Introduction
If you’ve read any of my earlier posts, you’ll know I’m working to improve my finances, specifically by reducing the amount of debt I have. I’m doing these reports both for accountability and to inspire others working on a similar project.
October 2020 Results
Here’s the breakdown in where I stand at the end of October as compared to September.
| Student Loan | Card 1 | Card 2 | Card 3 | Card 4 | Card 5 | Total | |
| October | $21,212 | $45,353 | $26,624 | $0 | $134 | $14,914 | $108,237 |
| September | $21,454 | $45,251 | $26,992 | $60 | $580 | $13,750 | $108,087 |
| Change | -$242 | $102 | -$368 | -$60 | -$446 | $1,164 | $150 |
As you can see, I had a slight uptick in the overall balance this month, concentrated in Card 5. My mom and I took a road trip (properly quarantined and tested!) to Vermont in October. While I covered the cost of the hotel from my travel savings account ahead of time, I let my other spending get out of control on the trip and on some indulgences later in the month.
Really, it came down to not paying enough attention to my spending on a daily basis. I got sloppy.
Fortunately, I don’t have any other leisure trips planned for quite a while, and I have money in savings already designated for Christmas. So I’m hoping to get back on the track over the next few months, particularly as I am able to put more time into my side hustle.
Conclusion
While I might want to make progress in the right direction every month, that didn’t happen. All I can do is learn from where I went astray and improve moving forward.