Haha, I Hoarded! End-of-Yearish Debt/Asset Check-In

The year-end is in full view, and as I have felt for several years in a row, I'm relieved that it is, as if the next will be better. (Although I actually, truly, feel that. Perhaps I can't speak for where my money will be, but I'm happy to report that after spending a stupid amount of time and money on doctor visits and lab tests, I have a new way forward that wasn't nearly as dire as I thought it to be.) 

This is going to be short (it's all for me anyway) because I have a long list of things that need to happen today. But of note before I plug in the debt (which has doubtlessly grown since March): I did move a large chunk of credit card debt to another card that I have *stashed out of sight and mind* with a promotional 0% interest, so though it will not be clear here, right now, I am already feeling the relief of having less interest being billed to either the Visa or Amex statements. 

Okay. 

Debts:

	March 2022	November 2022
Visa Credit Card	$7417	$1819
AMEX Platinum	$2358	$9231
Personal loan	$7651	$6008
Citi Card	--	$7300
Loan From Parents	$1300	$1300
Fedloan*	$143482	$143482

*Not included in "Total Paid Down". This is just here for horror.

Total Paid Down: -$6932


Assets:

	March 2022	November 2022
Individual Brokerage	$4608	$1902
Acorns	$155	$621
Vanguard	$3022	$6380

Total saved/accrued: $1118

... for an overall net gain of : -$5814

***

I was bracing myself for something much worse to be honest. It's still not amazing. But what is amazing is that even though I haven't been able to work a full 40 or even 35 hours a week, my hourly rate has been enough to put a wee bit aside. 

And I should note that I haven't included the extent of my medical debt in "debt" because a good portion is in collections, and I'm only paying when I can. I finally paid off the ambulance ride from my bike crash in 2020, only for that monthly repayment to be immediately replaced by the Emergency Room visit in February, so. Further context is: this isn't even the extent of my debt here, it's low-key amazing I've been able to save any money at all. 

(Though let it be known that upwards of $3000 on my Amex is indeed medical debt.) 

Game plan: Going forward I'm not going to charge anything on my Visa, and pay at least $50 more than the min. payment each month. The minimum payment on the new Citi card looks to be consistently around $75 a month for the foreseeable future, so I'll be making payments of $100, and since there is not interest, all of that will be going to the principle minus the initial transfer fee (something in the area of $260... I'll have that taken care of by the first of 2023). 

The *challenge* will be paying down the Amex quickly, and with my budget as it stands, that will be impossible without a larger income. I have a couple of jobs I'll be applying to in the next month, as well as an artist grant and a funded residency. I'm ready to work now.

It will also be a challenge to keep expenses down over the holidays, as it is every year of course -- indeed, I've already charged $600 to my Amex just for the flight home. I'm going to be super strategic with my cash tips and knock out gifts as I think of them, so the damage is incremental and something that my cash tips can cover, as opposed to trying to get all the gifts in one trip and charging everything to the same card as I've been wont to do in the past. 

Wish me luck. xx