.99%	$0	$0	May, 2025 - Closed
Dad - New Furnace	$2,600	0%	$0	$0	May, 2025
CC - USAA	$5,000	19.15%	$0	$0	May, 2025
CC - Sam's Club				$0	May, 2025 (again)
CC - Amazon				$0	May, 2025 (again) - Closed
CC - Southwest				$0	May, 2025
Painter				$0	May, 2025
CC - AMEX	$894	29.24%	$0	$0	Mar, 2024 - Closed
CC - Sams	$1,106	29.99%	$0	$0	April, 2024
Personal Loan #1	$2,500	0%	$0	$0	July, 2024
Personal Loan #2	$2,500	0%	$0	$0	August, 2024
CC - Wander	$1,630	29.24%	$0	$0	August, 2024 - Closed
CC - Amazon	$1,497	29.99%	$0	$0	September, 2024
Total	$44,206		$176	$15,959

This will be the last time I present this table. The old debts are gone. Never to be resurrected.

And this is a year of sitting still. No big plans. No big changes.

Just sitting still and staying focused.

Don’t get me wrong, things are still happening. I’m still me. And I’m sure you all won’t agree with some of my goals and plans to get there. (To be shared later.)

But first let’s recap the crazy, change filled year that was 2025…

Saying Goodbye to 2025!

by Hope

Yes, I know I probably should have done this last year, literally. But these last weeks have been so crazy. Kids flying in and out. Mom has had some concerns that required attention. And the holidays…need I say more?

In fact, I had a whole to do list for work that didn’t get touched over the last two weeks. And I’m normally super productive the last week of the year because it’s quiet. But not the case this year.

So let’s talk about all the change the happened and things that did get accomplished last year…and it was ALOT.

Personal Accomplishment

Big Move

I finally bit the bullet after years of wavering on what to do after all the kids had moved out and sold my home and moved half way across the country to live with my parents and become their caregiver. I never would have imagined it would go as well as it has. In fact, I didn’t really think this arrangement would last past the summer. But here I am and it’s going well, and really giving me some much needed stability and breathing room to get my financial and mind in order.

Paid Off a Ton of Debt

With the move and selling my house, I paid off a ton of debt. That in and of itself has been a HUGE load off my shoulders. And gave me the freedom to really dive into saving. I saved a nest egg of $10,000 within a few months and then turning my focus to my remaining debt – my student loans.

New Hearing Aids

Also during this time, I paid cash for a big, but necessary purchase – new hearing aids. This is an on going saga, but it really felt good to be able to pay cash for such a large purchase. This is a new world for me.

Family Changes

In addition to my personal accomplishments, my little family went through a lot of big changes.

Gymnast got his first apartment.
Princess graduated college and started her corporate career in finance!
Beauty & Redhead (what I’ve decided to call my new son-in-law here) got married.
Both the twins moved to new places, broke up with long time girlfriends, and continued to make adult decisions – new cars, back to school and so much more.

There has been a lot happening. And through it all, we’ve gotten together three different times this year – Princess graduation, Beauty’s wedding, and the holidays. I am so blessed. We are so blessed.

Hope

Don’t get me wrong, parts of 2025 were so hard. But when I look back, all I can see are the blessings.

And now…it’s time to look forward with intent! Happy New Year, everyone!