Update

O.K.... I will attempt (again) to be accountable!! So far, this year has not been good for my goals! Starting last Christmas-time... I have added debt that obviously I knew I shouldn't. But, we kid ourselves into thinking that we can handle it and pay it back by the end of the month - that seldom happens. I got a limit increase on my Discover card back in October or so... so, I told myself that I should use it to do my Christmas shopping, then, when we got Christmas bonus money (yes, still a little!), I would pay that all on the credit card. I did pay a good chunk, but then kept using the dang card for everything that came up. Now, I'm back at my limit - which is way higher than it used to be when I was working so hard to get it down! ;( Then, I used my Macy's card to buy my mother a birthday gift. That seemed to tip off a shopping "habit" through the summer, along with my August birthdays and back to school...
So, while I'm not where I wanted to be, I have made progress on other things, which keeps me from being totally depressed. I will have Rooms to Go paid off by the end of the year, as well as, all of my store cards - another again! (Macy's, Nordstrom, Victoria's Secret, and Loft - I love Loft!!). From here on out, it's down down down with those balances and no more up up up!! On a positive note, I have been using my Target credit card to make purchases for groceries and misc. stuff to get the 5% discount and making sure I pay that on top of my regular payment! That's been going great!
Alright! Here's to paying down debt, again!

August

Wow...another month gone! August was NOT a good month for me financially! Both of my daughter's birthdays and my nephew's birthday, not to mention back to school. Unfortunately, I did use my credit card this month :( Not too much, but it was definitely a step back. DH has been working a little more, so that has helped keep things from getting totally off track. We are both working Saturdays right now - for me, though, it is just making up time lost with having to take DS to school and leave in time to pick him up from after care. Now baseball is starting, so that'll be even more time to miss work to be at games/practice...it's o.k. though...I do enjoy watching him play. I think September will be a good month for paying down - at least I'm hoping! We got a letter from Wells Fargo saying that we would be charged a $35 membership fee unless we wanted to close the account and pay it in full before the end of September (wtf?)...not sure if this is possible, but I'm going to try. I could take the money from the emergency fund that I just now was able to get to the $1000.00 threshold...not sure I want to do that, though! After all...what if I have an emergency?? Ha!Ha!

July 2010

Well, it's been a while since I decided to make this blog. I haven't posted since the initial setup, I prefer just to follow. But, my goal was for this to maybe make me more accountable for my debt payoff. Reading everyone else's blogs certainly helps. I have been using credit WAY less than I did prior to 2010! I almost always use my debit card for any purchase. I'm obviously still buried, since I'm starting with such a large number, but I think I'm doing really well. I've PIF all of my department store cards - Macy's was really hard to let go :) And I only have $970.00 left on the Chase MC that I've been wanting to pay off forever - they raised my rate to the "default rate" a couple of years ago because I was a day late with pmt a couple of months. So, that made me very bitter towards them - and I am almost rid of them! I know, I made my bed and all, but still! Unfortunately DH is not getting as many hours as he once did, so that is putting a little bit of a damper on my plans. I am trying to work as much as I can, but with one still in elementary, that is only possible to a certain extent. Thank goodness, I still have the opportunity to work as much as I want, but it still doesn't make up for the difference in his pay. I am truly "muddling through".

Getting Started

Wow... this is definitely new. I just recently fell onto some "blogs" - I had no idea! It's like your personal diary (that anyone can read!). Where to start... well, I've got to say that I let my debt get really out of control. Fortunately, I am not behind on any payments; but, when I think about the amount of money that comes in and I have to turn around and pay almost all of it on bills, it makes me ill! So, in an effort to remain accountable, I will begin tracking my progress here. It seems to be an effective tool, so... Since I don't know how to get the sidebars and progress things up, yet and I just did a quick calculation, my credit card debt is $ 88,755.00!! So many articles I have read say that the average american credit card debt is about $ 9,000.00 - HA! Five of my cards each have more debt than that! So, finally I decided enough was enough and I took all of my credit cards out of my purse and I'm slowly chiseling away at the balances. I do stumble sometimes, though and I'm hoping this new hobby will help with that. :)