3rd Reset Anniversary - the talking part

Happy 3-year reset anniversary to us!  For those who don't know....the quick version is this is when we took out the current retirement loan to consolidate high interest credit cards and were at an all time high of debt.

Some day I will actually figure out how much debt we have paid, since it has gone up and down.  For example...we paid off G-man's car in 2011....and then bought my car in 2011, and his current car in 2013.  Just those 2 purchases added about $19,000 of debt that wasn't part of the original number back in 2009 when I started tracking.  And as a side tangent...I wish I had tracked certain things better...

This past year has definitely brought about changes.  It was June 2014 that a possible move came into play (and as an aside....having talked about a move for a year is REALLY tedious).  Once this was on the table, we had to rethink plans.  It was late August 2014 that G-man was offered the job, and our house went on the market a few weeks later.  We spent money prepping the house for sale (and lots and lots of hours cleaning things out!!). We had to build up a buffer of money for him to draw from, start planning for a change in salary, and figure out how to pay for a move.  All of this really drove the major decisions.

My car decided to break down in January, to the tune of almost $2,000.  Yeah, that was fun.

We also spent about $900 sending Sassy to Quebec....a choice that I am 1000% happy we did, and I know that the 4 days she spent will go down as some of her favorite memories.  She experienced things that she may never get to experience again.

Over the year, there were quick dinners out because of poor planning and impulse purchases here and there (nothing major...but little things can add up).  There were things that I did for myself that weren't budgeted for, but I needed to do for my self-esteem, sanity, and to drag myself up from the bottom of the hierarchy of importance (why am I ok buying shoes for my husband when his are falling apart....but I am not ok buying a pair for myself when mine are?)

For good or for bad, these were just some of the things that impact our newest numbers. 


A little over a year ago, I was hoping this total would be under 40k.   Part of that plan was using part of G-man's second job pay and using any bonuses (as small and few as they are), tax returns, etc to make some large payments. After looking at the numbers (which will be revealed Monday!), we would have been in the ballpark if the move wasn't happening.  I have played with numbers just to see where the most "bang for our buck" would have been if we used that money for debt.  I really never decided what I would do....but it was sort of fun playing around with it.

And here is my usual disclaimer:  We are not gazzelle intense.  There have been choices along the way that we made that we felt were in the best interest of our family.  You don't have to agree, and you don't have to do what I have done.  We have made mistakes.  We are human.  We have worked within our income to find a repayment system that we can live with.  And no....I don't lose sleep over any of this at this point. 


Until we move, there is too much that is unsettled.  I am not willing to do anything MAJOR at the moment to change any of this.  Each month we make a payment.  No big surprises in there.  No "killing it" with some gigantic payment.  We took a paycut when G-man left....and while his new part time job is helping with the "extra" stuff that we save for....his base salary took a hit.  We simply don't have anything more to put toward this.

We are paying bills that are not part of the cost of living for where he is earning his salary.  $300 oil bills don't exist there.  Gas and food are less expensive.  Taxes are less expensive.  I can't change this.  And consumption isn't the issue...the fact that they exist is enough.

So right now....outside of this annual updates...the month to month stuff is boring.  There isn't anything to talk about.  This is about as exciting as watching paint dry (well...I guess that could be exciting if you are re-doing a room and can't wait to get all the decorating done).

I think this will be my last full update for awhile, simply because it is boring.  I may highlight something as we go....if we hit a milestone or something.  But otherwise, I will update the sidebar, and there ya go.  As a whole....the number is down.  I don't want to say too much about the numbers without showing you the numbers....because there is something to talk about as a whole this time.  So come back Monday for the number reveal!