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Personal (Final) and Business (Draft 1) Budgets

I am so grateful for all the feedback and education and tips on my new budget. After 3 4 rounds, I am feeling pretty good about this. And I’m determined to do better at tracking my spending and being held accountable. Still figuring out what that is going to look like. But here is where I have landed after all your notes.

You will note that there is a new category: renter’s insurance. It will cover all of my items with me, in Princess’ apartment, and in the storage unit. It’s tied to Princess’ apartment address as I am a legal tenant there. And I upgraded some coverage to cover my electronics which I haven’t done before. I figure with travelling and such, it would be best to have good coverage just in case.

It technically won’t cost me anything for the next 12 months because I am getting a significant refund from my homeowner’s policy, over a $1,000 but they said it will take two billing cycles for me to see that money.

I have to be honest. Playing around with the formulas, pivot tables, and different data manipulations in a spreadsheet is something I truly enjoy. And I’ve learned a lot from this process.

Business Next

Now I’m going to work on doing the same type of budgeting for my business. Here’s where I’m starting:

Now that work is steadily paying the bills again, I want to tighten things up. Switch some of the monthly costs back to annual (says 15-20% typically).

I’ve also got to work on transferring everything to Texas. My LLC is already registered in GA through the end of the year. I paid for 2 years back in 2024 so didn’t have that expense this year. So I feel comfortable taking my time to figure out the logistics and costs, but definitely need to handle by the end of the year. (The numbers above for those things are guesstimates based on GA costs and quick Google searches.)

And like my personal budget, this is an 8 month budget, just through the end of 2025. I don’t feel like there is any “fat” on this right now. But I will definitely be spending some time evaluating it once I get settled in Texas.

Thoughts?

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.

Gratitude and Fresh Starts: The Proceeds from Selling My Home

by Hope

There are some moments in life when the air just feels different — like you’re breathing lighter for the first time in what feels like years. Selling my home was one of those moments. It wasn’t just about changing addresses. It was about closing a chapter that had been filled with stress, hustle, and a whole lot of heavy debt. And now, for the first time in a long time, I am stepping into a future that feels full of possibility.

As I sit here reflecting and staring at this huge number in my bank account, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I’ve just arrived in Texas and am taking some days to unpack, unwind, and settle in. Before anything else, I had one priority: to pay the people who stood by me when I needed help the most.

I ended up with $51,660 from the house sale.

First house proceeds spent

First up was the painter – this man who did incredible work on my home since I purchased it. He has patiently waited for the second half of his payment for the painting done during the sales process until the house proceeds came through. His trust and understanding stayed with me through the entire selling process, and it felt amazing to finally send him what he was owed.

Then, my dad. Where do you even begin thanking someone who quietly steps in with a solution when you’re freezing in your own home? In January 2024, my furnace gave up on life in the middle of winter, and my dad didn’t even hesitate to front the cost for a new one. He’s been patiently waiting almost a year and a half for repayment, never once making me feel rushed or guilty. Writing that check to him was a full-circle moment that left me teary-eyed and full of gratitude. (I actually mailed a thank you card and post-dated check before I left Georgia.)

And finally, the beast: $21,000 in credit card debt. Typing that number still feels surreal. It’s been the kind of mountain that looms in the background of everything I have done – making every grocery run, every birthday gift, every small joy feel a little bit heavier. But not anymore. With the house sale proceeds, that debt is gone. The payments are processing as I write this, and I can’t wait to share more detailed updates in the coming posts.

A new chapter

Right now, I’m standing on the threshold of a brand new chapter. One without the constant, gnawing anxiety of “how will I pay for this?” One where I can breathe easier and plan for a future instead of scrambling to patch up the past.

To everyone who extended grace, patience, and support through this messy, beautiful journey: thank you. I will never take this fresh start for granted.

Here’s to new beginnings and living a life that’s almost completely free from the weight of old debts.

Next, I will be making firm decisions on what to do with the remaining monies from the sale. While I’m not completely debt-free just yet, with only my student loans standing in the path. I can see the finish line ahead. For the first time since I was 21 years old, being completely debt-free feels not just possible, but inevitable.

Hope

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.