Clean home and student debt.

Our house is clean. It's an amazing feeling.

Quite honestly, the living room and bedroom are a bit empty, but I'm certain they'll eventually find things and become less blank.

But blank, in it's own way? Quite fabulous.

Everything has its place. Yes, some kitchen items have yet to find a home, and yes, the office needs organizing. But overall... if I need to find a drill? I know where it's at. Pencil? Check. It's blissful.

Now that things are slowing down, I have time to think about other stuff. We're trying to balance our expenditures versus having fun. We're trying to increase our safety net cushion while paying off our sole debt: Student loans. And we're tryign to save up for a future home while making sure we're investing properly.

So far, so good. Sometimes I think I get too caught up in the SAVE! SAVE! mentality, and it morphs into "we can't have fun." Luckily, I married B, who is very good at having fun but not having it cost a lot of money. Really.

I know we're more fortunate than most. I konw people who have triple the amount of student debt that B and I have COMBINED. Oy. I worked hard in grad school to only take out the minimum, and B got a couple scholarships, so he's about in the same boat.

If B keeps his job for 9 years, his student loans will be forgiven. So we've put him on the lowest payment option and we'll see how the next year or two goes to determine our desired path. I'm on a 10-year plan.

I didn't consolidate because I have two loans at different interest rates; one low and one high. The monthly payment covers part of each loan (spread out over 10 years). But, if I want to make more than that monthly payment, I can direct a check towards the higher interest rate account ONLY. Wooo!

I'm trying to be better about things and make those additional payments. It takes effort to remember things and plan things, and, well, my money is B's money too. So, it's a joint effort.

But I'm always wondering... is this normal? Do others fret as much as we do about what our money is doing for us and where it's being placed?

Luckily, with the wedding over, the moves over, one rent payment a month, our cars recently fully checked out, and our upcoming trips out of town paid for, the only big expenditures for a while should only be pleasant ones (fun purchases and trips, not car mechanic fees). But still, I wonder... are we doing all we can?