The emotional side of it was really everything. Until the emotional part of it changed we weren't making much progress. We aren't perfect now but we have made a lot of headway since then. And the naval gazing was a big part of the progress.

I remember SoccerDad saying much the same thing. When he started on this board he thought he would simply get some advice about where to make cuts in his budget. Instead, or rather, in addition, we also dissected his marriage, pondered the way his children were being brought up, and tore apart every idea he already had. Then we put everything back together.

But in the process, he learned a lot about the family spending practices, and made enough changes that he was able to develop a spending plan that worked, and ever since then he's been driving the debt down. I know he didn't enjoy it. No one does. The brave, and extremely determined, stick it out.

Other people have come to realize that they overspend during certain situations: either emotional periods, or during Christmas gift giving, and so on. Learning this helped them make the changes they needed to make.

Nancy