Month 51 Update:
Student loan is down to $2,970, as most of you viewers know…I have been extremely impatient to get rid of this one debt. Still made some great progress since last month… That’s $4,529 down. Still chipping away, chip chip chip…. 😛
Making progress on the car loan at $30,190, another payment is coming out in a week, but as I mentioned before it’s 1.9% and I see little reason to pay it off early. Opportunity costs brah! Plus the emergency fund needs to be cranked up a few notches.
The stock market has been volatile with Brexit, oil prices fluctuating, shaky consumer confidence and the fact it’s an election year… My 401k is still at $16,521 though at +6.62% YtD RoR. So I’m still outpacing the market for now. The Roth is slowly going up at $125. Kind of a joke now, but it’s all about habits. The habit of continually investing extra money into retirement.
Going back to reading mode where I study people who are financially independent and pulling in large salaries. Not sure what my plan of action is right now, but it is inspiring me. I do wonder if I have it in me to work 60-80 hours a week. During the full time work and part time grad school days I easily put in 60 total hours each week on my goals. Some things have changed but a lot has remained the same. No kids, single, also still driven for success. My day job takes more out of me and I’m packing a lot more weight these days but at my core I’m still a driven personality. Just need to keep tapping into that hunger.
Went on a frugal trip with some friends for a day to Granbury, TX. Drove the Maxima a little about 250 miles round trip. The car drove like a dream, soaking up the country roads at 80mph. The hotel was $60, then paid for meals. On the first night there I had duck with roasted potatoes and carrots at this shack-like place called Let’s Eat. Food was amazing and almost worth the drive alone. Went to a winery and a brewhouse Between this trip and some shopping I did, spent around $200 in total.
You don’t have a ton of money to have fun! I got invited to Napa in August with friends and the more I learn about the trip the more I’m glad I declined. It’ll be between $1500-$2000 and right now that is money they will get me one step closer to completing my 15 year goal… Next year though we’ve discussed going on a cruise. The verdict is still out on that one, but I think I’m going to go.
Debt Free Alpha 
You are making such great progress on your student loan!! When do you think you will have it paid off?
Thanks for the Comment! I expect to be done paying off the student loans in October assuming everything goes according to plan. Paying 453/mo and then a self imposed balloon payment at the end.
I couldn’t comment on the most recent post so I will comment here! You are doing so well on the debt repayment! It will definitely be gone by the end of this year – you can just feel the fire burning in you by reading through your posts.
Who cares if you are paying it off in your 33rd year and not your 32nd? 🙂 Things come up and life changes and goals and dreams change, as I am finding out. I love how you went on that trip and had fun – I am definitely finding that sometimes a day trip or quick overnight trip to places like Flagstaff have a great impact on me. Make me feel more motivated and happy and excited to make changes in my life. If you constantly focus on not spending/not spending/not spending, it can get really overwhelming and things start to get into that negative energy field. At least that’s the way it is for me. Little indulgences can go a long way sometimes. Good for you!
Thanks much for your comments as always! Yeah I’m keeping at it as much as I can. It’s still a burden but one I will be glad to be rid of. After I pay it off, plan to put more money in an emergency fund and into retirement. It’s so funny when I lived with my folks I was putting away $1k/mo easy. Now close to 10 years later it’s been such a challenge. Though I guess it’s a lot easier when there is no $800/mo rent payment plus $200 or so in cable & utilities. I gave my mom $200/mo and she was fine with it. Those were the days…..
I’m trying to have a more abundant mindset. I find that scarcity makes me resent a life of doing things that are fun. I recently went on a date with someone who made me look super wasteful with spending. He is an intern here from India, lives with 5 other people, spends roughly $10/wk on food, nor does he drive a car. There is frugal and there is **dirt poor cheap**. The idea of working decades and pinching pennies on everything isn’t appealing to me. I grew up that way and prefer to think there is a better way.