Thank you to everyone who has  been on this journey with me, you know how difficult it's been, how long it's been and I'm just so excited to share with you. 

My bonus hit my account today and I paid $2000 (all of it) on my student loans . Once the payment post which will probably be either be Friday or Monday, my new balance will be just over $12,000. I'm hoping that with my first job, my full-time job, that I get a bonus. If I do, I'm throwing it all at the student loans as well. 

I would love to have these loans done by March. However, I think that realistically it will be done by June. Once I submit that final payment, no matter where you're at, if you hear a scream, a cry, a yell, know that is me, lol. 

I'll up update my sidebar once the payment hits.

Next after the student loan is paid off, I'll throw it at the new car and get that done by the end of the following  year (2027).

Yes, I bought a new car. My car had hit 300,000 miles and I started putting way too much money in it. I just hate that I did not save money for a vehicle and that I was throwing it all at the student loan but then another part of me was like, yes that is the right thing to do, pay your student loans. I was close to 100k prior to the pandemic, and opted to take full advantage of the no interest period. 

First I want to share that I just paid $200 on the student loan.

Drumroll please, I'm so excited, I'll be getting a bonus on Friday. I'm so tempted to schedule my bonus payment for the student loan, but I'll hang tight. I'll be able to pay an additional $1200 on the student loan which will get me just under the $14k.  I think by the end of the year I'll be done. 

Side note. My part time job allows me to sock away a $1000 a check. I'm trying to beef up my savings.  I wish I could drop this on the student loan but the way things are I need to boost my savings. My first job has had multiple layoffs since I've been.  

Our HOA is going up to $440, smh. I had saved with the anticipation to pay it for the year, adding a little. Though I have a nice chunk save which will allow me to pay about 10-months at once, I'm still a little bump. 

that's it for me. See ya later 

Welp, I scheduled a payment of $219 for today (pay day), and was assuming it wouldn't hit my student loan until Monday or Tuesday. Well guess what? The payment hit my account. I'm officially under $15K. I want to cry. 

I can now officially say, I believe I can do this. I believe that next year, I will be done with this loan. Almost a 100k and years later, I can finally feel it, taste it as the saying goes, and it feels great. 

Thank you to everyone who have been on this journey with me, your support and keeping me accountable, is what got me here. 

Official balance of of today, this post is $14,886.59 

OMG my student loan payment actually hit in one day. I cannot believe my payment actually hit so soon. My new balance is $$15,102.84. I'm so excited. 

My current student loan balance is $20,310,94.
 

I was just able to pay $5210.94 on it. Of course my payment won’t hit until maybe Monday which means there will be an additional $10 or so applied to the unpaid interest balance. This annoys me. 

Friday is payday so I’ll be able to drop another $200 on it. I can finally see the end to this thing. God’s will I’ll be done by February 2026 

My estimated balance as of today after payments  is $15,110.00 

I am scheduled to get a bonus next month about $200 which I'm throwing everything at this loan 

My bonus is scheduled to hit on Friday. I transferred $500 from a savings account and paid towards my student loan, trying to beat the interest game. It annoys me that it takes Nelnet days to process my payment while I’m incurring interest and yet no time for them to tack on their daily interest. 

This was about a $33k-$35k student loan (2013) which had balloon to almost $90k in 2020, never missed a payment but due to my income I was on the IDR plan. 7 years and my loan went up about $55 that is a 157.14% increase. Absolutely insane. 

My balance is about 22k. What helped my COVID, the pause in interest made a huge difference, I kept paying. I was able to pay off two loans and consolidate two more. Prayerfully I’ll be done by next year. I’ve taken on a second job adding about $400 more in payments. 

Side note. Honest to God these pop ups are the worst. I don't know when this all started but it's absolutely INSANE! My God 

Consolidating my last two student loans was the smartest move I’ve made. Even with a slightly higher interest rate, one streamlined payment lets me see real progress. My current balance is $22,546.10 (a $200 payment is still pending), and my first required payment isn’t due until December 2026. If I stay consistent, I’m praying the balance will be zero by this time next year.

I originally borrowed about $35,000, but years of capitalization—and a low income that forced me onto an income-driven plan—ballooned the debt to almost $90,000. When COVID froze interest, I doubled down. While many paused payments, I kept going and have now eliminated roughly 75 % of the balance. To God be the glory.

Higher education is pricey, and too many jobs demand degrees while paying wages that barely cover living costs. Unlike car or mortgage loans—where extra payments clearly reduce the principal—student-loan interest can feel endless. It’s astonishing that young adults can borrow six figures so easily yet struggle to make the balance budge, and discharging these loans in bankruptcy is harder than with almost any other debt. (For the record, bankruptcy isn’t an option I’d choose.)

If you’re stuck on the hamster wheel, remember: progress is possible. Keep pushing, stay consistent, and trust that time and persistence are on your side.

Side note. I hate all the new pop ups, and ads on this site, and inflation is killing me  

Seriously, what is going on in this country? I just checked my investment portfolio, and I'm down quite a bit. As someone who is new to investing, I cannot afford to lose any money.

Prices for goods are much higher than they were a few months ago, rights are being taken away, and people seem to be okay with this.

I can only imagine what my property taxes will look like. In just two months, this man has racked up 26 million dollars in security fees for his golf visits.

It was a great week, here are my wins.

 
• Paid extra on my last CC
• Completed a bank transfer request to a zero interest card. 
• Worked out all week
• Lost 2lbs
• Completed my to do list
• Added a little to my savings
• Stayed with in my budget 

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve paid off another credit card, leaving me with just one credit card, one student loan, and my mortgage, I will update the sidebar later. It’s been a long journey, but every step forward feels like a major victory.

I also went a little further by putting an extra $300 toward my final credit card and an additional $200 toward my student loan. These extra payments are small wins that bring me closer to my ultimate goal of financial freedom.

I am so excited, since January, I’ve committed to paying for everything in cash. No swiping, no borrowing—just living within my means. It’s been challenging at times, but the sense of control and peace it brings is worth every sacrifice.

For anyone out there working toward their financial goals, remember: progress, no matter how small, is still progress. Celebrate your wins, stay consistent, and know that freedom is possible.

Here’s to being one step closer to debt-free living!

I'm committed to staying on track this year. No goals just commitments. 

This morning I got 75 kettlebell swings in as part of my fitness journey, the struggle has been real. 

Later I took  my mom grocery shopping, her car is acting up. While there I decided to pick up chicken breast and a few apples. Well mom paid. So I paid the $15 I would have paid for the items towards my debt. 

At the end of last year, I decided to downsize my purse. I was tired of carrying around an extra-large tote filled with too much stuff—it was killing my back.

I switched to a smaller purse, but my wallet didn’t fit, so I started looking for a new one. Then it hit me—I already have an extra-small wallet that I use for traveling.

 Instead of buying a new one, I’m using that. This year, I’m all about getting my finances in order and making smarter choices!

2025 I'm coming with vengeance 

I just switched my Zoom and Amazon payments to come straight from my checking account instead of using a credit card. This way, I’m not adding to my credit card balance, and it makes me think twice about what I’m spending on Amazon. Small changes like this can really help with staying on top of my finances!

I’ve realized I need to get a handle on my impulses. I’ll pay down debt, only to rack it back up again. Just yesterday, I paid off two cards that I had been using more than I should. SMH.

To break this cycle, I’ve decided to remove my credit cards from my wallet and all the websites I shop on. I also took a hard look at my bank statements for the first time in a year—yes, a whole year. I use software to track my spending but hadn’t updated it in ages. Why? I’m still figuring that out, but I know it’s a big part of my problem. When I don’t track, my spending spirals out of control.

Since December, it’s been weighing heavily on me to get things back in order. It’s been on my mind constantly, and this year I’m making real changes.

Blogging helps me stay accountable, so you’ll see more posts from me as I work to turn things around. Here’s to a fresh start and taking control for real this time!

Here’s what I’ve been up to this week. 

I received an unexpected bonus so I was able to throw a little extra at my student loan, once the payment hit, I would be below $25k owed and meeting my goal of paying at least $5k this year towards it. This interest is killing me though. 

I also paid an extra $60 towards my mortgage. I know Dave says not to do this, but it makes me feel good and keeps me motivated. 

Lastly I paid another $500 on the travel card. The interest is set to start in February, the goal is to have it paid off before then. 

I would have been able to pay a little more; however, I have to travel for a funeral of a good friend. 

I’m slowly but surely getting my feet wet with investing. I’ve opened an IRA, not much, however, I contribute monthly so that I have funds to invest with. 

I only purchase stocks of those organizations that I’m loyal to, some pay dividends some don’t.  I can honestly say, that they’re (stocks) doing pretty good, even in these times. I am happy because I  feel like I made some good choices. I still have a lot to learn though. 

My best performing stocks is Walmart and Costco, my worst, Nike. Nike was also my first ever purchase. However, for the most part I’ve seen a positive gain over all. Sometimes I can kick myself because I hadn’t purchased more, especially of the Costco stock. 

I’m proud of myself for stepping out. I am way behind the eight ball and I’m looking forward to getting this student loan down, so that I’ll have more funds to invest. 

I’ve decided that for every $5k paid off on the student loan I’m going to increase my 401(k) contribution by 1%. I should have the loan at $30k by December. It sucks that the student loan interest is starting back up. For me it means I have to decrease my IRA contribution temporarily and throw the funds at the student loans. 

I’m not going to lie, it would have been a huge help had the loan forgiveness went through. I’m glad I kept paying when the interest rates were frozen. I wish I could get another year, lol but oh well. 

For me the ability to throw $2k or $5 at a time on my loan felt great. Now I have a payment of $319, I’m readjusting my budget so that I’m ready. I hope others are as well. 

I crunched the numbers and I realized with every pay check I’m saving about 45% of my income.

Though most of the savings go towards future expenses (e.g. mortgage, HOA, Christmas fund, vacation fund) I’m still saving.

I remember when there was a time when saving wasn’t an option for me. 

Though I beat myself up regularly, I'm my worst critic, I need to remind myself of where I've come from. It's been a long short journey. It felt as though I'd never see the day where my debts were low and cash was saved, yet it feels like I just started this journey. 

Whew, this has been a pretty productive week. 

I’ve managed to knock everything off of my to-do list. 

Today I received my final payment from my former employer. I was able to save some funds for my car, sinking funds, and EF. 

I also added $500 to the credit cards and $100 to the student loan. In addition, I get an extra 300+ dollars to use towards what I want from my employer every quarter, a nice little perk, so I’ll be adding that toward my student loans. 

This week I feel as though I'm making progress 

I’m happy because though I’m nervous about my role, things are still coming together. My official training kicks off next week, wish me luck. 

Lord, I pray that I'm eligible for the student loan forgiveness. 

Biden made the announcement and I have no clue if I'm a part of the eligibility group. 

Fingers crossed s 

Looks like I’m just going to go with Home Depot on the cabinets. People are t showing nor are they responding. I’m not sure what is going on but this is really frustrating. 

I applied for one of their credit cards, it’s interest free for six months. So I’ll buy the cabinets and pay cash to have installed. 

I started the new job today. It was great but I’m depressed. I realize I don’t want to work and I’m in no shape or form to even consider this option. I can just beat myself up with all the financial mistakes I’ve made. I hate it! 

I hope I get out of this depression mode real soon, I have no clue what I need to do at this moment. I haven't been depressed in a long time. Thankfully I'm not having suicidal thoughts, so I guess that's a good thing 

I’m back from vacation, the islands were beautiful. 

Now that I’m back it’s time to buckle down on my finances, I got a little side track but I’m ready to get back serious. 

All major bills are paid through September, this gives me time to look for a job or new contract. 

Prior to leaving I had two really great interviews but no response. I hate being ghosted by recruiters, especially if you contacted me. 

Upon my return I knocked out a few applications, and next week I have two interviews lined up. Fingers crossed that something pans out. I get the feeling the job market will be switching to the employer. 

My COBRA ends in August so I started shopping around. I found a few on the exchange but the deductibles are high, about $8k. Hopefully I land a gig and can get group insurance. 

I took the night to up date my spending register and balance a few accounts. Of course travel and food were the budget busters. I’ll finalize every tomorrow. Net worth is still trending positively and I’m finally starting to earn some dividends on my investments. 

Though small, I’m loving how I’ve gone from being scared of investing to loving learning all about it. I know they say don’t watch daily, but doing so has helped me get a better understanding on what’s happening. Tonight was the first time I actually balanced my IRA account. 

Slow and steady wins the race. 

Finally closed my books and I was right, I went way over in the travel category last month due to poor planning. I can't beat myself up over spilled milk, I just have to make adjustments, primary adjustment, be involved in the planning whenever there is a trip. 

Other than that, I either broke even or came in under budgeted. There were a few unexpected home repairs, it happens and I was able to pay all expenses  in cash. 

I decided to run a few more reports and found that in October of 2021 was when I hit a positive net worth. I never really looked at this number, disgusted I guess, but now more than ever I'm so interested in tracking. It's a goal to get to six figures, just as much as it is to pay off my debt. 

As of today, my net worth is $39,799.17 with a credit score of 845, and total available cash $41,852.90. I would have never thought I'd see this day, never in my life I could have imagine a thing like this. Wow! 

I am going to keep pushing, my goal is to hit millionaire status  one day and I think I can do it.  

I received my $800 payment from my long-term client,  paid my tithes of $80 and I have $720 left. I plan on keeping $500 in my checking account and using $200 towards savings and debt.

I always struggle with how much to save, pay towards my snowball but for savings I decided to round up and for debt I decided to round down. 

So for today I will be saving or paying the below: 

$29.63 EF

$13.04 car fund

$16.96 baby EF 

$15 vacation fund 

$50 student loan

$68.59 mortgage 

$20 IRA 

I'm so upset that I won't be meeting my June goal of paying off my student loan; however, I have to remember that I came a very long way and by the grace of God I was able to do what I have done. Actually, the goal was to pay it off by December but I was doing so well that I thought jube would be the month. 

I think that when I get the settlement check rather than paying the September mortgage and the November HOA, put that money aside. My thinking is I should land a job/contract by then and the money saved I'll just throw it at my student loan. If I don't get a gig well at least I know I have the money. 

Seems like saving and paying debt is the story of my life. I can't wait to reach financial freedom. But is that such a thing? 

Checked my credit score and I'm at 845. I can't believe it. I know Dave Ramsey is against credit scores but I'm here for it. I have paid off a ton of debt that has helped this number increase. Periodically I use my credit cards and pay them off immediately so that they don't close. 

I'm hoping that once I get this debt paid off I can get a rental property, so I want to maintain my score. 

I remember just a few years back being in the 600s. 

It was bugging me that I couldn't pay the typical amounts I normally pay on my student loan but I wanted to pay something so $25 it was. The new balance on loan number three is $7,950. 

I figured something is better than nothing. 

I get a check from another client this month for $800, I'm going to use this for some of the repairs I have to have done around the house. I wish so badly I could throw this at my debt but here we are. 

Other financial news. I had to get gas yesterday, to fill up my Camry, it was $71.00. I couldn't believe it. Two years ago it was about $30. I'm so thankful that I'm not driving into work, this would kill me. I would have to fill up weekly, now it's every 30-days or so. It might be longer because I now walk to the grocery store. 

I also went to Walmart. I noticed my waterpik stopped working so I needed a new one, cost me $40. Then I needed a filter for my sink. The new faucet didn't have one, and there were particles in the water, that was $30. SMH. 

Next I needed detergent, bleach, and dishwasher liquid, all in all I spent almost $90 on four items. My God! I don't know how families are doing it. 

Things are not going to get any better. I've been saying since 2020, that we are in a recession; it's just that most of us aren't feeling it and now we are starting to feel it. I'm so nervous about what is to come. 

I need to start preparing for hurricane season, because not only are things scarce they're expensive. 

Well, I paid the HOA and COBRA bills for three months. I paid two months on the mortgage because the website didn't update and I want to make sure my payments are applied to both June and July, before I pay August. 

I'm so glad I did this because I don't know what may happen as far as income goes. 

I also purchased a used refrigerator for $214 with tax. Thankfully my ex will pick it up for me, so there is no delivery charge. Though it's not the color I was looking for I'm glad I was able to get a good used one. 

I got the news that the payment for my settlement was received, after legal fees I'm expecting about $8500. I'm just going to save this money. 

I also saved a total of $433.27, I rounded up to the nearest $50 for all my savings account. I'm a big believer of putting something up, no matter how small for rainy days. So, I wanted to make sure I socked away something since money will be right. I'll update my sidebar later. 

Lastly, in regards to finances, I have about 310 euros left and will exchange those tomorrow for US dollars, I checked and it will be $308.

In nonfinancial news, one of the travelers I went on the trip with, admitted that the trip was poorly planned and that he too was very disappointed. I was really surprised because I thought it was just me. He stated that there were quite a few days that he was very upset with us not spending any time at some location visited and also that we had too many things planned for one day. 

That's it for now. 

Paid an extra $25 on the mortgage and student loan each, now I'm officially under $8000 on student loan number three (3). See sidebar. 

I have to invoice my client on Monday. They're pretty good with paying the bill timely. If I get it before I leave for my trip, I'll pay another $2,000+ on student loan number 3. 

I'm so excited to see this number decrease. It's a matter of weeks by the time I pay this loan off then it's officially onto the last loan, that's about $28k. This will take some time because I'm going to slow down while I max out my IRA. I'm shifting my focus a bit after paying student loan number 3 because I'm behind on saving for retirement and I want to make sure I max out my IRA before the end of the year. 

I plan to pause student loan number 4 since it's interest-free for two months and throw everything at the IRA, then tackle the student loan. 

I know this isn't the Dave way but it's my way and it works for me. Age is not on my side. 

Welp, I thought my check wouldn't clear until Friday, since I'd deposited it late last night. Well it cleared today and I paid $2100 towards student loan (number 3), now I wait patiently for the balance to show $8k. 

I'm so happy, I should be able to meet my goal of paying this off before June. After crunching the numbers, student loan number 3 should be paid off next month, right after I return from vacation.  

Wow, is all I can actually say. 

I can't believe where I've come from. I have worked so hard to save and pay off debt. I've done it before but this time seems more difficult. I don't know if it's because I'm older, had more debt, or simply have a better understanding of money. Either way I'm making progress. 

I re-worked my budget to include extra payments on the mortgage. I know some will say why pay extra on the mortgage when you have student loan debts? Well because it makes me feel good and keeps me motivated. So today as I prepare for my trip, I paid my May mortgage and an extra $71.11 towards the principal. I absolutely love the amortization table, I use this to round down my debt. 

Other news, looking at my side bar you can see that I'm way behind the eight ball as it relates to my retirement account. I also re-worked the budget so that I max out my IRA account this year. I'm self-employed so I have no 401(k). I did a little research and learned that a SEP might work for me. I'm able to double what I'm contributing to an IRA to a SEP, so this might work. I've set up a call upon my return with a member of the Fidelity team. 

Also about a week ago, I bought my first stocks, Nike, because I'm a Nike snob. Well it's been exciting to watch how my stocks are doing, following the news on the company and all, not to mention the highs a lows. I'm new to this whole investing thing so I'm nervous as hell, I only bought five shares (I do plan on increasing). I must say that  I'm happy with the progress I'm making. I decided to follow a few other companies and every month when I deposit to my IRA, I'll take a little and buy a few shares. By doing this, I have an entire month to research the companies before purchasing. 

Friday is pay day for me and I'll be dropping $2100 on my student loan, this will bring my third student loan balance under $10k. I'm so happy I can scream. I still cant believe that in just over a year and a half I've paid off over $40k in student loans. Plus my other credit card debts. 

If you're new to this journey, keep pushing it gets better. 

Praise God, the Biden administration has extended the pause on interest and payments for student loans again. 

I logged into my account and read, Federal student loan flexibilities for the COVID-19 emergency have been extended through August 31, 2022. This is awesome! I'm slated to pay off student loan number 3 in June and can begin to tackle student loan number 4. 

Though there isn't an official announcement yet, I know that this is true, because it's on the site. 

Many people post that this is the wrong thing to do, people should pay their loss,  yada yada ya. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. One I'm thankful for this, it has allowed me to pay off two loans and be on my way to paying off another, in a span of two years. Had the pause not occurred I'd owe over six figures on the 30k loan.  In my opinion, student loans are like loan sharks. It's ridiculous that unlike a mortgage I am unable to pay down the principal until the interest that compounds daily is paid. Do I believe in paying what I owe, yes? However, if parts of it were forgiven, I'd be thankful and if not I'll just keep chipping away. 

Either way, this extension is a huge help for me and I'm taking advantage of it.