Car Payment Freedom

🚙 One Payment Down, One Step Closer to Financial Freedom

Good morning, September!

Well, y’all… I finally did it.

I made my LAST car payment! 🎉🎉🎉

Yesterday, I made that final payment on my Jeep, and I honestly cannot put into words what a relief it was. That car payment has been sitting in my monthly budget for a long time, and knowing that I no longer have to write that check—or, more accurately, watch that money leave my account—is a pretty amazing feeling.

It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

And you know what makes me even happier?

That money is now going to have a new job.

I’m not planning on taking that old car payment and immediately finding a dozen ways to spend it. Nope. I’ve learned enough about money to know better! 😂

My goal is to put the bulk of that payment into savings.

I want to treat it like the payment never disappeared. Instead of sending that money to the finance company every month, I’m going to send it to Future Karen.

And I think Future Karen is going to be very thankful.

Waiting on That Magic Piece of Paper

Now comes the part where I’m going to have to practice a little patience.

I was told it could take approximately 20–30 days for me to receive the payoff paperwork for the Jeep. Once I get that letter, I believe I’ll need to take it to the DMV so they can get everything officially recorded and the lien released.

I’m not going to pretend I know exactly how every step works because, honestly, I don’t. 😂

But I know I’ll be watching the mailbox like a hawk!

Thankfully, I get an email notification showing me what mail is coming to our mailbox, so I’ll be keeping a close eye on those notifications while I’m at work.

And naturally, I’ll have Mr. C checking the mail, too.

“Anything from the Jeep people?”

“Nope.”

“Check again.” 😂

I’m just ready to have that whole process officially finished.

There is something incredibly satisfying about finally owning your vehicle free and clear. One more thing checked off the financial list!

Another Financial Win I Didn’t Expect

And then, as if paying off my Jeep wasn’t enough of a financial victory for one week, I got another little surprise.

I had been trying to get my membership with The Joint Chiropractic canceled. I originally walked my cancellation letter into the Lawton, Oklahoma, office on July 9th and personally handed it to Dr. Cole Young.

I knew I would have to make my July payment to finish out that commitment, and I was okay with that. I just wanted to make sure my cancellation was taken care of so I wouldn’t have another payment coming out of my account.

Then August 16th rolled around…

…and they charged me again.

I thought, “Well, maybe I did something wrong.”

I was actually planning to drive the 45 minutes to Lawton and hand-deliver another handwritten cancellation letter.

But before making that trip, I decided to contact corporate by email and explain exactly what had happened.

I wasn’t even asking for a refund.

I simply wanted the membership canceled and wanted to make sure there would be no more payments coming out of my account.

And wouldn’t you know it?

They responded, canceled the membership, and told me it could take three to five business days for the refund.

Well…

SURPRISE!

I checked my account the very next morning, and the refund was already there!

I was shocked. 😂

Sometimes you just have to speak up, explain the situation, and keep pushing until you get things straightened out.

And now that account is one more thing I can clean up and eventually close out.

I’m Getting Serious About My Money

So when I look at everything happening right now, I realize I’m really in a season of tidying up my finances.

It’s happening pretty rapidly, too.

I’m looking at what comes in, what goes out, what I actually need, and what I can put away.

And I’m learning that financial progress doesn’t always look like suddenly having thousands of dollars sitting in the bank.

Sometimes financial progress looks like:

✔️ Making your final car payment.

✔️ Getting an unwanted membership canceled.

✔️ Getting a refund you weren’t even expecting.

✔️ Closing unnecessary accounts.

✔️ Reworking your budget.

✔️ Putting money into savings instead of spending it.

✔️ Saying, “Nope, I don’t need that.”

Those might seem like little things to someone else, but when you’re working hard to get your finances in better shape, those little things add up.

Three Ways We Can Save More as We Get Older

I’ve also been thinking about how important it is for those of us getting a little older to be intentional about our money.

And yes, I’m officially calling myself a senior now. 😂 I mean, if somebody else wants to argue with me about that, I’ll let them!

But seriously, here are three things I think can make a difference.

1. Take Advantage of Senior Discounts

Don’t be embarrassed to ask!

Restaurants, stores, entertainment venues, museums, hotels, and other businesses sometimes offer senior discounts.

The discount might only be 5%, 10%, or 15%, but remember:

A discount is money you didn’t have to spend.

And I am absolutely willing to ask, “Do y’all have a senior discount?” 😂

2. Revisit Your Monthly Bills

This is one I’m working on right now.

Look at those recurring charges that quietly come out of your account every month.

Streaming services. Memberships. Apps. Subscriptions. Clubs. Services you signed up for and forgot about.

If you aren’t using it, cancel it.

Even $10 here and $15 there can become a nice chunk of money over a year.

3. Give Your Extra Money a Job

This is probably my biggest lesson right now.

When you pay something off, don’t automatically replace that payment with something else.

Give that money a purpose.

For me, that means taking the money that used to go toward my Jeep payment and putting the majority of it into savings.

Maybe your extra money goes toward an emergency fund.

Maybe it’s for home repairs.

Maybe it’s for Christmas.

Maybe it’s for a future vacation.

Whatever it is, give your money a job before it has the opportunity to disappear!

And Then There’s Work…

Now, while things are looking good financially, work has been a little bit of a struggle lately.

I’m not going to sugarcoat that.

But today, I’ve decided I’m going to really buckle down and focus.

I’m going to do my very best on those phones, and if I haven’t met my goal by the end of my regular shift, I’m willing to stay late and pick up two extra.

Because right now, I have a bigger goal in mind.

I’m working toward financial breathing room.

And sometimes that means putting in a little extra effort today so that tomorrow can be a little easier.

A Little Fun This Weekend

Thankfully, I don’t have a whole lot planned for the weekend, which is perfectly okay with me.

Sunday, I’ll be heading out with my best friend, Cherrie, for our monthly grocery shopping trip.

And y’all know how that goes.

We will shop.

We will probably eat somewhere good.

We’ll do a little window shopping.

And we’ll probably find something we absolutely didn’t need but somehow convince ourselves we couldn’t live without. 😂

That’s just how we roll.

But even our grocery trips have become part of my financial planning. I’m paying more attention to what I’m buying, what I’m spending, and how I can make that grocery money stretch.

It’s all about being more intentional.

And isn’t that really what this whole season of my life seems to be about?

Small Wins Are Still Wins

When I look back at where I was financially and look at where I am now, I realize something.

I may not have everything figured out.

I may still have things I’m working on.

I may still have moments when I worry about money.

But I’m making progress.

My Jeep is paid off.

An unwanted membership is canceled.

A refund came back into my account.

I’m reworking my budget.

I’m planning to save the money I just freed up.

And those are some pretty darn good reasons to celebrate.

Maybe financial freedom doesn’t happen overnight.

Maybe it happens one payment, one cancellation, one budget adjustment, and one small decision at a time.

But I’m going to keep going.

Because I’ve worked too hard to get here to stop now.

Here’s to fewer bills, more savings, smarter spending, and a whole lot more breathing room.

And maybe…

just maybe…

Future Karen is going to be pretty proud of Present Karen❤️

Working on being debt free!

 

Friday Thoughts: Taking Control of My Money, One Small Step at a Time

So, let’s see…today is finally Friday, August 28th.

I don’t know why, but time seems to be flying by lately. I honestly cannot believe we are already at the end of August. Where did the month go?

And speaking of time flying, I have only 16 saves left to reach my goal at work for this month, and I have today and Monday to get them.

How doable is that?

I’m hoping VERY doable! 😂

I will be so happy if I make my goal. I really will.

Lately, I’ve been struggling at work, and I know it isn’t necessarily the job itself. A lot of it is me getting stressed. My anxiety goes up, I start overthinking things, and then suddenly I feel like I can’t save anybody.

But I’ve noticed something about myself.

When I slow down, listen to the member, have an actual conversation with them, and try to figure out what their problem is instead of immediately thinking about the save…that’s when I do my best work.

Nine times out of ten, if someone will allow me to have that conversation with them, I can usually find a way to save them.

And honestly, we have really good benefits with the attorneys. But I also understand the other side of the conversation. With the economy the way it is and the price of EVERYTHING going up, a legal plan isn’t necessarily a necessity. It’s nice to have, and it can be very valuable, but it’s something people can decide they simply can’t afford right now.

That makes my job harder sometimes.

So, I’m reminding myself to breathe, slow down, listen, and have the conversation.

One member at a time.

Getting Serious About Christmas

While we’re talking about money, I’ve been thinking a LOT about my finances lately.

Last week, I went online and ordered a Christmas gift for all 12 of my grandkids.

Yep. Twelve.

And let me tell you, it felt really good to get that started!

I wanted to get ahead of the game instead of waiting until November or December and suddenly realizing I still had twelve Christmas gifts to buy. Everything should start rolling in fairly soon, and that means one big part of my Christmas shopping is already handled.

I also finally bought something for myself that I’ve been looking at ALL YEAR.

A shirt and a jean jacket.

I’ve looked at them over and over again and kept telling myself, “Nope. You don’t need it.”

But eventually I decided that I really wanted them, and I ordered them.

And you know what?

I’m okay with that.

I also picked up a few Christmas gifts for other family members—a couple of pairs of sweatpants for Mr. C, a nice pair of fleece pants for Trevor, and a leopard-print gift box with all sorts of goodies for Melissa because I think she is going to love it.

So, Christmas is officially underway at our house!

And I’m pretty proud of myself for getting started early.

The Credit Cards Had to Go

Now let’s talk about something that was a little harder.

Yesterday, I might have cut up all my credit cards.

Might have.

Okay…I did.

And it might have brought a little tear to my eye.

But it was past time.

I have been thinking a lot about retirement lately. I would really like to be able to retire within the next five years or so, and if that’s going to happen, I have to get serious about my spending.

I can’t continue doing the same things I’ve always done and expect a different financial outcome.

I’ve learned something about myself:

If I have a credit card available, I’m going to use it.

That’s just the truth.

And if I keep doing that, I’m never going to get myself completely out of the financial hole I’ve created.

So yesterday, I made the decision that enough was enough.

I also had a Chime account where I put about 20% of my paycheck. That was my disposable-money account. It was the money I could use for fun, save for a trip, or spend on something I wanted.

And I cut that card up too.

Was it easy?

Nope.

Was it necessary?

Absolutely.

And strangely enough, there’s actually a sense of relief that comes with knowing I now have to rely on what I actually have, not what a credit card says I can spend.

That’s a pretty big mental shift.

Back to the Cash Envelope System

I also want to get back to something that worked really well for me before: my cash envelope system.

I haven’t done it in forever.

And that’s one of my biggest problems sometimes.

I can start a good habit, do really well with it, and then somehow life happens and I get out of the habit.

Learning new habits is hard for me.

It’s doable, but it’s hard.

So I’m starting again.

September is right around the corner, and I’m setting a goal to put $40–$50 into my cash envelope savings every month, depending on what I can afford.

It may not sound like a lot, but I’ve learned that small amounts really do add up.

There were times before when I was only putting $10 or $20 away each payday, and guess what?

It added up.

So I’m not going to look at $40 or $50 and think, “That’s not enough.”

Instead, I’m going to think, “That’s $40 or $50 more than I had before.”

I also want to rebuild my emergency fund to $1,000.

I’m going to treat that as a separate little side quest.

I’m not going to beat myself up if it takes longer than I want it to. I’m just going to keep working toward it.

Slow progress is still progress.

And Then There’s New York…

Because apparently I can’t talk about money without talking about a future trip. 😂

My coworker Shelby, who is also my friend, and I are planning a trip to New York in November of 2027, around Thanksgiving weekend.

Yes, I know that’s over a year away.

But that’s actually one of the things I like about planning ahead.

I already have a pretty good idea of what I think I’ll spend on the trip, other than the hotel.

Right now, I’m estimating around $320 a night for the hotel room.

I’m probably not going to seriously work on that part of the budget until after the first of the year, but I’m keeping it in the back of my mind.

Because if I know a trip is coming, I can plan for it instead of putting it on a credit card and worrying about how I’m going to pay for it later.

That’s the whole point of what I’m trying to change.

A Few More Financial Pieces

I’m also almost finished paying off my car.

I only have about $270 left, and I’m planning to have that paid off in September.

That feels GOOD.

One less monthly payment.

I also thought I had canceled my Joint Chiropractic membership last month.

Apparently, I didn’t.

Well…let me rephrase that.

I turned in my cancellation information, but apparently it didn’t get turned in properly because I’m still looking at that $80 charge for September.

So I’m going to rewrite my cancellation letter and get it back over there.

I’m not interested in paying another $80 if I don’t need the service.

That $80 can go toward something else.

In fact, I’m planning to move that $80 over toward our Starlink bill, which is about $85.

And yes, I do think Starlink is better than what we had before.

But am I going to upgrade to the $130 plan just because I could?

Nope.

Not right now.

We don’t use a tremendous amount of Wi-Fi at our house. We use it for the television, my laptops, and the things we need it for, but I don’t feel like I need to pay for more than we actually use.

And I think that’s another part of my new financial mindset:

Just because I can spend it doesn’t mean I should.

That may be one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn.

A Fresh Start

I don’t expect to magically become a perfect money manager overnight.

That’s not realistic.

I’m still going to want things.

I’m still going to see something in a store and think, “Oh, I want that!”

I’m still going to want to travel.

I’m still going to buy Christmas presents.

And every now and then, I’m probably going to buy myself that shirt and jean jacket I’ve been staring at for a year. 😂

But I want to do those things differently.

I want to plan.

I want to save.

I want to pay cash.

I want to stop depending on credit.

And most importantly, I want to start preparing for the future I say I want.

If I really want the possibility of retiring within the next five years, then the choices I make today matter.

So here I am at the end of August, getting ready to start September with a few new goals:

16 more saves at work.

Pay off the last $270 on my car.

Cancel that chiropractic membership once and for all.

Put $40–$50 a month into my cash envelope savings.

Work toward rebuilding my $1,000 emergency fund.

Start planning for that future New York trip.

And, most importantly…

Learn to live on what I have instead of what I can borrow.

It’s not going to be easy.

But I know it’s doable.

And sometimes a fresh start doesn’t happen on January 1st.

Sometimes it happens on an ordinary Friday in August when you finally decide you’ve had enough of doing things the old way.

Here’s to making better choices, one paycheck, one envelope, and one small step at a time.

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by. Cheers, Karen.