This Friday...

This Friday I'll be making a relatively large payment to my credit card.  On top of the normal payment, and some side income, I'll have an extra $320 to put towards it.  The way I budget, I pay my bills early and sometimes by the time I have a payment due, I'll have an extra money sitting around because I paid the bill so early.  That is how I have the extra $320 that should be going toward Credit Card #4, but I'll have another paycheck coming in before the next payment for credit card #4 is due. 
Anyway, I'm well on my way for meeting my end of the year goal of having 3 out of the 4 credit cards paid off!  woo hoo!

So excited!

After some quick calculations and drafting of budgets for the next few months, I do believe that I will have paid off 3 of my 4 credits cards by the end of the year.  And on top of that, I believe I will have extra money for savings, Christmas gifts, and other incidentals that will creep up.  After the new year, I can focus on the very last credit card, which of course has the biggest balance.  I'm hoping that with intensity and my extra side income, I can knock that out by the end of the following year. 
Along the way, I might take breaks here and there to recharge my batteries.  My sweet BF is so burnt out at work and has been talking about going on vacation, so I might have to save up for that in the middle of my debt pay-off.  Going on vacation during a marathon debt-payoff is such a big no-no, but I almost feel like my debt is punishing him too when I can't up and go on a trip due to my debt.  If we do go somewhere, it will be done responsibly, paid for in advance with cash, and no additional debt accrued.

Just squeaking by...

My boyfriend and I have a joint account for household expenses.  I'm sure Dave Ramsey would disapprove, because he believes finances should not be mixed until a couple is married.  I found it to be more stressful asking my BF for his share of money every couple of weeks to pay for bills.  Inevitably, he would forget, I'd have to front all the money to pay the bills, I'd have to hound my sweet, unorganized man to pay up.  It's much less stressful to just remind him to transfer money to the joint account each payday.  Then we can pay bills, buy groceries, take care of our dog's needs, even eat out occasionally out of that joint account.  Our personal spending still comes from our own separate accounts. 
Anyway, I've just completed the last of the April spending, grocery shopping, paying the water bill, setting aside enough money to purchase our pup's flea, tick, and heartworm meds.  With that, we will have about a $1 left in our account.  And that is A-Ok.   That means I'm budgeting correctly.