Hello friends! It’s been a few days since my last blog post, but I have been busy out in the world trying to make a way to accomplish the goals that I set for myself. Since my last post, I have paid off three more pay later accounts. That’s a total of four accounts paid off, and 47 accounts left that need to be paid off by the end of March 2026. We’re doing it!
In my last post, I told you the details about the purchases from the first account paid off in 2026. If you missed it, you can find it here.
As promised, we are going over each pay it later account as they are paid off so that I can research my own spending habits and determine why the purchase was made, whether or not the purchase was necessary, and how I can better prepare for those types of purchases instead of chaining myself to a pay it later account. I’m also revealing how I am paying each account off as we go. Let’s talk about these three accounts that were paid off last week.
The first of the three accounts was a PayPal Pay-In-4. The purchase was made in 11/2025 for a Nike sweatshirt. The sweatshirt was a Christmas gift for my daughter. The total cost of the purchase was $48.98. The biweekly payment was $12.25. The sweatshirt was not on my daughter’s Christmas list, but Nike sweatpants were and I know that she loves the brand. In true over-the-top fashion, I got the sweatshirt as a surprise.
The final payment was made organically and was paid by our regular paychecks. Although the sweatshirt was a splurge, I did get it on sale, as the regular price for the sweatshirt is $70. Children grow constantly and are always needing new clothes each time the seasons change, or someone decides to go through another growth spurt. Could I have found a cheaper sweater? Yes. Would it have been something that she would have worn? I’m not sure. I know that she wears Nike, and I’ve seen her wear the sweater a few times since Christmas. Therefore, the need for a warm clothing option was met, even if the need was a little pricey.
The second of the three accounts was another PayPal Pay-In-4. The purchase was also made in 11/2025, and it was for the Nike sweatpants that were on my daughter’s Christmas list. The cost of the pants was $57.49. Then biweekly payment was $14.37. The final payment was made organically and was paid by our regular paychecks.
Again, this is something that I purchased on sale. The regular price for the Nike sweatpants is $75. The Nike pants were one of the top items on my daughter’s Christmas wish list, so they were a must for me to make the magic happen for her this Christmas. Without considering tax and shipping, I got a savings of $22.50 by purchasing them when I did. That likely influenced the pay it later purchase for the pants. I am usually afraid something will go off sale, or the item will be sold out when I use one of these after pay services.
The third payoff was another Christmas purchase for my teenage daughter. It was another PayPal Pay-In-4 account. The purchase was for a pair of Adidas sweatpants and a pair of Adidas shoes. The total amount of the purchase was $115.03, and it was made in 11/2025. The biweekly payment for the account was $28.75. The final payment was made with money from one of my side hustles. Last weekend, I made $28.35 making four deliveries with DoorDash.
I have worked as a DoorDasher in addition to my full-time job off and on since 2021. When the orders are good, it is definitely a great way to make additional income. My husband and I used income from DoorDash to pay for a Disney trip a few years ago. We were able to pull off paying for the room and tickets in three months of working nights and one weekend day each week. I plan to use DoorDash income to help me reach my goals in paying off debt in 2026 starting with these pay it later accounts.
Back to the third payoff, I do feel like the purchase was necessary. I didn’t get a great discount, but the items were also top items on my daughter’s wish list. In addition, the Adidas sweatpants were much more responsibly priced than the other brands.
It is clear with this post that I am need of budgets and set aside funds for both Christmas gifts and clothes and shoes for my children as seasons change. I will work on organizing my finances to set aside these funds and budgets. Is there a tool that you use for setting budgets for things this? If you have a proven system, please feel free to share it with me in the comments.
Okay, so here’s the good news. With all four accounts paid off, we will be set free of $148.40 per month in payments going towards pay later accounts. That’s biweekly payments of $18.82, $12.25, $14.38, and $28.75. I am thankful that we are that much closer to financial freedom. I will never be perfect, but I am hoping that this journey will help me understand more about myself and how to better prepare for the future. Oh, and let’s not forget, once all these pay later accounts are paid off, I’ll be even closer to getting back to Disney with my family.