Does it Count

**Incognito** · 07-16-2009, 11:47 PM

A "modest" inheritance???
Just look at all you've done with it?
All the best!

**wwe11** · 07-17-2009, 08:04 AM

Congratulations!

**strezzed** · 07-17-2009, 08:22 AM

Like others have said, it was your decision that paid off the debts, not just the inheritance. Be happy and enjoy it! Many people here have no debts and still choose to be frugal. Welcome to FV!

**dean** · 07-17-2009, 08:23 AM

Brag on as much as you like. Congrats to you and your sister.
Condolences on the loss of your uncle, obviously he thought highly of his family.
Just don't brag to the wrong people, some of your friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc. might look at it as rubbing their noses in it. People are funny when it comes to good fortune that isn't theirs'.
But when it comes to the folks at FV we are all very happy for anyone's good fortune. Don't forget us now that you are out of debt. Get that EF up and running and remember from here on out....Pay cash! Leave the CC at home! Never pay full price! You get my meaning. Once again congrats.

**Greebo** · 07-17-2009, 08:51 AM

I say it counts, but conditionally. AS LONG AS you continue to be responsible with your money from here on out, as long as you never get into that kind of mess again, as long as you continue to act like a grownup about your money, then ...

HELL YES IT COUNTS!

But if you just pay down all the debt then go back into debt again it's no different than if you'd blown it all when you got it.

Sound fair?

**hmcart** · 07-17-2009, 09:01 AM

I think Greebo put it well!

**craftypam** · 07-17-2009, 10:25 AM

You will be happy for a long, long time for cleaning up your debt with the money instead of blowing it and being happy for a short while.

**Rangia** · 07-17-2009, 11:31 AM

Congratulations..

And I also like the way Greebo put it.

**lilyrose** · 07-17-2009, 05:44 PM

It is amazing what some people will do with a windfall. I had heard of a guy in my town who had won $1 million dollars in a lottery about 10 years ago. He was married with 2 small children. Now 'before' he even got the money, he quit his job. He also before he got the money was looking at houses around $350,000 that were kinda big. Now with big houses come big bills. The government was going to deduct $300,000 from the $1 million from his winnings to go towards taxes. Now what would be left after taxes and purchase of a large home is still a good chunk of change. However, I don't think he looked toward the future. The remaining amount will be their living expenses for a young family of 4 and paying those large bills and large property taxes for that big house. Perhaps I'm making a big deal of this, but I just imagine this guy much older struggling trying to get a minimum wage job to make ends meet.

Anyway, good for you on paying off your debt. That must be a wonderful feeling.

**frugalfranny** · 07-17-2009, 05:59 PM

You have every right to be happy d........congrats on both......getting the money and using it wisely.

**heartofmine** · 07-17-2009, 09:42 PM

Dianne the same thing happened to me. We recieved an unexpected inheritance. The only debt we had was our house and some doctor bills. We paid off the house (which was not a large amount) and chose to put the rest into a cd to draw interest so that in a year or so we can build a new home and sell this one. My husband also inherited a 33 acre farm and a car.

Its one of those mixed emotions deals. I'm glad our home is paid for but feel terrible about how things came about. My sil committed suicide. There is just no joy in any of it.

I think though that its okay to be happy we could pay off our debt. Our loved ones wouldn't have left it to us if they hadn't wanted to do something to help their living loved ones. Whatever the reason we can be happy they thought enough of us to do that.