February was a short, bitter month. From the death toll from Covid reaching more than half a million in the U.S. (more than 40% of which were completely senseless) to snowstorms that incapacitated multiple states resulting in catastrophic loss (and more deaths), it's clear that the constant tragedy we felt in 2020 has well established itself into this year.
Our lives have been less dramatic, and for this we are grateful. We continue to have our kids engage with online learning, even as our school system opened in hybrid. Work is overwhelming still (and will be through the end of the pandemic), but I've been able to make some inspiring progress with access to college courses this month for our students. I submitted my application for a doctorate in education (Ed.D.) program that would begin in the summer semester, with a target completion of Spring 2024. We made a lot of progress on our financial goals (see below). We played in the snow.
As we have been doing throughout the pandemic, we deployed some of our money for giving to alleviate emergency needs. We gave to a friend in Texas who was using the extra GoFundMe money she got beyond the lost groceries she needed help replacing to other people in need. We also sent a bit to Jackson, Mississippi whose storms left residents without water for weeks. Being able to send some of my giving money to alleviate this emergency when the mood so struck makes me feel rich.
It feels like I spent most of the month of February pressing "refresh" on pharmacy and hospital websites in a doomed attempt to get a vaccine appointment for my mother and myself. But on the very last day of February, we got a call from the local senior clinic and were able to schedule Mom for March 2. A few days later, one of those pharmacy refreshes yielded an appointment for myself for March 6. If all goes according to plan, I will write my March update with both of us completely vaccinated.
Financial progress from February:
- Got my Federal Tax Refund. The large payoffs this month are from this lucky addition to our regular inflow. I used to try to optimize my taxes so I got less of a refund, but these days I like the "bonus" I get. Plus, if I do get more Freelance work, it gives me a nice buffer. We also used a bit of this money to buy a second guitar and amp for the budding musicians in the household.
- Waited patiently for mortgage Refi--still not processed. There was a hangup with subordinating a grant I got with my original mortgage (registered as a lien against the property that is forgiven after 15 years of occupancy). Plus, all my loan processing people live in Texas, a state which had a terrible month (see above). We're now scheduling closing for March 15, so cross your fingers!
- Applied for a telework ADA accommodation. It really is the worst that I had to do this because I don't want to go against the mission of bringing kids back into buildings, but my doctor doesn't want me to risk exposure. Just hoping this doesn't impact long term career goals and the vaccine comes soon.
- Debt Progress: Here are the numbers for the end of February:
- Balance Transfer 1 (0% through March 2021): $0 CELEBRATE!
- Balance Transfer 2 (0% through April 2021): $4,000
- Balance Transfer 3 (0% through August 2021): $5,000
- Grad School 1 (5.5%): $1,578.62
- Grad School 2 (5.5%): $4,192.02
TOTAL Remaining: $14,770.64
Amount paid off this month: $2,436.36
Amount paid off TOTAL: $29,485.14
Crossed off one of my balance transfer cards completely! Woohoo! That's a party by itself.
When I include mortgage debt and my undergrad student loan (very low interest rates), I've paid off $41,609.77 since starting this whole endeavor in January of 2018. Crossing the $40K mark feels so surreal. I'm able to dream about financial goals again!
