Here’s the deal: last year James and I paid $15,849.67 in interest between our student loans and our house payment. What do we have to show for it? Okay, I guess we do have four college degrees and a house that we don’t live in, but either way…DEBT SUCKS!!!
Take #1: At the first of each month, James and I go to the bank, drive up to the teller and ask, “Can we please withdraw $1320.80 from our account?
Why don’t you give it to use in $1 bills… [Let’s spice things up!]”
James and I hop in our cute little silver Honda Civic and drive down 295 with 1,320 $1 bills. We crank the radio, maybe we would blast a little Black Eyed Peas “where is the love?” or maybe a little Mandy Moore “Candy.”
Once we felt good about our location on the highway, we would roll down our window, smile at each other…high five….and THROW $1320.80 out our window!!! Isn’t that awesome?!?! Just for fun we would scream, "STROUTS" and feel like we accomplished something in the world.
Take #2: James and I receive our bi-weekly paychecks. We proudly go to the bank, request that the teller deposit half our check and give us half the check back in cash.
At the first of each month, we would walk into our bosses’ office, hand him or her half our check, and say: “actually, I think we don’t need this much money. You over paid me, but thank you!” J Wow- didn’t that feel good!!??
Take #3: At the end of each month, James and I crumble $1320.80 into a ball and jam it down our garbage disposal…..what can we say? We LOVE the sound of shredded money, that’s normal, right??
Conclusion: DEBT SUCKS!!!!
What would we do if we had the $15,849 that we paid to some random stranger?? The possibilities are endless!! We could set up a scholarship fund, go on tropical vacations, buy our friends and family outrageously awesome presents, go to an Oprah show, buy a new couch, secure season tickets to the Red Socks, or Duke Blue Devils, buy a season pass to a golf course, take dance lessons….feel FREE!!!!
To date we paid $27,000 of our combined debt, we still owe $18,000. We’ve had many tests and challenges throughout our debt pay down journey, but we will not let them defeat us! If we did, our alternative is spending the rest of our lives draining $$$$ to the wind, I guess we could continue to use the humor expressed in takes #1-#3? That would make throwing away $1320.80 fun, right? NAH!!!
Our visual debt snowball thermometer provides daily motivation to stay on track. James created this bad boy, and he went all the way: the thing is 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide!
Love it Kelley, I have paid off $10,000 in the last year though unfortunately I still have a long ways to go. But I am determined and know that I will get there eventually :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you're gazelle intense!
ReplyDeleteKatie, $10,000 IS AWESOME!!! WOOOOOOOOOO!!! We will all get there, and when we do, we will celebrete (well we have to get you out of Austrialia first!!) GAZELLE INTENSTY IS THE WAY OF LIFE BABY!
ReplyDeleteKelley that was great! I love how you can take something that can be so stressful, and bring some laughter and fun into it. I love the visual. I wish I had thought of doing something like that! It would feel great to actually see the progress as a visual. I can't give you figures, but what I can say is over the past 4 years (since I bought my condo) I am finally going to be able to pay off all debt, except the condo, and catch up on ever single bill that I am behind on, once I get my taxes back. I feel like for the first time since my lil man was born, I will finally be able tp breathe, and not have to live pay check to pay check! ~Nikki
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