It came! It came! It came! On the morning of my birthday, it came! “It” is our federal income tax return. Lots of money to do with exactly what we… need. Ooh, that hurts. It’s no longer about what we want; it’s about what we need. What do we want? How about another week in Orlando, this time at Universal Studios? Or maybe a week at a condo in Hilton Head would fit the bill nicely. Shoot! We could even do a week at an all-inclusive resort down in the Caribbean. But those aren’t needs.
As of this morning, our family is completely, 100% credit card debt-free. As of this morning, our family has a decent emergency fund in place. As of this morning, we are quickly on our way to being completely debt-free. Damn, that feels sooooo good!!!
Oooh, and then on top of that, the mail came – with birthday cards. Birthday cards with money in them! Then there was that email from DSW. Shoes, anyone? And with – OMGosh! – TWO coupons. Shoes on sale! Can I get an Amen for a shoe sale? The Nerd in me says, “That money goes into the debt snowball.” The little bit of me that’s Free Spirit says, “You need a new pair of white sandals (and you have your birthday coupon).” My husband, on hearing about our IRS-gifted windfall asked, “Where would you like to go for your birthday?” My girls and he were going to make dinner at home, which was fine and budget-friendly. He’s the Free Spirit; he wants to have some fun. He’ll also make sure I have a little fun myself.
It’s been a truly great day. My older daughter – so sweet! – very altruistically said, “Mommy, it’s your birthday. You shouldn’t have to do any work today, and you shouldn’t have to teach me.” Haha! The lessons have been thin – Bible with reading comprehension and math. It’s good for her to see me ecstatic over being credit card debt-free. She should witness the struggle with blowing it for fun and using that money responsibly. It’s in the normal moments of life that she learns so much more than what our basic third grade curriculum would allow.
Related articles
- Americans’ Savings vs. Their Credit Card Debt (claimingliberty.com)
- The Dangers and Threats of Credit Card Debts along with other Types of Financial Obligation (graceabonillo.net)
- What is the Best Way to Pay Off Credit Card Debt? (myinvestingblog.com)
snesbitt73
Funny little side note… When I called my credit card company to see if they’d reduce my payment, the customer service rep sounded genuinely sad that I was going to be paying off my whole bill. She did manage to chirp out, “Well, it’s good for you…”