October closed out fairly strong – had some modest gains in the asset rows, while continuing to chip away at my credit card debt. During last month’s post I mentioned that I was considering another increase to my 401(k) contribution. Well, thankfully, I took time to consider it. Recently, some cuts were announced at work. Not only cuts to people, but cuts to pay and benefits. Those cuts go into effect during November, so I’ll feel it soon enough. I’ve already sketched out some budget adjustments and have started scaling down my automatic payments – both to credit cards and to my savings – as a way to brace myself for the new number on my paycheck.

Obviously not the best news for someone trying to pay down their debt – especially when holiday season is fast approaching (e.g. gift giving). Luckily, I put away a little each month for holiday gifts, so I will hopefully be able to weather the storm…assuming it will pass quickly.