Print
Email
For years, I told my friends the same thing. “I made this mess; I’ll fix it!”
The mess I made wasn’t uncommon; I had gotten myself deep into credit card debt. How deep? About $50K deep. Ugly, I know.
But I retired that debt, plus about $15K owed to the IRS, and it took only four years and three months. What’s better, I did it while working at jobs that I really love doing.
The reason I am writing this is that if I can do it, other people can, too.
My story is probably a lot like yours. From the time I received my first credit cards in the late ‘80s, I became comfortable carrying a lot of debt. The minimums were low and manageable. And as a writer, I fell prey to what a filmmaker pal calls the freelancers' curse. That’s when you spend your paycheck three times: once when you get the assignment, once when you finish the work and a third time when you actually get paid. Visa and Mastercard took care of two of those three. But I neglected to take care of Visa and Mastercard. Soon after the dotcom crash and 9/11, I found myself without my accustomed level of freelance writing assignments. I decided to tough it out living off my cards from time to time.
I figured that work would rebound, but before the uptick arrived, I had gone from paying minimums in a timely fashion to being afraid to answer the phone because 4 out of 5 calls were related to my credit card delinquencies.
Then one day in late summer of ’04, I got a call from a collection agency and had an “aha” moment. I was 90 days late on a credit card payment, but this guy was talking to me as if I’d shot his wife. I’m pretty easygoing, but I don’t take being talked down to, especially not by an angry stranger. After I hung up, I looked at my options. A bankruptcy filing was certainly the easy route, but I don’t like easy routes. And I don’t generally like government fixing my problems if I can do it myself.
So how did I pay it off? I knew that overtime would have to become a way of life, which wasn’t hard since I’m the son of two workaholics, and I’m single and childless. I could double up on work without putting too many personal obligations at risk.
Comments
thanks
But I retired that debt, plus about $15K owed to the IRS, and it took only four years and three months. What’s better, I did it while working at jobs that I really love doing.
payday advance
What you said is true. Thanks!
pharmacy no prescription no prescription online pharmacy
generic cialis no prescription generic cialis
generic viagra no prescription generic viagra
weight loss pillsbest weight loss pills
Excellent, thanks for sharing
Search music
MP3 albums
music mp3 download
mp3
music mp3 downloads
mp3 download
download album
vseznaem.com mp3
download charts
legal mp3
mp3
Jeux de grattage |
Jeux de grattage gratuits
The mess I made wasn’t uncommon; I had gotten myself deep into credit card debt. How deep? About $50K deep. Ugly, I know. .Thanks for sharing your views..
Free online games
Regards,
Frugal, thrifty or just plain cheap are some of the things I have been called over the years but its times like this when I am able to get true satisfaction form my fiscally conservative ways. Pay as you go is my personal motto.
Cialis
Generic Cialis Online
Buy Cialis
The light bulb moment for me regarding the disregard with which so many other people viewed credit was a former girlfriend calling me up to meet her after work at the Gucci store. She was planning to make a purchase of a handbag set because AMEX had just raised her credit limit. It's been 4 years and I am still trying to figure out why an increased credit limit is impetus for a luxury item purchase. Maybe some one here can explain.
Buy Viagra
Everytime I read about relatively middle class and poor people who have $10K, $20K or $30K+ credit card debt I have to say I am somewhat flabergasted. I make a good living but I can only imagine how stressful it would be to carry around that kind of personal debt especially with the usery interest they charge these days. I take my hat off to people who can function with that kind of weight over their heads because I know it would take a toll on me.
The credit card splurge that is....I must admit I do have several credit cards but I primarily use one or two over any given time and along with my check card. I never carry balances over from month to month, primarily because the prospect of paying interest to the credit card company burns me up.
Cialis
Generic Cialis Online
Buy Cialis
Frugal, thrifty or just plain cheap are some of the things I have been called over the years but its times like this when I am able to get true satisfaction form my fiscally conservative ways. Pay as you go is my personal motto.
Buy Viagra
The light bulb moment for me regarding the disregard with which so many other people viewed credit was a former girlfriend calling me up to meet her after work at the Gucci store. She was planning to make a purchase of a handbag set because AMEX had just raised her credit limit. It's been 4 years and I am still trying to figure out why an increased credit limit is impetus for a luxury item purchase. Maybe some one here can explain.
Everytime I read about relatively middle class and poor people who have $10K, $20K or $30K+ credit card debt I have to say I am somewhat flabergasted. I make a good living but I can only imagine how stressful it would be to carry around that kind of personal debt especially with the usery interest they charge these days. I take my hat off to people who can function with that kind of weight over their heads because I know it would take a toll on me.
Your article very interesting, I have introduced a lot of friends look at this article, the content of the articles there will be a lot of attractive people to appreciate, I have to thank you such an article
Iklan Baris Gratis Iklan Baris Gratis
Desain Web Murah Desain Web Murah
Cahbagus CahBagus
Inter studio Inter Studio
Khaystudio Mengembalikan jati diri bangsa
Rangkuman Ilmu SEO Rangkuman Ilmu SEO
Khairuddin Syach Khairuddin Syach
Mengembalikan jati diri bangsa Mengembalikan jati diri bangsa
Mengembalikan jati diri bangsa Mengembalikan jati diri bangsa
Informasi Pendidikan Info Pendidikan Indonesia
Situs Murah Situs Murah
Khay Khay
Ramadhani Ramadhani
Mengembalikan jati diri bangsa Mengembalikan jati diri bangsa
Blogger Samarinda Blogger Samarinda
Oes Stetnoc Oes Tsetnoc
Cerita Hot cerita hot
Khairuddin Khairuddin
Blogger Gurem Blogger Gurem
Khairuddin Syach Weblog Khairuddin Syach Weblog
Kenali dan Kunjungi Objek Wisata di Pandeglang Kenali dan Kunjungi Objek Wisata di Pandeglang
Mengembalikan jati diri bangsa Mengembalikan jati diri bangsa
My rule is I put nothing on my credit card if there was no money coming in to pay off the balance in full when the bill came.
Cialis Generic Cialis Online
This was hard, especially when I was a grad student; it meant I lived very frugally but when all my people around me were freaking out about credit card debt, I had nothing to say, I had not.
Buy Cialis
The same rules apply today. There are times when you *need* to use that card but I learnt to distinguish between needs and wants.
Buy Viagra