by Hope
Hello BAD Community and Welcome to 2022!!
As much as I had hoped to start this year with a bang of debt payoff, I’ve still got some lingering and unexpected “leftovers” from the 2021. But my goal that I set this past fall has not changed…I want to be completely debt free by the time Gymnast graduates from high school in June, 2023.
I know it’s a stretch goal. But it is my focus.
How we ended 2021
The last several months have been so crazy. So many highs and some pretty significant lows. Here’s a brief summary…
All the kids and their loves (missing Princess boyfriend) on the twins’ birthday.
We had several visits from the twins’ girlfriends including our Thanksgiving trip to Texas. It was a lot of fun and I finally got a new old timey photo.
My long time boyfriend relocated from Florida to Pennsylvania and we’ve travelled back and forth several times. He actually spent Christmas here in Georgia AND…
We got engaged in early December
He asked me to marry him in early December! It will be a LONG engagement, but I couldn’t be more happy. (We still keep our finances completely separate and they will remain that way for the foreseeable future.)
The same weekend that I was in Philadelphia getting engaged, Gymnast was in a terrible car wreck that he absolutely should not have survived…but miraculously, he walked away virtually unscathed. It truly is a miracle that he is still here.
Every single airbag in the car deployed as the car spun out, flipped multiple times and crossed from one side of a four lane divided highway, across the median and then all the way to the embankment on the other side of the road across oncoming traffic.
The contractor got a fair bit complete on the hall bath. The only remaining large project on my home improvement list. I owe $400 more to complete it along with the purchase of a few small items like a mirror and some plumbing accoutrements.
We have appreciated having a second toilet to use while everyone has been around for Christmas.
And finally, I’ve experienced some medical issues that have required testing and may require surgery in the coming months.
So it’s been a roller coaster of an end of the year. But I am sure grateful for my full time corporate job that pays me well, health insurance with what’s going on with me right now (even if it is a high deductible plan) and that all of my kiddos are healthy and happy as we kick off this new year.
Stay tuned for the plan, a real budget and my debt numbers as they stand now. It’s good to be back writing, but I really needed the break after this past several months.
Hope is a resourceful and solutions-driven business manager who has spent nearly two decades helping clients streamline their operations and grow their businesses through project management, digital marketing, and tech expertise. Recently transitioning from her role as a single mom of five foster/adoptive children to an empty nester, Hope is navigating the emotional and practical challenges of redefining her life while maintaining her determination to regain financial control and eliminate debt.
Living in a cozy small town in northeast Georgia with her three dogs, Hope cherishes the serenity of the mountains over the bustle of the beach. Though her kids are now finding their footing in the world—pursuing education, careers, and independence—she remains deeply committed to supporting them in this next chapter, even as she faces the bittersweet tug of letting go.
Since joining the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015, Hope has candidly shared her journey of financial ups and downs. Now, with a renewed focus and a clear path ahead, she’s ready to tackle her finances with the same passion and perseverance that she’s brought to her life and career. Through her writing, she continues to inspire others to confront their own financial challenges and strive for a brighter future.
Oh my that is a bad wreck! Glad gymnast is fine. Why did your fiancé move to Pennsylvania? I thought the plan was for him to move to Georgia to be with you.
He needs to help out with some family stuff and it was a better move for us for now as we work toward living together after marriage. He’s coming once a month and staying with us so the kids can acclimate and we can acclimate…we’ve been alone and independent for a long time. We need a transition period so this just allowed us to kill two birds with one stone.
Wow! Congratulations on your engagement! What a beautiful ring! Why did he choose to move to PA and not with you to GA?
Decided we need a transition period for the kids and for us…being alone and independent for a very long time, we need to take it slow to make it successful. Hard decision to make, but now, we are both happy with this transition period.