Bumps

I'm thinking about tracking my spending against my emotional (in)stability.

Variables could include: caffeine intake, weather, lady-cycle, menfolk, exercise, time of year.

There's definitely something statisticky in here, but I'd need Mike P to help me figure it out.

This weekend: Cheap. Really! I even cooked a quinoa thing so I'd have lunches and dinners.

Things are gonna change, I can feel it.

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho

I checked out Mint today, as I do every once in a while. When I first started using Mint, it was a horrible reminder of what a fuck-up I've been. Now, it's a nice reminder that penny by penny, I'm chipping away at old mistakes.

I did a quick bar graph of my credit card debt over the last five months. There's a tiny tiny dip, but it exists! I've reduce my credit card debt by 10+%! Granted, if I hadn't continued to make credit card purchases I'd be further along, but I'll take what I can get.

The bad news: I've rekindled my love affair with Starbucks. Actually, I'm lying. I never let SB go. SB is a sacrifice I just can't make.

Roommate Woes

Quiet roommate wants out. Actually, quiet roommate is on his way out in 6 days. He told us 2 days ago. I'm thinking quiet roommate doesn't jive well with not-as-quiet-roommates.

Unrelated: I'm going to Burning Man this summer!
Also unrelated: I'm starting corporate softball tomorrow!
Seriously unrelated: Tee hee

Lately: more $ than I should have

The Horror!

Today's horoscope:

Impulsive acts and overspending will create a difficult situation. Before you do something you'll regret, turn your attention to something productive and industrious. The choice is yours so settle down and get to work.

Why, I never!

Shell Game

My balance on my Discover card is $10,625.64. I cut it up months ago, and I've asked for reduced APR. I'm going to call and ask for a bigger reduction.

I'd been making payments of $250/mo since August, incurring finance charges of ~$156 monthly. When I checked my statement this morning, Discover let me know that if I made minimum payments, I'd end up paying over $30,000 in the next 28 years. I'm not that much of an idiot, but I found it interesting that they also suggested I up my monthly payments to $379 so at most I'd shell out $13,636.

So I've moved some things around.

• Thank you work, for the bonus that let me close out my Citicard account, which I'd been paying $300/mo
  
• Added $250 to my Discover card payment for a total of $500/mo
• Increased my Blue AmEx payment from $165/mo to $250 (thank you, raise at work). Current balance is ~$4,500. Card also has been cut up but I use it for the occasional parking ticket fine.
• US Bank: has 0% interest through the end of 2010, so I'm making minimum payments of $65/mo. Balance is $6,424.

I think I like this. I'll try it for a couple months to see how it goes.

Dear Baby Jesus, please let me find the end of my debt one day soon. I promise to be nice to strangers, even creepy ones.

Love,
k

Ohai!

Oh, hey there Citi card. You and me, we've got history. You started as a 0% APR Balance transfer card, and ended up costing me $300 in late payment charges because you changed the due date and I didn't notice.

Well, I've got news for you. We're done. You - me: kaput. Take this $1528.42 and consider it a farewell.

Spending: out of control. New friends, new gifts. Need to get back on the frugal train.

# of active credit cards with balances: 4.
Total balances: ~$21,000 (down $6K from the summer).
Monthly credit card payments: $1000
Goal: Credit card balance of $10K by 12/31/10

2.8%

That's the amount of my raise!

Been traveling for work, so my expenses have been low.

Back in a bit.