debt Archives - Our Bill Pickle

Repaying the student loan: an update

November 25, 2021

Paying off the student loan has been our top financial priority over the last few years. But lately, we have slowed our progress. This is why.

Repaying the student loan has been our top financial priority for the last few years.

Like many others, we started our adult lives in the red. Our $65K-ish starting debt wasn’t entirely student loans. We had a couple small credit cards, a car loan and a credit line balance from a previous vehicle, too.

But the majority of that $65K — close to $48K — came in the form of student loans.

While I can’t deny student loans made it possible to finance an education that has opened a lot of doors for us, I also won’t pretend they are not the actual bane of my existence.

I want these loans gone. And we’ve put a lot of work (and money) into making that happen.

Until recently.

Lately, we’re less focused on the student loan. In fact, for the better part of 2021, we’ve only made minimum payments. This has slowed down our progress significantly.

But it’s OK. And today, I want to talk about why.

$1K is still not enough for an emergency fund

October 28, 2021

$1K is not enough for an emergency fund, especially if you're in debt. Here are three reasons why you should save a bigger emergency fund.

My thoughts about personal finance have evolved and changed over time, but one thing has stayed consistent: I don’t think $1K is enough for an emergency fund.

Saving an emergency fund was the first things we did when we started paying back our debt. It was the move that made the most sense: the emergency fund created a cushion in our budget that helped us avoid accumulating more debt when unexpected situations arose.

But when I saving, I quickly realized there are very different opinions about the “right” amount to have in your account when you’re in debt.

One popular idea is to have a $1K emergency fund while you pay back debt. I get the logic: keeping your emergency fund small means more money is available to pay off debt. More money to debt means you pay off the debt faster. Makes sense, right?

Maybe for some. But I never bought into the idea that $1K is enough for an emergency fund. I didn’t believe it at the start of our journey and I still don’t believe it today.

Here’s why.

Why we’re slowing down our student loan repayment

January 14, 2021

We’re slowing down our student loan repayment in 2021.

After a year that saw us shave close to $10K off the principal balance of the student loan, we set a goal for 2021 that will see the balance shrink by less than half that amount — about $3.5K.

Considering how paying back the student loan has been a key focus for us over the last two years, this represents a big shift.

But there are a few factors that make me feel good about the decision.

Pay down debt or save? Why we’re doing both

November 17, 2020

Should I pay down debt or save?

The answer to that question will vary depending on who you ask — and chances are, the person answering it will have strong opinions.

But the trouble I’ve found with a lot of the advice is, often, it errs on the side of too simplistic, too all or nothing. And while I’m not a financial expert, that has never felt right to me.

When it comes to paying down debt or saving, I don’t think it needs to be all or nothing.

Here’s a look at why and how we’re doing both.

Four things I won’t do to get debt-free faster

May 12, 2020

There are a lot of things I’m willing to do to get out of debt.

From setting aggressive repayment targets, to choosing to rent instead of buy, to trying my hand at a shopping ban, I’m open to trying different things to achieve my goal of reaching debt-free status.

But by the same token, there are things I’m not willing to do to get out of debt.

And some of those things might be a little controversial.