The Girl Next Door's Guide to Finance: My Two-Year Debt ...

Hey people!

I can't believe it's been two years since I made my first payment on my four-year DMP. The longest card will take just over four years to pay off so I am just about halfway through my debt repayment as of this month. The original total including tax debt was approximately $33,000. I am keeping all of my balances in a spreadsheet and right now the grand debt total is $16,385.96.?Seeing my card with the highest balance, my Macy's Visa, at just over $5300 when it was originally $9000 feels damn near miraculous and I am very proud of what I have been able to accomplish. My lowest balance is Neiman Marcus at $281.67 and I would like to knock that one out completely.

Me, Only Better

When I started my current job in September of 2010 I worked with another assistant at the same level. The next year, she was promoted to a new role and she has sadly left us to pursue graduate school. However, there is now room for me to move up at work and I have submitted an application for the open position. This job is a great fit for the skills that I have to offer that are not currently used at work. However, if I were offered the position I would potentially need to work longer hours and my benefits would cost a bit more. Still, after two years in my current role I am certainly ready to move on and up, so fingers crossed!

Budgeting in Summer

Summertime is a difficult time to for budgeting -- for me, anyway. There are more opportunities to go out and do fun things than there are in the winter. There are also, in my opinion, more opportunities for unexpected expenses, like last minute party gifts, outings, and conveniences. Sometimes I find myself out and not near my apartment and I am very hungry or thirsty. We've been having a serious heat wave in New York lately and I sometimes find myself springing for an ice cold bottle of water or seltzer on the go. I try to plan ahead when I can by bringing cold water with me but I usually finish it. Last week I was windowshopping downtown and splurged on some soft serve. I'd rather enjoy the summer than beat myself up about spending a few dollars. I've also been getting cat food and litter delivered from Wag.com. It really beats lugging the stuff home in the heat.

I was able to snag a great deal on sunscreen at Walgreens for my upcoming vacation and weekend visiting a friend. A pack of two bottles of spray-on sunscreen (so much better than the rub-on kind, except for your face) and a bottle of aloe spray?(Walgreens brand) were 50% off their original $12.50 pricetag. Hooray for bargains! Another cool treat I like to keep for in-home summer?enjoyment is?the kind of ice?pops that come in?clear plastic. You can buy a box of 100 or so really cheap at CVS and they hit the spot when it's?hot and uncomfortable.

I also discovered two quick easy fixes for common summer problems. I sweat. A lot. And I am not a fan of wearing open sandals because by the end of the day my feet are nearly black with dirt. So attractive! I like to wear my flats in the summer but my feet get sweaty and uncomfortable. I tried out a couple of different shoe insoles from the drugstore footcare aisle and I really like Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Insoles. You can print a $2 off coupon on their website too. Second, chubby and non-chubby people alike can suffer from "chub rub" or chafing of the inner thighs when wearing dresses, skirts and shorts in the summer. I discovered a cure for this that doesn't involve wearing Spanx. It's Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder-Gel?and I definitely need to try it. (I'm not getting paid to recommend these things, but a percentage will come back to me if you purchase them using my links).

What are your tips for budgeting and making life easier in the summer?

Source: http://girlnextdoorsguidetofinance.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-two-year-debt-management.html

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