Budget Strategy

Strategic operating system for the Pharr Family Budget

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VISION & GOALS

Primary Goal
Become debt-free by end of 2027
Secondary Goal
Build 6-month emergency fund ($45k+)
North Star Metric
Monthly recurring burn < $2,500
Total Credit Card Debt
$83,569.77
Monthly Recurring Burn
$1,299
High-Interest Debt (>18%)
$20,243
One-time Charges (Jun)
$2,847

KEY INSIGHTS

• Joint accounts are currently double-counted in some views. We are cleaning this.
• One-time Cancun vacation ($2,847) distorted June numbers. Removed from baseline.
• YMCA Camp ($1,987.90) correctly classified as one-time education expense.

PRIORITIZED CUT LIST (High Impact → Easy)

Massage Envy (Alyssa)
$80/mo Easy win
Mixcloud
$2.99/mo Trivial
Sandy Springs Music (Olivia)
$35/mo Medium

DEBT PAYDOWN STRATEGY

Recommended Approach: Modified Avalanche (highest interest first, with one "win" payment to Delta Reserve for psychology).
Priority Order:
  1. Delta Reserve (over limit, 19.99%) — Get back under limit immediately
  2. Bevy ($10,574) — High balance, rewards card
  3. Bonvoy Brilliant
  4. Chase Marriott (Sean)

THIS MONTH'S FOCUS (July 2026)

Top 3 Actions
  1. Get Delta Reserve back under limit (priority #1)
  2. Cancel Massage Envy if not using (easy $80/mo win)
  3. Review all recurring on Alyssa's cards (Hulu, Adobe, Mixcloud)
Metrics to Watch
  • • Recurring burn trending down
  • • Credit utilization dropping
  • • No new one-time charges > $200

DEBT PAYOFF ACTION PLAN

Method: Modified Avalanche (highest interest first + one win)
1. AMEX Delta Reserve CRITICAL
$20,243
19.99% • Over limit
Get back under limit immediately.
2. Fidelity Joint
$20,793.39
16.99%
Apply extra after Delta is under limit.
3. AMEX Bonvoy Brilliant
$13,521
19.99%
High interest — target after Fidelity.
4. AMEX Bevy (Alyssa)
$10,574.39
0%
Lower priority while 0% APR lasts.
Monthly Target: Minimums + extra $1,500–$2,000 to highest priority card.