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Mar 31, 2016    |       10 comments

T minus 15 days!

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The countdown is on, we will be moving to our “Glamping Adventure” in 15 days.  Our hosts have been AMAZING!  Have you ever just woken up and thought I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, like all the doubt of the challenges has melted away and you just know that where you are is right, for that time.  That’s how I’m feeling these days about this next step.

All the animals have been re-homed, our storage is almost full (complete) and we are charging forth with our last week of school and preparations for moving.  I still have to find a truck to move a few things we can’t move in our car and figure out what to do with the things we hoped to sell but are not moving…donate, I suppose.

We are out of town this weekend, probably not the best financial move since I’m still struggling with being late on two bigger bills, BUT Little Gymnast is headed to Regionals and we are all going to support him.  After this meet, he will officially level up and go from being in the gym 15 hours a week to 20 hours a week.  He loves it!  I’m so grateful for a gym that has allowed me to barter my technology skills for his training, there is no way I could have kept him going otherwise.

So just to give you a glimpse of our new home…here’s a video of Princess and Eugene one our new yard neighbors.

We’ve also learned this week that our hosts have ordered a bunch of hatchlings (400 was the last count I heard) and we are going to get a coop at our place to have our own chickens…can you say dream come true! I wish you could hear the excitement in my voice and see the twinkle in my eye as I look forward to this adventure!

We were out there this week, dropping stuff off and helping out, and Mrs. Host pulled me aside and said this:

Mr. Host asked me how long you were planning to stay and I told him I don’t know, and he wanted me to make sure to tell you, “Stay as long as you like, I don’t care if it’s a few months or a year. Take the time to get on your feet, make yourself at home. You are welcome here.”

Can you even imagine how much that meant to me during this most difficult financial season? I know, I/We are exactly where we are supposed to be right now. And more importantly, that whatever comes next, it will be okay.

Mar 28, 2016    |       22 comments

Ashley’s March 2016 Debt Update

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It’s that time again!

I know I said I was going to be focusing on savings pretty heavily the first half of the year. And, don’t get me wrong, I am. But we still had a reasonable sized debt payment this month because I really wanted to get my balance transfer loan paid in full by the end of the month. That meant a large $1400 payment to a single entity (plus all the other minimum payments for student loans and medical bills and such). So, overall, not too shabby of a debt payment! Check it out (also, notice that I re-organized the spreadsheet a bit to have current debts up top instead of at the bottom).

PlaceCurrent BalanceAPRLast Payment MadeLast Payment DateOriginal debt, March 2014
Navient$81,7186.55%-8.25%$677March$80761
ACS Student Loans$85966.55%$20March$8215
Medical Bills$58610%$25March$9000
Balance Transfer student loan (Former Navient 1-01)$00% (through April 2016)$1412March$5937
Capital One CC-17.9%-Paid off in March 2014$413
Mattress Firm-0%-Paid off in May 2014$1381
Wells Fargo CC-13.65%-Paid off in May 2014$7697
BoA CC-7.24%-Paid off in June 2014$2220
License Fees-2.5%-Paid off in April 2015$5808
PenFed Car Loan-2.49%-Paid off in January 2016$24040
Totals$96,175 (Feb balance = 97,839)$2134Starting Debt = $145,472

So we’re chugging right along. Next up, I’ll be working on eradicating the Navient student loan with the 8.25% APR (there’s only one, at about a $2,000 balance. All the rest of the loans are 6.55% APR). I hope to have the high interest rate loan knocked out by May. I’ll also be initiating a new balance transfer to try to get some more of my student debt moved onto an interest-free card. I just checked and have an offer through Capital One for a 2% initiation fee and 0% APR for 18 months. I have a $7500 limit and am thinking I’ll max it out (meaning, I’ll move a full $7500 from one of my unsubsidized student loans to Capital One). I want to give it a couple weeks before doing the balance transfer just to make sure my balance is fully zero’ed out before the next billing cycle begins.

How have you all been doing on your debt payments? Have a good March? Applying any tax return money toward debt? We still haven’t done our taxes yet (eek!)

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