October 2006 Totals

0!!!!!! - Credit cards !!!!!!!
8427 - Car
32864 - Student loans

41291 - Total

Yes! I did it! I paid off my credit card! I am going to be eating a hell of a lot of rice this month, but it will taste so awesome, I can just tell.

I think I may revise my strategy just a bit for a couple of months to really get my emergency fund funded, as well as some sort of long-term savings set up. I'll probably start reporting those totals each month too, once they start being a little less embarrassing. I did have a fair amount saved up, and then there were all these....emergencies.

My strategy is changing a bit from here on out, based on some talk I've been having with some very kind and wise folk on a PF forum I found.

I think that I will beef up the Emergency Fund (EF) first, then focus aggressively on paying off my car by June 2007. Then I will work on the student loans while also putting the maximum $4000 a year in a Roth IRA.

I think this will allow me to stay on track in paying off my debts, or maybe finish paying them off a few months later than scheduled, while making sure that I do start on some long-term plans and planning for short-term unexpected needs as well!