Traction and Ideas

I have paid off $5496.21 of my credit card debt. this brings up my total to 13.81% paid off. I am so proud of me. I feel like I am learning to breathe.

There are ways I need to improve though.
I need to build up my savings consistently over the next 9 months. I am pregnant and I will need to pay for my credit cards while I am on maternity leave. I am going to count on dear fiancée to handle rent and some other expenses. Day care scares me and it may be that we have to handle debt repayment differently for a while. We'll see. I have it calculated that I have about 5 weeks of paid leave sick & vacation. I only have to cover another three for an 8 week stay out of work. I'd love 12 but we'll see what happens with fiancees own finances. He and I are talking more about money and I am so proud of him for that.

So Traction...

Given this new information I have set a goal of card #1 to be paid in full by Dec 2008. The current balance left is $3060.41 and I am going to pay $405 today. I will also apply $200 of the economic stimulus to the card and possible 150 left from some travel expenses I had. all together that is a payment of $755.00. Quite impressive. This will leave $2305 to be paid by the rest of the year. I think I can do it. Just the fact that all the minimum payments are all lower now with the different balance transfers I feel more confident that we can swing stuff while I have this baby. Phew. What a difference having a budget has made. I can handle it vs Oh My god this will never end! Big difference - big big difference.

Secondary goal is to continue to build the savings account. I need to put at least $130 into the account each month if not $165.00 Otherwise I am going to have more Murphy surprises that I do not want to handle. This month I did not put that amount aside as I was trying to recover from the March madness. Now however with all the tax refunds and extras that I rc'd this month I feel confident that I can put 165 into savings. That would bring the account balance to 1200
about 1365. So keep on growing little savings. Keep on growing.

March left me $537.81 over budget. In April I gained $580.39 which puts things at a wash +42.58

May is going to be tough with graduation coming up. We have to plan what to get my beautiful daughter for her graduation present. Not sure exactly what its going to be yet. It somewhat depends on her dad and what he gets. It also depends on the budget.

I am applying for college loans. I know what Dave Ramsey says but it is the only way she is going to college and she is going! We have to work with her dad to make sure he can fund his share and then My share will shrink in January because My employer is going to pay a portion for her tuition. So in the spring semester I will be responsible for 2000. and for the fall I think I have to raise about $6,000. I also feel like I can get it paid off before she graduates. So I don't feel too bad about taking out the loans. We'll see though.

Incremental progress. I feel the traction this month so I feel good. One day at a time.