Still organizing the house--a year after the move

I’m on vacation for a few weeks and I’ve spent parts of the first three days working on organization in the house. It’s about a year since I moved in. A lot of stuff got put into boxes and moved into the storage room and the garage. We had stuff that we didn’t have an immediate need for, but didn’t want to part with in the fear that we might need it “some day”.
That day has come and gone. If I haven’t needed it in the past year, I’m assuming I’ll never need it. Now, after trips to the dump, the recyling shed, and the thrift store, the garage is tidier, the storage room has empty space on the shelve, and I’m feeling as if a big weight of anxiety has been lifted from my back.
I used to think it’s about having more, but now I know it’s about wanting less. I think there’s a direct correlation between letting stuff go and the fact that my line of credit is paid off.

See more progress on: get more organized

Done, done, done

I’ve finally paid off the line of credit. From over $20,000 in the hole to back even. It took over two years of $1,000/month payments to do it. I’m saving over $100/month in interest payments alone. It took a complete change of mindset, but it’s done.

See more progress on: pay my line of credit

Reading French in translation

In the last two weeks I’ve read Bouvard and Pecuchet by Flaubert and am half way through Winter in Majorca by Georges Sand. Over the winter I read several Elizabethan tragedies and a couple of comedies by Moliere. I know the tragedies aren’t French, but I thought I’d better make note of them before I forgot.

See more progress on: Read more great books

The big debt is gone

I’ve finally gotten my line of credit down to zero, the car is paid off, and all credit cards are up to date. It was a struggle, but now I’m ready for phase two: actually building up my cash reserves. I’m probably 5 years or more away from full retirement, so I have a limited time of big earnings in which to do it.
One thing I have to be careful of is the lure of “toys”: a new car, electronics, gadgets. I’m in the demographic that advertisers don’t really hunger after, so there will be less temptation. My “vices” now are small: a bottle of wine on Friday night, the odd new book, and coffee at Starbucks.

See more progress on: learn to save money

It's getting closer

We’ve set the date, purchased the marriage license, hired a marriage commissioner, and invited our guests. It’s just over two weeks away. I’m calm; she’s nervous. It will be fine.

See more progress on: marry Christine