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Every time I write these I feel like I JUST wrote my last one! The months are going faster and faster. I felt a lot better through October compared to September. I feel I can finally catch my breath a little bit.
I’ve still been super strict with my money. I don’t spend it on anything except my bills, my car, insurance, and groceries. If I want a coffee or if I want food from a restaurant it has to be FREE. Luckily Dunkin’ Donuts gives a free medium coffee if the Georgia BullDogs win and I had a free bagel offer every day of October from Panera!
I’m now about 5 months away from completely paying off my CareCredit debt off, which is what I’m really looking forward to. Tax season is also right around the corner, so if I can pull together $1,000 for an emergency savings I can start paying off my debt more aggressively!
DEBT PAYMENT/INCOME SPREADSHEET
*This spreadsheet does not include payments for my car (a lease) or my insurance (life, health, vision, dental)*
CURRENT FICO SCORE: 607
THE GOOD NEWS
I only charged to my credit cards twice this month (about $50)
I only charged for a little bit of gas and a gift for my friend’s bridal shower! This is major progress! I was charging almost every purchase (really just groceries/other necessities and gas) previously causing me to go into a lot more debt every month. Next month my goal is to not charge ANYTHING on any card, so this is definitely a step in the right direction.
I was able to pay my sister for “rent”
Last month I told you that I would now be paying my sister $200 less/month. Because of this I was able to actually pay her! I paid the first half in the middle of the month and the second half at the end! This is also huge because that prevents $750 being added to my debt (now $550). It’s definitely a relief as well to not feel so much guilt for not keeping up on my end.
I was able to start putting money in my savings account
Not much ($100), but it’s nice to have a little cushion! Keep in mind I do have a life insurance policy that I contribute to monthly and a Roth IRA with a decent amount collecting compounding interest! So I’m not completely screwed if an emergency comes up.
I went into overtime which equals a larger paycheck
Part of the reason I was able to start a savings and pay my sister is because of going into overtime. In case you’re not familiar with it, most companies pay time and-a-half if you work more than 40 hours in one week. I’ll also get a paycheck in November with 18+ hours of overtime due to working 4, 12-hour shifts two weeks in a row, so that’s definitely something to look forward to.
My debt actually went down
Woo hoo! My debt has increased every month, which is definitely discouraging. So I can FINALLY say I made a dent in my debt!!! 🙂 My debt decreased by $379.67, which is not a whole lot but it’s definitely something to celebrate!
THE BAD NEWS
My credit score dropped again
No surprise here. This is out of my control and I am doing what I can to fix the problem. Luckily the ball is now rolling and this should be over soon (fingers crossed). I’ll keep you updated! And once I can actually speak about the situation more I definitely will.
October was much better. As you can see there are a lot more “goods” than “bads” and hopefully that trend continues! It’s been nice to appreciate the small things and the small hurdles. So wherever you are on your journey, always search for the positives!
