Credit Card Full? Have Mine!

For a number of years I kept throwing money away, spending on the credit card at will. At first it was occasional and then it was all the time until I lost all control and started myself on this path. Late 2016 around November I realised my situation when the credit limit was almost gone and an expensive holiday just around the corner. I started to figure out how I could remedy it, how I could solve it and all I could come up with was half arsed plans. Then one day, a concerned friend sat me down and said “You need to do a budget and stick to it, it’s kind of my thing and we are going to do it now.” Or something like that. At first I didn’t quite know what they meant and then I realised and didn’t really know how I felt about it all. But since March 2017 I have been on a reduced budget solely to pay of the long term interest free and a standard credit card. With the plan to pay off $10,000 of credit card debt in 15 months. Insurance changes, another credit card with said 15 months interest free, a goal and a spending limit on every single thing. I was set on this path, but here I am now, literally minutes after cancelling a credit card typing this out. And now I can say the words.

I am credit card debt free. I have a plan and don’t know how I never had a budget before. No control on any spending or any idea where my money goes every year. Just each fortnight seeing how much came in, hoping I had enough for my credit card and bills, and then spending until I ran out and put on the credit card again. So now, looking back at my blogs, there have been many about money. April 2017 I talked about my budget for the first time and how I didn’t quite get it right. June 2017 I reflected on my trip to Tasmania from earlier on in the year and there was a key event related to money that both got me down but turned into my best day. Then I bashed on how happiness and money are related but to also value yourself in August 2017. Getting all excited in January 2018 was the countdown to this exact moment this blog is about. And finally this blog June 2018. This blog about my excitement, relief and reflection of the last 15 months.

I suddenly have the motivation to exercise again and have a renewed happiness I didn’t know I had lost. Throughout those months there were good and bad times and everywhere in between. But It wasn’t all that bad, I still had friends around me to support and and I wasn’t homeless so it really was just first world problems. At times I was was really stressed especially when I moved house and saw all the savings and money set aside for specific budgets all bleeding away. And overall each fortnight it was the same cycle of get paid, be ok, 1 week later try and be really reserved, 5 days remaining have $20 left and then have nothing and steal from the next budget (sometimes… ok most of the time). But hey I had $150 for each fortnight for all food and entertainment/going out. And I can say it was a struggle. Not African child struggle, but everyone has their battles they go through.

But I have learnt and it has changed me. Do I value money more… Only a little. Do I value having money set aside and a plan? Most definitely. I do not see myself never having a budget. I just don’t see it. I am 99.99999999999999% certain I will have a budget for the rest of my life. Will I stick to it? Yeah I will but like anything there will be times when things change or you have to take from something else for a short while. But yes I will. Maybe when I’m 90 and living in Persia things might be different, but I don’t know what will happen in 10 years let alone another 60. Shit… 60 years and I’ll be 90… And I’m almost 30. Anyway, the point is, you can have my credit card number because it is cancelled, gone, kaput. I don’t need it any more.