by Tricia
For quite a while now, we have been doing great with reducing our debt. There would be times where I’d look at our finances and see how much we can squeeze out to put towards our debt (or savings). Usually, there was some breathing room. That’s not the case right now.
I feel a little helpless at the moment, and I haven’t felt like this in quite a while. I look at our Quicken file and I can’t do anything. Our account is dangerously close to being in the red at the end of this month. Right now I am preparing myself mentally because we may have to pull more money from our savings account. While we have our emergency fund there to help when we need it, that doesn’t make it any easier to have to use it.
As some of you noticed, I took a break from blogging. Part of it was technical (I changed all of my passwords after my blog was hacked and I misplaced the one sheet I wrote all of them down on – doh!). But part of it was the fact I have been debt-depressed. The series of events so far in June brought my mood down. It didn’t bug me too much when I wrote about it, but the next day when I said I was going to dig into our Quicken file to see how much we could put towards savings (but couldn’t) – that was the kicker.
We have also been anxiously waiting for some medical test results for my husband. They called today and all is well. Whew. That weighed very heavily on my mind. I feel bad about not blogging about it, but sometimes I have to step away from things and get my head back on straight.
I’m still not all that happy about our financial situation right now but I do feel better overall. It’s just one of those lows on the debt reduction roller coaster. I hope that means we are going to kick some debt booty once July rolls around. By then we should have some reimbursements for medical expenses we paid out of pocket and hopefully I will have the one payment an advertiser owes me. I was informed Friday that they had email problems and they are responding to emails sent the last few weeks as quickly as they can. So we’ll see how that plays out.
I do feel silly for letting things like this get to me. Things could be so much worse. I really should be thankful for what we have and not dwelling on what we don’t have. If there is one lesson that really needs to sink into my head during this journey – I think it’s that one right there.
Don’t be too hard on yourself! You are still on track. You have 11 months to pay off $8,864 and you have a few thou in savings. Even if you have to take a few hundred out of savings, you’re doing GREAT. Not every month can be as good as May was.
I wonder … do you think it would make you pscyhologically feel better if you took a thousand out of savings and applied it to your debt? Or does having the few thousand in savings make you feel more secure?
Because while I do believe in maintaining savings … if that would make you feel better this month to pay off a big chunk of debt, I’d say go for it! You can start amassing savings again in July.
It always sucks to take money from savings but I felt better once I realized that just a year ago all the bills we got hit with would have been paid for on a CC.
I think you are doing great. Remember to look at where you started and where you are now. You should be proud.
You are doing fabulous Tricia! We all have bad months. On July 1, just put June behind you and focus on the month ahead!!!!! I bet you’ll feel better once you start getting those medical reimbursements coming in!!!! I know I always feel a little stagnant if it’s been a while since I transferred money to a credit card! Hang in there girl…we’re all rooting for ya!
Sorry to hear you’re feeling so blah. No need to apologize to us readers. This is your life you’re living and sometimes real life gets in the way of everyday things.
Glad to hear things are okay with your husband. Bottom line, as much as financial freedom is great, the health of our loved ones is the important stuff. Not that you don’t know that, just that it is overwhelming dealing with it all.
You’re doing an incredible job and because of you, I have my own Networth IQ page and I love it. I’m diligent about updating as much as I hate it when things don’t go the way I would like. I’m thankful to you and your blog for pointing me in that direction!
Keep up the good work and forgive yourself for the times you can’t be here, because we do!
Take care
YOu had mentioned that your insurance received two payments then, one from the bank and one from you? So are the they crediting you back one of those payments or are you going to have the next payment pre-paid then? I know it feels tight now, but it seems like you have a buffer of that extra payment on your side.
I’m glad to hear everything is OK with your husband! At the end of the day, that is so much more important.
I’ve looked at my account before with a few grand sitting in it wanting to just throw it all at debt, but then reality keeps me in check that the mortgage and bills have to get paid first. It’s hard to stay focused to get out of debt when month after month goes by and the debt is still there. You’re in the home stretch though so keep going and cross that finish line.
I really admire your determination. You should not be so hard on yourself. You have come a long way on your journey. You truely inspire me and I am working on following in your footsteps. Just know we are all here rooting you on. Just be thankful that you actually have the savings because so many people are really struggling right now in their life with energy prices so high and gasoline price as well. I live in the south close to Galveston Texas my electric bill last month was $450.00. I about had a heart attack. So between having to buy gasoline to get to work and paying the electric bill there is not that much left over for other things. We are really living in some crazy times. The government really needs to step in to help get things fixed. But I am afraid that is a long time coming. I don’t mean to rant. I am praying for you!
Letha
I understand totally the lows of debt reduction and also worrying about health and it all getting mixed in together and making everything feel depressed. The month we had to replace our furnace and then right after I had to pay for an expensive medical procedure, I seriously felt like we were barely treading water and that we’d hit a complete standstill.
And what helped is not only remembering that next month would be better (and it was) but also looking back on my entire journey and seeing how much progress we’d made so far.
You can do it – you’re in the home stretch. That debt doesn’t stand a chance.
And I hope the advertiser gets sorted out – in my experience they are not the most technically savvy of people. But I have gotten paid so there’s that.
Don’t worry so much, you are doing great. Better than I am. I haven’t been able to work on getting us out of debt. The reason is, we simply can’t afford to do it. We’re at bare minimums now, no cable, etc and we’re barely scraping by. We live in a very small town where there are no real jobs and the jobs that are real, are laying off. My husband’s truck won’t make it very far and it’s running on air. It’s also the only vehicle we have. There’s nothing to sell or pawn to help because we sold everything because we thought we were moving to a better city where more jobs were available. That money we had been saving is almost gone because we used part to rent a car to get my kids home and part my ex used to pay for his ex’s daycare bill. The rest we did manage to save so we could have for the mortgage on our house, which is really reasonable compared to what other places are renting and selling for. My husband’s ex maxed out his insurance because they both work at the same company and the insurance won’t allow them to use separate policies on the kids. I don’t have insurance because we missed the window of opp on his policy.
Soooo trust me, you have it made! 🙂
I’m right there with you. We need to come up with 4k in the next two months to cover an unexpected expense in August that I refuse to use our efund for. But that means all progress is halted until that gets paid for. Sigh, I guess this is what perserverance means!
I know how you feel lady. Don’t be like me – I am in the same kind of boat right now and that feeling of hopelessness somehow makes me do STUPID things. Like we’re over budget for the month in many things, but what do I do? take the kids to I-hop to dinner. Something about being depressed and constricted with money makes me want to go BUY things. Not good.
I’m just starting this journey, myself, and your blog has been a big inspiration for me. Hang in there!
Trisha,
Keep your head up! You’ve managed to do some amazing things – and you are setting the groundwork for a LIFETIME of financial improvement. Even if your debt reduction slows, halts, or goes in reverse, YOU are moving forward. Fundamentally, you’ve changed as a person – and that’s what all this is about. You’ll never again be foolish w/ money (not that you were foolish before, buy you know what I mean) – You’ve learned to respect every dollar, and, quite frankly, you are INSPIRING thousands!!! Keep it up, take breaks when you need to do so, and prepare your lungs for when you get to scream – We’re Debt Free!!!
Your debt-blogging pal (and big fan),
NCN
Tricia – Hang in there and keep your head up. You’ve certainly made a huge dent in your debt so don’t let it get you down. Just like you said; things could be worse.
I have to agree you are doing a terrific job. I also am one of your faithful readers and I, too, have been having a hard time lately. When you are pared down to bare minimum, yet expenses jump so radically as they have the past few months, it really throws a monkey wrench in things. I have been using my savings to make ends meet and that is down to a dangerously low level. So my only other option is to reduce the amount I am paying extra towards my debt. And that is terribly disappointing. I WANT a vacation! I WANT nice restaurant meals! I WANT new furniture! But I’ll keep plugging along.
Hi Tricia, your blog has really helped me since i started reading it about 12 months ago, so thanks for sharing your journey, it helps to not feel alone in this situation.
Sometimes you just need to take time out to regroup. And remember, it’s babysteps. Sometimes our progress is momentus and sometimes is minute, but as long as you are moving forward to a better situation, it’s all good. Don’t give up and just be kind to yourself. Best wishes..