By hope
here we go again. My full time client exercised the 6 week cancellation clause in our contract last month. So my full time income ends the week before Christmas. Of course, he canceled before the paid vacation I had negotiated.
My income has dropped by a quarter this month. Therefore, my progress is slowing down again. And the insecurity that always comes when these things happen takes a toll on my mental health.
Below are the debt numbers as of this month. (Last month’s update is here.) Still making progress but not where I wanted to be:
| Description of debts | October 2023 Total | interest rate | Minimum payment | Current total | Payment date (Eastern time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC – border | $3857 | 29.99% | $130 | $2,295 | January 2025 |
| Dad – new oven | $2600 | 0% | $0 | $2600 | |
| CC – USA | $5000 | 19.15% | $135 | $3750 | |
| CC – Sam’s Club | $591 | January 2025 | |||
| Student loans | $22,121 | 2.875% | delay | $22,895 | Postponed until May 2025 |
| CC – Apple** | $500 | Paid every month | $0 | ||
| CC – AMEX | $894 | 29.24% | $0 | $0 | March 2024 – Closed |
| CC-SAMS | $1,106 | 29.99% | $0 | $0 | April 2024 |
| Personal Loan No. 1 | $2500 | 0% | $0 | $0 | July 2024 |
| Personal Loan No. 2 | $2500 | 0% | $0 | $0 | August 2024 |
| CC – wander | $1,630 | 29.24% | $0 | $0 | August 2024 – Closed |
| CC – Amazon | $1,497 | 29.99% | $0 | $0 | September 2024 |
| the total | $44,206 | $265 | $32,131 |
New debts
The Sam’s Club credit card is officially back, and here’s why. During my recent trip to Texas, it became painfully clear that I couldn’t put off buying new glasses any longer. Earlier this year, my daughters and I had eye exams, but I decided to hold off on buying new glasses to save money. This decision caught my attention, as the trip was miserable.
Once I arrived in Texas, I headed straight to Sam’s Club and ordered two new pairs of glasses: a pair of progressive lenses for everyday use and another pair of monovision for computer work. For the first time, I decided to add transition lenses to my everyday glasses. I spent most of the trip wearing my old sunglasses, a set of outdated prescriptions, so this seemed like a good compromise rather than buying a third pair. Fingers crossed transition lenses for exercise!
Using my Sam/Plus membership, I was able to get 40% off my second pair of glasses. No, I couldn’t settle for one pair, my eyes are that bad.
Work for 2025
A week after our contract was cancelled. We spoke on the phone and he explained to us that he wanted to reorganize his business and focus on partnering with companies, taking a portion of the profit for contract work only. I get it. But man!
We have continued to negotiate a return to at least a part-time position through the first quarter of the year as he figures out how he wants to move forward. It took some pressure off, but man, I feel all kinds of insecure again. I will have 11 days off at the end of this month to start formulating the plan. Then return to work part-time with this company in January.
On the other hand, I’ve spent the last two weeks setting up my consulting company again, reaching out to old clients, and applying for a contract via… the job. As I write this, I’m preparing to meet with a potential new client here in Texas.
What I’m grateful for…it’s just me. I just have to be responsible for the food and the house. (Yes, I know I’m still helping the princess, but generally, it’s just me.) This takes a lot of pressure off.
I’ll keep you posted.
Hope is a creative, solutions-focused business manager who helps clients grow their businesses and operate more efficiently by leveraging expertise in project management, digital marketing, and technology solutions. She has recently become an empty nester as her five foster/adopted children spread their wings. She lives with her three dogs in a small town in northeast Georgia and prefers the mountains to the beaches any day. She has the travel bug and does her best to help each of her children finish school and become independent (but it’s hard!) She’s been running her own consulting company for nearly twenty years! Hope began sharing her journey with the BAD community in the spring of 2015, and feels like she’s finally in a place that allows her to truly focus on making wise financial decisions.
