by Hope
This is part 3 in my July series: How I spent the house proceeds. You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
I paid the 6 month premium on my (and Princess’) auto insurance and the next quarterly payment of my life insurance policy.
Auto insurance for 2 cars, 2 drivers, full coverage: $1,730
Level Term life insurance policy (quarterly): $159
Total spent: $1,889
Doesn’t Cost More
First, I know that paying off my auto insurance policy in one lump sum doesn’t really make financial sense. It doesn’t cost me any extra to make monthly payments nor does it same me any money to pay it in one lump sum.
But the mental load off was definitely worth it to me. And now I can just save monthly to do it again in September. Which is when Princess will take over her own auto insurance policy. (Yes, I give each of my kids “help” for 6 months after their schooling ends. They have all gotten this same 6 months.)
Life Insurance Debacle
My life insurance has been a question for a couple of years now. And while I’ve made a couple of phone calls over the years. I’ve never actually done anything about it. I had a 20 year policy that I took at when I was pregnant with Princess. I had a chance to convert it, but the cost and coverage just didn’t make sense.
So I’ve just been letting it ride since the original term expired last December. The cost was $24 per month. And is now more than double that with the coverage declining steadily.
After I arrived in Texas, I started calling and reviewing options. A term life policy for $75K would run me $175+ monthly. Yikes! So I’ve decided to move forward with another 20 year policy. My application is in review now. And I completed the medical exam a couple of weeks ago.
If all goes well, it will run me $55 per month and provide $100K coverage. ($100K was the lowest coverage they would do, not the amount I was looking for.)
We will see what happens…
After 3 parts of how I spent the house proceeds, I’ve now detailed how I spent $7,428. More to come…

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.
