Start Today

I’ve been on this FI journey for about two years now. It’s crazy to think it’s already been that long. I’ve kept on the right track and continued my progress. I would like to be one of those stories that seems crazy, but is somehow true. You know the “I crushed 100,000 of debt on a teacher’s salary” or the “I stopped buying coffee and saved enough for a house” headlines.

I had dinner with a friend and I always update her on my progress. We talked about our own goals and hopefully I gave her a few of my tips to help her toward her own goals. I’ll share a few things I’ve done or realized within these two years.

1. Focus
Pick a goal and just focus on that. When I first started this journey, I wanted to pay down my debt, save for a new car, save for an emergency fund, and save for an eventual wedding. This was all too much for my little paycheck. I realized how much more I could accomplish if I just focused on the most important things.

2. Do it for yourself.
I originally started focusing on my finances because the guy I was dating encouraged it. I wanted to impress him and we often talked about the progress. Then, we split and I kept it going. I kept working on my debt because that’s exactly what it is - MINE. The one who will get the most out of being debt free is me. It’s great to have enough money now to spend on my grandma or to buy my parents a new gazebo when theirs was crushed in a storm, but still that’s for me. I enjoy seeing them happy and want to do my part.

3. Keep at it
This is probably the hardest part. I saw a quote a couple days ago and it’s stuck with me lately. “A year from now, you’ll wish you had started today.” I like it. Basically, if you continue on the same path, then nothing will change. If you make a change and keep working toward whatever is your goal - you will be happy you did. This is one I guess applies to living a healthier lifestyle the most, but it’s true for your financial health as well.

4. Peace of Mind
It’s invaluable. When I was almost laid off, I was so thankful to have an emergency fund. When I first started this journey, I thought my emergency fund would be for things like new tires or a new washer. Then, that moment happened. I realized what is a real emergency. When I knew I would begin to need new tires, I saved extra money - put less toward my loans, and got what I needed. Many call that a sink fund. It’s good to know you can do it. You can save and you can not have to worry. I know the house needs a new roof in a few years and that I should start saving for a new car, but I also know that I can do it. I can especially handle it if I crush this debt.

My new goal is to have my PLUS loans paid off by January 2018. Then I’ll evaluate my Auto loan and see when is a good goal to set for finishing that. I’m hoping for July 2018.

Be Grateful

On my way to work, I was thinking of how I can get one of my loans paid off. I'm down to my last two Parent PLUS loans and am acheing to pay as much as possible in July.

I thought about my family. About how my grandma worked hard as long as she could and did her very best for her family. The family was by no means rich at that time and we're still not. She had enough money to buy her daughter one good pair of shoes, one play pair of shoes, and only a few outfits for dress and play. My grandma was the one who with her first paycheck bought a sink. She redid the plumbing herself to move it across the kitchen.

When I think about her and where my family has come from - I'm extremely grateful. I have a kush job where I get to match people with their dream jobs. I make good money and still live with my family. I need to be thankful that I get to pay down this debt. So many people wish they could go to school. Many have much more important immediate needs like food and shelter compared to my net worth aspirations.

Take a step back and realize how thankful we need to be for this FI community and the blessings we already have.

July Networth

We're still headed in the right direction. 

This month I go on a much needed vacation. At first, I said I wouldn't travel while working on this debt. Now - I'm so ready for some time off. I've been covering for a teammate and need to recharge. I've already budgeted for and paid for the hotels. I'm splitting most of the costs with a friend, so that helps a lot. I've saved funds from the last paycheck and will again from this paycheck. Ideally, I would like to stay under a total of $700 for the trip. I may go over a bit due to my travel partner wanting more of a higher rated hotel than I needed. 

I'm sitting at -$34,869.29. That's better than last month and still moving forward. I am looking at how I can crush this debt as quickly as possible. 

Let's get this done!