With the money I spent repaying debt in the last year...

[Inkstain82]

I could have done one or more of the following:

Taken 2 or 3 European vacations

Paid for a new degree of my choosing at a reasonably priced public school

Put a 30% down payment on a nice, small house in the rural town we'd like to live in.

Bought the biggest big-screen, hi-def TV I could find and a year's worth of awesome video games and super sports packages.

Saved anywhere from 1-2 years of retirement savings, depending on a lot of things.

What I actually got:

A few years of a lifestyle I didn't really enjoy, eating out too much and buying things I didn't use. (Even student loans were mostly about maintaining the college lifesetyle and not so much about tuition).

Twenty extra pounds from eating out.

A $6,000 car for $9,000 (now worth about $4,500).

A "joy" of paying the bank more than $1,000 in fees for no good reason.


Eeesh, talk about a bad trade! The great news is, in a few years I'll be debt-free, but the lessons I've learned and the habits I've formed will be everlasting. Here's to the good life to come!

[Imarachne]

Good luck with your plan--sounds like you'll really appreciate being free 1!

[craftypam]

Not only did you learn something from it; your post will be read and hopefully something will be learned ahead of time by someone else

[mauimagic]

Mahalo Inkstain for sharing your insights sooooooo clearly for the rest of us. Congratulations for all that you have done and all that is to come!!

[nodmicks]

Wow that really puts it in perspective. I bet Visa etc would love you for a commercial. Could you just see it???? It would be wonderful for consumers to see but wow would it hurt the creditors!

Big congrats on all your hard work. You are doing an awesome job!!!!

[Natalie's Nesters]

You should be proud of yourself for paying this down and realizing it's not what you want out of life. Many people never get it and die unhappy and broke. Simple things are rich in joy.

[tervsforme]

What a fantastic post, very insightful. I agree with nodmicks, it really puts things in perspective. Great for you!

[OOwl]

Great perspective. Thank you for posting that. An eye-opener, for sure.

[MaryCarney]

great post!!!

[AnW819]

Good luck!! I hear ya on the eating out and bank fees. Ugh!! It kills ya, but at least we realize it now!! Here is to a good year of paying off debt!

[mamamia]

I know you took quite a shot in the arm there for making mistakes, but after reading your post I also get the feeling that you came out of it a much stronger person too!

Maybe all of us will think about your post the next time we're "falling into temptation", and we'll ask ourselves "is it really worth the pain of looking back and wishing we WOULD have remembered your post"?

Thanks for sharing that painful experience!

Theresa

[Russ]

What I actually got:



Twenty extra pounds from eating out.

!

Wait, you gained 20lbs just from paying off debt? I can't afford to gain 20lbs I better just blow my money instead of paying down debt.

[frugalwarrior]

Everyone has something. We cleaned up alot of our slippage in the past. This year it was teenage sticker shock.
-cost of graduating (not a party just misc.)
-2 sets of wisdom teeth
-amazing eating abilities
-tuition for DD as no jobs avail.
-a new (used) car for DD and DH to drive (as his burnt up)
-huge amts. for college books and fees and cooking utensils
Just amazing. If your not already start a college fund. Unfortunately ours got sucked up by my DH's accident so we restart fresh. Sigh.

[shoiji]

Yup, putting it like that really makes you see things differently. Hope you have continued success in acomplishing your freedom from debt!