Hey guys! How was your August? Did you stay on track? Did you make some serious dents in your debts? I felt like I blinked and August was gone. School started back up, both jobs picked up, and I felt like I had missed a lot of life lately. In the middle of that, I had a few trips to the urgent care (all is well now), doctor’s appointments, and a pretty major car repair. Ugh. I get that it is part of life. I’m just not a fan of anything that hinders my goals. :( #TypeA

Alright, let’s see how I did:

Credit Cards/Personal: $2,064.34 (down from $4,998.93)
Medical: $3,299.20 (down from $4,521.62)
Student Loans: $25,299.26 (down from $26,000.56)

Wait, what? Even with all that I had going on, I still paid off $1,171.71?! Color me impressed! I have been getting…creative…so I guess it’s working. What do I mean by that? Well, some days, I feel like a mad scientist; mixing a little bit of this, adding a handful of that and screaming, “Live, dammit!” at my creation. Then watching it come to life while I’m cackling in the background like I just cracked the code of life or something. Sometimes it’s a homemade toy I’m whipping up for my youngest to play with; other times it’s downloading a coupon for a free meal. :) Regardless, I’m approaching things completely different now. If I can save money, I’ll do it. If I can save time or energy, I’ll do it. If I hit the trifecta, I get pretty giddy. My poor friends have heard me, over and over, getting hyped up over things such as buying one of my favorite childhood movies used for $7.50 versus brand new for $40. Yeah. That happened.

In the midst of all that this month, I’ve learned I needed to increase my grocery budget. I’ve gone over budget for groceries the last few months. It’s just a reality I need to face. For a family of four with some dietary restrictions, I’m testing the waters with adding another $100. I’m hoping this will be sufficient. That’s my experiment for this month — stay within budget and get creative!

So, if you recall, I wanted to pay off my last high-interest debt. I didn’t get it paid off but I’m REALLY CLOSE. As in “only a couple hundred dollars” close. I wanna cinch up the belt and make it happen!

How about you? Are you close to paying off a debtor? Are you giving yourself internal high-fives for getting a “buy one, get one” coupon from Qdoba? Are you making coffee (or tea, in my case) at home versus shelling out $5? You’re doing GREAT! Keep it up! :)

To see all of Sarah’s Spending Fast journey posts click on her name at the top of the post, and to follow all of the Spending Fasters click here.

P.S. Ready to get out of debt ASAP? Check out the Spending Fast Bootcamp!