This past week, Nate finally paid off his last credit card. What a relief! We are now Credit Card-Free! It’s almost been a year since I started blogging and getting our finances under control, and while it was my goal to start 2009 without any credit card debt, 3 months later isn’t too shabby. I’ve been credit card free since November, myself. I sort of feel like a member of “Credit Card Users Anonymous” (which, as far as I know doesn’t exist…but perhaps it should?!). Feel free to write/call me for support when you’re about to use it! I’ll talk you down from that ledge! 
It’s so nice to have another box crossed out on our “Financial Freedom Plan.” Next up? Our car loan. With less than $6,000 left, we should be able to get it paid off by the end of the year. That’s my goal, in any case. Of course I’ll keep you posted.
It can be done.
5 Comments
March 30, 2009 at 4:29 am
Welcome to the club. Some people still look at me like I’m an alien when I say, “I don’t believe in credit cards” but I like being weird in that way. It was nice to know in this crazy time of credit card companies changing the rules on you midstream that I didn’t have to worry what might happen next.
Congratulations!
March 30, 2009 at 8:44 am
Good work!
(Greetings from a frugal family in the Netherlands!)
March 31, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Good work!
I’m getting mine worked down too. I’m putting about $150.00 per month toward the cards. It’s not much, but I don’t have much. Of course, not using them also helps. I got my taxes sent in and I’ll be getting a big refund. I’ll be using a large part of that to pay down some debts too. Slowly but surely I’m getting there too. I’m still looking for a better job too.
March 31, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Congratulations!!! What a weight off your shoulders your family must feel!
April 24, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Just a follow up to my March 31 comment. Income tax refund arrived! Last week actually. Since I had it directly deposited, I didn’t know it was there until I went to the bank today. It included a big EIC payment. Almost all of it went to pay down some debts. I paid most of the balance on the highest rate card. There is only $150.00 left and I can get that in a few months. A bunch of other misc. debts were paid down by about 30 – 40% of their balances. The card with the negotiated payoff also got a payment. But, percentage wise, it was not as large as the others. Well, every little bit helps.
Now, $8000.00 may not seem like much. But when you live paycheck to paycheck, it is. So dropping that debt to $5000.00 and plugging the 26% money hole is a big step.
So, Whoo! Hoo!
And keep on plugging away at your debts. I’m over here plugging away at mine.