[wysija_form id=”1″]
Alright, blog babes, it’s time to get real here. I, Britt, am in debt. OK, it’s nothing major, and it’s completely self-inflicted, but I am (in a tiny way) in debt. The hot water tank in my condo recently died, so I had to replace it. Now, I have an emergency fund for things such as this, but I decided I wanted to pay it with my summer supplemental income and not from my emergency fund. Lo and behold, I am currently carrying a balance on my credit card, which is due on July 4th. I know, I know. People who are actually in debt want to wring my neck right now, but know that I kind of, sort of feel you right now! My desire to not touch my emergency fund is SO strong, that I want to do everything I can to get this credit card paid off by the due date. Disclaimer: truth be told, I will pay my credit card off from my emergency fund if it comes down to that or paying interest because, again, that’s what it’s technically there for in my case… My #1 rule of having a credit card is to pay it in full EVERY month.
Anyway, since I feel you who are in debt (OK, I’ll shut up), I thought I’d compile little list of lies about paying off debt. If paying off debt is your #1 priority (as it should be, and I have actually been there), you are forced to think each and every little purchase very carefully. However, there are plenty of lies out there that need to be talked about…. So let’s talk about them.
You will feel deprived. Maybe you can’t go shopping right now, and that sucks. How about ask a pal to borrow clothes or if she’s unloading some un-wanteds to Good Will? Or work on re-styling what you have? Creativity goes a long way!
You can never have fun. Nah. You just have to get creative. Can you splurge on a big boozy night out with the girls? Maybe not, but how about have them over for a BYOB night in? Make some apps, pull out some games, and have at it. So fun, right? Maybe it’ s a different kind of fun, but you’ll be amazed how many fun cheap/free things there are to do out there.
Your life will never be better. This is temporary! If you’re smart, you WILL be out of debt one day, and think about how amazing that will feel! It WILL be worth it!
You need to tell everyone that you’re broke. OK, so you can’t go boozing… Offer to DD! You can still be with everyone, but you’ll save boatloads of money on drinks! If you do need to tell friends that you need to watch your spending, good friends will understand and support you.
Paying off debt aggressively just isn’t worth the sacrifice. Eye on the prize, baby girl. Think about how much fun you’ll be able to have when all of this debt is behind you! You can buy that awesome trip you’ve always wanted to take without any guilt! It’s going to be awesome, and you’re so much closer today than you were yesterday! Keep on keeping on!
