I'm Doing It Again

I'm obsessing. I can't stop looking at my transaction register or checking online to see what my bank balance is. I'm not floating near a zero balance, so there's no need for urgency. And yet I keep pulling out my wallet and going through the numbers. And if I'm not doing that, I'm writing nonsense in my debt journal.

I'm trying to tell myself that my overattention will only inhibit my financial growth. Nothing can grow if it's being crowded every five minutes. But then my OCD kicks in and I'm compelled to check stuff again. And again. And again.

I failed my last attempt to go a few days without checking my account, but I'm going to try again. My goal is to go a week, until March 7, without trying to balance my account. All the bills are paid (or scheduled for payment) so there's no need to worry about that. All necessary transfers to and from my accounts have also been scheduled.

I have only to sit back and let the dust settle. For seven days.

So, to give me the full opportunity to do this, I won't be doing the balances on March 1. I'll do it all on March 7. See ya then.

Sneaky, Sneaky

To simplify a few things, I recently set up an automatic bill payment for the Big Beast, scheduling a payment of the minimum amount (usually in the $270 range) to be paid the day after the e-bill is received.

I guess my infrequent use of the card, as well as my stepped-up payment plan, has clued the bank in regarding my plans: to pay off the card. My plan would definitely cut down on interest charges.

So today when I received my e-bill, I couldn't help but notice the special offer -- a reduced minimum payment due. And I mean laughably reduced. How reduced? How's $15?

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. Because I'd set up the automatic bill payment, that's all that would've been paid this month had I not noticed, meaning my balance would've incurred a helluva lot more interest for next month. So I did the right thing: I scheduled an extra payment to make my regular budgeted amount -- plus their $15 minimum due. So take that, Big Beast Bank! You're not gonna stop me from paying you off.

Obsess Much?

For many reasons -- all of which are too personal to disclose in a blog about my debt -- the older I get, the more my OCD behavior gets out of control. I think that it's because there are so many things I can't control that the few things I can control get way too much attention.

One of those things I'm obsessing over is my financial situation. I check my checking account balance several times a day, despite that the balance isn't going to change over the course of a few hours. Or I'm writing in my debt journal, crunching numbers. Or I'm thinking about it. My desire to pay off my debt has almost reached a level of desperation.

So ... I think it's time I cut myself off for a few days. No checking the savings accounts or the credit card balances. I'd like to not check the checking account, but as this is toward the end of the pay period and money is starting to get kinda tight, I may check that balance again -- but not until tomorrow, at the earliest, and then not again until (gasp!) next week, on pay day. It's going to be a long week.

February 2008 Updates

I've updated the savings and credit card balances. The totals are over there on the side, but here's how the debt breaks out:

Little Beast: $2,085.69
Big Beast: $16,522.36

A $40 payment will be made today toward the Big Beast. I'd used that card to order some facial products, but was a good girl and scheduled an automatic payment from my checking account to pay it. The payment was scheduled for today, but it hasn't posted it.

The savings balance doesn't include a $500 payment that's scheduled to be sent today. It hasn't posted yet either. But at least it's on its way and will be reflected in the March 1 balances.

So there's been some progress. Woohoo!

Also, according to the post office's delivery confirmation, the boots have made it to their return destination. So now all I have to do is stay on top of the progress of my credit to my credit card. That, and the credit card payments that will be made this month, will also reflect in the March balances.

Here's to a prosperous February!