by Hope
It is time for another debt update. But I’m really excited about the one to come in January. You will notice that other than eliminating my Amazon debt, very little has changed in my debt load since my last update. Per my Plan #1, my goal is to pay off the computers by the end of the year. I’ve been paying the very minimum required on all debts in order to meet that goal. I’m still on track but it is going to be VERY, VERY close.
(as of 10/14/17) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Car | $9,314 | 7.00% | $308 |
| Credit Card | $4,475 | 17.00% | $36 |
| Summer Camp (2018) | $3,375 | 0.00% | $0 |
| Student Loans | $34,349 | 2.88% | $307 |
| Computer Equipment | $2,713 | 22.90% | $84 |
| Taxes (State) | $5,800 | 0.00% | $100 |
| Self Lender | $970 | 10.57% | $97 |
| Collections 1 (Medical) | $618 | ||
| Collections 2 (Apartment) | $499 | ||
| Collections 3 (Ex-husband) | $6,260 | 6.25% | $246 |
| Amazon | $0 | 26.99% | $0 |
| Total | $66,273 | $1,178 |
Meeting My Deadline for Plan #1
To make it happen, I have stopped paying on the kids’ summer camp. We’ve also continued to mostly eat through out pantry which means other than canned veggies we are down to almost nothing in our kitchen. The kids are not too thrilled with me right now.
Today I will surprise them by restocking our kitchen in preparation for Christmas. They are going to be thrilled. We’ve had a white board going with a grocery list of all their wants and needs. I’m hoping I can get everything for right at $150. And if we can make it to the end of the year with those groceries…that will be $200 spent this month on groceries and an extra $400 towards my end of year goal.
We won’t be able to do this again because we really have cleaned the pantry shelves, but it is has really helped this fall with paying off some debt and getting ahead on other things.
Next Steps, New Year
I will review my overall financial plan after the new year. I’ve had some more changes on the job front, but I’m not ready to publish them. I’ll have a better idea after January on how my income is going to look.
It’s stressful, but I’m making good headway in picking up odd jobs and at least part time stand alone clients.
Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.
But life has a way of rewriting your plans.
A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.
Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.
Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.
She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.
Your budget largely looks like you are holding your own. You haven’t accrued major debt since the last update but it seems like the numbers haven’t gone down much either. I’m pulling for you on getting that computer debt paid off. It’ll free up $84 you can use elsewhere.
Have you visited a site called Life as Mom? She also has a site called Good Cheap Eats and she does pantry challenges semi regularly to keep her food budget down.
Hope, sorry if I’ve missed it, but where did the ex-husband debt come from? Doesn’t that belong to him? Why is it sitting against you? Is there anything that can be done to make your ex husband pay it if it’s his debt?
I’m crossing my fingers that your job situation works out for the best, since that’ll be key for any of your 2018 planning. If I were in your shoes, I would be very hesitant to pay anything but minimum payments until you have some clarity there.