Comments on: Credit Card Debt Update = $23,517

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 16:09:43 +0000

Repaying debt is like dieting. To me, for it to be a long-term life change, you cannot be “on” or “off.” You change your habits and still live your life. Fun is not “pointless.” It is necessary to survive and for the long haul. There is not a right or wrong way. If you cannot meet your basic needs then yes, cable is a luxury. As long as your debit is going down, you are successful.

By: Claire

Claire — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 03:00:04 +0000

Keep on chugging, Tricia. You all are doing GREAT! I wish my husband and I were on the same page, as you and yours certainly are – it makes a huge difference.
As for the naysayers – let ‘em nay-say. They don’t know you and your life. You are doing all of us a great service by telling us about your struggles – something most of us can relate to, and you are a blessing. So there!

By: Tammy

Tammy — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 02:55:50 +0000

Tricia ~ You stick to your plan and know we got your back. I’m a recent reader but by reading your posts, tracking your progress – I’m inspired to stay on track too. I see nothing lackluster – I see commitment and progress which is THE Goal!

By: missiondebtfreedom

missiondebtfreedom — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 02:41:47 +0000

Tricia, you hang in there…you are headed in the right direction. I imagine you will have months where you can put more towards debt repayment than others. That’s life. If you cut too deep, you might soon resent your plan and slide off track.

By: CPA1298

CPA1298 — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 02:37:26 +0000

Tricia,

You’re doing fine; keep it up.

I have a family member who is in a lot worse shape; their income is 1/3 of yours, and they have just been hit with $10k of uninsured medical (a glitch in coverage between two employers). A bad deal.

By: Tricia

Tricia — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 00:39:27 +0000

Everyone except Tyler – thank you everyone for speaking up and rooting me on. I appreciate it.

Tyler – Thank you for your comment as well. You do bring up a point that there are things that can be cut from our spending. The key is to find a balance that works for you. No two situations can be compared to each other. More on this later.

By: Beth

Beth — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 00:10:56 +0000

In my opinion, $881 is not an “only” number (as in “only $881″). It’s a great number! Great work!

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 21:36:26 +0000

Tricia,
Keep up the great work, don’t let this guy get to you. Cable TV is an incredible investment if you think about the time you spend watching TV. It works out to just pennies per hour, it is one of the cheapest forms of entertainment out there, and while you are watching you aren’t spending.

By: KimH

KimH — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 21:11:46 +0000

#6 has a point. It’s not like Tyler’s giving us a blow by blow account of exactly how he paid off his debt. I am wondering, though…is Tyler just a troll, trying to see if he can yank all of our chains?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 21:04:12 +0000

Tyler-
Arent you just full of support and wisdom?

You dont even allow the rest of us, including Tricia to view your own blog and how you accomplished this great feat!

We are all here to support each other, not put each other down, so please just go away!

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 20:34:05 +0000

Hey Tyler, do us all a favor and buy some looser underwear. Maybe she doesn’t want to cut basic cable out. Can’t a family have at least one measly “luxury”….

By: Tyler

Tyler — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 20:18:23 +0000

Just saying, other things can be cut to quicken up the process. While I got myself out of debt, fun was really out of the picture. I had a goal and I did not deviate from it with pointless fun. You can have all the fun you want when you’re out of debt! It’s wonderful!

By: Him

Him — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 19:59:34 +0000

Tyler –

She’s doing the best she can, considering their family income, the fact that she has children, and other stuff that comes up. $13,000 of debt repayment is about 25% of their family’s PRE-TAX income, and close to 30% of their POST-TAX income. They still have to eat, and you know, once in a while have fun.

Lackluster, my ass.

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 19:32:01 +0000

I think you’re doing just fine. You can’t always go full steam ahead all the time. There are going to periods along the way where you have to spend money on other things in order to prevent more expensive repairs down the road. You’re doing an awesome job!

By: Tyler

Tyler — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 18:51:10 +0000

I personally feel you do not really want to get rid of this debt quickly. I just started reading your blog and it appears that you are spending too much on frivolous things like home repairs – obviously it depends what’s wrong – if its cosmetic, I think the problem is your priorities! Also, cable TV should be cut! I think if you really wanted to rid of debt, you would have a sure-fire plan of attack. Right now, I see a lackluster approach. Just my opinion and sorry I am wrong about it…