I live, write, and garden in the PNW with my husband of 27 years, disabled daughter, college-aged son, and my 84-year-old mother. We have paid off $250,000.00 worth of debt (if you include the interest) in the last fifteen years and as of 6/12/2020 are 100% DEBT FREE!!!!I sat down with my December and January spreadsheets tonight. The majority of my bills for this month have been paid except for the car loan, the BoA VISA, internet, the old house phone bill, allowances, weekly physical therapy and the monthly chiropractic family plan. Water/sewer is due at month's end, but that money is already set aside in the holding tank.
With DH's extra week of work the next three paydays should net around $8600. $3000 of that will be set aside for the first two weeks in January. We will be going from December 21st to January 11th without a paycheck. I figured out what needs to be paid during that time and came up with $1963.91. Then I added $1000 for groceries and a nice cushion.
That leaves me with $5100 to pay the rest of December's bills. $1579 is for everything but the credit card. I'll need $1000 for allowances, groceries, and a nice cushion. That leaves me with $2521 to put on debt. $2000 of which has been allocated for the credit card. Depending on how things work out with the bonus, that extra $521 will go for the credit card or to the vacation fund.
Any of those nice cushion dollars that are left on January 11th will be distributed similarly, depending on the bonus.
I am feeling so much hope right now. When that credit card debt is gone, it is going to be such smooth sailing. We will really be able to start saving for our future. DH makes such a good income these last few years, but so much of it has always gone to this massive medical debt it was like living on a third of it. I'm not going to go wild or crazy, but it will be nice to loosen up a little bit and also to be contributing to the 401K again. It's like coming out of dark clouds and into the sun, like winter's chill giving way to spring.
Financial Housekeeping for the Immediate Future
December 3rd, 2012 at 05:22 am
December 3rd, 2012 at 10:14 am 1354529651
December 3rd, 2012 at 02:58 pm 1354546682
December 3rd, 2012 at 03:01 pm 1354546887
December 3rd, 2012 at 03:05 pm 1354547150
December 3rd, 2012 at 06:56 pm 1354560961
December 4th, 2012 at 01:56 am 1354586204
December 4th, 2012 at 03:07 am 1354590427
Have a nice christmas.
December 5th, 2012 at 06:17 pm 1354731462
Hmmm, not seeing funding for your new deep freeze and hoping I can jump to the conclusion it's been ordered. I recall DD is looking forward to a new MacBook and thought I'd mention I finally kicked my very old, very problematic MacBook to the curb having done a deal for a barely used, 2012 MacBook Air for a very reasonable price. I think you have Kijiji [Buy 'n Sell] in your area, similar to CraigsList with higher cost product. It seems to attract people who prefer to pay for items by cash rather than CC. whether private, wholesale or retail
December 24th, 2012 at 06:33 am 1356330809