get out of debt

I wrote down everything we owe and to where..what the minimum payments are, what the percentages are, stuff like that. Each payment is rounded up to the next ten so extra will get paid each time and the grand total will be figured out with each payment. I should make up a beginning of the year section with a monthly progress type of thing. It sounds like a lot to keep track of, but if I do this each time I make a payment, it should become habit. Maybe seeing the progress will help me get it paid off faster. We paid off a bunch in 09, and now I’m getting offers for way lower interest rates. That’s not so bad to take advantage of with other balances we have left.

I’m sending off the final payment on a card (the one I owed the most on!) and will pay off another one this month. It won’t put me entirely out of debt, but it’ll be a big step in the right direction.

not as fast as I would like, but we’re on the road. I actually have Harlan’s attention in this!

if I well ever get this accomplished. I need a second job, I think. They keep cutting hours at work.

but instead of how much I owe, it’s a list of how much I’m lowering debt. Each bill that comes in, I look to see how much I paid in, how much the new payment is, and record the difference, whether it goes up or down. So far I haven’t hit -100 yet, but I’m getting close! Turning off those lights helps.

I need to sit down and write out a plan of attack for this one. Last year I got rid of the house payment, but things have gone wrong through the year (I wish at least one of the vehicles would quit breaking down) and I have things too messed up. I can keep my fingers crossed, but I’m going to have to work at this all over again.

I’ve managed to get the mortgage paid off. That will give us one less bill to pay each month. Onward and upward!

I’ve got just short of $200 in bills to pay this week. I’ve got to work toward getting enough to pay the mortgage in the bill paying account, though, so I’m going to transfer six hundred, if both mine and Harlan’s checks were enough. I did check the mortgage, though, and we have exactly three years of payments left on it.

I’m transferring some higher interest debt to a smaller rate. This should save me about ten percent. Maybe that doesn’t seem like a lot, but every bit helps!

It’s been a long time since I was out of debt. It all began when credit cards are used to make payments because you are helping your family out. I gave my dad and his wife $5000 for a down payment on their home. Without cash, I used a card. My son kept getting into trouble, so I would use a credit check to pay his rent, that kind of thing. Now I won’t do that any more. If I don’t have the cash, I have to say no. But it’s not easy.