Friday, February 06, 2009

Chitown Update…

Hi everyone! I am still alive! LOL

I am credit card free and working on a plan to attack my student loans and $1,500 in medical debt. The medical debt is from a surgical procedure I needed to have in December and right now I need to pay my $1,500 out of pocket maximum. My private loans enter repayment in April and I have the wherewithal to at least pay interest only on all my loans. I am hoping to get one more 6-month extension through October because right now, I have little to no savings and I would like to have the opportunity to save at least $2,000 in an Emergency Fund and payoff the medical bill. I still haven’t filed my taxes so I may be able to payoff some of the medical debt with my return.

Good news…I received a promotion and raise at work and my salary got bumped up to $72k. So while I am still behind the buck in terms of salary, I increased my income almost $20k in less than a year. I have to be pretty proud of that.

I am doing a little legal work on the side for an attorney who has a fairly successful private practice. So, I am finally getting some rewarding legal experience. She is also going to pay me on the cases that I work on and that she wins. Per her request, I am keeping track of all of my time and submitting it on a weekly basis. I haven’t received any pay yet but I hope to earn some money this way in the future. I also volunteered to do some pro bono legal work so I am well on my way.

Thanks to all who continue to stop by here. I appreciate all of the encouragement I have received of the last couple of years. =)

13 comments:

Velvet Jones said...

I'm so glad you posted, and that it's really good news! Keep hanging in there, you're making a LOT of progress.

$20k increase in less than a year?! Can a sista borrow a dolla? ;-D

Keep up the good work and don't be a stranger.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back, Chitown!! Please try and post more regularly in 2009. :)

Chitown said...

Thank Velvet Jones!

I am certainly working on it. =)

Unknown said...

Hello Windy City Blues author,

As a fellow money miser saver I have followed your blog for a little while now.

So I have a little offer for you.

The company I work for would ;like to pay you to put a text link to a credit card site on your blog. I have not seen any other deals already. But would love to make you an offer anyhow, I’m sure we can come up with some good terms?!

The website is called creditcardmenu.com and we will be launching a new fantastic looking credit card review and comparison service which is free to our customers; advertising with sites like your should be great for our profile.

So let the bartering begin??!

Alex Preece
Bad with my money, great with other peoples!
Negotiator
(I am based in London, England so excuse the weird times you get this email!)

Giant Investments
E: alex.preece@giant.org.uk
T: +44 (0) 1273 224002
M:+44 (0) 7976 989946

Escape Brooklyn said...

Congrats on the promotion! It's good to see such a positive update.

Lechelle said...

Congrats on your raise! At least someone is getting a raise they can be happy about. :-)

I just found your blog today. I'm trying to payoff some debt (credit cards, student loans), but finding it difficult with my current employment situation - 2% across the board raise, but lets buy three plants for $1.4K for the office.

Keep posting!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the raise and being credit card free! You are making great progress! ;)

Velvet Jones said...

hey there, just checking in. hope everything is going ok. :)

knight said...

wow i just read through your blog and enjoyed following a fellow chicagoan's debt story! and congrats on all your progresses you made the past 3 years!
mydebtcomeback.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Come back, Chitown!

Finance Advisory Stop said...

Good news, good for you. How about lending me some of that money!? Nice blog by the way -- bookmarked!

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Seth Broidy said...

Where did you go? We want an update :)