As I checked our bank account yesterday I got the best surprise: TAX RETURN! I immediately got on the phone with USAA and paid off my car. I do have to say it's the best feeling in the world to get rid of debt.
We now will be using the money that would have been a car payment to pay off our credit card. It feels good to have a plan and knowing that in roughly 5 months (maybe sooner) the only debt we will have is our mortgage (we will start making an additional mortgage payment every other month). We can also start building up our savings again.
I feel like we are finally in a really good financial place. I think it has helped that I have serious buyers remorse haha, I usually walk out of a store empty-handed. I have to have a real need for something in order for me to buy it.
My one and only goal this year was to get right with our finances and I am so happy that it's happening.
Did you have any finance goals for 2013?
I'd love to be debt free but it will probably involve a bankruptcy at some point. You if you take my mortgage, car, and student loans I'm like $60k in debt... include my medical bills and we're taking close to $300k. :(
ReplyDeleteHappy for you!! Debt can be a very heavy weight.
ReplyDelete-Jamie
ChatterBlossom
That is awesome! This gives me hope that I can become debt free as well.
ReplyDeleteUgh, I hear you about buyers remorse. Mine has gotten SO bad! I think it is because my hubs is a financial guy and is always wanting to add to our retirement so much! And no, I don't really have any financial goals since the hubs is a wiz at all that. :)
ReplyDelete:) Yeah my buyers remorse always takes over, maybe it's not such a bad thing sometimes haha.
DeleteGood for you!! What a great feeling to get out from debt!
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome news! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! I love the feeling of paying something off. We've been trying to be really good about staying out of debt except for D's student loans which are unavoidable right now. Our financial goals this year are to build up our savings account and start a savings account/trust fund for Baby Girl.
ReplyDeleteWe are using deployment as a time to focus on getting out of debt. It is all student loans, but the stress is definitely still there. Our goal is to pay off $20,000 of debt by the time he gets back. I think we will definitely hit that, and I am excited to make progress toward being debt free.
ReplyDeleteDeployments are great for eliminating debt and that's about it haha. :) Good luck and I know you can do it.
DeleteThat is such an amazing feeling. Not having debt is one of the best things! And it keeps the marriage super happy!!
ReplyDelete¤´¨)
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(¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo
www.raising-reagan.com
I'm DYING to get rid of some of our debt, too! We still owe too much on our vehicles to get rid of those, but we definitely are going to try to get rid of our credit card debt! It's definitely doable, we just need to stick with it. Congrats on paying off your car!!!! SUCH a good feeling!
ReplyDeleteHow awesome to have your car paid off now! That is exciting. Happy for your guys!
ReplyDeleteHello Jen,
ReplyDeleteYou and I are alike when it comes to purchasing; it sounds. I ponder purchases for a long time before plunking down a penny.
I am happy for you that you are well on your way to financial freedom.
A Happy Day to YOU!
♥Hope
Congrats on paying off this car, Jen!
ReplyDeleteAfter being with absolutely no debt for over 3 years, we're currently jumping heads-first in the greatest debt-pool we've ever had and build a house. And yes, I AM actually having buyer's remorse for that one too :-)
Cheers, Stephanie
Thanks Stephanie! :) Congrats that is really exciting!!
DeleteCongratulations on paying off the loan! We've been debt-free, minus our mortgage, for 5 years now, it feels so good to not have any loans or credit card bills to worry about.
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome that you will be getting out of debt! I will be about $15,000 in debt when I graduate college and about $10,000 more in debt for a car (I don't have one, it's just a crappy car on loan from my mom.) I will admit, I cried when I signed my first student loan papers because I hate owing people stuff but sometimes debt can't be avoided! I'm trying to learn good financial habits now because it will be helpful in the future.
ReplyDeleteSo great, glad to see your getting to your goal :) !! I can't let myself think about how long I will be in law school debt too much or I'd go bonkers.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jackie!! :) Haha don't think too hard about it. :)
DeleteThat's so funny! I hadn't read this post when I put mine up. It feels so good to get rid of those recurring bills, right? I can't wait! Basically our whole tax return is going towards cutting up our credit cards. Woo!
ReplyDeleteI love that we both blogged about this today! :) Great minds think alike. Yay for getting rid of credit cards. :)
DeleteI think this is on a lot of people's mind. I took my tax money and paid extra on my house and paid off medical bills. and saved the rest for a rainy day.
ReplyDeleteMy financial goal was to save up for donor eggs. I did it too.
ReplyDeleteCongrats! We're chipping away at my student loans and trying to save more so we can eventually buy a house.
ReplyDeleteThanks! :) It feels good. That's awesome, buying a house is such an exciting experience. :)
DeleteSo exciting! Happy for you and your husband! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's so great for you! We'll be paying towards debt too and hopefully will be where you are soon! I'm the same way about shopping. It doesn't come home unless it's an absolute necessity! So happy for you!
ReplyDeleteYay for tax returns! We don't have any specific goals, but with the possibility of me getting furloughed, we are definitely going to have to watch what we spend a whole lot more.
ReplyDeleteHow funny! I just posted about our tax return.. then I read this. :) I love that tax returns can help with that! We paid off some of our debt too and it feels fantastic!
ReplyDeleteWe paid off our cars last month too! It is so nice to have the extra money to put toward saving.
ReplyDeleteOooo a car paid off how nice that sounds!! Congrats that's huge! It feels good to get rid of debt. And putting the car payment amount towards credit cards will be amazing!
ReplyDeleteThat is so, so exciting to be making such big steps towards financial security!
ReplyDeleteWoo! I love checking my bank account and finding extra money in there. I'm patiently waiting for my refund to be deposited so I can take care of a few things. I've got one card to pay off which will be super easy and then it's all student loans.
ReplyDeleteI love being debt free! We rid ourselves of debt before we were married and each year I make a savings goal. We budget and live pretty frugally, but it's sooo worth it. I love having money in the bank ;)
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