No More Overdraft Hangovers
I am still a little nervous about the end of the contest. When we are not accountable to anyone except ourselves. I am nervous about going solo again. I know I won't go on a crazy spending spree, but I do need a few things for the condo. Like a rug and some curtains, maybe.
I have realized in the past five months that I have worked so hard on saving and paying off bills that I don't want to go back to the way it was before the contest. It's too fun on this side of getting out of debt land.
A big part of my debt was that I chose to use my credit card as overdraft protection for my checking account. What a HUGE mistake. It was a recipe for disaster. It made me more lazy and sloppy about writing in my checks and debits, because I always had my credit card to cover me. I didn't have to 'show up' for my bills, I could pay them and not really look to see if I had them covered with my paycheck. I could have a lot of fun AND pay the bills. Did I even think about the fees for the transfers and the interest rate? No!
So many regrets doing that. If this is what is going on in your life, STOP NOW! It builds up slowly. First it's a little over $100 and then a little over $500 and then the next thing you know, months go by and it's a little over $1000. How did this happen? And then the payments start squeezing your extra cash. And then the car breaks down and your savings is gone, and then school supplies and clothes are needed. And then the expectations of Christmas.
I got stressed out just writing this. Then, you need to work more to make up for your bad choices. Then, you miss your daughter’s softball games because you are still at work. Then, you are too tired to go. You are really stressed out. And then you come home and snap on your kids when I really don't mean to. And then you don't like yourself as much and you need a shopping fix to get over it or a big fat chocolate brownie. You deserve it because you work so hard. Do you see yourself in this pattern?
I feel bad when I am too tired or crabby to play Monopoly with Dyl or Scrabble. We have so much fun when I am not working extra. I don't want to go back to that life.
I know that the stress of owing so much money contributed to my weight gain. When I got married in 1985 I weighed 135 pounds. In 2007 when I got a divorce I weighed...oh, you thought I was going to say it. LOL! Let's just say it's in the danger zone on the BMI chart. Dang! Too much debt pressure!
I can see myself at work each day sitting at my desk and getting the 'Bethel Spread'. Coming home and eating a big meal and numbing up on the couch and zoning out with the remote and a bowl of ice cream.
When I was on vacation last week I lost 7 pounds. That may be a little fast but I wasn't trying. How did it happen? I was so focused on my quilting, that I forgot to eat. I was so relaxed and happy too. I felt like I was a kid again. I didn't realize that I could let go and ignore everyone else's needs for a while. It's good for the soul and I had more of the good in me left for Dyl when he came home from school.
I realized, too, that I could make something that wasn't PERFECT and it still would sell and make someone else smile.
I could let go of my beautiful fabric and it would be okay. It brought me so much peace and color in a bleak, messy grey, financial world.
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WOW, this sure sounds like me too Penny. Thanks to you, I have gotten more control, am paying my bills down too and saving more. Of course, you are doing a much better job right now because of the contest than I am, but I believe in you and know that you will keep up the good work even after the contest. You probably won't be as rigid with yourself as you are now, but I know you and know that you are learning so much (and sharing with us) that you will keep control. You are awesome!
Posted by: Dona Meyer | 12/01/2011 at 01:22 PM