Debt - Page 2 - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**Delaney** · 03-20-2007, 10:53 AM

Congrats on getting your debt down! That is awesome!

I work for a subprime mortgage company that (obviously) isn't doing well. My hours got cut so I have racked up a little bit of $ on the old credit card. I have the money to pay it off but that is my Europe fund (I leave in a month!), so I will work on it when I get back

Jake, did you ever buy a car?

**DC_Jessica** · 03-20-2007, 11:35 AM

Congratulations!!! Right now, luckily, I only have student debt, and I'm so hesitant to go into credit card debt because it has not been a necessity yet. I'm always impressed with people who can crawl out of it successfully. It's a MAJOR triumph!

And I am curious about the car, too, Delaney. Vroom, vroom Jake?

**indierock05** · 03-20-2007, 11:44 AM

good job getting that number down. If only I could do that too. I think between student loans, cc debt, and family loans, I may be paying off bills into my 40s. But hey, the cc debt has funded my travels, so i will pay it off with a smile on my face!

**SuDz** · 03-20-2007, 01:48 PM

Nice going Jake. I got rid of my credit card debt that I had going on for renovations and life and now I just have like a small outstanding bill on some other stuff that adds up to like a grand or so. That is like nothing though since the interest is nill and I will be taking care of in the next month or so.

I know how it can feel like it piles up and gets to be such a huge burdon. It was on my mind all the time. Plus it makes it impossible/impractical to try to save while debt is still looming. You got rid of over 10K already, the rest will pass by just as fast.

SuDZ

**TheJake** · 03-20-2007, 06:41 PM

I am hoping so!

Well I kind had a pathfinder for a couple years and then the tranny went out on me so i sold it and used the cash to pay off one of the credit cards and now my folks are graciously allowing me the use of a pimp daddy soccer mom minivan.... complete with jesus stickers on the back.

I feel a little more emasculated every time i get behind the wheel. But i've been driving it for a 8-9 months now. It gets the job done.

**marc873** · 03-20-2007, 08:23 PM

no way man, the Jesus stickers get it done:eek:

**SuDz** · 03-21-2007, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheJake

I am hoping so!

Well I kind had a pathfinder for a couple years and then the tranny went out on me so i sold it and used the cash to pay off one of the credit cards and now my folks are graciously allowing me the use of a pimp daddy soccer mom minivan.... complete with jesus stickers on the back.

I feel a little more emasculated every time i get behind the wheel. But i've been driving it for a 8-9 months now. It gets the job done.

I know a kid who has been driving a van since he was like 19. I can't figure it out for the life of me butthe kid loves the thing. Your van sounds kind of like the thing he is driving around in.

SuDZ

**jabad17** · 03-22-2007, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuDz

I know a kid who has been driving a van since he was like 19. I can't figure it out for the life of me butthe kid loves the thing. Your van sounds kind of like the thing he is driving around in.

SuDZ

in our last year of uni a good friend of mine came back from break with an old style minivan, complete with stick shift and everything. he was real happy about it and the first time i rode with him he just went on and on about how great and practical it was going to be. i just looked at him and tried to keep nodding and looking supportive because honestly i just couldn't think of anything to say.

**buzzingtalk** · 03-22-2007, 03:15 AM

wow. thats a lot of debt but that is also a lot to knock off in a year. well done!

you just have to stay focussed, the rest of it will come off in less than a year if you use the same technique youve been using to lower your debts.

when i come out of uni, ill be in over £20,000 debt. thats about $30,000? scary

the scarier thing is i don't want to work when i finish uni - ive been in education with no break for 18 years, and i think i deserve a break. when i graduate, ill have no credit card/overdraft debts, and i plan to just jet off on a one way ticket and work my way around the world. easier said than done, but its the plan nonetheless.

so how have you managed to save so much in such a short time? i'd be interested to know if it was just having a nice job or cutting corners

**TheJake** · 03-22-2007, 07:32 AM

yeah it was mostly just tightening the belt up and paying my bills first before anything else.

**SuDz** · 03-22-2007, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheJake

yeah it was mostly just tightening the belt up and paying my bills first before anything else.

One thing I started doing was when I wanted to buy a new DVD or something that I wanted but didn't need. So I would stop myself from getting it and then sending the money I would have spent on the DVD or whatever to my credit card. I would figure if i was going to spend it I might as well spend it on my debt. It would help pick off a couple extra payments here and there.

SuDZ

**buzzingtalk** · 03-22-2007, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheJake

yeah it was mostly just tightening the belt up and paying my bills first before anything else.

thats wicked. some people i know that are trying to fend off the student loans have no social life what soever as they are trying to rid themselves of debt. i think its important to still enjoy life even when in debt, but learn to appreciate money more. good luck clearning it, it will feel great when you can finally pay of the last installment