So hopefully... all going well.. I'll be debt-free this time next month !! It is kinda excited in an intellectual sense but I don't feel it emotionally yet...
I was debating with myself recently whether I should just let my loan run its course until October this year instead of paying it off next month but I decided to stick to my debt-free target of April 2010.
Incurred a 15 euro referral fee from my Bank - yesterday - not nice ! But my own fault. I usually have anywhere from 500 to 1000 euro in my bank account so I expected there to be enough there to meet my Brother's birthday present and a pre-emptive debt-free gift I bought myself - BUT my loan repayment went out at the same time so I was overdrawn for a day and the Bank charged my 15 euro for the privilege. My own fault - but I've become used to having that buffer in my Bank account so I've stopped worrying about not having enough money for purchases of less than 500. Live and Learn !
Also - my Bank which is a really good bank from a customer service point of view and which also pays 5% interest on money in my checking account is closing !! Bummer.
2 choices now. A bank that pays 2% interest on checking account but with bad customer service and queues OR a quieter bank with less queues and better customer service but no credit interest - I've decided to with the no interest bank as I value helpful friendly staff which this bank has.
The debt-free gift I bought myself is a week on holiday with my family. I didn't really want to go from a financial point of view as it will stretch my budget at the time when I am paying off the last of my debt. But I thought I will honour my family and spend quality time with them and also it will be a reward for becoming debt-free (which is a major thing for me).
Bits n Pieces
February 11th, 2010 at 11:21 am
February 11th, 2010 at 04:38 pm 1265906287
It is good to "splurge" from time to time on things such as a family vacation. The key is to have balance in your life. Save and plan for the future but don't forget to enjoy the present. Have fun!