Cash(ing) Out/In

Truer words were never neoned.

I took a vacation with an old friend in October 2008, then proceeded to lose the job I'd had at that time in January 2009. Well, not exactly lost, I just lost 1/2 of it due to severe budget cuts...along with my benefits and 1/2 my salary. When I got a new job less than two months later, I lost 20% of my previous full-time income. Let's just say, I couldn't quite pay off the rental car, drinks or dinners for a while.

I got close, though. I picked up additional work where I could, my salary increased over time, and I loved what I was doing. I loved it so much, I took another vacation (to a conference) in August 2011, and lost my job due to more budget cuts and my job being shifted to a Metro Nashville agency. Unfortunately, I had bought myself a seriously indulgent pair of fabulous boots while out of town.

Said boots.

I quickly regained employment, and was laid off again seven months later, and spent 4.5 months looking for work until finally landing where I am currently, piecing together 45-50+ hours of work per week through three different employers, all of which are part time, one of which provides me benefits. My salary, however, due to lost employer-provided insurance in 2012 helped dig me into a shallow financial hole in order to keep my asthma under control.

Let 's just say my credit card bills have been consistently above $0.00.

I was a regular payer. I was never late. I did have some anxiety, though. I do not like to be in debt. I have a home loan, but no note on my car. No college debt (thank you  Mom and Dad!). I even paid off my car repair loan over a year ago. I did, however, have around $3000 in credit card debt, and I felt icky about it, to say the least.

Having gainful employment, affordable insurance, and manageable household bills, I decided it was time to nip the credit card monster in the bud. I used one of those 0% APR rate checks they send you with your bill to put my plan into motion. I figured out that I could pay off my balance over the course of the offer and as of this week, I have.

It feels good to start the new year debt free. I hope to be more careful with my spending, save up for the expenses I will incur on trips before leaving town, have cash on hand for impulse buys, and maybe, just maybe create a real budget for a change.

It's going to feel good to have money left over at the end of each month. Here's to solvency, y'all! And, hopefully, another vacation.