I hear you brother. I started at more than 80 grand total and now have less than 12 owed (both secured and unsecured). Without a job and/or making very little money. All this since 2008 when my industry took a dive. after this, I'll be doing nothing, absolutely nothing to bolster this ponzi economy. I'm out.
Congrats! I've got about 9k to go, minus mortgage and car payments of course. Would have been debt free already but the housing market forced me to move up my house buying plans.
yes, it's a great feeling to pay shit off. I hold the paper on my truck and have done away with 8 credit cards. In 2007 all my cards went through the roof just before the housing bubble blew. i was like WTF? Rates went from 6-12% all the way to 33.9% The balances owed were small but multiplied exponentially overnight. A lot of threats from them and a lot of "I don't give a flying fucks" from me and they all finally agreed to drop the rates back down to the prior amounts plus some. I guess they'd rather have something than nothing...............they all caved immediately after I said the 'bankruptcy" word. Then congress got involved because what they did to me, they did to most people tied to the housing market regardless of credit scores. My score wasn't great (685) but 720's were tapped with huge rate increases too. I LOL evertime i get an offer in the mail now. Since they pay no postage on the return unless it's mailed, I send back blank aps to them. Fuckemindaassrunningsideways!
I figured I should finally do it. I am getting a promotion and that means more cash although I have to move to the city now. No biggie, it's what I wanted.
Honestly I still don't understand how people get into debt. Other than the obvious things like a home mortgage, putting a kid through school or a large medical expense. You have X-dollars, don't spend more than that.... not that hard.
With homeownership comes ugly gremlins that rear their nasty little heads. Having just dropped a hefty sum on a down payment, chances are you don't have a thick a wallet as you used to especially like most new home-owners, you're building a family. Kids are not cheap. Edit: Debt is not a bad thing in controllable moderation. It build a financial credit-worthiness with banks eyes than can help you out (if you choose wisely) down the road. Credit abuse is a whole other issue. Don't feel like debt is bad and frowned upon. Having said that, I have bout $5K in ongoing/revolving debt.
Unforeseen circumstances. And what Lurker said about playing the game the way society set it up. Read those headlines, credit is what everything runs on. I'm out. Played it and didn't care for it. 50 years of trying to make that system work for me, and I believe I'll try something that works better.
First I wanna say - Congratulations!!!! Must be an amazing feeling!!!! I am in debt about 34k.... I had made bad mistakes as a youth and then my ex caused the other half of it... Then I was laid off and homeless for a bit so I have some smaller personal loans that need repaid... I have started using the Dave Ramsey program to try to get organized to get it done faster... I make about 44 a year now so I should be cleaned up quick *crosses fingers*... barring getting laid off again...
I've been able to do what I can and I have had no job (per se') for going on 4 years now. I make my shit last, take care of it, make what I can with my own two hands and grow my own food. I can trade for most goodies and make 7 grand/year doing some work to pay off debts. The wife works part time and with that added to what i rustle up, we're getting stuff paid off. is it a lot of work? yeah, but not any more than working a full time job and all the proceeds go into my coffers and not some banks or rich fuck's pocket.
Congratulations! I can't even get into debt, no body will give me a regular or secured credit card (with reasonable terms) to build my debt credit.
Well, don't forget to keep using your credit cards and paying them off every month. You want a good credit rating should you be diagnosed with a terminal illness, so you can buy a boat, RV, Vegas gambling spree, etc. Leave the biggest fucking bar tab you can!
Quick question about credit reports... If there is an old debt that has been paid off (by me) in 2007...how fricken long does it stay on the report before it goes away?.... I know with debt still owed they say 7 years for it to drop UNLESS there is activity on it... so every 6 1/2 years they sell or move it thus creating "activity" on the account which renews the 7 year thing all over again... I know because I have an old cell account that is still on my credit report...from the original account back in 96....but that isn't my question... I'm talking about accounts where I paid it off and the debt is gone (not in collections or charged off) that still show up years later....
