I'm still climbing the mountain, but I'm making progress. :)

Last month I paid off my Discover BT.

This month I'm paying off my Chase BT.

I'm still on track to pay off Redwood CU in October.

In November I'll turn my steely gaze to AT&T (the card with the hated variable rate. *snarl*).

September 2005
$44,123.10

July 2006
$26,935.74

And the Road goes ever on and on...

shirehobbit
*adjusting her backpack*

That's terrific work.

That backpack must feel just a tiny bit lighter.

Or is that an enormous snowball that you're carrying?

At any rate, WELL DONE.

Nancy
cheering

Thanks, Nancy. :)

>> That backpack must feel just a tiny bit lighter.

It does, indeed. It is filled with my back-breaking debt. When I reach the summit it will finally be empty!

shirehobbit

Wow, well done!!!

ElwoodP

awesome! what an inspiration! rah-rahs, indeed!!!

- lynndawg

>>September 2005
$44,123.10

July 2006
$26,935.74<<

**WOW.** That is remarkable progress, shire! You are an inspiration.

Soooz

September 2005
$44,123.10

July 2006
$26,935.74

I second it--WOW!!! Great job :) You've come very far...keep on truckin'!


Scapelands

Shirehobbit,

I applaud and bow in total amazement of this feat.
I've been lurking for a while, and beating myself up about my cc debt.
How did you do accomplish this?
Im faced with 20K of CC debt, that I am learning to tackle.
I am getting daily inspiration from posts like yours, and looking
forward to tackling the same mountain as you.

Wow! This is truly inspiring...you have made me redouble my efforts to get RID of my big-old Bay Area mortgage ASAP...

Yeah, Shirehobbit!!!
:)

Shire, I remember when you were a shy little hobbit full of self-doubt and indecision. Way to go, young halfling.

Fuskie
Who thinks you will have more than halved it by your 1 year anniversary...

I am getting daily inspiration from posts like yours, and looking
forward to tackling the same mountain as you.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.
- A wise & ancient saying (not sure of the origin)

You are not looking forward to tackling it, you have already begun your journey.

Fool On!

Jim

Greetings, wahoodanb. :)

>> I've been lurking for a while, and beating myself up about my cc debt.

*Please* stop beating yourself up. Give yourself a pat on the back for deciding to do something about it. This took courage. *hugs*

>> How did you do accomplish this?

Stopped living beyond my means. Tracked my spending to see where the money went. Cut expenses. Devised a budget I could live with. Decided that paying off my debt has to be my first priority. Read the posts on this board every day (my Foolish companions keep me honest).

Here's where the 18k came from that I applied to my debt:

1k birthday windfall
1k Christmas windfall
9k trust account windfall (after observing that I had changed my ruinous ways my father surprised me with this)
7k take home pay (disposable income, tax refunds, and overtime pay)

I'm serious about getting and staying out of debt. I want the second half of my lift (I'll be 50 in October) to be less stressful than the first half. Financial security will provide peace of mind. Oh, and I'm determined to prove to my financial advisor that I'll be able to afford to retire before the age of 73!

shirehobbit

Fantastic shire,

It's so amazing what you have accomplished. Compounding day after day towards debt repayment, your commitment Is shinning through. At times the straps of the backpack will rub your shoulders and be irritating, Old Hikers trick, just fold over a couple of socks put them under the straps and keep pressing on.

Thanks for the inspirational update. I just finished spending weeks ripping out my kitchen floor and replacing it all with tile, so I am way behind on reading hundreds of posts. Your's caught my eye. Had to stop and say WELL DONE.

~
Roy

I'm still climbing the mountain, but I'm making progress. :)

Last month I paid off my Discover BT.

This month I'm paying off my Chase BT.

I'm still on track to pay off Redwood CU in October.

In November I'll turn my steely gaze to AT&T (the card with the hated variable rate. *snarl*).

September 2005
$44,123.10

July 2006
$26,935.74

And the Road goes ever on and on...

shirehobbit
*adjusting her backpack*


WOW. over $20K in ~9 mos. FANTASTIC! and so inspiring!
:)

oops, I meant to say ALMOST 20K...

still very impressed.
:)

>> At times the straps of the backpack will rub your shoulders and be irritating, Old Hikers trick, just fold over a couple of socks put them under the straps and keep pressing on.

Thanks for the tip, Roy. *smile* Talking it over with Foolish companions also makes the journey more bearable. Good to know that we don't have to make the journey alone.

shirehobbit

FANTASTIC! Well done, young hobbit. It reminds me of what Gandalf said to Frodo when he accepted the quest to carry the ring to the Inn of the Prancing Pony (not that I remember word for word): "My dear Frodo, you can spend years knowing hobbits, and they can still surprise you."

Way to go, shire!


--Booa

>> Well done, young hobbit. It reminds me of what Gandalf said to Frodo when he accepted the quest to carry the Ring to the Inn of the Prancing Pony (not that I remember word for word): "My dear Frodo, you can spend years knowing hobbits, and they can still surprise you."

Awww! Thank you, dear Booa! You do realize that this is all the board's fault! The collective Fools have got me brainwashed! When I started my journey to financial well-being in September of last year I was dismayed to discover that I had a negative net worth (which was crazy since I don't have car payments or a mortgage). I am happy to annouce that this is no longer true! The sum total from my 401(k), my Roth IRA, and my savings accounts is now larger than the amount I owe on my credit cards!

I used to deposit next to nothing in my savings account (I felt that doing so was depriving myself. Now that's twisted logic!). Now I get excited about transfering funds into savings because I know this is adding to my financial security. Who *is* this new person? I certainly don't recognize her! *Tookish grin*

shirehobbit

Well, was feeling out of sorts a bit because a good chunk of my CC repayment in mid-June went for a graduation present for DD. However, graduation was a big deal and needed to be celebrated, so I did it without charging anything. Actually, I did charge it so I could get the payment protection, but sent the payment in right away.
However, in paying bills tonight, I find that in the past 6 weeks the CC balances have gone down by $820.01! So it's not as bad as I thought. By the end of July I should have the balances down over $1,000, and one of the 0% cards just got paid off with this payday, so I'm down to two with balances.

Someday, my Happy Dance will come. . . . (sung to the tune of "Someday my prince will come" by Snow White)

CarolD.

September 2005
$44,123.10

July 2006
$26,935.74


You are doing a fantastic job! And it appears you are nearing the halfway point.

Well done! (and keep up the great work)
DizChick

>> And it appears you are nearing the halfway point.

I will hit the halfway point during the first quarter of 2007. I'm not going to pick a date for this milestone, because I want to add more money to my e-fund first. I'm anticipating expensive dental work (is there any other kind?).

shirehobbit

I will hit the halfway point during the first quarter of 2007. I'm not going to pick a date for this milestone, because I want to add more money to my e-fund first. I'm anticipating expensive dental work (is there any other kind?).

shirehobbit


Makes perfect sense. Do you plan at least a mention on the boards? The halfway point is a great marker. :-)

You're doing a great job, and it's very smart to plan ahead for the (expensive) dental work.

DizChick

>> Do you plan at least a mention on the boards? The halfway point is a great marker. :-)

Oh yes! LOL!

shirehobbit

Oh yes! LOL!

shirehobbit




Fantastic!! You know we love a good celebration!

DizChick