Author Topic: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!  (Read 2515 times)

JestJes

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Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« on: May 20, 2019, 08:40:00 AM »
To combat the recent negativity, I just want to send out a heartfelt thank you to this community and MMM for helping me turn my life around.

A year ago I was the classic consumer sucker. Consistently spending more than I made on drinking, eating out, and stuff I didn't need. I would put vacations and cruises on credit cards and only paid the minimum, not really opening the statements. I was completely divorced from reality.

I stumbled on MMM by accident, some post about calculating your net worth.  I was intrigued and doing the calculations I was horrified to learn my net work was -24K. Negative! How has I spent almost 30 years on this planet and only accrued debts?!

This really kicked me in the ass and I decided to change my life. Over the last year, I have gotten a second job, went back to school, scrimped and saved and paid off all my consumer debt. My next sights are set on my students loans which will bring me past the 0 mark in net worth. I know I'm not perfect and I still make mistakes about spending and saving *cough cough HBO Now* but everyday i go to work knowing that I'm making a better life for myself and future children. I've made these mistaken and I have to own them but it is never hopeless. You can always do better. You can always buy more freedom.

I'm not saying its easy. Sometimes I leave the house to go to my two jobs at 7am and don't come home until 10pm. But I know it won't always be like that. Once I clear my mistakes and get a nest egg, I can slow down a little. You can't expect your past mistakes to just disappear. You already spent your future money, now you must earn it.

Every day less of my future money is promises to creditors and lenders. Everyday I move a inch closer to freedom. I don't think I would have been on this path if I hadn't stumbled across MMM and this forum. I want to tell the people who are where I was a year ago that it is possible. It is not easy but it is possible.  First you have to admit to your mistakes and face reality. Then get to the business of fixing it. Complaining doesn't pay the bills.

Assetup

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2019, 09:04:57 AM »
Good for you! You're taking responsibility for your actions and working towards a better future.  I'm proud of you!!!(because who doesn't like hearing that)

JestJes

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2019, 09:36:26 AM »
I'm proud of you!!!

Thank you internet stranger!

simonsez

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2019, 10:07:34 AM »
Dang, nice work!  Good on ya to celebrate positive milestones, keep it going!

FireHiker

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2019, 11:20:20 AM »
What an awesome thing to read first thing on a Monday! So many people come here, post stories or case studies, and give all the reasons why changes can't/won't work for them. It's really refreshing to see someone post after they've already made such huge strides on their own. Stick around and you'll get all kind of good advice from the amazing people here. Congratulations on a huge first milestone!!

cloudsail

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2019, 01:41:28 PM »
Wow, that's amazing! Congratulations!!

AMandM

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2019, 02:49:38 PM »
Way to go!
The skills and traits you're developing will not only pay off financially, but will give you a can-do attitude about every aspect of life that is pretty much guaranteed to make you way happier than if you'd stayed on the old path. Congrats!

marty998

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2019, 03:16:23 PM »
Your future self will thank you. Well done!

ysette9

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #8 on: May 20, 2019, 03:46:11 PM »
You are awesome, @JestJes. Good work and keep it up.

SwordGuy

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2019, 04:40:34 PM »
Bravo!  Keep up the good work!

If you want some more eyes and brains to help with any more possible optimizations, put in a case study.   People would be happy to help!

JestJes

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2019, 06:29:21 AM »
Bravo!  Keep up the good work!

If you want some more eyes and brains to help with any more possible optimizations, put in a case study.   People would be happy to help!

I think once I clear some of the low hanging fruit this is the plan.

 Its just a little scary because I make some decisions that are not 100% financial like having a dog. I know no one will say to give the dog up or anything like that but I spent so much time chasing things that I thought would make me happy that I need to really take the time to understand what actually will. So before I ask for help on optimizing I want to figure out what is really important. Spoiler: I think my dog is on that list.

SwordGuy

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2019, 09:40:57 AM »
Bravo!  Keep up the good work!

If you want some more eyes and brains to help with any more possible optimizations, put in a case study.   People would be happy to help!

I think once I clear some of the low hanging fruit this is the plan.

 Its just a little scary because I make some decisions that are not 100% financial like having a dog. I know no one will say to give the dog up or anything like that but I spent so much time chasing things that I thought would make me happy that I need to really take the time to understand what actually will. So before I ask for help on optimizing I want to figure out what is really important. Spoiler: I think my dog is on that list.

My cats are on my list.   Right there with you.




Candace

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2019, 09:47:31 AM »
Congratulations, internet stranger! So wonderful to see people taking control of their lives. I hope you stick around. People here can be and usually are encouraging. If you haven't found the "Saving to 10k" thread, I recommend it as a place to find others doing the same thing as you.

tjscanlon

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2019, 09:18:47 AM »
Solid work!  It isn't easy making those changes.  I am a long time reader but seldom post.  I see a lot of posts of people having a hard time taking the first step, you are already way beyond that.  That is something to be proud of.  Congrats!

ericrugiero

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2019, 09:28:59 AM »
Nice work! You are doing the hard part right now.  With compound interest working against you it probably feels like you are swimming upstream.  The good news is you are making progress even against the current.  Once you get debts paid off you can stop paying interest out and start getting paid interest.

Cassie

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #15 on: May 23, 2019, 10:36:18 AM »
What great progress! Change is hard work and you have done a awesome job.

Bernard

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Re: Former Consumer Sucker Pays off 18k!!
« Reply #16 on: May 23, 2019, 06:16:20 PM »
Congratulations!

The entire *switch* is a mind-thingi. We all have been conditioned by the powers in charge to consume, and to accept that consumption is just the "normal" thing to do. Our business is located in the poor part of town, with many Hispanics who work minimum wage jobs and live with x people in a 2 or 3 bedroom house. Many of those drive brand new cars, some of them really pimpin' with big wheels, etc. That gives them a feeling of success, and a few decades ago even I would have assumed that they are successful in what they are doing.

Now, however, I feel sorry for them. I wish I could take them out of their car and slap 'em left and right to make 'em wake up and see the light. But I can't. The overwhelming majority of people in this country and other industrialized nations have accepted a false reality, and since they are surrounded by like-minded people, they will never realize the alternative, the way out of the rat race. It's sad, indeed.

But since you are on the right path now, there's no turning back. You are young enough to scoot yourself into financial independence, and isn't that the greatest present once can get?

Regarding HBO Now, kill it. Buy a Roku box and watch more TV than you can possibly digest, for free. That's right. Free. I paid over $20K in the past 10 years for DirecTV, and what I got in return wasn't worth 10% of it. Here, too, I assumed that this is what everybody has, the "normal."

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!