Why Now?

It's time. I have, in the past, done tons of research and even managed to clear our credit card debt...a couple of times, actually.  But the truth of the matter is this:  since I was eighteen years old, I have always owed someone something.

Wow.

My husband and I each came into our marriage with debt. We have, from time to time, managed to rid ourselves of large parts of it. But it's never been gone completely.

Today is our wedding anniversary. What better gift to ourselves than commit to changing our future? Our daughter is old enough now that she asks questions about money. What should I tell her about managing finances if we can't manage ours?

This is why it's NOW.

On Saturday, 10/9/10, I took my credit cards out of my wallet and locked them in the safe in our basement. (My husband doesn't carry any and hasn't for years.) From here on out, it's cash or debit only. And that's why I entitled this blog what I did...because the simple truth is, though I have often paid down debt, I've never actually stopped spending. This time, it's different.

There. I said it. That was a load off my chest. Up next...the dirty laundry. I'll lay all the debt dirt out there. I'll start with our story.