DebtBgone

Just for the record...we are maxing out retirement this year in a poorly performing market, but plugging along. Total balance is about $170k.

I am so sorry to hear about the marriage, but you are a determined woman that has a plan, wow! I know from experience the stress of nursing school - I loved it but it consumed a lot of time between classes, clinicals, and studying, but it was worth it in the end. Nursing provides sooooo many opportunities! Such a broad field, with good income potential, too. None of our clinicals were held in Long Term Care, but I ended up working in LTC/Rehab and have loved the work, but there is often overtime involved. Like an 8 hour day is 9 or 10, a 12 hour day is 13 or 14...it depends on being short staffed or getting admissions. Currently I have a Mon-Fri job, 8 - 4:30, but in reality work 50+ hours a week, and so do the other nurses who are on the floor (I now am a manager and do wound care). I think I need to work somewhere that closes! Like a doctor's office or a school nurse position...Anyway, congrats on loving school and your job - you are going to excel wherever. you land!

Well, it's about four years later, and we did hit $150k in retirement! "Life" certainly has happened but everything is performing well which helped get us here. I wanted to do another break down: $31,288 in my Roth $42,386 in dh's Roth $9,323 in old IRA $69,720 in my 403b $152,717 total I also have $4.951 in my HSA. Mortgage is $38k right now.

Welcome back, nice to have you here! We'd love to cheer you on as you knock out BS2 this year!

Just keeping track of balances so I can look back: $35,012 in dh's Roth $ 8,856 dh's old IRA $28,837 my Roth $65,034 my 403 b Total: $137,739 Mortgage $44k Looking forward to the end of 2021, would love to hit $155k in retirement and end the year with $22k owed on the mortgage. Once the 2021 Roths are filled, I would love to go hog wild on the mortgage and knock it out, then go back and fill the 2022 Roths since we have until April 15th, 2023. Biggest projects that are next on the list are adding an egress window/window well to the guest basement bedroom, putting in a new front walkway, and building a bigger shed.

Nice job! Good grief, too bad the housing prices are so high near you, though.

Nice job! Dang, the 14 day Airbnb sounds like a budget-killer. Good for you preparing so early and paying CASH!! Way to go on the EF!

We did it! We've hit $100k in retirement. I want to keep track of these numbers: $47,792 in my 403b $19,324 in my Roth $25,838 in dh's Roth $7,073 in dh's old IRA Mortgage balance is $53k

Yes!!! You can really start piling up money once you're through Step #3!! Keep on keepin' on!!

At the beginning of COVID, I did Daniel DeFoe's book, A Journal of the Plague Year as an audiobook. It is fictional, but he was 5 years old in 1665 during the bubonic plague and published the account in 1722. I can't tell you how many similarities there were, so much of it could have been published today in the newspaper word for word as today's news.

I agree, something historical is truly happening during our life time here. So many similarities to The Plague, really.

Our current totals, since it is so incredibly rewarding to look back and see our progress. 403b: $41,500 Old IRA: $7,100 Dh Roth: $21,600 My Roth: $17,800 Total $88k Mortgage balance $57,000 Retirement went up $34k and the mortage decreased by $32k. Amazing the difference a year can make! Thank you, Dave.

The budget! Have you tried Every Dollar since you've been gone? It is so easy. I use the free version.

Thank you for sharing. Are you working towards recovering from your anxiety? I hope this won't become your "new normal" and you can overcome it. I thought this link sounded helpful when I scanned through it. I don't know much about irrational fears but it did seem to have some good advice: https://www.anxietycoach.com/agoraphobia.html

Out of a 9 man crew at my son's electrician job, they have 4 guys working. My 18 year old is one of them, so we are grateful he has an income right now. He and I both have letters from our employer's stating we are "essential". Employees are wearing masks at work.

They shut down the job site my son works on as of today, which is fine with him because two people yesterday were there sick and wearing a mask. He is 18 and was pretty freaked out about it, not that he worked near them, just the fact that he didn't know what they were sick with. Dh has a couple remodeling jobs lined up, was able to get paint for one, windows were already delivered on another one, and the store where he buys crown molding is doing curb service with limited hours. So we shall see how much he can do in the next few weeks. "Commercial" businesses are allowed to be open according to Gov. Hogan's list.

For most people it is an inconvenience, but for others life and death. I will happily be inconvenienced to help not make someone sick. I really feel for businesses and employees financially hard hit. We will just have to ride it out.

Just updating some numbers for reference since I sent $2k in contributions to dh's Roth: 403b: $25,673 (just increased my contributions to $300/paycheck up from $270, + 2% match) Old IRA: $7,219 Dh Roth: $12,710 My Roth: $8,828 Total $54,430 Mortgage balance $89,597

Years ago I was driving around a $1k Craigslist-mobile that needed an a/c compressor. The cost to repair it would have been almost half the value of the car! Seriously, I think it was $400-500 dollars for a new one. My husband found one on ebay for $30! And then he and his brother fixed it themselves. I was one happy camper! Maybe a deal like that could come along for your car.

I completely agree with the opinion that budgeting is the key. Climbing out of debt doesn't happen by accident - it takes a solid plan and being accountable. Living on last month's income has been a tremendous help for me since both my dh an I have irregular incomes. Come on, vacation! You did it!

Thanks for the encouragement! I am off work today and spent some time playing with calculators this morning. If we can manage to up our principal payment by $200 more/month ($1,800) our payoff would be March of '22. Three years. Wow. Sure has my wheels turning! ETA: I realized I made a mistake about the $1,800 - I knew something wasn't right! $1,800 is my total principal payment, not my snowball. Our principal and interest payment is just over $1,200, and right now when I pay $1,200 more, my principal payment is $1,800. Anyway, if I continue a $1,200 snowball, the payoff is December of 2022. We will see what this year brings.

Some updated numbers. So far in 2019: 403b: $24,376 Old IRA: $6,925 Dh Roth: $10,517 (will contribute before April 15th) My Roth: $8,660 Total: 50,478 We hit $50k!!!! Mortgage balance $91,530 We're under $100k!!! And back to the amount we bought our house for ($91,700 in 1992). Two milestones for us in the same month. And next month we'll be out of the 90's. It will be so cool to see it go down in 10k increments and the retirement go up. It seems like we should be able to put $1,600 towards the principal and $1,600 towards retirement each month the rest of this year. Overtime has been my best and worst friend. I'm tired, but it's a rewarding, satisfying tired.

What a great rate! Good for you!

403b hit $20,123...so cool to hit the $20k mark. Now to get the mortgage under $100k....