i did it

I keep telling myself that I'm going to treat myself to something nice once I finally pay off my credit card. Every time I feel so close to finally having it paid off I seem to get hit with another charge. It's quite frustrating. But guys, this time I did it. I am debt free. Damn that feels good to say.

I made some stupid decisions over the years including but not limited to: refusing to have roommates, trying to keep up socially with a now ex boyfriend who made more money than me, obsessive collecting (books, vinyl, furnishings), + thinking that a pay bump was right on the horizon. I keep telling myself that most everyone has to go through this at some point in their lives so lesson learned. Time to do better moving forward.

I won't bore you with the details but essentially I paid off my credit card in almost exactly two years. Sometimes I would get so close + then have another big investment that would put me in debt more + more. I have very diligently kept a Google doc with all of my finances, bills, etc + broken out bi-monthly (based on when I was getting paychecks). Unless you do freelance work you probably have fairly repetitive charges each month (rent, gym membership, cable, utilities, etc).

This was my progress over the years:

I should mention that my anxiety also peaked around Spring of 2012. Debt is no fun.

But here I am! Debt free + ready to celebrate. I've had the same wish list for quite a while now + I think I'm finally ready to make a dent in things.

Yoga

I used to go to hot yoga at a minimum of three times a week. It was my sole form of exercise + I absolutely loved it. I decided I needed more cardio in my life + since hot yoga was so expensive I took a bit of a hiatus. The physical benefits were obviously great but the mental benefits were just as good. I kind of need those again so I'm making it a priority to do hot yoga at least once a week moving forward.

Record Player

I've been collecting records over the past three years (I have 60+) yet I don't have a record player. This may not be very logical but I've been holding out to get a nice once. I've debated a million times over just getting an affordable Crosley but the reviews are always awful. I want this to be a good investment. I would like one in both my living room + my bedroom though so maybe I'll start with a Crosley + then work my way to a fancier version. Some people like to turn on the TV when they're home alone but I prefer music. I'm tired of these albums just sitting on the shelf.

Cowhide Rug

My apartment is pretty much fully furnished at this point. The one main thing left is a rug for beneath my dining table. The table is round + it's a bit of an awkward space so I think asymmetry of a cowhide rug will work best. I've seen these used well in many situations so I think this will be a good investment. You can get some pretty affordable cowhide rugs too.


Jewelry

My goal is to have a matching set of earrings, a necklace, + a ring that I can wear almost every day by the end of 2014. I've got my eye on these three beauties from Catbird. I'll probably start with the earrings + necklace first. I never have gotten used to wearing rings so I'm a little worried about that.

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