That time I put $3,946.92 to debt

Can someone please explain to me how it is already October? Where has this year gone? Where did September go?

This year has been an epic whirlwind and so many good things have happened. It all feels surreal and weird and awesome at the same time. But it’s not all fun and games, that’s for sure. This past week, I’ve definitely felt some of the extreme lows that you can feel when you are your own boss.

Solopreneurship is so very rewarding when you can see an idea you had come to life — and be appreciated by others. But when things don’t go well, or when things feel overwhelming, you’re the only one to deal with it. But as Tess Vigeland from FinCon said, I’d rather be on a roller coaster than a merry-go-round.

I’m feeling better now but have had some mood swings lately. I’m blaming it on the moon.

In other news, September was my BEST debt repayment month yet. I’m in the home stretch!

Last month I put $3,946.92 to debt. My original goal was to put $2,000 a month to debt, so this is nearly double my original goal. My current numbers are:

Undergrad: $4,883.59
Grad: $12,322.92
Total: $17,206.51

I keep thinking about all the different scenarios of how I can reach debt freedom as soon as possible and to be honest, I’m not sure all of them are healthy. In the past week or two, I’ve thought about:

• Completely draining my emergency fund (the plan is to draw from it a little toward the end and replenish the very next month — but not all of it)
• Borrow money from myself that is set aside for my self-employment taxes (ugh, probably not the best idea, but taxes aren’t due again until January. What if I can make it up by then?)
• Selling some of my FinCon swag (is that terrible? Anyone need a selfie stick, ha?!)

Like I said, I’m in full on problem-solving mode and I just want this gone, yesterday! I never imagined being this close. For so long, I was paying off debt at a snail’s pace. When you make $1300-$2,000 each month, it’s very hard to make any progress on a large balance of debt. I’m now putting more to debt than I ever made in a month and it’s kind of mind-blowing.

It’s crazy to me, because here’s the thing. This blog isn’t the most popular nor does it have a lot of traffic. I’m not the most talented writer out there. I don’t think many people would consider me traditionally successful. But I’m still doing the damn thing! What makes me different?

• I’ve never stopped hustling, ever
• I’ve tried many things, failed, learned
• I’ve built genuine connections with people
• I’ve cut things out when I outgrew them (which can be quite painful actually, when people you like are in the picture)
• I learned to say no to working for free. Exposure doesn’t pay the bills
• I’ve learned how to be bold
• I think about ways to turn everything into an opportunity

Taking a different approach has given me a new lease on life — and a shorter debt repayment. Soon, I’ll be saving and investing and will finally dump debt for good. I can’t wait.

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Melanie

Melanie Lockert is the founder of the blog and author of the book, Dear Debt. Through her blog, she chronicled her journey out of $81,000 in student loan debt. She is also the co-founder of the Lola Retreat, which helps bold women face their fears, own their dreams and figure out a plan to be in control of their finances. She is passionate about empowering women, helping others get out of debt, and focuses on the intersection of debt and mental health. Every September she organizes a Suicide Prevention Awareness Blog Tour, to help share resources for those struggling with debt and suicide. In addition to her love of personal finance, art and music, she is also a karaoke master and a cat mom to Miles and Thelonious.

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