Going With the Gut

I mentioned a little while ago that I'd be taking a trip to Texas. Of course, that was before I spent over 900 bucks on car repairs. Since then, I've been feeling less excited about the trip. I felt like I was only going in January so as not to disappoint my friend.

But preventing disappointment isn't the point of vacation. The point is to have fun and relax.

Every day that's gone by, I've felt more and more anxious about it. Instead of looking forward to the trip, I was worrying about the financials. It dawned on me that maybe the reason I was feeling this way was because it's not right for me to go, not so soon. So I finally worked up the nerve this evening to tell my friend that though I want to go, January is too soon. The camera purchase wasn't the issue -- I've been planning that for a while. But that car repair was a surprise. To get back on track, I've got to mind some P's and Q's for a couple months.

She was very understanding, thankfully. She's dealing with some health issues, so I think she was relieved that I brought it up. It's possible that she'd been feeling some anxiety and like me, was afraid to bring it up.

I could tell it was the right decision because as soon as I e-mailed her, I felt lighter. A weight lifted from my shoulders. It felt like the right thing to do.

My ultimate goal is to be debt free and to have $10,000 in savings in 23 months. To do that, sometimes these kinds of decisions have to be made.

And since I mentioned the camera, I just want to add that I've scheduled the payment to cover its purchase. I didn't want interest building on the amount. Also, the monthly update for December is coming up soon and I wanted the debt amount to be where it should be. Granted, the savings picture will be lower, but that'll change between now and December 31. You'll see.