August Break-through: This is a "quickie" post. I was excited to see my balance under $30K at the end of August. I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the student debt tunnel, and I'm incredibly grateful that God has blessed me to have good health (despite myself!) and secure employment to make considerable progress. Yes, my balance of $26.6K is still large, but it feels manageable compared to where I was at the beginning of this year, which was at $69.5K.
Getting here meant throwing most of my bonus checks and other compensation at my debt, and it was the biggest payment - five figure range! - I've ever made in a single month. For a brief moment, I was tempted to set aside money to fund a few mini vacations, but I changed my mind. I'm too close to the finish line to get off course. And I have a feeling that my future vacations will be more enjoyable as a debt-free traveler!