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I am excited to share that with the exception of one credit card, I am up to date with all payments. It took some doing, but I’ve got a plan for Christmas, thanks for all the suggestions. I will share it after the holiday just in case my kids are tracking here.

So without further ado, here is how my debt stands currently:

Debt Description	October, 2023 Total	Interest Rate	Minimum Payment	Paid This Month	Current Total
Personal Loan #1	$2,500	0%		6 months to pay	$2,500
Personal Loan #2	$2,500	0%		6 months to pay	$2,500
CC - AMEX	$894	29.24%	$93	$100	$916
CC - Wander	$1,630	29.24%	$124		$1,899
CC - USAA	$5,000	19.15%	$135	$200	$5,072
CC - Amazon	$1,497	29.99%	$53	$53	$1,495
CC - Sams	$1,106	*29.99%	*$40	$39
CC - Frontier	$3,857	29.99%	$338	$170	$3,788
Car Loan	$19,581	12.69%	$500	$563	$17,922
Student Loans	$22,121	2.875%	$306	Deferred until Dec, 2023	$22,186
CC - Apple**	$500			$500	$421
Total	$61,186				$61,868

Student Loans

My student loan payments were slated to resume this month, but I have applied for an income based repayment schedule based on my steady income and anticipate that will be approved. Just a waiting game for right now.

Part Time Fast Food Job

While I have officially accepted the new part time job, it’s going to be a slow start. They are figuring out how to onboard me, etc. and so I don’t believe I will be hitting the goal hours every week for at least another month-ish. But again, just a waiting game to see how it plays out and then ramps up. Grateful to have it though.

Going forward, I will refer to this job as my Coordinator job vs my Accounting job.

Part Time Contract Job

My contracted work should wrap up for the most part by the first or second week of January. That’s the work that will cover bills through January. I am hoping I will be able to negotiate some on-going work, even if it’s just a few hours a week. It has been a really fun and challenging project. I implemented a new POS system for their two locations – Commerce7, implemented and integrated a new inventory and production software with their production site – EKOS, and am currently finalizing their new website that integrates both with Commerce 7 and VinoShipper. In doing all this, I wrote new SOPs, replaced two other software applications that were using, got to choose and set up all new hardware, and learned a whole lot about wine making.

Praying I can get more projects like this as I have really enjoyed it. Know anyone who needs some help with their tech stack?

Hope

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.

How to Protect Your Property if You Live in an Apartment Complex

by Semify

Money is a scarce commodity, and this means that some people may be willing to do whatever it takes to get some, including stealing. This is one of the greatest reasons why it’s a good idea for you to protect your property, especially if you live in an apartment complex. There are a number of measures that you could take to be able to do this, and a few good ones are outlined below.

Invest in a Fireproof Safe

Keep in mind that every 23 seconds, there’s a fire in the United States. This makes it important for you to keep your home safe from fire, in addition to burglary. To this end, make sure that you have a reliable fire detection system with batteries in it. You should also take things a step further and buy a fireproof safe. This is the perfect place to hide your valuables and avoid keeping them in obvious places like the closet, under your mattress, or even in an empty coffee can. With a fireproof safe that’s bolted to the floor or wall of your apartment, your important documents and valuables will be a lot safer.

Know Your Neighbors

Another important safety measure to take is to make it a point to know your neighbors. You don’t have to be the most social person in the world to do this, since a little observation and small talk can help you know who your neighbors are, even in passing. As a result of this, you’ll find it easier to tell if something is out of place, such as having a strange person or vehicle near your apartment at odd hours or for too long. This can save you considerable trouble, given the fact that there are over 100,000 motorcycles registered in Kentucky alone, according to a report that was shared by the Kentucky State Police. Similarly, if you know each other as neighbors, it will be easier for each one of you to be on the lookout for any suspicious faces or occurrences.

Ensure the Doors and Windows Are Secure

The doors and windows are literally the most common possible entries into the house that burglars can use to access your home. With this in mind, it’s best that you make sure the doors and windows of your home are secured properly by installing robust locks on them. This is likely to be an affordable project to do since good locks don’t normally cost too much. They may not even cost enough to be counted as part of the $472 billion that, according to Architectural Digest, was spent on home renovations in 2022. That said, you can also take measures like placing a bar in the track of a sliding door and installing peepholes and quality deadbolts in entry doors.

Take an Inventory of Your Apartment

Last but not least, spare some time and take inventory of your entire apartment. This is going to prove beneficial for you if a robbery does occur since you’ll be able to pinpoint exactly what’s missing. You can do this by either noting down the most important items or taking a video or pictures to make the process faster and easier. Remember to especially take note of serial numbers as well as the values of the items so that if you need to file a claim, it’s a lot easier to do so, and do so accurately.

You no doubt work hard for your money so that you can get the items that you want for yourself. With this in mind, it’s important for you to take proper care of your valuables and make sure that you don’t lose them easily. The effort that you make is going to prove well worth it for you. Learn other measures and practice them, and you’ll avoid a number of possible issues.

Blogging Away Debt Blogging Away Debt follows real people on their journey to debt freedom — with tips on the debt snowball, budgeting, cutting expenses, and staying motivated.

Hope’s December Debt Update