Monthly Side Bar Update

Thanks everyone for the suggestions for our evening with Sassy.  I love the spa idea...however I think Daddy will feel left out.  ;)  Making Brownies was already on the agenda.  I think for us, we wanted to treat her to something we rarely do....so that is where the bummer part comes in.  Ultimately it is her choice (given a field of preselected choices).   We will see what she picks!

****

A few of you may have noticed I update the ole side bar yesterday.....

Yay...the total went down.  That is always a happy day.  I am still not sure where the total number will be at year end. Between having to get a car, the government shut down.....too much in the air to predict.  It was going to be around $62k.  I was going to be happy if it was under $63,758....as that is the lowest the reported debt has been around here since I started tracking it.

Yeah, don't think that is gonna happen.

• Retirement loan.  Remember, this is an auto-debit from payroll.  If we don't have a payroll, we will have to send in a coupon with money.  At two missed payments, the loan is in default.  So that gives the government a month to get their act together.  Of course, I have no idea how we would pay $760 (2 payments) without having a paycheck.  And from what we were told, the system won't be sophisticated enough to know to take out multiple payments once checks resume.  Always something. To end on a happy note....at the next payment, we will drop into the next lower "thousand."
• Student loan.  Officially below $25k!  I have noticed that the interest we pay per month is starting to go down.  It has been about $76 a month, but right now, with 9 days to go before the payment is due, it is at $47 accrued interest.  
• Car.  Next month it will also drop into the next "thousand."  However, it will shortly be joined by another car loan.  BOO!!!  
• CC. My monthly number went up from last month (on the sidebar), but my statement showed that we are even.  I must have looked at something wrong.   The kind people at Discover have upped my limit, thus changing my usage ration.  But this CC is really eating at me.  I hate that we ran it up.  
• Dentist.  As I have stated before, this is the one bill that doesn't bother me that much...but seems to bother others.  I had just made a payment when I updated the Sept numbers.  Technically a payment is due now.  But unfortunately, the medical people are on the bottom of the pile.  If we aren't getting paid, they aren't getting paid.  I am more concerned about the mortgage, the electricity.....
• Bossy's supplies.  This number isn't up to date.  Per the bill, it is.  But they haven't added in the charges for September and October (and maybe August....I would have to look again).  This bill will (again) just continue to go up and down.  

 I feel really defeated at this moment.  Knowing that a new car will set us back.  Not knowing how we are going to pay the bills until the shutdown ends.  I look at how much we have in savings, EF, misc other accounts....and in theory we can stretch things.  But for the first time it has really hit home what an asset an EF is when you have 3-6 months of living expenses available.

In the meantime, I continue to get paid, and G-man still has his part-time job that pays weekly.  It is more than some people have.  I have to remind myself it isn't like we don't have ANYTHING.

I think my goal in the next month is just to hang in there.