Month in Review: September 2016

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I like to plan things in advance.

I write my posts ahead of time whenever I can, and this post was no different.  I had a cheerful draft of this post all ready to go – I had written about how September is one of my favorite months of the year because the weather is starting to cool off a bit, and it’s time for cozy over-sized sweaters, boots, and pumpkin flavored everything.

My hubby and I have two anniversaries in September – we got married on 9/6/14 and started dating on 9/20/08.  I was ready to publish this positive, (somewhat obnoxiously) cheerful post about how awesome September was.

And then my step grandpa passed away unexpectedly.

So, no, September wasn’t a good month.  My step dad is grieving and I’ve been thinking about how short life is.  There have been too many reminders of this lately.

Here is my month in review:

Frugal Successes

-I made an extra $1,700 payment toward my student loans.  I was hoping to have this particular loan paid off by December, but some unexpected expenses will be incurred soon, so it will probably take longer.

-I went to holy yoga classes 2x per week.

-The hubby and I started Financial Peace University.  I’ve really enjoyed it so far and I’ve been surprised to see that my hubby actually likes it too.  I thought he would hate it, but there has been minimal complaining.

Frugal Lessons

-Earlier this month, I made one of the largest extra payments I’ve ever made on my student loans.  Instead of being conservative and leaving a little cushion in my checking account like I usually do, I chose to make a huge payment.  I made an extra payment of $1,700 with the hope of paying this current loan (which started at over $7,000) off by the end of 2016.

Later that same day, I found out that my step grandpa had passed away.  The funeral will be in another state on the other side of the country.  My step grandma decided to hold the service in October, but obviously this is not typical.  If the funeral had been that same week, I’m not sure how the hubby and I would have paid for it (flights, hotel, etc.).

Here’s the lesson: your $1,000 emergency fund is not enough.  Sometimes emergencies cost more than $1,000 and you don’t always have time to cash flow the rest of the cost.

This is one of the many reasons why achieving financial freedom is so important.  When a loved one passes away, you don’t want to be worrying about money.  It’s a time to grieve and to be with family.  That’s where the focus should be.

If the hubby and I were debt-free and financially stable, we could have easily taken a last-minute trip out of state without giving it a second thought.  Thankfully, with the service being in October, that does give us some time to save up for the cost of flights and a hotel.  The money that we would normally use for extra payments on our student loans will instead go to travel costs in October.

Highlights of the Month

-My hubby and I are lucky that my mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law are both sweethearts and they gave us small cash gifts for our two year anniversary.  We used this money to “splurge” on a cheap dinner out and the rest of the cash went to groceries.

We also checked out an art museum that has free admission on the first Saturday of each month and went for a walk around the park.  The park was free of course, but it was also jam-packed with people staring at their phones (thanks to Pokemon Go).

What I Read/Watched

I didn’t read anything this month (I’m having trouble reading due to my neck issues), and I continued watching re-runs of Gilmore Girls.  Is anyone else looking forward to the revival??

ICYMI

A couple of my guest posts were published this month, and neither of them were about saving money!  It was fun to write about a couple of different topics this time.  Check out 5 Ways Yoga Helps With Anxiety on Daily Cup of Yoga and 5 Things to Consider Before Accepting a Job Offer on Classy Career Girl.

I also shared the three things I still splurge on and my de-cluttering journey with the #Minsgame challenge (short for Minimalist game).

How was your September?

Other stuff you might like:

My Personal Finance “Aha” Moment
How We’re Preparing Financially for a Pug Puppy
Why I’m Grateful for My Student Loan Debt
The Appeal of Minimalism
9 Ways to Get Free Yoga Classes

Personal Finance Resources:

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
YOLO: The Roadmap to Financial Wellness and a Purposeful Life by Jason Vitug
Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach
It’s Only Money and It Does Grow on Trees by Cara MacMillan

Blogging Resources:

How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul by Ruth Soukup
365 Blog Topic Ideas for the Lifestyle Blogger Who Has Nothing to Write About by Dana Fox
ProBlogger: Secrets to Blogging Your Way to a Six Figure Income