Need Some Inspiration

There comes a time in everyone's journey (towards whatever) that you need a little motivation/inspiration/fuel for your fire. I'm about to end month one of a two year journey towards financial freedom. I keep looking at how far I have to go instead of looking at (and appreciating) all the progress that I've made. So while I sit here and enjoy my morning coffee and eggs here are some easily Googled stories of other people who have faced the student loan debt monster and survived.

Paying off $22,000 in debt in 18 months

Paying off $15,000 in Student Loan Debt
Does it make me a monster to sort of eye-roll when people talk about "debt" that's under $20k? I'm pushing triple digit debt over here and would KILL for some itty bitty amount like that.

Advice for those with Medical School Debt
Apparently it is not uncommon for those with Medical School Debt to make student loan payments of $3,000 a month. I'm sure they probably look at my debt situation and eye-roll, haha. Also, in order to keep things in perspective this article talks about how there are still senators making payments on their student loans.

I had found other articles but I've already featured them before, there's the crazy kid who ate rotten food to save money (don't do that, just buy fresh food, paying off debt isn't that important) and then the jerk face who managed to pay off $90,000 in student loan debt in one year (and he just happens to make $100k a year).

This isn't the greatest blog post of all time but every once in a while it's important to remember that you're not alone in debt. Millions of people have money problems and there's so much inspiration and good advice out there. I'm going to make it through this mess, it's not going to be easy and it's going to take some time but in 2 years I'm going to be in such a better place.

Bump in the road

It's really early so I'm not even bothering to find good pics. Sorry.

I had a bunch of amazing posts planned out (I'm an insane planner) but the universe had other plans. My computer is once again on the outs. Remember last year-ish when I had to have a ton of repairs done? Same thing. Basically the DC jack (the thing you plug the cord into to charge) is very loose and is unable to charge. The battery works just fine (to my knowledge) but I'll most likely have to take my computer in to have the part replaced.

DC jack. So small, yet so vital. 

I had been hoping that it was similar to what was happening last time, that the jack itself was just loose and needed a little glue or something to set it straight. I went through the trouble of watching multiple videos on DIY fixes only to open my laptop up (such a pain in the ass) and see that the jack is still very secure but the inner prong is, how do you say, loosey goosey.

I've been borrowing my boyfriends computer but it's just not the same. I have all of my files and my pre-sets and the things I like on my laptop. It's obviously a very first world problem but anyone on a tight budget knows how much of an issue any little unexpected expense can be. Hopefully I can take it to a local shop who can do the repair on the cheap.

Crunching Numbers

Source

Way, way, way back in September of 2011 I posted my monthly budget. I was trying to figure out ways to save up for my student loan bills. It was after that time that I was mailed the letter saying I owed $821 a month in student loans. I want to take a look back and update the numbers to see how far I've come in a little over a year.

Looking back I have no idea how I managed to scrap an extra $745.60 out of my 2011 finances. I know I couldn't really afford to make any more payments on my previous student loan which was embarrassing and frustrating. Luckily, my Mom was able to help me with that. I am very proud to say that I have made every student loan payment now myself and even though it's hard I feel very accomplished for doing this.

How I saved money this past year:
-Got a better job where I make about $10,000 more a year (thank you Lord!!)
-Moved in with my boyfriend, splitting the costs of bills is a life saver
-Free cable and Internet due to my boyfriends job (yes!)

I've been taking the bus more and more which is great at saving on gas costs. I've been terrible about it this past month because it's been really cold and I've been working two jobs. Leaving the house at 5am or 6am and getting off at 10pm is hard enough without having to wait for a bus. But it's definitely my goal to take it more this month. Got to pinch pennies where ever you can!

If you noticed above the difference between what I spend now versus what I make leaves a nice little chunk of ~$1000 left each month. This would be the extra $1000 I plan on spending each month on my student loans. I had contemplated just making an additional payment each month and putting the rest in savings but the difference is pretty astounding:

I remember every time I called Wells Fargo and asked for help I never understood why they only thing they suggested was paying more. Now I sort of get it, it's the interest that kills you. I'm at about 8% interest right now and most of what I pay doesn't do anything to chip away at the principal loan. They way I see it, this year I'm paying around $6000 dollars in interest no matter what, I'd rather pay a little extra and pay off $3000 more of my loan. I've done the math for about 2 years out and if I keep making huge payments I could knock it down to around $50,000 which is so much more manageable than close to $100,000. Now, this math is all based around my interest rate staying at 8%, knowing my luck it'll skyrocket to a million and I'll just die. However, if that doesn't happen, or if *gasp* luck could smile down upon me and LOWER that interest rate I can make such a huge interest in 2 years. I'm a little bummed about not being able to save for a house but once I pay off this thing I'll have so much extra cash it'll take me a year to save up.

So that's it. That's my financial goal for this year. Pay as much of this silly, stupid, God awful loan off as I can. However, here's the catch. I want to be able to do it and still have a life. I read an article recently about a guy who managed to pay off $26,500 in student debt in 2 years. This is great. Except dude did some CRAZY ass shit, like not turning on the heater in Atlanta winters. I turn on the heater and I live in Texas. He also sometimes ate spoiled food. I'm all about financial goals and sacrifices but I want to prove that it is entirely possible to save money and pay off debt without becoming a shell of a person. I can live life and live it BETTER than before because I'm becoming more and more financially sound.

Day 10: More Sugar Infographics

I'm really hoping to be done with this "craving sugar all day can't stop thinking about it" phase of my no dessert plan. Yesterday was a little better, my boyfriend picked up a Kellogg brand cereal that had a sweet flavor so I had a small bowl when the cravings got too bad. While I know it had sugar in it it's still better (at least in my mind) than a heavily sugared dessert. 

In my quest to make sugar less appealing I bring to you more infographics about how terrible sugar can be in large quantities. Nursing Your Sweet Tooth by Friends Eat:

It estimates that the average American consumes about 130 lbs of sugar of year. Since my sweet tooth is not so average I'm guessing I eat roughly my body weight in sugar each year. I tell myself that I'm healthy because I don't drink sodas but there are some months that I eat ice cream Every. Single. Day. Le sigh.

Day 5 and Day 6: Shit is getting hard

Image Source

After 4 relatively easy days I've finally started to hit some obstacles. Yesterday at work multiple people brought in donuts. They smelled heavenly, thick globs of fried dough saturated with ooey gooey sticky sugar glaze. Our kitchen isn't sectioned off at work, it stretches along the hallway leading our cubes and offices to support staff so I had to constantly walk past the tempting treats.

While I was very proud to have kept to my resolution I apparently wasn't done being tempted yet. Last night my dreams consisted off large buffet style dessert tables weighed down with every treat imaginable. I can't remember if I indulged in my dream but at some point the dream me did remember my resolution and I was so bummed out.

I really have to up my motivation and will power so here's a study posted on Mind Body Green about the negative effects of sugar: Sugar Can Make You Dumb.

"Eating too much sugar can eat away at your brainpower, according to US scientists who published a study Tuesday showing how a steady diet of high-fructose corn syrup sapped lab rats' memories.
Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) fed two groups of rats a solution containing high-fructose corn syrup -- a common ingredient in processed foods -- as drinking water for six weeks.
One group of rats was supplemented with brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), while the other group was not.
Before the sugar drinks began, the rats were enrolled in a five-day training session in a complicated maze. After six weeks on the sweet solution, the rats were then placed back in the maze to see how they fared.
"The DHA-deprived animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity," said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
"Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats' ability to think clearly and recall the route they'd learned six weeks earlier."
....In other words, eating too much fructose could interfere with insulin's ability to regulate how cells use and store sugar, which is necessary for processing thoughts and emotions.
"Insulin is important in the body for controlling blood sugar, but it may play a different role in the brain, where insulin appears to disturb memory and learning," Gomez-Pinilla said.
"Our study shows that a high-fructose diet harms the brain as well as the body. This is something new. Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think," said Gomez-Pinilla.
"Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain's ability to learn and remember information. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage."

Also!!! 14 Mind Blowing Facts About Sugar

Infographic from Total Health as posted by Mind Body Green

I am probably going to troll Mind Body Green all day for wellness tips and motivation, it's a beautifully designed website with tons of great articles and information and I'm glad I found it to help keep me on track towards my health goals. Anyone else have any inspiring health websites???

Day 4

It's Day 4 of my no sugar challenge and it's going surprisingly well. Last night was Girls Night and there were cookies and other sweets around but I managed to avoid the temptation. I'm still feeling slightly sluggish and off but I know it'll get easier in the next couple of days. I'm excited to see what changes might come in the next few weeks as my body adapts to life with out desserts.

I've also decided to make a change (already!) to my new years resolutions. After some research I've found that it's better to make more than one monthly payment instead of making a large chunk payment.

This is the plan:
Make my usual $745 payment on the first of every month
Make ANOTHER payment of $745 on the 15th of each month.
Put the remainder of the $1000 I had planned on saving (around $255) into saving for a future down payment on a house.

This way, instead of most of my money going towards interest I'm really working at slicing it every two weeks AND I can save for a house. My hope is that I'll have enough paid down and enough saved up that when I turn 30 I can start looking at buying a house. I've already pulled up mortgage calculates and a house valued around $160,000 with a 30 year repayment plan at 7% has a monthly payment of around $1100 a month which is something I could totally swing in 3 years.

I finally feel like I have a chance to pay off my loans and still save for a house of my very own.

Day 1

So the first day of my January resolutions went pretty well. It's pretty cold outside so I was forced to run on a treadmill at the gym (which I hate because it is just so incredibly easy to quit). I ran/walked on an incline for a couple of miles and made sure to work in some great weight routines as well as my 50 squats. I bought a pair of goal jeans from H&M afterwards. There slightly too small (i.e. they zip up and there's slight muffin top issues) and I'm hoping that by the end of the month they'll fit perfectly. I'm really excited about the changes in my body from the work I put in last year. Because I'm a pear shape jean shopping is usually incredible depressing (seriously, I'm petite EVERYWHERE and then I just have these giant wide set hips). But I managed to grab (on the first try!) two great pairs and they fit perfectly.

Going dessert free went okay too although the thing I'm worried the most about now is muscle memory. Like, my mind is commited to trying to detox from sugary sweets but I'm so used to being in the kitchen and grabbing something sweet. I'm afraid I'll be halfway through a cookie or whatever before my mind can even comprehend what I'm doing. The only sweets we have left our ones that were sent from my boyfriends parents and I just can't bare to through them away. I'm not a wasteful person and I'd hate for all those delicious goodies to go in the trash.