get out of debt

Reading over my past entries I honestly thought that I would be done this years ago. That’s funny. Grad school has been affordable but has put me in a little bit of debt. Being married has really done my finances in though. Anyway, I’m back on track, paying off my plastic every month to $0, putting at least $400 on my loan, and then some into savings, some into mutual funds. And I shan’t be married much longer…

I paid some money on my debt today and paid the monthly balance on my visa and saved $150. It’s a start.

This goal is a few years off by the looks of things. I thought for sure that I would be done this by March 2007, but then a whole bunch of stuff happened including being laid off at work and then going on employment insurance. But now I have a new job and I’m looking (after Christmas because I don’t want to work during Christmas) of getting a second part or full time job during evenings and weekends. And then I have to figure out whether I can swing this whole grad school thing that I’ve just been accepted to (aaaahhh!!! it all happened at once!). Life is taking many interesting twists and turns and I have the Visa bill to prove it.

Just when I thought it was all attainable, that I would be completely out of debt by January, our car breaks down and we have to finance a new one. And then I had to loan some money to hubby (our finances are still separate until we pay off our own debts) to keep the wolves at bay. And then if I go to grad school next year… This goal might take awhile.

Oh, but last month’s statement for my credit card was -$7, meaning they owed me money! Ha! I’ll frame that. But then I had to use it for work and then I paid off the difference so I’m currently sitting at $0 on ALL credit cards. It’s just the line of credit that’s my monkey now.

Seriously, I’ve been buying groceries on my credit card. Oy, this cannot be good. I wish I could just give up my credit card but I can’t due to the fact that you can’t do whole bunch of things in this life without one (hotel reservations, plane ticket reservations, video store membership, etc). It was supposed to be for emergencies but now I’m buying s**t on the internet with it. bad me, bad bad kimchi. Time to get back on track. Damn.

I got my tax return a month ago and I made sure most of it went to my line of credit. Yay! Things are looking up. I’ve been thinking about getting a second job but I’m too lazy and I like having free time to do whatever the heck I want. Which usually involves cleaning. Or surfing the internet. Next month I’ll be half way there. I hope. Or maybe June.

Although I did work out a realistic budget, reality bites. I have not bought any new clothes since November. That’s just not right. And, I have to decide between furthering my education (French lang course) but putting it on my visa, or waiting until I’ve saved up the money. I’m just going to have to wait until I file my taxes, see how much I owe, or don’t owe. Why is it so difficult to not spend money? Why?

Enough whining. I’ve actually been looking at this as a bit of a game. I know it sounds absurd, but it makes it more fun. I keep track of everything I spend and save in a little book and at the end of the month I tally how much I owe at the end. Ha ha! The amount owed has slowly, but surely been shrinking. Maybe by next December I’ll be able to afford a puppy (the puppy itself, the shots, the neutering, the insurance, the food and puppy paraphernalia all cost money you know). That will be a happy day.

Umm, in about twice as much debt now because I had to buy retirement savings thingies before tax season so that I can avoid taxes. Had to use line of credit. I still think that I can get out of this by the end of the year (I had a loan for the exact same thing last year). So technically I am actually saving money every month, but i won’t be able to use it until I’m 75. On the bright side, hopefully that means that i will not have to work in my old age. Maybe I will open a pottery studio. It seems to be the thing to do when you retire. I would like to sit and make vases all day. I think that would be fun.

I’m giving myself a year to have this goal done. I really over spent at Christmas (budget? We don’t need no stinking budget). I started out by consolidating everything I owe onto one line of credit, and now all I have to do is pay that off. Easier said than done. Everything costs moolah! Except lovin’. Lovin’ is free. Oh, if only we could fuel the car on lovin’ life would be so much sweeter.