$25k down for the year, $10k to go. Fall is not very predictable with one income stream in a role sensitive to shutdowns, but glad we got a lot taken care of already and are comfortable with our core YNAB budget so our worries are about paying extra and not paying minimums.

Hi y’all (I identify as a Minnetusker - Minnesotan, Texan, and Nebraskan - but “y’all” still feels foreign!)

I just signed up over the weekend and I’m super on board!! My major short term goal is to pay down my debt by the end of 2021. At the beginning of the year I was carrying about $36,000 of consumer debt 😳 I’m happy to report I’ve knocked out about $15,000 and am at $24,000.  I’ve been binging budgeting YouTube videos... of course I came across YNAB and became VERY intrigued.  You guys - I’m totally geeking out on YNAB!! Even though I created my debt repayment plan and have been doing well... I really want to make sure I get there.  I know YNAB is just the path I need to take to get me there.  When I saw this smack down I really wanted to join in, but figured it was too late.   But it looks like I can jump on in. So....CANNON BALL!!!!

September check-in: Happy to have Canada Pension and unemployment insurance deductions finally gone from my paycheck, so I get that lovely little boost for the rest of the year. Payment this month of $2908.69. That puts me at a total of 73,6% of my total debt payment goal. Thing I'm looking forward to with my next pay in October, I'll be moving from 5 figures to 4 figures left to pay:) As well, next month is one of the mystical extra paycheck months! I have a countdown app, and as of right now and all being well, I am 98 days away from being debt free!!!!

auntdar said:
As well, next month is one of the mystical extra paycheck months!

 We get paid on Wednesdays (weird) so September 30th is the 3rd pay. But its going to fund October anyway so who knows, this could be the bit we need to be a WHOLE month ahead.

$2714.70 for September.   70.82% of my goal.  I need to step it up just a little bit to reach my goal.   I actually had a big windfall that I used to pay 2 large personal loans and some back property taxes that I hadn't included in the 2020 Smackdown.  Now I won't need to put them in 2021!  (And they are no longer weighing me down😊) 

September Check In - was able to put a small windfall (mostly) towards debt and pay off my car 4 months early! And pay a little extra on the next debt in line.  Then chose to pad my true expenses a little with the rest. On track to be debt free (other than mortgage) by June 2021. So grateful for YNAB. 

It's been a very long time since I checked in! I didn't even realize it had been 3-4 months! Since my last check in, I've put over 3k toward my debt. I've been able to maintain my positive net worth, I haven't paid interest on my revolving credit cards in at least 4 months, and my credit score finally got 800! I'm also unexpectedly living rent free until December/January, so I will absolutely be able to pay off all my debt and put some money into savings by the end of the year! I'm currently saving up for a new computer, some work that I need done on my car before I move in December/January, and for a big unnecessary but very much wanted cosmetic procedure next April. Sending good vibes and good luck to everyone out there! It's been nearly two years since I started with YNAB and I'm still in love with it and what it's done for my financial situation 🥰

September Check in:  Just continuing along, pretty much the same as last month, paid $2950 towards our debt.  Creeping closer!

Sept Update: I feel like I am less in control of my money these few months, I know covid has played a part for some things.

I'm in more debt then I've ever been since I started Ynab, I don't really know what I'm doing - I think I need to consider going back to Ynab4. I felt much more in control when I was on that platform. 

Otherwise, I've had to clear my cc from large amounts for the second time in a few months, I've also now finished my 0% transfer time period and still have over 6k left. I'll get the covid 3 months assist, so I don't have to worry about the interest and min payments for the next 3 months. Everything feels a bit crap right now. I'm not sure how to proceed.

Late September checkin--alas, only paid off $140.00 this month. I really need to get going with putting aside the extra money! One change I decided to make this month was to add a label to things in my Wish Farm that I *know* I can get for free (say, in Buy Nothing groups or from friends); hopefully that's a little extra motivation not to be like "but I neeeeeeeed this"! Haven't gotten further into debt though, which is great!

Here's the September update for my debt smackdown:

MC -       $229.46       $61.00          $168.46

Total -   $229.46        $61.00         $168.46

Extra -                             $50.22

FINALLY below $200! I can't wait to have that GONE, but there's no reason to pay it off in a hurry since it's interest free and the money is sitting in my account instead. I'll be patient and let it ride out until December when the promotional period ends.

The extra that I've been throwing at the car loan (the $50.22) has the loan down to right at $6200.00, whatever is left when the year rolls over I'll start working on with the smackdown for the new year. Undebt.it has me paying it off in July of 22, but who knows what will happen at this point. I think that's a year early, but I'd have to go back and look at my records to figure it out. I'm just happy I'm able to throw anything extra at the loan at the moment, I'm pleased I've been able to sustain this for as long as I have. That's a pretty big accomplishment in my rather small budget.

This also puts me at 106% of my debt paid off, which makes me happy. I'm really proud that I've FINALLY been able to get into a position where I could keep up with this AND not add any new debt! Every other year (what, 3 years running, I think?) that I've been a part of this I have ended up adding new debt instead of decreasing, so while I might have paid off some of the goal, I didn't actually really gain any real ground. This has been a long time coming!

September Check-in:

Paid off in September: £425.66
Paid off YTD: £6158.31 (61.58%)
Remaining: £3841.69 (for this year's goal) / £24,758 (total left to go)

- OOF things have been tight! Hubs has just got a job offer (3 days ago) so we're crossing all fingers and toes that this works out. I am SO IMMENSELY GRATEFUL for YNAB and this debt smackdown. We have only added a little bit of additional debt to the pot to help us get by, mainly due to a last minute panic because we hadn't got everything for the kids going back to school.

We're getting used a 4 mile round trip to school instead of using the car, have had takeout once in the past 2 months (which was to celebrate the job offer and we had 20% discount code), and have been frugal with food, heating, water, gifts. BUT the little buffer has run out now. Just need to hold on a little bit longer, hopefully! What a year it's been! 

This month, I’m really struggling with only having 3 months left and just a little over $4K left to pay off. I may not meet my goal this year. But I can’t be upset at myself. I have finally stopped living paycheck to paycheck. I’m on a 6-month payment plan for my car insurance. That alone is a fanatic feeling. Seeing how I haven’t been able to do this since I was in my teens and even than that was short lived. I’ve paid off both of my credit cards. And the last thing is I’m not taking money out of my savings account to make ends meet. So, the emergency fund is slowly growing. I’m really feeling blessed for all that I have done this far. Let’s see what next month will hold.

September Update:

This month I paid $1000 to my personal loan/credit card.  This means that I have met my goal and paid off 100% of my debt. 

I'm so excited to have no personal debt left, just my student loans.  I have one private student loan that I'm planning on tackling aggressively in 2021 but for now I will pay a bit over the minimums and continue to build my emergency fund. 

I could have never done this without the Smackdown forum.  I'm so proud to have done this with such a strong collective of driven individuals.  Good luck to everyone still working toward their goals! You're all amazing!

September Check-in

Truck and Car payments were made as planned (minimums, although camper is paid).   First of 10 payments for the Driveway Loan has been made.  True expenses are still being funded.  

Work update:   No change since June.  Still running lots.  Regular routes are on the horizon, though.

The mortgage that is being refinanced from a 20-year (3 down, 17 to go, 4.95%) to a 15-year at 2.75% STILL hasn't closed.  I'm hesitant to add to the vehicle payment since we may or may not need to bring money to closing.

MILESTONE CELEBRATION:  meh.  Still reeling from adding the driveway to the mix.  Non-mortgage debt is back above 100k.  I'm trying to enjoy the pothole-free ride from the road to the house.  Ever watched an HGTV show when Hillary or Jonathan must add to the budget for something structural?  It's like that.

Continued prayers that the virus will be stopped soon & forever.

September Check-In

Paid off in September: £384.91
Paid off YTD: £6335.36 (29.26%)
Remaining: £15319.78

September was a tough month. I struggled to get over the disappointment in my last update whereby I'm paying out a lot in tax, which is eating into my cashflow. I really lost motivation and struggled to keep YNAB updated. I really didn't follow my budget at all.

However, last week I finally got my tax return done, and found that I didn't get the tax rebate I was expecting. Quite the opposite in fact - I now apparently owe even more in tax! However, I should be able to offset some of that with the excess tax I'm paying at the moment.

I'm now looking at consolidating the remaining debt to try and reduce the monthly outgoings.

September update: Line 500

Paid $2691 towards my credit cards, truck loan, and RV loan. The bulk of that was clearing my first credit card completely! It was a stretch to make that payment work, but it felt sooo good. 

Roll with the punches: My expenses did not end up being distributed in the categories that I expected because I had to flee from CA to WA to get away from fires (I live in an RV), but it has all worked out. I paid more in diesel this month, but because I'm camping my parents' driveway, my food costs are way down. Take what you can get!