Copied from my Facebook wall:
I shed a few happy tears this morning. I haven't talked too much about this, so I hope you'll indulge the one "yay me" FB post before getting back to our regularly scheduled cat pictures and snark.
I've been through some pretty horrible times with money. I've faced bankruptcy, I've had a car repossessed, I've been in the red more times than I can count. In late 2012, I started getting serious about my money - budgeting fiercely, paying for everything with cash, throwing 40-70% of my income (whatever I could afford) at my debt. On April 18, 2013, I paid off Liberty (my car) and turned to my final debt, my student loan (Sallie Mae...formerly Citi).
Since April 2013 I've gone through several dramatic career changes, most of which were my choice, a couple of which were a bit scary and sad. I faced the costs of medical and car repairs after some more malarkey, I struggled to make ends meet with my ever-changing income and occasional unemployment, and I navigated the ridiculousness of CoveredCA to make sure I was insured medically. Still I continued to make payments, and track everything in my beloved spreadsheets (you all know I have a love affair with Excel, right?). In October of this year Sallie Mae changed to (...was bought by? I don't know) Navient. So this loan has gone through three lenders. O_O
But it doesn't matter because this morning I submitted the final payment. I wanted to pay it off before my 30th birthday, but I'm happy to make my second-best goal (before Christmas and before the end of the year.)
My name's Dana Morgan. I'm 30 years old. And I'M. DEBT. FREE.
Merry Christmas. :-)
It is truly amazing to see anyone being happy for accomplishing something that they had been wanting to accomplish all their life, and you perfectly represent those kinds of people who were triumphant in solving their problems in life. It seems that you really set the goal of becoming debt-free before your 30th birthday, and it’s truly fantastic that you were able to achieve that goal. Cheers to you, and thanks for sharing your debt-free experience!
ReplyDeleteNaomi Cruz @ 4 Pillars
Good for you Dana! I too have had financial struggles in the past and was relieved the day I paid off the last dollar on my outstanding student loan and credit card debts. It's such a great feeling. I wish you the best for the future! For others struggling with debt, stay disciplined and you'll be able to experience the same satisfaction as Dana.
ReplyDeleteKaroline Peak @ Ruffi Law Offices, S.C.