February Credit Card Update

It's the first of the month, and my regular readers know that means it's time for a credit card update! I do this as a fun way to hold myself accountable and be open about debt. I've carried a credit card balance since my first college Discover card, but I am working hard this year to pay these off once and for all. One of my financial goals for 2023 is to increase my net worth by $20,023! Paying off my consumer debt is a great step towards this larger goal.

December was a spendy month, between the holiday and two trips to the dentist. The dentist is expensive, which is why I've been avoiding going for most of my adult life. I wanted to go for a check-up and not wait for something painful to happen before seeing a professional. All of this month was spent doing damage control from December.

The journey isn't leaner, and that's okay. This project is a form of accountability, and I'm showing up as I am.

A Raise at Work, but also in Rent

For the entire month of December, I negotiated back and forth with my bosses about 2023 compensation. While the outcome wasn't what I'd hoped, I'm proud of myself for showing up, advocating for myself, and gaining clarity about my future at this workplace. If there's one thing I've learned about being on a personal finance journey, even if you don't like the numbers, they are what they are, and it's a matter of math. Our building management company is trying to raise our rent by $500. It's absurd, but it shouldn't come as a surprise. We'll see how those numbers shake out. I know the rent will likely increase, but I'm hoping we can agree to something less.

With those unknowns up in the air, here's where we are now:

January 1 Debt: $5,376

Today’s Debt: $3,850

Progress: $-1,526

This month, I used almost all the money from my raise to do damage control from speendy December. Instead of being discouraged, I'm using this as motivation to continue paying off this debt.

We're only one month into 2023. The motivation of a new year can start to wear off around this time. How do you feel about your goals? What are you doing to ensure you stay on track with your intentions for the year? Let me know in the comments or send an email to thehungryartistny@gmail.com