Here are our debt totals from July 2008, when I started the blog...

Credit cards: $27,583
Student Loans: $4,190
401K Loans: $5,348
Car Loan: $15,944

TOTAL DEBT: $53,065

Here are our debt totals from December 2009...

Credit cards & Overdraft: $35,635
Student Loans: $2,572
401K Loans: $2,363
Car Loan: $11,883

TOTAL DEBT: $52,453

See our credit card totals? Yeah, I have a BIG problem with that. I swear the little $20 here, $40 personal debt payments there have really added up and I am really getting tired of it. I just want to scream when I see that we are over $8k MORE in debt to credit cards/overdraft than we were when I started this blog! I am just so sick of living paycheck to paycheck, on the edge of financial disaster. Disclaimer: I know my husband is sick of all of it too and the stress of the situation (and his guilt) is making him physically sick, so it's hard for me to vent out loud.

Ok, I am going to calm down and try to see the "bright" side. I have started to make a very rough estimate of how much we have paid in his personal debts and we have paid at least $22,685 since May 2008. I guess, no, I KNOW that that's an accomplishment. If we can give the same gusto to our credit card debt, it could be gone in 2 1/2 years. Maybe I'll put our personal debt paid off in the sidebar, so I can see that we have paid off personal debt, even if it is at a disadvantage to our credit card balances. I cannot wait for the day that we see all the monthly balances going down. I really cannot wait. Sorry for the rant and negativity.

Here are the September 2009 totals.

September 2009

Student Loan 1: $1,658

Student Loan 2: $914

Bank of America 1: $7,862

Bank of America 2: $7,039

Bank of America 3: $4,985

Chase 1: $4,313

Chase 2: $2,695

Citi: $2,236

Target: $2,441

Overdraft: $2,999

401K Loan 1: $2,822.94 (Pay off 07/16/2011)

Car Loan: $12,747


DEBT TOTALS

Credit cards & Overdraft: $34,570
Student Loans: $2,572
401K Loans: $2,823
Car Loan: $12,747


THE BIG DEBT TOTAL: $52,712

Total Freedom Account: $74
Total Emergency Fund: $0
Total Retirement: $55,453

All in all, it's about $200 more debt than in April, but looking closely, our credit card/overdraft debt went up to the tune of about $2700! UGH! I hate thinking about that.

Our retirement has gone up about $5k since April. That's always nice to see.

Also, I blogged earlier about getting $150 for Amazon.com from our insurance and that I was going to use that for a food processor. That's not the case anymore. That's too much of a luxury right now. Instead, we'll use the money to get a new radio for our car as well as a few other things we need. I know I'll feel better in the end. Perhaps once we're out of debt, I can reward myself with the food processor. We'll see.

So, the goals for the fourth quarter of 2009 as the same as all of 2009, but I have lowered my expectations as some of them would not be possible with all the things that have come up (debt, furlough, etc.).

2009 Quarter 4 Goals

1. Get our CC/overdraft debt to under $33K.
2. Start an emergency fund.
3. Be consistent in living our budget - no more overdraft!

Well, it could be worse. The overall debt is down only a $1000 from January 2009, but if you look closely, you'll see the credit card/overdraft is actually up $800. Ugh. I don't think this will be the new trend. I think that we're on the verge of major debt repayment if we can make it through some dental bills next month...here's to hoping! On the bright side, our retirement has gone up about $7k since January...yeah!

As for this month's overview....

April 2009

Student Loan 1: $1,991

Student Loan 2: $1,174

Bank of America 1: $8,520

Bank of America 2: $7,578

Bank of America 3: $4,248

Chase 1: $2,482

Chase 2: $2,695

0% Citi: $1,772

Target: $1,591

Overdraft: $2,950

401k Loan 1: $321 (Pay off 07/31/2009)
401k Loan 2: $3,380 (Pay off 07/16/2011)

Car Loan: $13,844

DEBT TOTALS

Credit cards & Overdraft: $31,836
Student Loans: $3,165
401K Loans: $3,701
Car Loan: $13,844


THE BIG DEBT TOTAL: $52,546

Total Savings: $48
Total Retirement: $50,720

Ok, after all the drama in the last months, these are the latest numbers. Surprisingly only $700 more than when I started blogging last summer. It could be worse...(I'm trying to look at the bright side.)

January 2009

Student Loan #1: $2,116

Student Loan #2: $1,326

Bank of America 1: $8,804

Bank of America 2: $7,824

0% Bank of America 3: $4,321

Chase 1: $2,613

Chase 2: $2,840 ($2,500 at 4% for life of balance)

0% Citi: $1,852

Target: $490

Overdraft: $2,455

401k Loan 1: $710 (Pay off 07/31/2009)
401k Loan 2: $3,918 (Pay off 07/16/2011)

Car Loan: $14,523


DEBT TOTALS

Credit cards & Overdraft: $31,199
Student Loans: $3,442
401K Loans: $4,628 (Not updated since Dec. 2008)
Car Loan: $14,523


THE BIG DEBT TOTAL: $53,792

Total Savings: $666 ($501 awaiting medical bills to arrive, the rest is the newly reinstated Freedom Account)

Total Retirement: $43,554 (Not updated since Dec. 2008)

Well, I said I was going to wait until December to do the next overview, but I thought it best to pull my head out of the sand now. We get our next paycheck on Friday (FINALLY fixed the HR snafu and should see the correct amount, fingers crossed) and want to know where we're starting from. I just finished another heart to heart with my husband and have puffy eyes, but am feeling better and ready to start fresh and tackle things again.

I should say that I pretty much snapped from the pressure this afternoon and stopped our 401k contributions after all, as well as our Freedom Account contributions, just until we have our overdraft paid off. I just need to feel secure in knowing that at least those things are in order. It really stinks, but I feel better (sort of) for the time being.

Anyway, here's the overview...

November 2008

Student Loan #1: $2,312

Student Load #2: $1,425

Bank of America #1: $8,824

Bank of America #2: $7,841

0% Bank of America #3: $4,449

Chase #1: $237

Chase #2: $2,924 ($2,600 at 4% for life of balance)

0% Citi: $1,940

Target: $81

Overdraft: $2,780

401k Loan #1: $710 (Pay off 07/31/2009)
401k Loan #2: $3,918 (Pay off 07/16/2011)

Car Loan: $15,944


DEBT TOTALS

Credit cards & Overdraft: $29,076
Student Loans: $3,737
401K Loans: $4,628
Car Loan: $15,944 (not updated since 8/08)


THE BIG DEBT TOTAL: $53,385

Total Savings: $67
Total Retirement: $43,554 (down about $4k)

So, I'm unchecking the "Get our CC debt to under $26k" and "Pay off overdraft" goals in the sidebar and will probably have to move them to '09. Well, I've faced the music and am ready to start again. That's what you do when you fall down, right? You just get up and keep trying. Thanks for all the support here; it truly helps!

I can't believe it, but it looks like I have hit another goal that I set in August. I had hoped to get the credit card debt to under $26k and after looking at this month's numbers, that goal has been achieved! I usually use the current month's statements (before any payments) for the monthly overview, but decided to factor in last week's extra payments this time. (I was too excited to see how that $1,000 payment would affect things!) Anyway, I was very pleased to see that goal achieved.

I don't have my most recent car loan info in front of me and my student loan #2 info is "temporarily unavailable" online, so I just kept the balances from last month. What does this mean? It means my total debt is, in actuality, even less that what appears below. Oh how nice that is!

Current Debt: September 2008

Student loan #1: $2,372

Student loan #2: $1,575

Bank of America #1: $10,281 (Paid $1,000 towards it last week!)

Bank of America #2: $10,084

0% Bank of America #3: $4,579

Chase #1: $269 (Paid off last week!)

Chase #2: $11 (Paid off this month!)

0% Citi: $2,020

Target: $445 (Paid off last week!)

Overdraft: $2,509 (Paid off last week!)

401K Loan 1: $862 (Pay off 07/31/2009)
401K Loan 2: $4,128 (Pay off 07/16/2011)

Car loan: $15,944


DEBT TOTALS

Credit cards & Overdraft: $25,964 after last week's payments!
Student Loans: $3,947
401K Loans: $4,990
Car Loan: $15,944

THE BIG DEBT TOTAL: $50,828

Here's our current status for August; not the best. We had a few unexpected expenses that threw off our budget and left us with about $1500 more debt. Luckily yesterday we got our homeowner's insurance refund check in the mail and I have sent a third payment to Target this month ($165) and an extra $100 payment to overdraft.

I'm also bummed to see that my husband's 401k lost approximately $257 this month. I know this is one area that I need to learn more about; I sure don't like to see it going down!

Current Debt: August 2008

Student Loan #1
% V, Outstanding: $2,435

Student Loan #2
4.3% V, Outstanding: $1,575

Bank of America
10.24% V, Outstanding: $10,390

Bank of America
9.90% V, Outstanding: $10,211

Bank of America
0% to 03/2009, Outstanding: $4,635

Chase
15.43% V, Outstanding: $261

Chase
10.99%, Outstanding: $10

Citi
0% to 07/2009, Outstanding: $2,060

Target
22%, Outstanding: $445

Overdraft
18.00% V, Outstanding: $1,365

401K
Loan 1, Outstanding: $937 (Pay off 07/31/2009)
Loan 2, Outstanding: $4,233 (Pay off 07/16/2011)

Car Loan
9.90%, Outstanding: $15,944



DEBT TOTALS
Credit cards & Overdraft: $29,377
Student Loans: $4,010
401K Loans: $5,170
Car Loan: $15,944


THE BIG DEBT TOTAL: $54,501

Total Savings: $0
Total Retirement: $46,750

OK, down to the nitty gritty. I have been keeping a personal record of our debt status for a while now. Here is the last one I did for July. Since I did this, we have transferred a some CC balances to 0% cards, but have also charged about $200 to our Target card and have about $700 in overdraft (UGH), but hey 8-8-08 is our turn-around day and things are going to get better from here on out!

Current Debt: July 2008

Student Loan #1
% V, Outstanding: $2,567

Student Loan #2
4.3% V, Outstanding: $1,623

Chase
15.43% V, Outstanding: $4,664

Bank of America
10.24% V, Outstanding: $10,502

Bank of America
9.90% V, Outstanding: $10,315

Chase
10.99%, Outstanding: $2,102

Target
22%, Outstanding: $0

Lowe’s
22%, Outstanding: $0

Home Depot
Outstanding: $0

Overdraft
18.00% V, Outstanding: $0

401K
Loan 1, Outstanding: $1,012 (Pay off 07/31/2009)
Loan 1, Outstanding: $4,336 (Pay off 07/16/2011)

Car Loan
9.90%, Outstanding: $15,944


DEBT TOTALS
Credit cards: $27,583
Student Loans: $4,190
401K Loans: $5,348
Car Loan: $15,944

THE BIG DEBT TOTAL: $53,065