Update Time!

Hey folks! I hope had a wonderful weekend! As I sip on my Sunday afternoon drink, I thought I’d pop in for an update.

Well I have some awesome news as far as my debt free journey. I landed a second job at a department store for the holidays! I got offered the job on Thursday and I’m super excited to start earning the extra income and taking steps to eliminate this debt. I know it’s going to be tough but I want to reach my goal to become debt free in the next three years or so.

I did have a call from a store that’s open 24 hours but I got a little nervous about working there because I know I would never get a break from work. Although I do want two jobs, I would like to have a life outside of my debt elimination process. Here’s a few things that I’m going to continue to keep in mind about working two jobs:

1. I’m going to have less time to spend money. I’m going to be splitting time between my full time job and part time job meaning I won’t be having too much free time.

2. I think that my seasonal depression won’t be so bad with two jobs. OK so I suffer from depression and it gets worse during the winter months because where I live it’s very gloomy during the winter months. With less time to think about the things that make me down due to having two jobs, it may bother me less.

3. Less debt = less worries. The main purpose of why I’m doing this is to pay down debt. A lot of why I can’t sleep at night is the debt. So this point speaks for itself.

4. I’m going to miss my significant other more. I won’t be taking him for granted because I’ll spending less time with him.

So far, that’s the list I have that will keep me motivated to keep pushing and working the two jobs to pay off my debt. I have goals that I NEED to accomplish. I have a tendency to work better when I give myself no other choice than to bust my ass and work as hard as I can.

Are you working a second job? If so, what’s keeping you motivated? How are you handling life with two jobs? I’d like to see people’s experience with this in the comment section!

If you’re thinking about getting a second job for any reason, get out there and get a side job!

Until next time. Peace.

Stressed for Success

Hey everyone! I hope you had an awesome and safe Halloween.

So I’ve been think about quite a few things lately. As I sit and reflect on this lovely Sunday evening, I’ve realized that I stress a lot about the future. I just need to vent and hopefully I can relate to someone else.

This whole week, I’ve been applying for a second job and I’ve decided that my life would be really easier if I can land a higher paying job. I mean I wouldn’t mind working a second job for the time being but I know that it may take a toll on my relationship. A lot of people from older generations think that since I’m not married my relationship shouldn’t be a priority…but how are we going to get to the point of marriage if the relationship isn’t a priority? Well, that’s neither here nor there.

I have just been thinking all week what my plan is going to be to aggressively pay down the debt and really get to live. I’ve also been thinking that eventually I would like to leave the corporate world and work for myself and not be a slave to a time card. I can’t even tell you why I can’t stand working at a regular 9-5 job…let’s just say to a creative soul that it’s prison.

I think part of the reason I worry so much too is because of time. I’m 24 years old and I feel so much older than that. I think about my future a lot because I want a comfortable life for myself. I have a tendency to not think about certain situations as temporary. I feel like I’m going to be at the job that I currently work at forever. I know that sounds so crazy and logically I know I’m not stuck anywhere, but emotionally I feel like it’s my fate. A job can be draining when it isn’t your passion. Sundays are usually my most stressful day because I know Monday means back to reality.

I’m just trying to take one day at a time. I have to or I’ll feel like I’m not where I should be at this stage in life. I mean I have to remember than 24 is still very young and that despite how I feel, I have time. It’s just hard to not feel like a failure when you’re constantly busting your butt to make it in 2015.

Until next time. Peace. 

Let's Talk about Debt!

I know it’s been a while since I’ve been active on here but lately I’ve had a lot on my mind.

Here’s an update on my life since the last time I posted over a year ago!

1. I got a full time job working for the state government where I live.
2. I moved out of my mom’s house into my own apartment with my awesome boyfriend.
3. I bought a new car.
4. I got into some debt.

OK so now that you’re somewhat up to speed on what I’ve been up to, let’s talk about my debt free journey.

One of my main focuses now is paying off all my debt (credit card, vehicle and student loans). I’m starting to not be ashamed of talking about finances because I think every twenty something in America is going to mess up with money at some point or another. I’m really glad that I’m learning these things at the age of 24 rather than the age of 54. I don’t regret moving out of home or buying my new car or going into the debt with credit cards because it is all a part of the learning curve of adulthood. I’ve been thinking of somethings to do in order to generate some more income to throw at the debt and the one thing that I’ve chosen to do is pick up a second job.

My total debt is about $55,000. Most is from student loan debt, the next highest is my vehicle loan and the last is the credit card debt. My gross pay from work is $30,000 but after Uncle Sam gets his share I may be bringing home about $20,000 maybe more if I work over time at work. At my job, overtime doesn’t rake in the amount of money I need to make a dent in my debt which leads me to why I decided on working a part time job.

I decided that I should pick up a part-time job because I want to be debt free in the next three years. No more Credit Cards, Sallie Mae or Vehicle loan. I wanted to be able to pay off the debt and still save roughly about 15 percent of my take home pay for savings. I also use the extra overtime money for Christmas gifts. I did think about looking for a higher paying job but I wanted to stay at my job for a little while before getting a new job. I don’t want to look like a job hopper.

I feel as though American’s attitude towards debt is that is that it’s a normal part of American life. I hate it honestly. Everything here is on credit in this country and it’s turning into an epidemic!

Here’s the reasons that motivated me to start my debt free journey:

1. Debt feels like a dark cloud is always hanging over my head. I can’t sleep at night because of it sometimes.

2. I want my money to be MY MONEY. Besides rent and other living expenses, I do not want to owe anyone a dime.

3. I’m thinking about what could happen in the long term. If I have debt and go through a rough patch and lose my job, my credit would be ruined and I would have to file for bankruptcy.

4. I want to become a millionaire one day. I’ve come to realization that I cannot net worth if I have debt. When you work out your debt to income ratio, you have to be in the black and not the red.

Well, I’m happy to be back to updating on here. Hopefully someone will be able to relate to what I have going on and maybe you’ll be encouraged to get a handle on your money. If you’re currently on a debt free journey, go ahead and leave a comment below. Until next time (which will hopefully be next week). Peace.