This Feels Good

**mnmarty03** · 04-07-2010, 06:59 AM

Hey everyone. If this isn't the right forum - will someone move it to the right place for me?

I just felt like sharing this morning. Things just feel so good right now.

I've been on this site off & on for years now - since 2007. At that time I was still in college and still racking up the cc debt, even though I knew better. Life just seemed to work against me. Excuses, excuses.

After graduation I worked for $7 an hour or less for a good solid year.. I made my minimum payments on everything except 1 student loan - which I was able to get deferred due to financial hardship...

Then I moved out here to VA and ended up racking up more debt - my $7 an hour job in OH for the summer didn't leave me w/enough money to buy a car and cover moving expenses - so I financed it.

Now, 1.5 years later I am married... my dh and I don't use our cards anymore at all (except 1 time when he was unemployed recently & the truck tires blew out). We took our extra money from taxes and set up our BEF - and haven't touched it. We took my unexpected raise yesterday (of $80 a week!) and put it in the savings account already (to save for a "new" car, mine is going down hill very fast). We also put in money for car repairs to the savings account yesterday.

AND, for the first time in my whole life we are making regular extra payments to our debt. It's not a ton, and I know we could probably be more focused and put more towards it, but for never having made more than the minimum payments - $200 extra per month is VERY exciting.

It just feels good to be working towards our goals and doing the "right" thing w/our money. We still are working on living on a budget, we tend to give in to our wants way more than we should, but at least we're getting somewhere. Hopefully w/my extra money we can save enough for a used car before my current one dies... but we'll see.

How about everyone else? Do you feel good with the way things are going lately?

**forHISglory** · 04-07-2010, 07:19 AM

I know what you mean by "feel good". I remember the exact same feelings when I was young and starting out. Blessings to you as you strive to do what is right. And it will pay off. I'm living proof at my age that you are doing the right thing. Keep up the good work. Here's a big PAT on the back for you!!!

**NewLeaf** · 04-07-2010, 12:04 PM

You're smart to start off your life and marriage this way. Good for you. Keep it up.

**shoiji** · 04-07-2010, 01:20 PM

It is great that you have a plan financially that is working for you. Definately helps ease the mind when finances are taken care of. Keep it up!

**mamamia** · 04-08-2010, 04:06 AM

Wow! You guys really have started out with your best foot forward, and are so inspiring! I'm so glad I read your post! I see nothing but a great financial future ahead for you.

Nice job! You have every right to feel good.

Theresa

**mnmarty03** · 04-08-2010, 08:11 AM

Thanks everyone. We are doing well right now, but we've made our mistakes... some that many of you would probably beat us up for! Some that we continue to make - i.e. unless one of us loses are job and we can't make payments anymore, we won't sell our nice truck we still owe a lot of money on. But, we admit we should probably not have bought it and that when it comes time to get a new car for me we will buy used. And pay for it out of pocket (hence my raise going for a new car fund!).

I have learned that this is a journey, and compared to where we were, even a year ago, we've come a long way. We still have a ways to go - but together I think we can make it.

We just made our first extra payment on our discover card yesterday - and although it'll take us like a year to pay it off still if we only make the $200 we have budgeted right now... it's at least better than the 16 years it says it would take if we only pay the minimum, lol!

We are planning on throwing extra money towards that debt when we can though... on my next paycheck I'm should be getting an extra day's worth of pay, so I'm planning on putting all that money towards that bill as well.

Sorry to brag. We still have A LOT of debt, and A LOT of payments ahead of us... but I don't really get to be excited about this with anyone else... so I just wanted to share. Again.