And, plans or thoughts on plans

A light at the end of the tunnel for the credit card debt:

$1200 is school loans that my company will pay back, and I'm getting a $2200 bonus in a few days, which I'm going to apply to my cards. That brings credit cards down to around:

$5002.

Still a big number, but not AS bad. I have to laugh, of course, at how I've come to think of things as not THAT bad, when they're still pretty bad.

That will also, minor victory, duck my debt to under the $30K level!

My worst debt will soon become my car, which is worth about as much as I owe. I'm paying a high interest on this. I'm honestly thinking of putting this on low-interst credit card. I know, I have to think of more creative solutions than that. Other thoughts:

1.) Sell it.
2.) Look into better loans.
3.) Consider putting it on a school loan when I get their.

If I go to school out of state, I need to figure out a few things:

1.) How much will moving costs/first few months of living come to?
2.) What will be my source of income?
3.) How much should I have saved?
4.) What do I want my debt structure to look like when I get to school? How much do I want saved? How much do I want paid off?

Point 4 is honestly the most realistic thing I've EVER said about my finances. I've never actually thought of a mature debt structure.

It's way past my bedtime, but this is some progress, which is so much better than my past.

Promised Numbers

Okay, so I did the requisite digging and came up with my real debt figures. It turns out I have a little less than I thought. I was way off on my school loans, by about $3000. It's been so long since I looked at them, I didn't have any idea how much I owed, and I had to ask my dad on the account he has. I was also, thankfully, off by about a grand on the credit card.

$12634- Wells Fargo (my account)
$3705 - Wells Fargo (my father's account -- money he took out for me that I pay back)
$2063 - Mac Loan (money I borrowed from the school itself)

Car:
$4600 @ 9% APR

Credit Cards:
$993 @ 23%APR - Wells Fargo Visa
$1731 @ ($531 @ 29.24%APR & $1,200 @ 3%) - Chase Visa
$3850 @ 0%APR – Discover (expires in April unless I make 3 purchases/mo)
$1828 @ 2% APR - American Express (life of loan)

GRAND TOTAL
$31404

$8402 in credit card debt.
$18402 in school loans
$4600 for my car

Other miscellaneous payments that I make every month:

$500 - rent
$45 - cell phone
$130 - parent support

Sick

God, I'm sick. I think I may have the flu. My head is hot and exploded.

I've been, again, spending too much green. I have to stop this. I went to the movies with a friend, dropped about $20. I guess that's not horrific. Another friend called and I was able to get tickets to (ah, brain's dead)... the guy who wrote "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs." Dropped another $30. I've eaten out several times this week. Probably another $50. It's so freaking embarrassing.

I'm going to spend part of Sunday working on finances. Tonight my GF and I are staying in. Big snows in the area.

Eh.

List of things to post by Sunday

I need to post a few successes here to make this blog feel worthwhile. So here's a to-do list (and I'm HORRIBLE about writing "to-do" lists, so this is astounding):

- Get the real figures for my debt. I know a few are off. I suspect most of my figures are off.
- Get a plan, with respect to how much I should be spending a week, in order to hit some personal goals.

I want to go to grad school come September. I've applied to several creative writing programs. Odds of getting in to any of them: 1-100. Literally. But, we'll see. A lot of my debt can probably be eliminated by then, but that may leave me with nothing but fumes heading into school. I won't know that, of course, unless I actually make some kind of budget, etc.

If I don't get into school, I want to move to San Francisco. A few friends are their. I can get a well-paying job, I'm not worried about that. Transition costs are going to be a bitch, so I need to plan for those, either way.

Okay. Enough. I have to get some work done.

A different day

I've been snooping and I realize a lot of those numbers (for my debt) are substantially off. I'll go home tonight and get the correct digits.

My irresponsibility is multifaceted, but I do try and get better. This is an example. Other things that I've done: I've automated all my payments, so I no longer get late fees for anything. Bill Pay is one thing Wells Fargo has given me that seems to have my best interest (verses their best intere$t) at heart. I've set it up so all my payments go out on the 15th, when I get paid. I haven't, of course, adjust these payments to cover anything but the minimum on my credit cards. I know I have to do that.

I'm one of those people who's always busy. This is how my mind works. I've always got projects, I'm always doing things with friends. Currently:
- I'm writing a book
- I'm editing a friends book
- I'm taking an English class at the University of MN
- I'm applying for graduate school (a VERY big blog will come up about that)

I don't take time to:
- Clean my room
- Work out as much as I should
- Do minor repairs on my car. I haven't changed my oil in probably 10,000 miles. I checked it last night and realized it was empty. I dumped a few quarts in to bring it up. (Tires need to be replaced, spedometer doesn't work. Sadly, this isn't a bad car. 2000 Honda Civic).
- Almost every year, I take too long to renew my tabs, so I end up getting a ticket for overdue tabs. In fact, I'll often get TWO tickets for overdue tabs. This year, I didn't pay the overdue tickets for the overdue tabs, my license got revoked, and I got a ticket for driving on a suspended license. This shit is not unusual for me.
- Taxes. My tax preparation method is to buy a bottle of wine the night taxes are due, drink a good portion of the bottle, blaze through the taxes as fast as I can. I believe my record was 15 min in 2003. God knows if the numbers ever work. I usually leave a form out. I often send something in late.

I have to go to a meeting.

Ciao.

Why I'm a starving artist...

It's very simple. I spent too much money. It started in college. I got the credit card because I wanted the free t-shirt. I said that I was going to tear it up as soon as I got it. Then I was going to use it responsibly. Then I was going to pay off that three hundred bucks... next month.

And it built. I've struggled for years with debt. It stresses me out more than anything. I don't buy things that are outrageous, by any means. I don't own a television, I don't own a house. I just spend my money on stupid little things, every day. I eat out, I buy drinks. I don't use coupons.

I'm a writer. I make my money as a technical writer, and I write fiction and the occasional article in my free time. Starving artist is a horrible misnoemer, actually. I make $45,000 a year, and I usually get a nice bonus. That means, after I pay all my minimum payments, all my bills, I have about $1,000 a month to spend on gas and food.

Actually, let me break this out:
After taxes, my takehome is $2,600 a month.

THIS IS MY DEBT
School Loans:
$12,633.67 - Wells Fargo (my account)
~$4,600 - Wells Fargo (my father's account -- money he took out for me that I pay back)
~$5,000 - Mac Loan (money I borrowed from the school itself)

Car:
~$4,600 @ 9% APR

Credit Cards: (yes, that is ominous music you hear in the background)
$982.70 @ 23%APR - Wells Fargo Visa
~ $1700 @ 23%APR - Chase Visa
~$4,500 @ 0%APR - Discover
~$2,500 @ 2% APR - American Espress

GRAND TOTAL (approximate)
$36,516.37

$9682.70 (oh my god) in credit card debt.
$22,233.67 in school loans
$4,600 for my car

Wow. Go me.

Other miscalaneous payments that I make every month:
$500 - rent
$45 - cell phone
$130 - parent support (mother is disabled)

This really isn't where I want to be in my life. I hate this. I'm almost 30 years old.

This blog is to help me get a handle on things. I don't feel free. I feel trapped, and I am so frustrated.

I have to go and meet some friends (writing group). I'll be back later.