Since September, I was able to decrease my CC-Debts from 4000€ to 3000€ at the beginning of December. I also built a mini EF of 500€ and a three-month buffer for the rental (in case the appartement i'm waiting for becomes available and I have to run through the whole three months of rental-termination of my current appartement). In Addition, my income is always assigned to next month.. although I have to confess that there wasn't any other way, as I get paid the last working-day of each month. And there's still enough left for a comfortable living, I did not cut any expenses yet, I just stopped to blew my money into the wind.
As I'm reading this, I have to reconsider my initial opinion of the step-size i made... I'm a student, working my ~20h (variable income) per week beside classes, paying the study-fees (which will be dropped next semester, Yay! (I'm thankful to live over here and not having to pay those incredible moon-prices like in the U.S.!)). Huge steps, for me at least.
And guess what? YNAB made it all possible! I felt the financial desaster sitting and waiting just out of sight for years. It all startet with my first credit card (they're not that common over here). I lost my overview, all new, and so on... startet to build good looking charts evey six months or so but they were ineffective. Retroperspective and too obvious to pin them to the wall (didn't want every visitorn to see my entire financial situation
).You gave me the money-awareness I needed so hard (the only thing my parents were not able to teach me). The only sad thing is that I didn't know YNAB earlier. I could smack my head against the wall when I remember the beginning of this year when I let 4000€ just slip through my hands, bit for bit.
I want to end with positive thoughts. I'm starting to optimize my spending in january (buying only the food needed, buying noname products, decreasing the number of visits in restaurants). My goal is to decrease the CC debt to an amount of 1000€ until the beginning of May. When the liquidation of my investment is due, the investet amount will hit that last hurdle into space... All additional return is going to enable me and the gf a week of vacations... the location depends on the amount.
Thanks YNAB.
