Blogging Away Debt

Hope’s Debt Update – October, 2024

This month is pretty much a wash since the bulk of the money I would have paid off debt with is going to Princess’ dental surgery. I am using a CC for the fee. I paid it off at the beginning of the month, but will max it out with the surgery.

So the card won’t get paid off until next month.

Debt Description	October, 2023 Total	Interest Rate	Minimum Payment	Current Total	Payoff Date (Est)
CC - Frontier	$3,857	29.99%	$130	$	November, 2024
Dad - New Furnace	$2,600	0%	$0	$2,600	January, 2025
CC - USAA	$5,000	19.15%	$135	$	November, 2024
Student Loans	$22,121	2.875%		$	September, 2025?
CC - Apple**	$500		Paid off every month	$0
CC - AMEX	$894	29.24%	$0	$0	Mar, 2024 - Closed
CC - Sams	$1,106	29.99%	$0	$0	April, 2024
Personal Loan #1	$2,500	0%	$0	$0	July, 2024
Personal Loan #2	$2,500	0%	$0	$0	August, 2024
CC - Wander	$1,630	29.24%	$0	$0	August, 2024 - Closed
CC - Amazon	$1,497	29.99%	$0	$0	September, 2024
Total	$44,206		$265	$31,523

I did make some extra money this month on a side project. (It was supposed to come in last month.) And I’ve put that towards my personal loan. Otherwise, not much to report on the debt journey this month.

Next Goals

After I pay off the Frontier CC for good next month (November), I plan to tackle the personal loan next. I realize that the USAA CC is still high and accruing interest. But it will feel good to pay off my dad and go into the new year with just the one remaining credit card debt.

Quiet Focused Months Ahead

Other than the family trip to Texas at Thanksgiving, I anticipate some very quiet, focused months ahead. As of this posting, none of the boys will come to Georgia for Christmas. And the girls have their own residences now, so it will be pretty low key. I’m working on planning house projects on the weekends in anticipation of putting the house on the market in the new year. I’m thinking that will happen in March right now.

I’m also planning to meet with a few real estate agents over the next month to determine what projects MUST be done and what can be avoided. That will certainly affect the budget over the next couple of months especially once I figure out what I can do myself and what I will need help with.

Any tips from the BAD community for selling a house?

Made an extra $1,000

by Hope

I answered a Facebook inquiry in a local community group from a small business owner wanting to rebrand their business. And the next day I had a contract to develop a simple, small business website for $1,000 over the next three weeks.

Yep. Sometimes, it is that easy. Completing the website over this next week and then…getting to pay an extra $1K to debt. Well, almost $1K, I have to deduct about $100 I paid to a contractor to do some graphics work for me, and then, taxes, of course. But either way, more to debt.

So this month won’t be a complete wash with Princess’ dental surgery.

I think I need to get back to trolling Facebook groups for work. These type of focused, simple side gigs could really help me expedite my plans.

Or perhaps an email campaign to old clients for either new work from them or referrals to their network?

The challenge is making time for them along with my full time work. But I think with no real life, the weekends lend themselves to this side hustle type work.

I’ve got 5 weeks before I return to Texas. Perhaps I should challenge myself to pick up one or two side projects during that time.

With nothing but time on my hands over the next weeks, it’s a great time to put my head down and do work!

Sidenote: Beauty moved out today. (Rather the day, I’m writing this post.) I’m headed to back to GA tomorrow, or at least begin the trip back. There is damage and loss to deal with from Helene. But it’s not extensive. At least from what I’ve heard and hope. But I may have lost my refrigerator. Had someone come out when Beauty noticed it and it’s not fixed. So I just had Beauty empty it (we lost all food due to the extended loss of electricity) and unplug it for now.