Simply on Track

I am back on track. For the last 4 months I have been derailed. Just after Christmas I lost the intensity of my debt snowball. I had been at it for a year and I was just tired. I had made amazing progress in the last year. I paid off over $9k in debt starting from my smallest bills to largest. I had made the last payment to my last credit card at the end of October to Key Bank in a lump sum of $1,100 and I can't explain how good that felt. I felt freed of the bad decisions I had made. It was my business credit card and I racked it up with things I thought I needed but in reality it was just stuff I wanted.

After that was paid off I had my last two debts staring me in the face. Sallie Mae and her balance of just over $4,600. I felt defeated in a way. I had been at it for a year and I still had a balance that was large enough to worry about but so close that it could be gone in less than 6 months. So what did I do? I said screw it and replaced my $400 camera in January. I bought some new clothes. In February I put a deposit down for our vacation in April. In March we went on a few small trips, I signed up for the marathon and I know there were countless shopping trips for clothes and a few tanning packages. In April I realized that this had to stop. I had also put off creating my monthly business P&I statement because I didn't want to see how much money I had spent, although I don't need a statement to have a good idea. We got home from vacation last week. I stayed within my budget that I had set for myself while we were away and I am back on track.

 If I wouldn't have back pedaled I would be done in just a few months. I have a completed budget for May and I am determined to stay on track. I am listening to Dave Ramsey everyday like I used too. I will have to practice saying NO again. Learning my wants vs. needs. My goal is to pay off my smaller student loan of the two by June 15th. Then I'll just have one to go, the light will shine a little brighter.

The funny thing is that when you decide to commit, other things happen. April was a really slow month for business. I was really upset about it and in a bad mood and not looking forward to vacation. Since I have been back I have booked a few new appointments. And this new attitude has me thinking of new ideas and I am more motivated now, because I am back in the goal setting mind frame.

FYI It's amazing how much more money you have when you set a budget.