There’s an old saying that says that when it rains it pours. I feel that’s true for me right now with the amount of Money I am spending on my credit card. In my last post about my September Debt Payoff Report, I reported that my credit card debt is likely to reach a whopping $18,000. Despite the fact that I try hard not to use my credit card, unfortunately, unexpected expenses keep coming up that forces me to spend money. I suppose the saying “When It Rains It Pours” is similar to Murphy’s Law. Murphy’s law says that “anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” Woe is me. So, let’s take a look at some of the additional expenses and debt that I had to recently incur.

Beach Trip

I planned months ago to take a beach trip with my mom. I currently live with my mom, but she hasn’t seen the condos yet for herself. However, based on my Treatment Schedule, it made sense for me and my mom to book a hotel the night before we have to leave.

Now, if I was just staying by myself, I would stay at a 2-star motel. I don’t care. But, I can’t put my mom in such a hotel. So, it’s going to cost about $400 to put my mom up at a nice hotel for a couple of nights. There’s a chance we may only need one night but we will see.

When I originally planned this trip, it was convenient with my treatment schedule (which I had taken into account), but you know, Murphy’s Law took effect and my treatment schedule had to change. It is what it is.

Trip To Barcelona

Ok this wasn’t entirely an unexpected expense. Back in August, I made the decision to travel to Spain. I’ve never been and Barcelona was on my bucket list.

90% of my spending money occurred on a credit card while I was in Spain. It was simply safer than carrying cash and a lot more convenient. I haven’t yet don’t the math on how money I spent, but let’s just say it’s a lot.

I did try to make some payments on my credit card since, but sufficed to say, my payment wasn’t nearly as much money as I spent.

Honestly though, I would have chosen to go to Spain 10 times out of 10 because saving money isn’t always my primary concern. Enjoying life is! Of course, I can’t do so recklessly, but money is not the only thing I consider when making lifestyle decisions.

Car Maintenance

Well this one sucks. I knew I had to get an oil change once I got back from Spain. Also, my heat shield that covers my car’s underbelly seemed to have been lose. So, I took my car in for an oil change and to get an overall inspection done on the vehicle.

When Firestone did their inspection, they recommended I get two new tires and a windshield wiper as well, as fixing the heat shield and oil change. Of course, I am a big preventative maintenance guy and so I followed their recommendations.

Nearly $500 dollar later, I feel safe driving my vehicle, but my wallet suffered.

I could cry but there’s no use crying over spilt milk!

Final Thoughts

I am hoping that I can get a break from having to spend money on my credit card. Additionally, I am committing to bringing the balance down. My card balance is nearly $20,000! The interest rate is super high. So, the struggle is real!

I do some some good news, even if it is a bit premature. I applied for a dream job of mine and I did receive an interview. Even if I do well on the interview, there are likely at least two more additional rounds of interviews. It’s very hard to get and it’s a super long-shot (I have no direct experience in the field), but at least I’m in the running. It’s probably a 6-month hiring process even if I get past the first interview.

If somehow I get that job, ALL of my financial stress would be over!

But, I am trying not to count my chickens before they hatch. So, I am not banking on it and I’m actually operating as if I won’t get accepted. We shall see.

In any case, I will do what I can to both get my expenses under control and to eliminate this credit card debt as soon as possible. I’m even contemplating getting a personal loan to take care of the credit card debt, but I would HAVE to stop spending money on my credit card first and right now. I can’t say I am there yet.

Regardless of my successes or failures, I will always be transparent with where I am.

So, what did you think of this post? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below.

The post When It Rains It Pours appeared first on Dividend Portfolio.