Year of the Student Loan Update

I am seven months into the year of the student loan. While racking up the bill in graduate school, I would come home everyday from classes and share my evening studying plan with my roommate. She would check in and see how I progressed, to which I would respond, I am good, just a bit behind schedule (usually because I was sidetracked into something more fun like hunting for m&m’s under the couch, catching up with said roommate, or listening to basketball games on sports radio). We would chuckle about it, but at the end of the day, we both walked successfully away with our degrees. I would say this story is a lot how my year of the student loan is going, on track with de-cluttering life, but a bit behind schedule on the to do’s of getting the job done.

I have made my lunch most days. There have been slip-ups and times I have definitely called a friend to meet me at Zaxby’s so I could indulge in its’ greasy goodness and real milkshakes. But at the end of the day I have spent more time with people I care about because of my apparent addiction to Zalads and Zandwiches. I cut my daily spending down (thanks to not feeling the push to meet free shipping dollar amounts) to where I only needed to use 50% of my budgeted vacation fund for my trip to California. That freed up extra funds to put towards bills. I have recycled more, probably a combination of being more responsible for the world God entrusted to me as His daughter and of needing the space in my trash bin to get rid of all of the things that fill up space in my home that I have to clean and keep neat. To date I have gotten rid of well over 365 things, including golf clubs, clothes, pottery, bake ware, old toys from childhood, a lawnmower, couch, flooring tiles, knitting looms, shelves, and old movies. I have ebbed and flowed in social media, but overall have gotten better at filling my time with people and projects that are better suited for me to grow spiritually and personally.

The biggest piece of the year of the student loan was taking my house off the market to use the finances I had saved for the next house to bite off a big chunk of the loan. Funny thing it, the house sold before that step happened. At the time, I was waiting for my realtor contract to end. But then I stalled for a bit, not intentionally, but stalled just the same. It seemed each time I picked up the phone to call my realtor, someone came in wanting my help. (God knows my weak spot.) In late January it sold and in March I moved.

I rolled forward, unbelievably amazed and thankful that after placing the desire to move outside of myself, God turned the deck of cards around and gave the move a green light. I moved into the first house I drove by and the 17th house I stepped into. A story that is worthy of it’s own blog post for sure! It has felt like home since the first moment I walked through the front door. It has provided a safe and peaceful space for rest I didn’t know how much I needed. Yes, it has put me a bit behind my student loan schedule (end of 2016, by my new calculations), but I am so much further ahead in the game of this life of mine. It just goes to show that I am not in control of this life I live and for that I am thankful. I could not imagine a better year to date.