I have not stopped thinking about finances since my post
last night; when I totalled up OUR household debt, I am pretty sure my heart fell to the floor. It can be very overwhelming!!!
Our generation grew up believing that debt was simply a way of life. It was expected, and accepted, to take out loans to finance our own education. If you were like me, it started out small. I took out small loans to help pay for SOME of my college courses. I continued to work full-time to pay for the other part. Eventually, I got overwhelmed...I was working two jobs, one as a retail manager, and one as a waitress, and going to school full time (15 - 18 credit hours/semester). I was also living on my own and had bills to pay!!! Of course, I couldn't just live in any
ol' apartment! Oh no...I had to have the best! I rented a duplex for $750.00/month! I thought I was making good choices, but I was only starting my
dependency on financing my future.
Eventually, I quit working to go back to school full-time and focus on my education. I was 23 at the time, and moved back on campus...a bit of a blow to my ego, if I do say so myself!!! Before moving, I had a large garage sale (my very first!) to make enough money to get me through the semester, hoped for the year! I also had to give up my precious puppy, as it was forbidden to have pets on campus. It was, at the time, the most difficult thing I had ever done.
After just a couple of months of living on campus with three roommates, I realized that the money I had hoped would finance me through the year was dwindling, and I knew I had to get a job. Fortunately, I found a great opportunity at a Youth Center; I could work when I wanted and got paid fairly well.
Eventually, I was working with three kids instead of just one. But that didn't last forever...eventually the program closed, and again, I was at square one. No savings. No income...but bills to pay! So, I started taking out more money for my student loans, a little bit to live on in addition to what I needed to pay for classes. If I couldn't afford what I needed, like groceries, I put it on a charge card!!! I had several credit cards:
Kay's, Express, Limited, Victoria's Secret, Structure/Bath and Body Works, Sears,
Sam's, and Capitol One! Anything I needed was available with the swipe of my plastic magic!!!
I finally graduated...but with a hefty amount of debt to account for!!! I had a whopping $48,000 in school loans and somewhere around $8,000 in credit card debt.
Eventually, my car decided to take a crap, and I didn't have a vehicle to get me back and forth to school and work...with no cash and no credit left to do what I needed to do to FIX the problem, which was the starter, I decided it would be better to simply buy a new one. I got financed for the loan, added my personal loan to it, and drove off the car lot with a new car, and another $28,000.00 in debt. I didn't have to make my first payment for 90 days, so I thought this was for sure the way to go!!!
Eventually, it all caught up with me, and I was left with financial debt up to my EARS!!! I can safely say that there is no worse feeling than learning that your financially SCREWED!!! I felt like a caged animal, ready to break out, but unable to do so.
My husband and I have since made some accomplishments with our finances, and we realize the consequences of financing our future. It isn't worth it!!! We want to get OUT OF DEBT completely; while we have made progress, we have a ways to go still.
Admitting that you have debt, and don't want to go down that road anymore, IS HUGE!!! It is difficult to talk about; it isn't a proud moment when you realize what your financial choices have amounted to. Keeping up with the
Jones's is a tough job, and we all want to have the BEST! Is it really worth the stress? No. I am tired of living outside of our means, and refuse to raise my children believing that is the norm.
I want to make our financial struggles, ups and downs, public. By doing so, I hope to hold myself more accountable. Each day we make financial decisions, and I want to make better ones! Join me on my journey to FINANCIAL FREEDOM!!!!!!!
Posts
