April Update

by Melanie

April was worse than I expected, given my challenges of no drinking or eating out. I had some budget busters in there like my friend’s birthday at a sushi restaurant, it was time to buy a 6 month round of contacts, and I also paid a special arts tax that was due. I also failed both of my challenges, in some way.

I think focusing on one thing at a time is better for me, rather than do two challenges at once. I ended up eating out about once a week, which is still better than my ‘normal’, but definitely not good if you are trying to do a 30 day challenge.

I slipped up one day on my drinking challenge. So I went 29 out of 30 days of April without drinking. I must say that my mood felt more stable, I was able to sleep better, my skin looked better and I had more energy. I realized in the 7 years I have been drinking, I’ve never taken a 30 day break. That’s a lot of work for your liver! Also, it made me really aware of my desires. When do I want to drink? And more importantly, why? I feel like here in Portland, the weather is so bad most of the time people just want to hole up in bars and drink. What else is there to do? On the other hand, when it’s nice out, it’s time to celebrate and do some drinking on the fabulous outdoor patios! Similarly, with my emotions, I drink when I am upset or stressed, or if I want to celebrate. In short, I realize there are many reasons why people drink and the key is to do it in moderation and for the right reasons.

Even though I had some budget busters, I still dropped, $1,100 on my student loans! I am so glad that I will be able to continue at this pace, now that I have a job lined up. In addition, I made $395 in side hustle income, which I am hoping to do more of in May.

Remaining student loan balance: $51,948.65

I cannot wait to get under 50k! I am so motivated now that I realized I’ve paid roughly 30k in the past 6 years and have this job.

Melanie
Latest posts by Melanie (see all)

12 comments

debtperception May 2, 2013 - 3:55 pm

29 out of 30 days is not bad at all! I never got in to drinking because my family has a history of alcoholism. I tried wine and some kind of fruity alcoholic beverage once but alcohol just does not suit my taste buds.
Congrats on the student loan progress! Will you continue side hustles once you start the new job?

Reply
doordebt May 2, 2013 - 5:34 pm

I will continue them, but now I can be more selective 🙂 I don’t have to take every gig now and can schedule time for other interests!

Reply
anna May 2, 2013 - 4:29 pm

Wow, congrats on your debt payoff amount, that’s huge!! I think it’s great that you had some learning take-aways from the alcohol challenge – sugars/sweets have the same effect on me, which is why I’m trying to control this. Do you have any May goals lined up? 🙂

Reply
doordebt May 2, 2013 - 5:37 pm

Nothing official, but I definitely want to work out more, study languages more, continue writing, cut out caffeine for a period of time and continue to be better with not eating out and not drinking.

Reply
Girl Meets Debt (@girlmeetsdebt) May 2, 2013 - 11:37 pm

Congrats on a great month lady! I’m so close to being under the 50K mark as well! I can already tell May will be a great month for you!

Reply
doordebt May 5, 2013 - 5:00 pm

Yay, it will feel so nice once we are under 50k!

Reply
Erin @ Red Debted Stepchild May 3, 2013 - 4:47 pm

Yay, almost under $50k! That’s great :).

My student loans are lower than that, but my total debt is quite a bit higher, so I’m looking forward to reaching $50k as well. Baby steps.

Reply
doordebt May 5, 2013 - 5:01 pm

Ugh debt sucks! You will get there slowly but surely. You are right, baby steps!

Reply
Edward May 4, 2013 - 1:35 am

Don’t feel too bad about having never gone 30 days without a drink. I’ve known people who never went 24 hours without one! For me, alcohol is like snack foods. If it’s there, I’ll probably keep drinking (within reason) until it’s gone. But if it isn’t, I rarely miss it and sometimes go months without.

Reply
doordebt May 5, 2013 - 5:02 pm

Haha so true. Your snacking philosophy is interesting, but it makes sense.

Reply
Budget & the Beach May 5, 2013 - 2:33 pm

Hey 29 out of 30 isn’t bad. I didn’t find any positive health improvements with doing the challenge. Not sure what I’m missing because nothing changed. Oh…back to moderation. This month might be one of those budget busters for me! ugh! 🙁

Reply
doordebt May 5, 2013 - 5:02 pm

Bummer! I’m sorry you didn’t feel any different. Moderation is key going forward.

Reply

Leave a Comment

* By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More