The plan for the rest of July

Yesterday I called and cancelled my haircut that's scheduled for 10 days from now. I go to a fancy place- they always do a terrific job! But $80 it too much to spend on a haircut right now, even if it is technically happening after the Spending Freeze. Instead I've bartered with a friend, who is a pro, and will cut my hair in exchange for organizing help!

The only money I spent yesterday was at the post office- I mailed out a pair of shoes that I sold on eBay. Profit was only about $17. But hey, it's money!

Yesterday's BIG win was my tax refund- after I had submitted all of my tax stuff on time in April, I learned that I could write off all of the stupid credit card fees that I get charged whenever clients pay me with Square or PayPal. My accountant resubmitted my paperwork, and yesterday I got a check in the mail for $266! Hot diggity dog.

On the downside, I need to up my medical budget this month by $35- tomorrow I need to see my chiropractor because my left heel hasn't felt right for about a week and a half now. $35 is my copay with my insurance.

I've been obsessively reading the archives over at nomoreharvarddebt.com. That guy paid off over $90K of student loans from Harvard Business School in SEVEN MONTHS. He's a good writer to boot, so it's been a joy to read.

Instead of making more car or medical payments this month, I'm going to shift my focus to other payments- I'm going on a family vacation to Montana in August, and I'll be out of town for 11 days. Since I won't be making any income during this time, I have to plan ahead, and be smart: If I make more car payments now, it could screw me in other areas when money gets tight next month. Here's my upcoming timeline:

  • August 9-19: Family vacation (Petri is staying with Chad- my friend and "Puppy-Daddy", for free! I dog sit for Chad when he is out of town for free too)
  • August 16th: Full payment due for Sandals resort in Jamaica (this is the trip for my high school bestie's wedding)- I've paid a $400 deposit, but owe something like $1,800 to complete it.
  • August 21st: Credit card payment due (I may call after July 21st and ask if I can change the due date to the first or last day of the month- easier for my brain).
  • August 23rd: Prius minimum payment of $280 due.
  • August 30th: Medical minimum payment of $580 due.
  • September 15th: Quarterly tax payment of $1588 due.
So here is my plan for the rest of July:
  • July 22nd (the day after my CC payment is due), I call Sandals and pay the rest on my credit card, for the points, which I should be able to pay off instantly, if I can resist paying off my car loan between now and then.
  • Put $1000 more in my personal checking account to make sure I have enough to cover my rent and Roth IRA payments on September 1st- I already have enough money in there to cover both payments on August 1st, so my aim is to do this in advance to clear my mind in August to fully pay off the Prius with no other worries.
  • If I make more than this, I will make a $300 Prius payment after July 23rd (due date) so that I've paid over the minimum for the July 23-Aug 23 payment cycle.
  • ... And if I make even more than this, I will save it until August 1st and then make a medical bill payment, so that it counts toward the next cycle.
Basically I want to use the rest of July to clear my head of monetary distractions for the month August, so that for the weeks I am in town and working, I can have my car paid off next month.

And, I've definitely decided that after a brief break after my Spending Freeze, so that I can buy people dinner/drinks who have bought me dinner/drinks during this time, I'm going right back into it until the debt is all gone.

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