Have you paid off any bills lately?
By icyorchid
@icyorchid (2564)
United States
April 25, 2008 3:28pm CST
I just gave my daughter $60 to help her pay off her camera! She wanted a digital camera so bad, but NEVER had all the money at one time, so she found a BRAND NEW digital Camera at Rent A Center and she has finally paid it off!!
We got rid of both computer payments 2 weeks ago and now the camera is gone! It feels so good to know we don't have to pay out every week anymore. 
We can use all 3 accounts as new credit for our house loan, because we paid them on time. Rent a center does not build your credit rating, but countrywide said if we had any bills, they can use them as new credit, so that will help us a lot and then the letter from the land lady about our rent payments on time and that's all we have.
Electric and Cable are in our daughter's name. Long story, but she had everything turned on before we moved in.
Things are starting to look up bill wise
We can use all 3 accounts as new credit for our house loan, because we paid them on time. Rent a center does not build your credit rating, but countrywide said if we had any bills, they can use them as new credit, so that will help us a lot and then the letter from the land lady about our rent payments on time and that's all we have.
Electric and Cable are in our daughter's name. Long story, but she had everything turned on before we moved in.
Things are starting to look up bill wise 3 people like this
11 responses
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
25 Apr 08
I got all my bills paid off when my husband divorced me--he spent money like water while I tried to save. What a relief! The only bills I have now are home improvements for the house I bought (my first!!) and they were necessary and I figured them into the cost of the property when I decided to buy it. I'll be glad when those are paid off!
I have a credit card that applies 1% of what I purchase to the principal of my mortgage and I pay it off every month. Makes a dent in the mortgage and I use it for everything I need.
I was so relieved to get out from under that heavy debt I was involved in when I was married, so I know how you feel! I hope never to be in credit card debt again!
@icyorchid (2564)
• United States
26 Apr 08
Unfortunately my daughter's boyfriend has a lot of credit card debt and well, let's just say he needs to get them consolidated and quick! My daughter is helping him pay for them and I don't agree with it and she isn't happy about helping him, but she doesn't want him stressing out.
He is 28 and I hope after he gets from under, things will be better for them.
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
26 Apr 08
I just wrote a series of articles on credit cards--I learn a lot from writing and one thing I learned is that if all you can pay is the minimum you'll be paying till you kick the bucket. What a person wants to do is pay the minimum and then anything at all extra they can designate to be applied to the principal. Minimum payments pay the interest, not the base amount (principal). The lower the principal, the lower the interest and the quicker you can pay down the card.
Wish I'd known that when I was in my 20's and got into trouble with credit cards! Could have saved myself a couple of extra years of grief. Good luck to the boyfriend, hope he's cut up the cards already!
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
25 Apr 08
That is great to hear. My husband and I both are working seven days a week to keep up with our bills and buy the thinghs we need and pay off the bills we owe on also. We spend all of our time around the house also, doing projects that will keep us entertained here at home. I am so ready to go swimming this year also here at home. We are trying to pay the bills off so my husband can retire in ten more years.
@icyorchid (2564)
• United States
26 Apr 08
We are trying to have it so we only owe 1 major bill. Our mortgage when we get one. I have looked into grants for down payments and closing costs and I found something on the net (my sister did) that gives out grants to first time home buyers who don't qualify for enough to purchase a house.
Unfortunately that may be us. I don't think we will qualify for the house I want, so if we can get the grants, we won't have to get a mortgage for too much and hopefully have it paid off within 20 years or less. Before he retires. lol
@emma412 (1156)
• United States
27 Apr 08
Good for you! We are working on clearing off our payments. We still have a car loan and two credit cards we are working on. But, we did pay off one of our credit cards. It felt so good! We are getting close to paying off another one. I'm hoping with this new stimulus payment we will have enough to do so. Then we will only haveone credit card balance left. How exciting that will be!
@LouieWpHs04 (4555)
• United States
25 Apr 08
Well first of all, rent-a-center is a bad place to do business with. If you don't have the money upfront and don't really need the product right there and then, it's better to wait a bit and save up and buy it from an actual store as you'll pay much less in the end, but it might be longer till' you actually get to have it.
I suppose it all depends on your personal preference. But you can sometimes end up paying way more then the camera or whatever it is, is actually worth.
I don't pay bills, yet. I'm still living with my rents and trying to find a steady job, as soon as I do i'll pay for the few bills that involve me, and any that still involve me when I move out. Such as car insurance, car expenses, etc.
Hope this was a good response.
@icyorchid (2564)
• United States
26 Apr 08
Well, I have dealt with Rent a center since 2004. Bought our sofa set from there and paid it off in less than a year. Then we needed to get new computers, and those are expensive, so we went that way and they were still in boxes when we purchased them. Same with the camera.
Things are better when you do it that way, you get what you want and need and you pay on time. The camera I use for Ebay, so it was a necessity for me as well as a want for her. We each paid on it, so the camera is for both of us.
If you don't have credit, you get stuff you need anyway you can 
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
25 Apr 08
And isn't it a good feeling when you start to clear bills off? It is like a weight has been lifted and somehow life does not seem so dull! When I started to see the bills we had disappearing the relief was so sweet, I just have one more bill to shift, a catalogue bill that I managed to run up very quickly and now over a year later I am still paying for it!! I reckon that I am looking at another 10 months before it is gone but already the minimum monthly payment is way down so I am getting there now. I will never ever have another catalogue again!!
@icyorchid (2564)
• United States
26 Apr 08
LOL Yep it sure does feel GREAT!
Only bill I want is our home bills and the mortgage, I won't feel like I am drowning all the time. lol
Only bill I want is our home bills and the mortgage, I won't feel like I am drowning all the time. lol
@Elixiress (3878)
•
25 Apr 08
I have paid my share of the phone bill to my Mam today. It must be a relief to have lots of stuff paid off now.
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
26 Apr 08
Well, most of the time, it does feel quite good when you pay off something and have it no longer looming over your head. We have a couple of Small Credit card amounts we owe on we would love to get to $0 somehow. We are wanting to buy a house or something once we sell our Condo, but the options are limited due to our Income. So we are working with someone who is trying to help us, and then go from there. I have a major issue I am trying to clear up as well regarding my Credit, etc. and know somehow it will be taken care of. Just not sure how or when. It might have to go to court first.
Well, wishing you the Best on your move. And you should feel Good about one or two less bills. That is always a Good thing.
@sophiasmom911 (1345)
• United States
26 Apr 08
i'm glad your bills are looking good. thats always reassuring.i know what you mean about the computer. we are still paying on ours and it sucks!
@wickedangel (1636)
• Dominican Republic
26 Apr 08
There is nothing so wonderful as paying off all your bills, I certainly know the feeling. When I was younger I wouldn't buy anything until I actually had all the money in my hand and I just wouldn't let my parents pay for me either.
We used to be able to buy things on the HP which meant that you could pay it off every month. I never did that because I was never sure if I would have a job from one month to the next, also I didn't like the idea of living in debt. Now of course all the stores in the UK have credit cards and they push you to take one so that you can run up a bill that way - it's bad enough with all the major credit cards, all it means is another form of debt.
So well done for paying everything off! What a wonderful feeling. Thanks for sharing that with us icy. :)
@jesbellaine (4139)
• Philippines
26 Apr 08
Yup! I paid them yesterday.
It is really good to settle all the bills
so we can relax. hehehe.
