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❤️

Labor Day Celebration

Labor Day, Good Food & A Little Something to Think About

Well, y’all… Happy Labor Day! 🇺🇸

Today started pretty early around our house. I think Mr. C was up around 5:00, and I was up around 6:00. By 6:30, we were already in the kitchen getting things together for our Labor Day potluck at Elizabeth and Charles’ house.

And let me just tell you… there was going to be FOOD! 😂

Mr. C and I were making a lemon cookie pudding that is about as easy as it gets. Lemon cookies, Cool Whip, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla pudding mix. Mix it all together and somehow those simple ingredients turn into something really, really good. Sometimes the easiest recipes are the biggest hits!

We were also making a Mexican casserole and putting together a big salad. I decided to make the salad a little more fun by putting all the toppings in my snack box so everyone could pick and choose what they wanted. You want cheese? Go for it. Croutons? Yep. Whatever toppings you like, make your own perfect salad.

Elizabeth was making her cheese dip with chips, and y’all… her Rotel with sausage is SO GOOD! It reminds me of something my mom used to make, so there’s a little bit of nostalgia mixed in with all that cheesy goodness.

She was also making tacos, and Mr. C and I had bought the ingredients for Savannah to make chicken enchiladas.

This is what was left when I made my plate. Her enchiladas went fast!

So between all of that, we definitely weren’t going to go hungry!

Once we got everything packed up and ready to go, we headed over to Elizabeth and Charles’ house. We got there around 11:00, and before long, the house started filling up.

At first, Alisha and Jonathan weren’t going to be able to make it because they were coming in from Tulsa. But they ended up getting there around 11:30 to pick up Marshall and Scout, the dogs, and they were able to visit with everyone for a while too.

Before long, we had Brody and Savannah, the three kids, Elizabeth and Charles, Alisha and Jonathan, me and Mr. C… basically a pretty full house!

And honestly? It was good.

Savannah and Sophie

Good food. Good conversation. Good fellowship.

We stayed from around 11:00 until almost 2:00, and I would definitely call it a successful outing for Mr. C and me. Sometimes you don’t need some big elaborate adventure. Just getting out of the house, spending time with family, eating good food, and laughing and talking can be enough.

Of course, there was also a little something that got me thinking.

Everyone was talking about taking a cruise next May, and Elizabeth asked me if I wanted to go. Naturally, I mentioned it to Luther.

His response was basically, “I don’t care if you go or not.”

😂 Well, okay then!

But when we got home, we talked about it a little more, and that’s when I started doing the math in my head.

If I went, I would probably be looking at around $1,400 just for the cruise because I wouldn’t have someone sharing the room expense with me. Then there’s spending money, transportation, possibly a hotel if I ride down with someone who stays overnight, food, and all those little extras that seem to magically add up.

And suddenly that $1,400 cruise isn’t a $1,400 cruise anymore.

We’re probably talking $2,500 or more.

And that’s where I’m sitting here thinking…

Do I really want to spend $2,500 on a cruise?

I know it would be fun. I know I’d probably have a wonderful time. And I’m not completely ruling it out yet. But when I look at everything else I’m trying to accomplish financially, I just don’t know if that’s where I want my money to go.

Especially right now.

Maybe I’ll change my mind. Maybe I’ll figure out a way to make it work. But right now, I’m leaning toward passing on this one.

And honestly, I’m okay with that.

Sometimes being intentional with your money means being able to say, “That sounds like a lot of fun, but it’s just not the right thing for me financially right now.”

And speaking of things that make me happy…

When we got home, I spent some time playing on my phone and finished writing a letter to one of my new pen pals. I’m actually sending out three pieces of mail today—one to Denise, one to Katie, and one to Linda.

I’m really proud of myself for getting back into snail mail!

There is just something about sitting down and actually writing a letter to someone. It’s slower than sending a text or typing an email, but somehow that makes it feel a little more special.

After that, I took a shower and got myself ready because tomorrow is going to be another busy day.

I’ll be working overtime tomorrow and staying until 5:00 PM. I’m trying to bring in a little extra money, and I’m also hoping to make up some saves since we weren’t there yesterday.

That means I missed out on potentially getting about 10 saves.

But you know what?

I’m not going to stress about it.

We’re still very early in the month. If I can stay on track now, it will make things so much easier toward the end of the month. I’d much rather work steadily toward my goal than get to the last few days and be scrambling, stressing, and beating myself up because I didn’t make it.

So that’s my Labor Day.

A little family time.

A LOT of good food.

Some laughter and fellowship.

A little cruise conversation.

Three pieces of snail mail.

And a little planning for tomorrow.

Not a bad way to spend a holiday at all.

And maybe that’s something I’m learning more and more as I get older: not every day has to be exciting to be a good day. Sometimes a simple day filled with people you love, good food, and a little time to think is exactly what you need.

Now… if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to go think about that lemon cookie pudding again. 😂

Until next time, friends, take care of yourselves, enjoy the little things, and remember to be intentional with both your time and your money.

Stop by next time. I hope to see you then!

—Karen ❤️