what's your single biggest gratitude of 2009

**sabrelvssammy** · 01-07-2010, 10:57 AM

with 2009 finally over its time to reflect on what we think we did right or wrong...

but instead of dwelling on the negative...lets think positive thoughts today....so....

'what is your single biggest gratitude of 2009' and why.....'

for me its the fact that i finally got my financial house in order...i saw things for what they were and had become and how weighted down personally i was from the debt load that i was carrying upon my shoulders on a daily basis....my gratitude comes from the 'enlightenment' and then the 'empowerment' of finally being able to say "you know, i just don't WANT to do this anymore"....

my biggest problem has always been that it's not that i didn't know HOW to get out of debt...i just didn't care enough to finally do anything about it....then came 2009....the light came on...(i can't explain how or why)...it just did....

so with the help of places like the village, financial blogs i was able to visit and remind myself daily what i was trying to accomplish...and i am so thankful that this has happened as i look around me at my family, friends, neighbors, strangers and i see all the struggling that is going on and i know that i very well could have been one step away from being able to 'walk a mile in their shoes'....

dh and i paid off $32,000 worth of credit card debt in 2009...something that i should have never had to begin with...even if i was carrying 0% interest on the cards...that is still $32,000 worth of junk that i had purchased one way or another...it was NOT $32,000 worth of investments that could have actually been worth something to me in the future....

while i wish this 'lightbulb' could have come on when i was still 15...it's been a hard lesson learned...but a lesson learned indeed....

**Debbie-cat** · 01-07-2010, 11:02 AM

Wow SS, that is a huge amount of debt paid off in one year. Congrats!

My biggest gratitude for 2009 is that my son was accepted into university this fall. I was so thankful and glad his is able to pursue his dream.

**Josephhgoins** · 01-07-2010, 11:11 AM

My biggest Gratitude for 09 was perhaps my worst financial decision ever. I quit a job that runned my life. I now make 30% less and have significently more bills, but I am so much happier.

For 2010 I will finish paying off what litte CC debt I have. (before I could have cracked down for 2 months and paid it off).

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 01-07-2010, 11:41 AM

Do I have to pick one? I guess it would be our health. For awhile there I thought I might lose my finger due to infection, but it finally cleared after multiple surgeries. My son choked at lunch one day and had to be taken by ambulance to the ER so also grateful he is alive. It was a rough year, but I am so grateful that things ended up as well as they did.

**WV_mom_of2** · 01-07-2010, 12:14 PM

That we made it through the year in one piece. It was a tough year for us and yet we came through with our home and everything we need. Things are looking MUCH brighter for 2010~

**pinetree** · 01-07-2010, 12:44 PM

I am so thankful my son married the love of his life, they are so happy together.
This was the toughest year we have ever gone through, so my second gratitude for 2009 is we came out, keeping our heads above water. We need to start all over with the ef and paying off the debt, but it could have been alot worse.

**shoiji** · 01-07-2010, 01:20 PM

Have stayed on a budget for more than a year. So now it is more of a habit instead of a chore.

**mama2James** · 01-07-2010, 01:20 PM

My biggest gratitude for 2009 is the new life growing inside me!
There aren't works to do it justice. If I can name two, I am also so thankful to be putting down roots here at home in Maine, we bought our first home in May and are planning to stay put after DH having been in the Air Force for the first 6 yrs of our marriage.

**Contrary Housewife** · 01-07-2010, 02:56 PM

I am glad we got our act together years ago, so that we were minimally affected by the financial meltdown. It wasn't a wake-up call, it was an affirmation that we had made the right choices already.

**mombottoo** · 01-07-2010, 02:59 PM

My biggest gratitude is that all of my immediate family members are healthy and doing the best that they can to take care of themselves & their families.

**skysoldier** · 01-07-2010, 04:02 PM

Same with you Mombotto! My love ones health is the best thing for me! Happy New Year to all!

**frugalwarrior2** · 01-07-2010, 04:22 PM

That I have all my family together and were all healthy enough.

**Trishagirl** · 01-07-2010, 05:02 PM

Mine would be that my middle son got a job since he wasn't accepted in the Navy due to having 9 screws in his arm.

**marjorie** · 01-07-2010, 05:19 PM

My biggest gratitude was making it through 2009 in good health after 2008's sudden cardiac death. Lots of attitude of gratitude going on here!

**peppermint66** · 01-07-2010, 05:26 PM

My biggest gratitude for 2009 ... My precious miracle baby. After 26 years of being told and believing I could not have children, Surprise! At the tender old age of 42, I became a MOM and then of course, the icing. After 17 years,my DH actually really is my DH all legal like and everything! 2009 was an excellent year!