Back to Square One

Guess who finally received her home buyer credit? Yep, this lady right here! I checked my bank balance this morning and there it was in my account. With interest. I literally jumped for joy.

The buzz didn't last long, however. Before I did anything else, I paid off what was due on my mattresses. And then I paid off my AmEx, which was creeping up, thanks to the fine offerings by G*lt Group. And I splurged on a dress -- a hot dress -- from Anthro. If you saw this dress, you'd understand why it had to be purchased.

I'm still paying for health stuff. I owed a pretty penny on my epidural injections to cover what remained on my insurance deductible. There wasn't enough in the HSA to cover it, so it had to come out of pocket last week. And then there are the copayments for my chiropractic visits. Again, I know I'll get reimbursed for the health expenses at the end of the year, but right now it's frustrating.

And I had to write a check for something else -- something I'm not ready to mention here. It's a good thing, if anxiety producing, but it cost $200 that I hadn't planned on spending.

So why the title "Back to Square One"? Because I'm back to being debt free, baby! How phenomenal is this? Here's some perspective for you:

On August 1, 2009, I owed $9,659.49. I had savings (about $5,100), but I owed $9,600. And now? About 50 bucks. And about $9,800 in savings. What a difference two years make.

I do still have to buy a couch, so that savings balance won't stay that high. Otherwise, I'm going to work to keep my spending to a minimum. I'm in good shape and it feels good.