Let’s Throw Some Money at Our Problems: December 2016 Check-In

It’s time to check in on our debt payments and savings goals again.

It’s the end of the month!

If you’re joining us for the first time, we like to report a specific balance at the end of each month to have a public record of our efforts to pay down our debt or reach our savings goals. You can read about our decision to publicly keep track of our debt here.

Pull up those balances!

Megan

I’m in the middle of paying off a Capital One credit card that wound up in collections. The balance on that card is $855 and I’m paying it off in $100 installments, starting in November.

Dec. 2016 Balance: $805.00
Jan. 2017 Balance: $705.00

My student loans are currently on deferment and have been since June, when I was let go and went freelance. Shockingly enough, I have yet to start paying them again, but I was recently informed that they are off deferment starting in January, so here goes, I guess.

Dec. 2016 Balance: $23,326.31
Jan. 2017 Balance: $23,273.83*

*I’m not sure how the balance went down despite my not paying them at all, so I’m going to just close my eyes, send a thanks into the universe and pay them on time starting this month.

Mike

I’m paying off a private graduate student loan currently serviced by Discover. The interest rate on this loan is 2.25 percent, and the minimum monthly payment is $147. The original balance on this student loan was $22,377.

Dec. 2016 Balance: $5,918.13
Jan. 2017 Balance: $5,529.73

See: Last month’s check-in here.

Support The Billfold

The Billfold continues to exist thanks to support from our readers. Help us continue to do our work by making a monthly pledge on Patreon or a one-time-only contribution through PayPal.