With that 18% APR on your credit card, paying off the $450 balance makes a lot of sense because it'll save you from accruing more interest that could add up over time. Think about it this way, if you don't pay it off now, even a small balance like that could cost you an extra $7 or so in interest each month, which isn't nothing when your cash flow is tight. You've got $600, so you could wipe out the debt and still have $150 left to either toss into your emergency fund or put toward those new work shoes you mentioned. That way and you're tackling the high-interest problem head-on while giving yourself a little buffer.
On the flip side, boosting your emergency fund to $1,100 with the full $600 would give you more peace of mind, especially with car insurance eating into your budget for the next couple months. But if you end up needing to swipe the card again for essentials, you might just be back where you started, plus more interest. A simple plan could be to pay off the card completely, then commit to adding $50 from each paycheck to rebuild your fund once your cash flow eases up. That keeps things straightforward and helps future you avoid the temptation to charge more on sleepy Mondays. Just remember, if an actual emergency hits before then, having zero debt means one less bill to worry about.
Given your tight couple of months and the shoes coming up, I’d go hybrid: set aside enough for the shoes and keep a small $200 buffer then throw the rest at the card. That slashes most of the interest while lowering the chance you’ll swipe again and once insurance clears, set an automatic $25–$50 per week to rebuild the emergency fund and finish the card if anything remains.
