Debt - payments to other people.

My wife and I have a large credit card debt. We have this because I cold not say no. I wanted to be a bigger dog than I really was. I liked to have some toys and to give what was wanted when my family saw something. We also spent much more than I like to think on car repairs.

We are taking money from selling some assets and a 401K. My wife is at the age where she can actually withdraw the money and there is no penalty. Age can be good sometimes.

We, my wife and I, came to a moment. We could save some money and not pay off the largest debt. We had a budget conference. The usual protesters from the IMF and G8 came by. We had our meeting and decided to pay off the largest creditor. This would free up years and years of payments. The world could and would be a better place. If, and this is a huge IF, we have the discipline to build on our success and hard work.

The protesters, faced with fiscal responsibility, trashed the DeKalb Meter Reader. I think he got a book deal out of the event.

We will free up over $1,000 each month from payments to other people. We took the money and they gave it with strings. There were many strings and they would change often. By paying now we can take that interest, 18% to 26%, and give it back to ourselves. With this simple and difficult act we have given ourselves something not found in America these days: Peace of Mind.

With this Peace of Mind I have gone to work this week and not been ill in mind, body or spirit. With this new life I can move on with my life from the place that I have been stuck in (or is it bound to????).  I am a newer man. I see my life having some dignity and peace. And FUN. Money can bring fun. And, we can support our son in college more than we have.

With wealth comes the real ability to do good works and live a better life. With debt, comes sorrow and fear.

My advice to any reader is this. Take the course given by Dave Ramsey. It is called Financial Peace University. It has helped us. It has taken two times through the course. Now, we used the options we never saw before and have taken materials to pull ourselves out of debt. The next goal to to invest and have a better life.