Debt as I see it

**Cricketlegs** · 08-05-2008, 12:07 PM

Admitting there is a problem is the first step and a big one.

If you are just treading water in the ocean you can say "hey I am swimming along fine!" but did you notice that fin sticking out of the water?

You grab a floatie--that floatie makes you less tired so you can kick harder away from the fin. The floatie is getting your bills CURRENT.

Now you are swimming better but not getting anywhere and that fin is still there--you need a raft. Hop on the baby EF raft and breath a little.

Sure you are out of the water but now that shark is swimming around you looking to take out your raft(ef) and make you need floaties or worse put you back in the water.

We are NOT getting back in the water! We will sell, borrow, slash burn whatever we have to do to get us a BOAT.

Our boat is our debt snowball. We are going to drive our boat towards land keeping an eye on the shark, never putting a toe back in the water. DON'T GO BACK IN THE WATER! That means NO NEW DEBT!

See land--yes that means debt besides the house is paid and LAND equals 6 months living expenses.

Hop on land and run around gathering that fund. Shark can't get ya--we are staying out of the water! There is no more water for us, we are reformed land lubbers!

Now grab a hammock, we are going to lay in our hammock while we save save save for our retirement, while laying there be sure to shoot the bird at that shark. He is still there he just can't get you as you have no debt, you have savings, and you have retirement so NOW you can enjoy.

**Russ** · 08-05-2008, 12:46 PM

Debt as I see it...

Taking a job you need* versus taking a job you want*.

*Need a job that pays enough so you have the energy to "swim along just fine".

*Want that close to home job that although pays less, is less stressful and less overtime which equals more time to go swimming - for fun.

**mombottoo** · 08-07-2008, 09:44 AM

Perfect analogy! Debt can so make a person feel like they are drowning...which is probably where the phrase "drowning in debt" came from. Better to drown I suppose than get eaten by a shark...