Taking the Plunge

We've been busy doing a few things around the rental house. Here are some pictures of Addie and Alex moving a shelf into the pantry. (And some of Mina jumping on a trampoline at a birthday party last weekend!)


Last January, we sold one of our two cars in an effort to get a jump start on paying off our $10,000+ in credit card debt. The year we spent with just one car flew by - and we didn't really even notice. I think the worst day with one car was the day we sold it - I had a sinking dread feeling in the pit of my stomach...but I hardly noticed after a few days. The girls and I actually missed taking Alex to and from work when we purchased a second car in January this year. Before we knew it, we'd paid off the $10,000 credit card debt & a $3,000 car loan.

As many of you know, we sold our house in September last year because we wanted to move closer to Alex's work...thinking maybe he could bike sometimes. There was nothing on the market that we wanted to buy by the time we had to close and vacate so we moved into a rental house. We were thinking we'd be here 2-3 months tops...and then it was longer and longer. We pay 1/3 of what our mortgage was in rent. Then we decided we'd pay cash for our next vehicle - so we stayed a bit longer until we could re-save money for a down payment...which we now have.

And then we realized that we were truly in denial about our other remaining debt...student loans. My student loans to be exact - from graduate school...ugh! Alex calculated that if we paid off the $29,000 we owe in 2-3 years, we'll pay $1,000 in interest. If we continue to make the minimum monthly payments, we'll pay $14,000 in interest...ugh again.

Every fiber of my being wants my own house, actually my "dream house" to be exact...but waste $14,000 knowingly....grrr. It took Alex several days of patience as I got MAD at even the suggestion that we stay in this rental house and pay the low rent so we could pay of the loan. Then slowly I came around. So that's the big news...we're staying here - we are taking on debt challenge #2 and paying off my student loans as fast as we can. We're going to throw every extra bit of money we have at them (tax returns, bonus checks, unexpected income, etc.) until they are GONE! Then we're going to throw a big party and celebrate being truly debt free!!


So this resolution is going to bring the rental house up yet another notch - because we're going to be focusing all our organizing/decorating/improving efforts on this house. One of the first things to go will be this "flower bed" of rocks in front that has the roots of three dead bushes. We are removing it one shovel at a time...although a guy on craigslist said he wants to come get the rock...we'll see if he actually shows up! There are cabinets to be painted, other landscaping to be improved, carpet to remove in the kitchen...a pregnant lady has to nest...even if it is in a rental house!