End of the Month Check In

This month did not go nearly as well as I had hoped. Our washing machine died a week ago and with no savings as of yet I had to pull out the old Best Buy card and get a new one. I know I could have a. taken the clothes to a laundromat or b. used my parents washer and dryer until I had a chance to save the cash for a new one. But I honestly do not have enough time in my week to do the amount of laundry that is created in this house at the laundromat and I have been using my parents since last Saturday and will continue doing so until next Saturday when the darn thing finally gets delivered and I'm already tired of imposing on them.
    I also had a trip preplanned for the middle of this month to fly out and visit a friend out of state and spent money that could have gone elsewhere on my mini vacation - the only positive to that is I did not add any to my debt in order to finance the trip. All costs were paid in cash.
     If those expenses hadn't been enough my brakes all the sudden starting grinding on Thursday which means $$$- I'm taking the car into a friends shop - hopefully Tuesday - if this ridiculous New England winter weather cooperates.I do actually have a little cash set aside so as long as the bill doesn't top $500 or so I should be ok at the mechanics.
    That all being said I'm hopeful that February will be better than January was. My balances as of today are as follows:

Automobile Loan - $10,639.45 Personal Loan - $7,813.70 Target Visa - $5,343.35 Chase Disney Visa 1 $3983.22 Old Navy Visa - $3,215.99 Southwest Visa -  $2,955.78 Discover - $2,786.28 Chase Disney Visa 2 $2435.27 Best Buy - $2,178.44 :( Capital One 1 - $964.69 Kohls - $903.29 Walmart - $664.24 Capital One 3 - $713.36 NY&Co -$761.42 - New work clothes :( Capital One 2 - $445.28 Dell - $107.72  Misc Medical Bills - $100.00 Childrens Place - PAID OFF! Total Debt: $46,015.48 !!!!

January 1st Stats

I've decided to do a monthly recap of how much debt we owe. I'll do this monthly on the first to make things simple. Here's the data for our beginning, January 1st, 2015. I've listed them in order of largest to smallest which is actually the opposite of how I'm going to work on paying them off.

Automobile Loan - $10,835.27
Personal Loan - $8,167.66
Target Visa - $5,310.89
Chase Disney Visa 1 - $4,041.63
Old Navy Visa - $3,359.15
Southwest Visa -  $2,984.22
Discover - $2,762.95
Chase Disney Visa 2 - $2,458.40
Best Buy - $1,772.64
Capital One 1 - $979.60
Kohls - $916.67
Walmart - $775.66
Capital One 3 - $733.10
NY&Co -$685.22
Capital One 2 - $485.80
Dell - $184.80
 Misc Medical Bills - $150.00
Childrens Place - $87.55



Total Debt: $46,691.21 !!!!

Getting ready for a new year

I guess I should start by introducing myself.... I'm Michelle - 35 year old wife of Joe and mom to Nicole (9) and Connor (6). Joe and I have been married for seven years and together for almost eleven. Oh and in case the title of the blog didn't make it clear, we have A LOT of debt. Not the better kind of debt, like a mortgage or student loans - not that any kind of debt is good but unfortunately most of ours is the nasty credit card type. You know, the kind where you're paying for things you bought or did so many years ago you can't remember it?!?!? That's what we've got.
    This year my primary goal is to pay down as much debt as we can. I know that it will take some blood, sweat and probably many tears, from all of us, but I also know being debt - free will be so worth it.