Credit Card Update: Progress

Slowly but surely I've been tackling my credit card debt.

Store Credit Card #1 is PAID OFF!!!

Store Credit Card #2 is: $86.61

Visa Balance: $153.46 (and wouldn't you know it that they upped my limit $100 dollars as soon as I started making a visible dent in the balance?! Ha! I won't fall for your slimey tactics Visa!)

Master Card Balance: currently shows $375.87 but I just made a payment via online banking for $100 on the 1st that hasn't registered yet. Total balance there should be about $275.87 (depending on interest).

Total credit card debt is now: $515.94

My credit card debt started at $1,189.13 earlier this year. I've paid off $673 and have broken the cycle of keeping the balances at the max. AWESOME!

Sometimes, it doesn't feel like I'm making much of a difference but when I look at these numbers in black and white it sure does feel good to have those balances down. On November 1 I'll pay off the final balance of Store Credit Card #2 and Visa. I'll probably just make a small payment on the Master Card (to allow for the larger payments on the other two cards). In December, I think I'll be able to pay the rest of the Master Card balance . . . this means that by 2009 I will have zero balances on my credit cards!!!

Then I can start concentrating on paying off the negative debt. Wow! Financial Freedom here I come!

I'd also like to note that I have FULLY FUNDED $1,000 in my emergency fund!!!

I haven't been updating much but I have been making an effort to make smart decisions. I still make mistakes though. On Saturday I did a little shopping and went a bit overboard on shoes and a skirt that cost approx. $70 (on sale) each. I ended up taking those items back and putting $150 back into my account. It was hard but I knew it was wrong and that I shouldn't have bought them. I didn't even LOVE those items - I just wanted to spend. Bad habits die hard, I suppose.

I have a daily Starbucks habit that I've been unable to break . . . I need to really commit to making coffee and breakfast at home.

Otherwise, things have been good! I'll really try to update more here. It's a helpful and motivating tool when I use it.

xoxo, Mal