My financial goals are to pay off credit card debt and also save for our yearly vacations (instead of charging them).

My other long term goal is to reduce my spending enough so that I can work a 3/4 schedule and be home for my kids after school.

selkie65:

I think I need to leave that credit card at home.  Although that might give me heart palpitations at first, not having it to fall back on.

Believe you me...I completely understand!!!  I hate to leave mine at home but it is the only way that I can control myself!!!!!

This thread is so inspirational!  I'm so glad I took the time to read all the posts.

My financial independence goal is what I want post-debt. 

It's been over 15 years since I had credit card debt.  I'm 42 years old and I want to spend the rest of my life enjoying my friends and family.  I would like to own my home, travel and hopefully find a great guy to share it with.

I'm in the process of transitioning my career.  I don't want to be in a corporate job anymore.  I have saved a year's salary and I'm preparing to take a leap of faith as a freelance writer.  Exciting but I'm a bit fearful. Fingers and toes are crossed!!

I have prepared for this transition for five years, now I just need to do it!  Recently I have been downshifting and selling a lot of my furniture.  I don't need all this stuff anymore.  I'm making space for something new! 

For weeks I've been walking around with the mantra, "I'm not my stuff, I'm not my stuff..." just to help me release it all.  Funny how attached I got to my stuff.

Along the way I want to have fun, most of all :-)

Working at it have 1 loan 3 months ahead and 1 credit card we do not use and are paying it off.  Unfortunately with dear hubby out of work my income covers the bills but there is nothing left for food & gas so that goes on the credit card.  soon as he finds enployment we can stop the train wreck and hopefully come back to even ground.

judis100:

My financial goals are to pay off credit card debt and also save for our yearly vacations (instead of charging them).

Have you given any thought to skipping the vacation instead of charging it? Alternatively, stay home and use that vacation time to do something in the local area that is both free or inexpensive and close by. Local parks are usually free, libraries are free, museums are mostly free, or take local day trips and pack your own meals. This is all stuff my family did when we were growing up because we simply didn't have the money for hotels and restaurant meals.

The money you DON'T spend on a charged vacation can then be put into the bank and earn at least a little interest and it'll be there for next year's vacation if that's how you choose to spend it.

Suze Orman has it right when she says "If you can't pay cash you can't afford it!"

Kim, you are an inspiration! I think I need to adopt your way of thinking about stuff. We have decided to stay in our home instead of getting a bigger one and just remodel it. I was just telling dh about how upset I was that my disney snowglobes aren't out. He said We can buy a curio, but I told him it would take too much space. There are a few I will keep, but I think I need to make some decisions. We have many things packed away in the closets that we want to display, but we just don't have room to display them.

at least of today I got fourty dollars left and Im happy never happened to me before I finally disaplined what da ya know this is a knee slapin moment for me...

Congrats Chic, I am happy for you.  You make me smile!

Thanks dmc, hows the saving up coming for a down payment on the house, I rembered thats a mission thing, i think you were doing or maybe II got it wrong???

cindy

I declare my financial independence from credit card debt.

The only debt I have is a PLUS loan.

Once that is gone, I'll be completely debt free.