Halfway There

Time is ticking!

I started this blog page back in February 2015, anticipating the day I would finally be out of debt and back in black.

I'm happy to report as of last Friday, I paid off my Credit Card, and I am now at the halfway point of being in the positive net worth club. Oh, how I've longed for the day to come!

Initially, I had set my date to be completely debt-free at my 25th birthday, which is mid-September. I'm not sure if I will hit the mark, but as it stands, I have $5000.00 left, and one month to go.

It's been quite the journey. Some months I've been super aggressive at paying down my debt, going to every extreme possible. Reading other financial blogs, encouraged by other "debt extremists" as I like to call them, I found that their financial lifestyle is possible but not sustainable. On an especially memorable night, I recall commanding myself to not break my budget of $100/month on food and consequently had a spoon in a can of beans for dinner. Not baked beans. Plain black beans. Then I laughed... and went and bought some groceries.

I think the best financial lessons learned along this journey are the simplest ones:

Make more money.

Spend a fraction of what you earn; save the rest.

Choose your priorities wisely.

Know who the wise are.

Live simply. Eat simply. Love simplicity.

Have 'expensive' fun... but only on special occasions.

Know what defines a special occasion. Note: they don't happen as often as you think they do.

That was just to name a few.

Looking back to the beginning of where all the financial pieces started to come together and when I knew I was on the right path, actually came with a couple very big/expensive decisions. I moved in May to an apartment that was about 40% more expensive monthly in rent, and I quit my job to take one that had higher pay, less working hours overall and outside the line of my career path. Odd right? This goes to prove that priorities are what you make of them, and that budgets are adjustable and life really can be like The Game of Life. My transportation money became my rent money. My social hours became my work hours. My apartment I left for a place that is now not just a living space, but 'home'.

This blog is for me to reflect, ponder out loud and learn along the way.

Back in Black... almost.


PS: Blog name is all financial and not in the least musically influenced. I think AC/DC are pretty good, but they're nothing compared to Zeppelin. Just sayin'.