Looking for light

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Well I got my congratulations letter from my debt consolidation company yesterday...and with less than $100 my bad debt is finally gone. Over and done...without filing bankruptcy I was able to pay it off...which was not easy, and it was truly tough. But one thing my bad debt has taught me is to finally own up to something in my life that I was missing...my common sense, motivation, trust in my own decisions, and control of my finances. It also made me face all the insecurities I had covered up with that rush of charging that super discounted item of clothing (that I most likely do not have now, nor do I remember) that had added up to the huge balances that I now I planning to celebrate when the last transactions is completed wiping it clean. It took close to $5,000 (or more I lost count at one point), 7 years of tears and sweat, a lot of anger, frustration and at times envy for me to realize one simple thing. If I want it...plan for it. If I can't plan for it....it will either eventually happen or not. There are several things that have helped me out of debt. The first is my debt consilidation company that I cannot give enough kudos to. And if anyone out there is in need of help and want the good guys on your side who are very trustworthy and charge very low fees for their services go visit Cambridge Credit Counseling (www.cambridgecredit.org). A few simple steps and you will be on your way to debt free. Another is reading Suze Orman's books. I know Dave Ramsey is another good one, but Orman is the one I identify with, most likely because she focuses on women and money. I took some of her advice about starting a 401k, and learned the difference between good debt and bad debt. And how money really should be treated like any other living and breathing entity in our lives, because we tend to act nicer and more responsibily to those we love. And to go on with the self-help book stuff. Another good read is called Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. This is a book that anyone who has five minutes can read because you read just one page a day. And it works on us finding our true self (authentic self) and it even addresses money issues, cause let's face it...if we are broke we most likely are depressed...and if we are depressed we truly cannot see how it will get better. It's a vicious cycle at times. So it is best that if you are just beginning on the getting out of debt journey to remember to work on the psyche too, because it all is in relation to one another. So as of the beginning of next month I will only owe half of what I did when I graduated college...(student loans are considered "good debt") and I will begin to slowly chip away at that. I have accessed my credit score...fair in my opinion and my goal is to raise within one year to over 700. I have learned to look at this like a game. So to all you out there at the beginning of payoff, or the middle of payoff...just keep chugging along there is a light at the end of the tunnel and i have a feeling you might find that "true self" waiting for you on the platform.