Where should I allocate my cash and which debts should I pay off?
Income: $3,288/month after tax (temporarily low due to my industry, will increase after some deals close)
Expenses: ~+/-$4.3k/month
- Rent: $2,100
- Car payment + gas + insurance: $700
- Food/entertainment/misc: ~$1,500
I know I'm currently negative on cash flow, but I have savings to hold me over until my income increases.
Current Cash:
- Chase checking: $9,847
- Discover savings: $25,085
- Total liquid: $34,932
Retirement:
- 401k: $45k
Debts:
Student loans: $6,278 @ 3.86% (My company pays $250/month which covers minimum + some extra)
Auto loan: $20,778 @ 7.84%
- Monthly payment: $420
- Planning to refi soon credit score 758
Credit cards (I pay off each month, high balances due to recent moving expenses):
- Chase: $3,285
- AMEX: $6,815
- Mastercard: $14,459 (0% promo with deferred interest until December 10th)
Total CC balances: $24,559
If I subtract my credit card balances from my liquid cash, I'm left with about $10k. I'm open to all perspectives on how to allocate this. Should I pay off some/all of the debt now or keep more cash on hand given my temporary income situation?
Let me know if I left out any important details!
Posted Oct 6, 2025, 7:12 PM UTC