Free

 Happy Sabbath

God is good and this week is not any different.  Because of the Lord, I had a great victory yesterday.  Actually, thursday I opted to pay a huge amount to pay down my credit cards.  I sat and thought about how long it would take to pay them off and estimated if I followed the same track, I'd be done probably during the summer if not early autumn.  I did my taxes on Free Tax USA and surprised myself to find that I only had to pay almost $2000 out of pocket.  I have no intention of changing my with-holdings because I am looking at the funds as a temporary interest free loan.  I am putting those extra funds into a savings account and earning interest on it while I prepare for next year's tax payoff.  2022 taxes are going to be a little more complicated because of my investment portfolio but I am confident I can do it independently again.  I will not use H&R Block or other software I have to pay for.  Free Tax USA was the easiest and least complicated of everything I have done and I will continue to do so so long as it is available to me.  

So now knowing my taxes are taken care of and I had sufficient funds to pay my debt to the government, I was able to look at the remaining monies I had stored up for other plans.  My credit card debt was my next target and I thought to myself yesterday that hmmm..I have enough to pay both balances off.  I owed nearly $2000 on one card and around $1500 on another and I was tired of dealing with the fees, even though they were dwindling down, I was tired.  I decided to use what I had saved up for my house account and a portion of my mortgage savings to pay off the remaining debts.  For my mortgage savings, I had saved up 3+ months of mortgage funds so if I were to lose my employment, at least I knew funds would be there to cover for that time.  I initially had put a lot of money in my house account with the purpose of paying for a new fence to be put around my property.  I was going to do that back in 2020 but the pandemic came after the guy came to measure and give me an estimate and I didn't hear back from him as I had expected.  That money sat there and sat.  I had a purpose for everything else and during the pandemic, people moved in down the bottom of the hill and erected a fence so I didn't have to do that.  If I put a fence up now, it would only really just be the front of my home because everyone else has fencing around now.  I'm in no rush to do that.  

So I decided to just go and pay both off.  I then went to my mirror in my son's bathroom..(my mirror, in MY SON'S BATHROOM??) and change the goals I had written on their in eyebrow pencil.  It just wouldn't register that I had paid off those long standing debts.  I have been paying $300+ for so long on both and it just seemed this time would never come.  I took on a second job to target my credit cards and now my Amex, that auto credit card, and my two major credit cards are completely satisfied.  I can only give the Lord the credit.  If it were not for Him, I would not have been able to get the part time job I have and get the raises I did to tackle these huge problems.  And with all that I have been learning about financial responsibility while working at that same job, while listening to youtube videos about how to get right, I now have a better plan to move forward safely and confidently into this and future years if the Lord sees fit.  I now will only put purchases I need every month on those cards.  In the past, I was afraid to use my cards and didn't.  I then told myself foolishly I could buy clothes and things I wanted and would eventually pay things off.  I had emergencies come up and I put them on the credit cards and things spiraled quickly out of control.  

I need to have internet to do my work for job number one.  I need gas to travel for jobs number two and three.  I need my phone to do work for all three jobs.  I have my gas go on one card and currently I have my internet and phone bill go on one but will move one of those bills to the third card.  I have set things on auto pay and these are things that will remain in my monthly budget.  I have to have these things.  I will not put things that I want on my credit cards.  That is where my savings comes into play.  If I want something, I have to save up for it.  I am going to take time tonight to update my auto deposits and reallocate my savings so that I am actively growing my savings, investments, and paying my bills every month.  

Although I've reached my goal to be free of the credit cards, I have to now rebuild my savings that took a hard licking this month.  I will continue to penny pinch and avoid making unnecessary purchases, live below my means, and do what I can to make as much money as I can.  I spoke on a goal to reach 100k this year and it is possible for me to do so.  The fact that I can even make such a statement, that I surpassed my other income goals from the previous year, I am inspired and encouraged and cannot turn my back on these options that the Lord has made available to me.  

Build up my savings (emergency, and others).  Increase my investments. Pay off student loan debt and my home.  And actively save to purchase more real estate so I can have my investments work for me and reach some level of financial independence when I reach a time I am no longer able to work.  Years ago, I had received a letter from social security and they wrote out for me what I would be given each month if I were to retire. I didn't understand those numbers and what it meant.  I decided to go in and see what I would qualify for if I continue my current track and it looks pretty good but it's not where I want it to be.  I need an extra $1500 to feel comfortable with receiving social security alone.  I can live off of what they would give me at age 70, but I know there are more things I will want to do and needs I will likely have.  So I am getting on this FIRE movement, even though I'm kinda late at 38, I'm getting on and applying the principles I have learned and will continue to learn through youtube and google university.  

God is good. He doesn't want us to be burdened and live in fear and with anxiety.  He provided me with a way through this and I am forever grateful and thankful to Him for these opportunities.