Financial Freedom Update for December 2008

I’m $1,449.50 closer to being financially free.  At the end of November 2008, I was $26,298.59 in debt.  Today, I’m $24,849.09 .  I paid off 5.51% of my debt so far.  I’ve been good the past two months with my spending and I hope to continue this in 2009.

I made a number of returns month.  I returned the Maui Jim sunglasses at Sunglass Hut in Macy’s as well as the clothing I bought at Brooks Brothers.  I found the sunglasses cheaper elsewhere and I just can’t afford the shirts and ties at Brooks Brothers.  I really loved those ties.  When I reach my health goals, I’ll head back to Brooks Brothers.

My spending has been moderate. My good ol’ Levi’s jeans are beginning to look like products from Abercrombie and Fitch so it was time to buy a pair of jeans.  I found a pair of Levi’s but to my dismay, the fabric felt cheap now.  I started hunting for new jeans and found a pair at Martin and Osa.  I am planning to return them because they wouldn’t do a price adjustment for me.  I can’t support a store that gives away free Fiji water to its customers and then unwilling to perform an $8.00 price adjustment.  Other clothing purchases are investments in myself.  I bought the REI Winter Momentum pants for running. I caved in an bought a marathon photo of myself.  It was hella expensive but you only do you first marathon once.

I also went out to dinner a few times with my brothers.  We need to get out of  our parent’s home every so often to stay sane.  Spending a few dollars to eat out to stay sane saves us hundreds of dollars in rent.  I will be reimbursed one meal because I performed a secret shop for the restaurant.  Did I mention my Starbuck’s purchase already?  It’s been over three months since I’ve purchased anything at Starbuck’s and discovered how much better home brewed coffee can taste. .I realized how bitter their coffee is and how overly sweet their concoctions are.  I learned to live without it.  It takes as much time to brew it as ordering it and have it prepared for you at Starbuck’s.

I was blessed with more hours at work in December.  They gave me 38 hours last week and 29 this week.  I also got paid for the mystery shops that I did in November.  With the economy being the way it is, my hours will start tapering off even more.  It’s alright since school resumes January 20th.  I need time to adjust to a full load of classes.

To wrap this month up, I won the College Money Network”s Frugal Holiday Giveaway!  Yes!  The good folks at CMN sent me a beautiful red iPod shuffle that I turned around and gave as a gift.  Thanks to them,  my brother finally has the iPod Shuffle he wanted to take to the gym and I saved me a ton of loot.  I was tempted to keep it but alas, I have a white nano already.

This is all I have to report for December.  How did everyone’s December fare?  I hope everyone else had a good December as well.