Keep dreaming, Bob! You go, Laurie!

Very very impressive with the money management. I needed to be reminded that X and Y chromosomes have nothing to do with how well one manages money. Thanks!

I would say I'm first, but by the time I type this, I won't be first.
Anyway, you go, girl! Just like everything else in your life, you will conquer this one too! You have more control than most people I know and it will be so worth it in the end!

Laurie,
When the day comes and that debt is paid off an you can sit back and say.."Look at what I did, ALL BY MY SELF!!!"..it will be the best. Day. Ever!
I say we start planning a virtual party so we can all lift our glasses of merlot to our very own, debt free, Crazy Aunt Purl!

(debt fee catnip and wine are best - I speak from painful experience! ;-)

I forgot to mention that beautiful picture of Bob. I swear Laurie, you are to cat photography what Annie Leibowitz is to rock 'n roll photography.

Bob is looking very Male Super Model today - like he's just been to Buff & Shine with attitude ;)

It must be the promise of the good catnip

I've always taken care of our money. I think for me it's more of being a crazy neurotic control-freak kind of chick. My husband is very cheap (he so tight that he squeaks when he walks!) and I'm a spender. We've both had to learn to be more reasonable over the years. Not being able to return to work has created a big problem for us right now so it's been quite lean at our house. Which is very tough with two teenagers around!!

Congratulations on getting closer to your goal. I'm so proud of you!!

Any new gossip on Mr. X?? Any more bad movies or new divorces in his life these days??? ;o)

You GO, girl!!! I was in the same situation (the debt outlasted the marriage) and had to buckle down and do the same thing to be free of it. But I did it ... just as you are .... and the rewards are AWESOME! Hang in there .... you've got it!

I'm so impressed with your attitude and I have to take a chunk of it. My soon-to-be-ex-husband moved out today. I let him do all the 'money stuff' and now I'm stuffed. I need to get myself in gear and I look forward to the day when I'm debt-free too, I'm in awe of you!

if only everyone had their priorities straight like you!

happy friday.

oh yeah, bob is da cutie!

i'm dealing with the EX-ness of it all too. And i'm super thankful that i was in charge of finances. i got us debt free . . . he's getting himself back in it. Too bad that i'll have another mess on my hands when this is all final. i'm here to encourage you and tell you that IT CAN BE DONE!!! i paid off 30K (plus) of student loans and a new car in less than 3 years! You can do it! *HUGS*

Laurie,
I discovered your site on the 31st of January, read a couple of entries and thought, "this is interesting. where are the archives?" Found them and finally got up to current entries on the 5th of February. (When I got to the sick cats section I did a quick forward skim of pictures to make sure they were all still around.)

You've come a long, long way. I'm not much of a wine fan, but on the day you are debt free I'll join the toast with sweet tea.

Awww Bob! Such a big helper kitty - he can remind you of other things that you need to spend on - like kitty litter, I have two to remind me too. (All three versions of one homophone in 1 sentence!)

Hang in there, Laurie! If my annual bonus this month is what I expect it to be, I will have my last credit card paid off, and while I still have a mortgage and car payment, I am so thrilled to see the light at the end of that debt tunnel! Soon I will be able to start saving toward my dreams instead of putting money toward useless interest. I'm so excited for you, and for me! Way to go!

Been there, done that. It's Hard! I would like to suggest to you a movie called "The Secret" or the book by the same name, author Rhonda Burns. It will change your life, it has done a good job for me. (Also it was on Oprah yesterday)

Freedom is priceless. Keep going forth and when all the shackles are gone you can go back to the shoe store and find yourself a more terrific pair of shoes.

*
Bob !
You're gorgeous !

*

You can do it! I have no reason whatsoever to feel personally proud of you, but it ain't stopping me. It takes a lot of grown-upness to face up to heavy debt; it's really admirable. There are many many many people who just avoid it and I think they end up regretting it. So keep plugging -- you're going to win this.

If you are to cat photography as Annie Leibowitz is to rock & roll photography, then Bob must be Paul McCartney. (The cute Beatle.) :)

And I must be Garth Brooks: You shall be free! Rock on, Laurie. {{{{{}}}}}

Kudos to you. The cheering when you get to the end of that debt will be echoed across the knitbloggiverse....

A remarkable attitude. I was thinking about you a lot while watching Oprah yesterday -- did you see it? (The one about "The Secret"). So much of what they were saying is what you (and many of us) have already discovered. But it was good stuff to hear again....

Congrats on resisting the shoes, and more importantly, paying down the debt and putting all that it signifies BEHIND you. If you can do that, you can do anything!

I will have a wee bit o' debt at the end of my upcoming divorce too...however, with much equity in my house, I am hoping to pay off my portion of the debt and start with a clean slate in about a year (outside of a mortgage & car loan).

Congrats on being fiscally responsible.

Way to go Laurie!

And Bob is uber-handsome in that shot. :)

Go, Laurie, Go! This is my year to start digging out of some crazy student/consumer debt, so I feel your pain as well as how empowering it is to get things taken care of. It's a great feeling.

Which sounds like that old "Pearl Drops" toothpaste commercial, but you know what I mean.

while not to sound trite and repetitive, as i am sure you can tell from the other comments you are helping so many other people feel validated in their daily struggles though this thing we like to call "hard" (i mean life). i am getting married soon (scared! excited!) and i am bringing all of the debt into our mairrage (i go to a school that is 50,000 a year, and while i get a LOT of financial aid, i will still owe about 20,000 when i graduate) and your steadfastness in getting rid of it makes me think we can do it too! thank you!

I am in the middle of a massive debt payoff myself. I constantly tell myself that I can buy "those shoes" when I am debt free. Then I realize that "those shoes" won't be in style when I am debt free. Whew!

Thanks for posting your budgeting tool. I have been using it to help illustrate to my man that yes, every penny I am spending like wildfire is going to bills...

Enjoy your bubbly!

I look forward to toasting with you to your freedom!

PURL POWER! What an extraordinary feeling! (Ask me how I know ;-). I bet any day now you'll be doing your Demi imitation, rolling around on piles of money, with an adorable Woody Harrelson look-a-like in the background (and no threat of having to sleep with Robert Redford- unless you're into that kind of thing- and, really, who isn't?). Cheers to you!

We have some serious debt to repay too. 80% of it was for one thing but it's still there and ugly to look at. But this is the year of paring it down with a big machete. We used to go out to eat dinner a couple times a week - no more. Maybe the odd night out but 90% of our meals will be taken at home. And they will be healthy, by God!

You're an inspiration! I have to keep this post in mind the next time I'm in my LYS.

YAY!

YAY!

You are such an amazingly strong and beautiful woman (even without $80 shoes)!

YAY!

you are so right, Laurie.. seems like the key to reaching a goal is to begin taking steps in the right direction (whether it's losing 40 pounds, saving $5,000, paying off a huge chunk of debt, etc.) And if those steps are manageable, you'll keep doing it. Your life will eventually fall into balance.

Back in 1999, my husband and I owned a little shop together, targeting the college crowd: incense, candles, posters, tie-dyes, handmade jewelry...

My hubby started to really dig those 19 year olds. I suddenly became aware of how much weight I had gained, and how I never had money in my pocket because he controlled everything. Somehow I had let myself get wrapped up in everything other than taking care of myself. Also, I realized that I was very, very angry. Started taking walks every day, partly to get healthy again and partly to deal with the rage and unhappiness. We ended up divorcing, losing the business, and declaring bankruptcy. Somehow we became better friends in the process; a miracle, I think!

I kept walking, started to really manage my money, and am happy to say that 8 years later I am no longer overweight and my credit is dandy and I learned a whole lot in the process. If I was looking for this outcome on a short-term basis, never would have found it. It's that chipping away, one step at a time that really works.

"Life isn't fair". Hm. I am a Sagittarius, and thus I always want to think that life should be fair. In my 20's I figured out that it wasn't fair, but I consoled myself in the belief of something akin to Karma, and that in the end all things would be fair and equal. Twenty years later I now realize that, simply, life is not fair.

Sometime we go through hard times, sometime we go through good times, and sometimes we just exist. Funny thing is, when I'm going through good times and my friends are having hard times I still think life isn't fair and feel sorry for them.

I wonder what my philosophy on fairness will be in another 20 years? Or 40?

Wow, That's awesome-good for you! It's tough to say no to things, but the freedom will be soooo great.

I know how you feel. It must have sucked to put those shoes back, but in the end you know you did the right thing, and once that debt is paid off, you can have even better shoes that are just waiting on the horizon for you. :)

You could have been talking about me when you said that you "pretended it was okay for him to "do the bills"" while you managed the house. I too thought I was incapable of handling the money until I realized years ago that he was worse. I reacted by taking over in a huge way and nearly destroyed the relationship alltogether.It took a serious illness recently (his not mine) for me to ease up and fix what I broke.

Another amazing picture! And an amazing accomplishment in debt reduction! You're on the way, stay with it! The catnip and fine wine are coming!

On that happy day of your freedom, I will gladly hoist a glass of the good stuff to you and the monkey off your back.

Go for it girl!

And remember: there will always be buttery smooth open-toed $78 heels - EVEN when you're debt free. You can use them as a reminder of the millions of cute shoes you will have once you've obliterated that debt.

Good for you! Eliminating debt is one of the most freeing experiences in life. And you'll never be tempted to get into debt again once you are done. Not even for cute shoes or yarn.

Good for you! I, too, struggle with debt and reading your inspirations are wonderful to me. But it's a bit less than what it used to be and I understand coming up from really huge debt to just debt. We all go through it.

Congratulations! It's hard to say no, but it gets easier everytime. I am trying to do the same here, payoff credit card debt and school loans. It feels like it will never end, but it will (one day) then I will take a tip from you and buy some Veuve Cliquot and import some catnip!

If Bob is Paul McCartney, then Roy is Ringo Starr! :)

Also, I agree with you when you say you needed that trip to Paris. There are few long dark nights of the soul that Paris cannot cure. I need to go back there myself (been twice, could easily go back a dozen more times!).

Best wishes, always,
Laiane

I was just introduced to your blog and am so intrigued at how much I have in common with you. I am also 30-something, newly divorced, and getting out of debt. Plus, you write all that stuff I wish I could. I am proud of your efforts and for walking away from the shoes.

Good Luck! I wish the best for you!

I have been entertained and impressed with you growing wisdom and developing character since I started reading your blog 6 months ago. Your skills at describing the struggles are wonderful. Thanks for sharing with us. That the temptation was shoes today, when you have been taking such giant steps in your evolvement, I think is significant. Congratulations!! Maybe your celebration on the D-Day (Debt Free Day) could be shoes instead of wine, in that the shoes would be a continuing reminder of your victory--maybe singing "These boots were made for walking" or something equally corny. I wish you continued success. Remember too, that for each one who posts a comment, there are hundreds who think the same way.

You go girl. I'm under a mountain of debt, so I can relate to your need to travel-I haven't been anywhere in 3 years and I long to go ANYWHERE. And when you do finish off those payments, have some Veuve for me.

Hang in there! Remember, the end is always closer than it was yesterday!

Hi Bob! ;)

Good for you, Laurie! I, too, am mired in huge debt and your post made me realize that I'm not
doing nearly enough to bring it down. There is way more that I could be doing. I'm sick of this hanging over my head!

Thanks for the inspiration and please do post when you get to freedom!!

You are the paragon of will-power and determination! Go you!

Ahhh Freedom! We pay a high price for it.

mmmm, looking at Bob I see buttery softness that WILL make you feel better!

That is awesome. I am glad to hear you are closer to being debt free!

:-)

Gawd... here I am, freaking out about the 5 grand I have on my credit card, while you're handling the 32,000 like a champ.

WAY to GO! What a healthy attitude regarding your finances! Debt-free is freedom, and I hope that you get to celebrate it real soon! Kudos!

Oh no
Not Wilson Philips again!!

So how close is close, dearest Laurie?

And even though I'm a stranger it never hurts to hear someone say:
I am so proud of you!

You're not only fiscally responsible, you've got will power! (The power to deny oneself shoes is literally the hardest to master.)

Keep up the good money habits!

Laurie, I love how honest you are in your blog. I have been there with the debt thing. I actually started my blog about getting out of personal debt: 4 years ago I "realized" I had accumulated $23,000 in credit card debt. I set myself a goal to get rid of it so I could quit my corporate job and sell yarn. With this vision driving me, I paid it off in 18 months. Hello, Ramen Noodles! Being debt free is truly to be free. You are almost there - you can do it! xo, Allison

I got my divorce on the cheap - but then I moved across country after 9/11 without a job, and hello! STILL paying off the plastic from those seven months of unemployment. Finally got a better-paying job last year, though, and I will have every last freakin' penny paid off right before my wedding.

Your budget spreadsheet is VERY helpful, BTW. I still have a lot to learn about money management and proper use of the "drastic plastic."

What IS it about women and money? I let my ex- manage the money, too, because he was the Ph.D. and the male...took me years to realize I am way smarter than he is.

Frank, my fiance, is just as smart as I am, but we are going to keep our finances fairly separate because we've both gotten used to managing our own money, and don't want to get into all those icky power issues that come with combined finances.

You are a fantastic cat photographer. You ought to consider a book of cat photos - you could make a mint!!!

And I loved how you summed up your financial situation - it's a knee-jerk reaction people have when they hear about a horrible, unfair situation like the one you went through - we all want to offer advice, a hug, something, anything to make it better. Sometimes life just sucks, and you have to make the best of it.

I DO believe in Karma, and I HAVE lived long enough to see it work in some breathtaking ways.

You are awesome, Laurie!

Just wanted to chime in with another "me too!" Only my debt is completely and totally my fault. But I have gone from $18,000 to $4,000 since 2002. I'm quite proud! I read Dave Ramsey's book and it set me on the right path....I've been "snowballing" ever since. And I took my own therapeutic trip to London last year...nothing wrong with that!

Here's to all of us reaching the light at the end of the tunnel!

Kudoos, u-rahs, and all that, but did you HAVE to get Wilson Phillips stuck in my head?!?!?!!!!

Go you. What a great - and inspiring post. I'm working towards that freedom, too, with renewed commitment for 2007. You inspire me.

You're such an inspiration....I actually got a chill when I read the last line...."it's close, it's so close I can feel it". I'll pop a bottle of Veuve the day you make your final payment and drink to your success :-) Any reason to drink...hee hee. Good for you!!

Good on ya, mate.

you go girl!!! there will be better shoes down the line, I'm sure!! And you can name them "Clickety and Clackety, the Freedom Shoes"!

He left you with $32,000 of debt to pay?! (she shakes her head in disgust)--Just more proof that you are lucky to be rid smarmy, cowardly, poseur of creativity.

DSW shoe warehouse. Greatest place on earth. I've never bought shoes that cost more than $40 there, and they still FEEL like I paid full price.

Forgot say how damn cute Bob is--he's so damn cute!

You, Bob and the gang will have such a fine dance on your dept free day. :D

Love the Bob!

Oh and I appreciate that you say Marriage and Divorce. It really is two separate things. So often they are lumped together, but that doesn't really give value to both events. So Kudos to you on understanding your situation and doing what you have to do to be in a new better situation. :D

Hooooooooooold on for one more day....

Damnit. Cookie made me want Krispy Kreme donuts from the Dave KAl and now you are putting that song in my head. When'd I get so easy!? o.0

i'm proud of you! staying focused is hard. keep up the great job!

Yay! Good for you. Personally, I have a hard time shelling out more than $20 for something that's going to smell like *MY FEET* in a week. Heh. The sole exception being my hiking boots - Gore Tex is my friend.

Woohooo, I can't wait for your post saying you are completely out of debt! Imagine what you'll be able to do then - hey, you could buy a house and get yourself into even more debt! Or you could start saving for that world trip (heh - come and see me - but not in New Zealand as I have previously offered, I'm moving to London!)

You are so cool. Go you!

Congratulations!
You are totally inspiring me today.

I'm just coming into some debt myself. I've had a few health problems starting last April and it's just amazing how much money 3 MRI's, 2 neuro consults, 1 neuro-opthalmologist consult and numerous (more than 15) visits to my regular doctor can add up to.

Now that I know what's wrong with me, it's shocking to discover just how expensive my illness is going to be. I'm so hoping that I'll win Powerball soon so that I can pay off what I owe (I live with my parents and I'm jobless) and hopefully have a few dollars left over to buy some Noro Silk to crochet a sweater out of.

There have been so many times recently that I've gone into a yarn store and looked longingly at the Noro and wished that I could afford just one skein. (I can barely afford a skein of Red Heart on a good day)

Hopefully some day I'll manage to get a job that I can do and make enough money to support my yarn habit. I just hope that the (incurable) illness I got diagnosed with recently is nice and leaves me alone for a long time before it starts to disable me.

Woohooo, I can't wait for your post saying you are completely out of debt! Imagine what you'll be able to do then - hey, you could buy a house and get yourself into even more debt! Or you could start saving for that world trip (heh - come and see me - but not in New Zealand as I have previously offered, I'm moving to London!)

oooh, sorry, it went a bit mental on me and posted twice.

Erin, give us some contact details and I'm sure you'll be inundated with yarn. I know that what with moving to the other side of the world and all I have to do a bit of destashing! It sucks that you have to go into debt just to be healthy.

Laurie,

I'm so proud of you! Also feel your pain. ;o) For me, it's about avoiding the computer store and the book store rather than the shoes, but it's the same kind of lip biting going on.

We took on a 15-year house note because we bought our first house a little later than our peers (our early 40s) and we don't want to have a house note when we retire. So ... right now while the kids are home and expenses are already high, we made things even higher with really steep house notes. But we're surviving. As are you and your posh cats (fabulous photo today). High five!!!

Erin,
I'm chronically ill too. Even with health insurance my monthly copays and tests are ridiculously expensive. It's affected how my family and I live in so many ways. If you ever need any one to talk to please write me. I know how you feel.

That picture is EXQUISITE. So are the pics of Frankie - you have a gift, my friend! Congrats on having the power to resist the shoes. You've inspired me over the last few months to do the same thing and manalive, isn't it tough!? But stay strong, and I will too!

erin -- I agree! Post a p.o. box if you can or a mailing address. You will be surprised at the kindness and yarny goodness of knitters. I have to tell you, just knowing that people exist in this world like the knitters I have met ... well, it restores my faith in people!!

And hugs to you.

(((Laurie)))

I wish I could split that bottle of wine with you. Since I hardly ever drink, I get silly very fast, and man that would be the time to be silly.

Laurie, I just figured out what I like so much about you (but not in a stalkery way, I promise). It's that you are inspiring and also human. A human inspiration, if you will. You are real, you are kind, you love cats. And you try to be the best you possible and learn from your experiences. Thanks for your blog.

you should go and write a check for exactly $78 and drop it in the mail... I am so proud of you, it is very hard to pass up something you really really want.... we all have our weaknesses (mine is yarn)but I am getting better at resisting, it is a process...
Rock on with your bad self, Laurie girl.
Heidi

Way to go! I'm proud of you. It's so easy to slip into bad spending habits and treat credit cards as free money. . . I'm so impressed that you looked $32K of debt in the eye and are persevering.

Laiane, you're right! :)

Bob = Paul
Roy = Ringo
Soba = John
Frankie = George

Laurie, those are some cats you've got there!

your attitude is amazing. 2007 is the year for me. my estimated date of debt freeness is also close - i should be in the black on march 30th, and on that day im gonna buy myself £20 of yarn, and a bottle of wine, and have the best night of my life!

My mother always took care of the finances in my family. I think it is a myth about men being "better" with the bills. The male brain may be better suited for abstract calculus, but most men have no idea of how much things actually cost.

And I bet the shoes you are wearing right now look great on you.

Bob is looking hunk-o-licious! You could start a side business in pet portraits (thus bringing the debt down even faster)!

I've just started reading your blog recently, but I've enjoyed it so much I started back at the beginning of your entries and am trying to "catch up" on your life. (Geez...that sounds so stalker-ish...and I'm really not like that! Honest!)

You've got a wonderful attitude about all of the crap life can give you. And good for you on the shoes. If nothing else, yarn would probably be more satisfying in the long run than shoes, you know? But paying off debt...that's good too. When my first marriage ended, it also had a ton of debt that I got saddled with, most of it was from medical bills from my pregnancy at that time, as my then-estranged-husband quit his job and lost his insurance and didn't TELL me I had the option of keeping it if I paid for it. That would have been expensive but a heck of a lot cheaper than paying off the bills for a c-section and a five day hospital stay. ARGH. Anyway, I too paid it off, little bit by little bit. It was long and painful, but it was good when it was over. You'll get there! Hang in! :)

Nice work, in this age where most people try to ditch responcility for an *easier* life that they *deserve* you're taking the harder, more adult road. But you are right, you have to strike a balance between responsibility and self-sacrifce. Happiness can not be deffered and sometimes you should do something that you really want to do. Anyways, nice job!

Let us know when the time comes, and we'll do a cross continent/cross seas/cross internets toast along with you.

Bob is looking particularly handsome and well-groomed (I'm thinking the the immaculate and fashionable Frankie has helped him out.)

Ms. Purl, this is so encouraging. I very recently sat down and calculated all our debt and realized that without my dh's loans 32k is what we have. (Cars and home equity and my student loan). And, I used your budget worksheet to create my very own. It has been a big help.

So, reading how you are close is a great inspiration, and it's so reassuring to hear from someone else that it can be done.

Bravo! (And thanks for sharing this info. It means a lot!)

HUGE congratulations, Laurie. You're a model of fiscal discipline ... I had to make similar choices a while ago, and, wow, the high one gets when the numbers become smaller is nothing compared to the high one gets with a new pair of shoes (unless it's an absolute emergency, that is).

Fabulous picture of Bob!

My father-in-law died and left my mother-in-law with $120,000 worth of debt. She refused to declare bankruptcy. What a legacy to leave.

Good job girlfriend, good job.

laurie:

i've been reading your blog for a long time now, and i just wanted to say that you are a constant source of inspiration for me. for serious! most people are not so brave and honest, funny and articulate. well done and thank you!

see I thought Soba was Yoko.

At least Bob is only dreaming of catnip. If it were, say, caviar, you'd have to go back in debt! HI BOB!

Laurie - if Erin posts a mailing address, please let us know.

Girl, I hear ya. I've been paying off the debt too. And wearing the two year old clothes. And eating out a minimum amount of times. What I've found that works for me is sending in small payments to the credit card company (like I'm about to do now). A couple days go by, I send in $75 because that's what I've got. Another few days pass. I'm sending in $100. A little here and there and I've found out that I wind up sending in more than expected. My goal was to start on January 1st and send in $415 a month and last month I sent $615. Whooo hoo! Eight more months of that and I should be done. So I'm with ya! I totally think women can do the bills. Actually, I think we'd be better at it. Guys just aren't organized enough.

Yeay! Congratulations on walking away from the shoes and towards freedom. And thanks so much for sharing your budget worksheet, it's been very helpful.

"Wants & needs, wants & needs" This is what the hubby tells me. And now you can kick me because that's what I want to do to him when he says that to me. It is also the reason I no longer shop with him.

But really, a big pat on the back for choosing freedom over more stuff in the closet.

You RULE and debt DROOLS!

To the people who suggested that I post an address for yarn.. Thanks, but no thank you... I didnt mean to whine about my problems on Laurie's blog.

I am reading her blog every day that she posts for inspiration. Altho I'm stuck with this stupid chronic illness, I'm not going to try to use it as an excuse to get free stuff. (even if it's Noro silk!)

I've been a long-time crocheter (since I was about 5 or 6) and I've been a knitter for about...6 months. (had a vision problem in august, I needed a challenge...learned how to knit)

I love to read Laurie's blog, even tho I dont like cats (allergic) I love seeing the pictures of them (especially Soba) She talks about her cats like I did about my dog that died earlier last year. It's really neat to hear about the cat's adventures and world takeover manifestos.

I'm actually going to go back to school since I need to figure out a skill that I can do. So, just like Laurie is getting her financial obligations taken care of, I'm finally going to figure out what I'm going to do...now that I'm all grown up. (getting a crappy diagnosis like that made me grow up, even tho I'm probably a couple of years older than Laurie is)

Laurie, keep writing about the cats and the knitting and the california weather and your dates. And keep posting pictures of the cats at Chez Cat Hair.

I like Laurie's funny stories, and even the angsty stuff that she mentions from time to time.

It's a little strange that I'm living life vicariously thru the blog of a knitter that I've never met.

Laurie, I just love you. You are awesome. I've been reading since the bus caught on fire. I feel like I have a friend in California, and friends from all over as I read the comments each day.

You are right, yarn people are so nice!

Erin - you weren't whining, or fishing for freebies - but yarn people love to share the goodness. Please reconsider, and get a P.O. box!
I would love to share my stash with you.

Laurie, I can't believe no one has given you a book deal yet. That would be a nice way to pay off some debt. You are inspirational in so many ways. I love you for your general plucky-ness (is that a word?) and just getting it done. Good for you!

PS> Bob is too cute!

Good for you!!

Though I wish you had written that earlier this week. I was doing really well on only buying essentials, then I lost it this week and went crazy on Amazon.

Oooh you should be so proud of yourself. I've been in debt because of relationships and men so often, and it is a very very hard thing to dig yourself out of. It takes a strong woman to do all that you do - and not waver very often. Thanks also for the spreadsheet - I've been looking for a way to get my own act together so I'll definitely have to check it out!

I know it may seem like a small comment, but it isn't to me:

You have inspired me.

I have a lot of debt too - more than you did when you started :-) I admire your discipline and fortitude. We're paying down slowly but steadily, and haven't used credit cards in years. It feels so good every time we hit another (lower) milestone in our debt!

heeheee - you said "Cliquot"

One of my all-time favorite ladies said something I have never forgotten:

If you can laugh at it, you can live with it. -- Erma Bombeck

Amen! Let's lift up a glass to being out of debt moneywise AND menwise!

Hear hear! We have debt, since I'm a stay-at-home mom and the hubby is an underpaid private school teacher, so I can relate. I just wish I had your determination in resisting shoes to resist all things fibery! Maybe soon I'll have the willpower to spend just what I earn selling fibery goodness and let the credit card cool off (Can't. Resist. A. Good. Yarn. Bargain.) More power to ya!

Hooray Laurie!
You ROCK! I'm a happy just-over-the-newly-wed bit, but your post made me realize how very "Ricky and Lucy" my marriage is with money...and made me ever MORE determined to finish my schooling so I'll always know that I can pull down the big bucks on my OWN thank-you-very-much.
And Erin? I've been in the chronically-ill-too-sick-to-work-living-at-home place, and while I respect your pride when to comes to yarn, please let me know if you'd like an email buddy to lean on once in a while. It's a really isolating situation to be stuck in, and I'd love to lend a cyber-ear if it would help.

you are my hero.
And I feel incredibly extra guilty for spending $46 at the yarn shoppe yesterday.
debt, be gone!

Good for you--I wound up in more than I thought I could handle, between a sick cat and losing my job, being in 3 figures feels like a freakin' miracle. (And to pay back so much in only a year! Wow, that judge really did screw you, didn't he...)

Well done on putting those shoes back! I was in the same situation as you after my divorce when I took a long hard look at my life and decided that the only way to live is Long Term. We can't plan our lives based on today or tomorrow or even next week. We need to think ahead. Where do we want to be in five years? My Dad (who occasionally says something sensible despite his obsession with checking the oil levels in my car, convinced as he is that that will cure all ills) told me, as I stood in the wreckage of a marriage, unemployment, massive debt, negative equity and with a 2 year old baby to care for, that getting what I want WASN'T impossible. You just have to decide what it is that you do want (that was the hard bit, it took ages) be sure and then plot your course. From then on all you have to do is stick with it, regardless of peer pressure, middle-of-the-night doubts and shoe-shop temptations.

I did it. I cleared my debt, raised my son, got a Bachelors and then a Masters Degree, did not accept any handouts, however kindly meant, balanced my own accounts and lived happily. It wasn't always easy and I spent a certain percentage of my time face down on the kitchen floor crying. But I did it.

Ten years on I own my own company. I have three children now, having picked up another man along the way who I GRILLED about his financial attitude on the second date (he passed the test) and we are mortgage free, debt free and feeling fine. I do the accounts, I control the spending, we make the decisions together. This means we argue a lot but, in the end, we share the power.

I put back the shoes for a long time. It wasn't easy. But I can tell you absolutely, completely, totally for certain - with the full knowledge of a woman who now has a cupboard full of lovely shoes - that there are no shoes on earth that feel as good as the divine freedom of being out of debt.

I'm putting the champagne on ice over here. You just say when and we'll toast you too.

those shoes probably would have hurt anyway.

bob looks regal. excellent bob picture.

Wow! So much inspiration, not only from you Laurie, but from the commenters, too, you guys rock.

In graduate school, I was living like a dog and all these nice new credit cards kept arriving in the mail. I didn't resist. It took awhile, but eventually I paid it all off and paid the whopping medical bills and student loans, too. What sadness debt creates.

OK; you don't know me from Adam, but I'm so proud of you.

And the shoes? They weren't worth it, anyway.

Cheryl :) -- if your goal for the day was to make someone spit out her After Work Friday Gin & Tonic because she was laughing so hard, you have achieved it.

Soba = Yoko. Most definitely.

is bob looking into the future? well... at least he seems to like what he sees...

And here I am, another one whom you have inspired. I walked away from the $89 leather boots yesterday, thinking of you and the reduction of debt. Today at WallyWorld I got the necessary snow boots, not in leather, but not too terribly un-chic, for $25. And I can now walk my 6" deep, half mile long driveway to get the mail and the exercise safely and in comfort! Thanks for the push.

Keep it up! Kick that divorce all the way to Kalamazoo-zoo-zoo-zoo!

I don't think it was frivolous to take the trip. You earned it. And I understand about paying off debt. Don't even ask about my student loan debt. Also, I've always believed that women were better money managers. After all, money was one of the problems in my parents' marriage. My dad loved to spend it while my mom, being a Cancer, wanted to squirrel it away for a rainy day.

ok, can i say how relieved i am that you DON'T make $9k a month? because i was having some serious inadequacy issues until i saw your note.

rock on!

Good for you. I got myself in that deep all by my own self. I have had to get honest about my debt too.

This Anna Nicole thing was an eye opener. I grew up poor in a trailer park wanting what everyone else had too.

I kept thinking that everyone would love me if I just bought the right shoes or the right buttery leather $300 handbag or got the right alphabet letters behind my name. That doesn't count all of the gifts I bought people wanting trying to get their love and approval. It's really true, money can't buy you love. It might be able to buy you an entourage, I guess.

Erin, do post an address or let Laurie or someone know how to get in touch with you. I know I have extra yarn I bought during my spending binges and I am such a slow knitter that I couldn't possibly use it all.

Very inspirational post. Too many of us spend what we don't have to get an emotional fix. One thing I've learned is not to browse catalogs, window shop, etc. because it provides too much temptation. I always have to ask myself if I need it or want it - works with yarn too! Good luck and keep sharing the great kitty pix.

oh Laurie.. you know.. I'll have to respond yet again with my most favorite quote in the whole world. I think of it on my most crappy of days at school when I want to quit and say to heck with the kids.. let them grown up to be delinquints....

"I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday." Anonymous

i love that your cat is named bob. in my life, bob is my gay ex-boyfriend. :)

debt is a heavy weight- good for your for sticking to your budget and lightening your load.

Been there. (Divorce)
Done that. (MASSIVE Debt)
It sucked. (Budget/Repayment)
But damn, it was GOLDEN when the debt was gone. When you start paying YOURSELF instead of 'others'.
It's worth it. (Great Marriage/Debt Free)
Congratulations and keep it up!

Hey laurie - I just wanted to say that I only owe $200 at this point, and have managed to save $700 in only 2 months! (I make about $6k/year, right outta college, this one is. OUCH.) You're right, it can be done, and I've even bought a little yarn here and there.

All you other girls, you can do it! And if you don't owe any money? Save instead! You may get blindsided by a wreck, an illness or death, or new baby, etc., but if you've saved in advance you don't HAVE to use credit cards to pay for it. Take it from me. <:)

I read your post while 'Baby Girl' by Sugarland was playing... and it almost had me in tears.

Can't wait to see a picture of the cats enjoying their catnip, and you with a glass of wine. :-)

So often I read your blog and get a case of the "me to!"'s and girl, that is reassuring because (I've said this before) you are doing beautifully and that gives me some hope.

Lori, you are a woman after my own heart. We are kindred souls for I too have line items in my budget for yarn, wine, and vet bills.

Rock on sista. I'm climbing out from under my own mountain of debt...one paycheck at a time.

Watching you go from a destroyed, frayed wreck to someone who can walk away from hot shoes for the greater good has me all ferklempt.

Take a moment, look back, and get a big, self-satisfied grin on.

Lookit that happy kitty face.

We're all with y'all.

We don't need no stinkin' shoes! Summer's coming! Get a bottle of purty toe polish and go wild!

Good for you!! I am also going through a divorce and the money part sure isn't easy. I sometimes hate going to the mailbox. But we will all get through this and be happier/ healthier in the long run. But, and I don't want to be an enabler or anything, you might be able to pick the shoes up in a month or so on Ebay, if you remember the manufacturer and style name, I have bought brand new shoes there for a fraction of the price while they were still at Nordstrom for full price. Just sayin...

Laurie, the way you go living your life the best way you can is a wonderful inspiration. Thank you so much for your wonderful outlook and splendid writing!

Laurie, thank you for posting the Excel budget document. My Dad was a master budgeter but somehow never got around to teaching me. Yesterday I was thinking that I really need to learn to budget, but had no idea how to go about it realistically. Your budget is the basis for my new leaf. I giggled when I saw "Yarn & Wine" listed together.

Just curious—what do the buttery-smooth open-toed shoes represent to you? How did it make you feel to be looking at them through the window? Good on you for resisting temptation!

Eclair, your Dad's wisdom reminds me of my Dad's. He died last year and I've been missing his astuteness. Thank you for reminding me in a roundabout way of his favorite saying: "The difficult can be done; the impossible just takes a little longer."

Lastly, Bob is SUCH a cute cat! I love his little white toesies.

Hooray for you! My sister came out of her first marriage in a very similar situation and managed to dig her way out - it was a very long and scary process, but she's now married again and much happier and more fiscally responsible. It can be done, and you're doing it. Again, Hooray for you!

Hope DF-Day (debt-free day) is a little bit closer. I figure I have a second job, so I can indulge myself a bit. Ever thought about creating a cat calendar?

And congratulations on your remarkable progess- you've come a long way, baby! You've quit smoking, are eating healthier foods, stepping up your physical activity, socializing more, paying down your debt while looking at the good, the bad, and the ugly in life square in the eye. Cheers to you!

You go, girl! It felt so good to get the last account finished with my ex and my names. I hated the constant reminder of what life was like then. Good luck! You're amazing!

Good for you. Divorce, and all its consequences, is just not fair. You are so smart to cut your losses and do what you have to do. Congratulations on working to be debt free.

I agree with the poster above who said you should do pet photography . . . the kitty pictures you have posted lately are exquisite.

If you can be close to eliminating 32K worth of debt in just over a couple of years, that is amazing. Did Mr. X walk away with some debt, too? I hope so.

i am a little bit of an ostrich with our finances...and i am trying to change my attitute and be aware and responsible...
Thanks for detailing your plan and experiences!...your story about the paris/bullies...made me laugh and laugh!!!
sometimes acts of bravery can have such a ripple effect,eh? (am canadian!)....
you have the most beauuuutifulllll kitty cats..!
give them a rub on the noggin from me!

If you are the Annie Liebowitz of cat photography (and you are) then I will be Jerry Garcia and promise you that one day you will look back on all this and say, "what a long, strange trip it's been."

I have dug out from under debt, basked in the freedom for a little while, took a good vacation, then started saving with the same zeal that I had paid of the debt. It was nice to watch my little hill grow instead of shoveling away at someone else's mountain. Then I raided my savings to repair Mom's home in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina when her insurance company of 48 years dicked her over -- previously, she had never made one single claim. I was grateful to have the money saved so I could do that, instead of accumulating more debt. Dad died two weeks before Katrina, after a long illness which wiped out my parents' savings.

Now I am starting a new business, literally from chicken feed, on the few hundred dollars I have left in savings. I am scared to death but I'm going to give it my best.

You're a true inspiration. Let us know when the virtual party begins ...

...and Erin, do post your address. We know you were not fishing for freebies. I bet if your posted your "wish list" -- so many skeins of Noro Silk Garden in color number such-and-such -- you would find that a lot of us have a spare skein or some leftovers laying around. We'd be happy to share. It's good manners and good karma. Also, here's a tip: haunt garage sales and your local thrift stores. You can make amazing finds, bags of yarn for just a few dollars sometimes.

Ok - so I'm a little late to the party here but I've got an idea for Erin. I just checked and Super Crafty has your yarn - what if you just picked a color and posted how many skeins you need for the sweater. We could buy the yarn for you from Allison so you'd be helping them out too. Come on - it's just a little old sweater. Plus - you wouldn't have to put your address up here for all the world to see - just give it to Super Crafty. Hang in there.

Bob Rocks!

Laurie, we love you! Same story here, only the details are different: 22-year marriage that ended in divorce and more debt than I ever thought possible. He was the one who handled the money because I thought he was better at it. What a revelation to learn, post-divorce, that I'm better at managing money than he is. I'm still an emotional spender, though, and must confess that I dropped $80 on two pairs of shoes this week at DSW Warehouse. With your budget and blog to inspire me, I hope to be debt-free and in a happy marriage in five years. I'm 53 years old, and I will never, ever give up my dream.

Yay, Laurie! I'm thinking that the pride in yourself for passing up the shoes is a better, longer-lasting pleasure than owning the shoes would have been. Keep reminding yourself of that feeling, and it's easier to pass up the next pair of shoes. Go Laurie!!!

Eclair, loved your post--what is your business? I am looking for inspiration--still wondering what I want to be when I grow up, even tho I have kids readying for college.

Who mentioned the book deal? I so want to second that!

Go Laurie Go!

I'M READY FOR MY CLOSE-UP MR. DE MILLE

That's so super. Bossy can relate because she is on Oprah's Debt Diet. Going pretty well, thank you, although Bossy is sort of a recovering Financial Bulimic - purchasing things that later get returned.

Laurie - Congrats!
And many thanks for the link to your excel spreadsheet you are one very smaht girl., and I've already started working on my own budget. While not overwhelmed with debt, I have a problem with saving any money and tend to blow any excess on *who knows what*.... So you've inspired me to get a little more focused. Again thanks for that.
Oh, and seriously the umbrella in Paris story, that was the best thing I've read in weeks.
Next time you go to Paris, may I join you?

May '07 bring you the very best of many things.
Jen

Wow! This is so huge. I can begin to fathom how difficult this has been. You have so much to be proud of.

First off, I too wanted to tell you you looked wonderful in the picture with the long scarf but what I get from you is you are loving, creative, witty and ready to accept others despite their flaws. Many of us identify with your feelings about your weight and see pictures of ourselves in a very negative light. The same picture I see as "Lord, Regan, you look so fat!" my friends see as "You light up a room." or "You are the person I can always come to." Now, I try not to say anything to myself (even with that inner voice) that I would not say to a friend or child. The nasty voice doesn't help any more when it comes from inside our own head than if a friend or parent were to say it. Try being your own best friend and see what happens. I found life bloomed when I banished the critical voice that narrated my life.

Give smoogies to the kitties from all us.

I bet the amount left isn't as crazy of an amount to as many people as you think.

Congratulations on making it this far!

Not buying stuff is HARD. We just went through the worst of a dicey money time - a time when I honestly stood in the aisle of the grocery store rationalizing whether or not I should buy salt. When I realized it was 67 cents, I took the plunge! Good for you!

Just wait... Your Mr. X & his new(est) fling will see your blog-turned-best-seller hardcover at Barnes & Noble one day in the near future, and his jealousy and amazement will be sweet revenge, even though you prolly won't be there to see it!

You rock! Your willpower is admirable. Keep up the good work--we're all rooting for you and your freedom. :-)

So glad you by passed the shoes. Being debt free is a great goal. Keep up the good work. I love reading your blog.

Laurie, I just realized that I didnt read the first few years of your blog...so tonight I'm starting from the beginning. (I'm up to mid-february 2005). There wasnt anything good on tv, and none of my favorite fan fiction sites have done any updates lately. ;)

I feel like I've just started to read a book. It was kind of neat to find out that you were writing just as good then as you do now.

and all the kitty cat pictures are cute. I'm more of a dog person, but since I'm pretty sure that I'm now allergic to BOTH cats and dogs, I keep away from both. At least pictures dont trigger me sneezing or the hives bursting to the surface.

Did you ever figure out how to knit in the round??

wow...
thank you for that post - now i am inspired to change what i thought was a budget but was more of a spending tracking spreadsheet into a budget and get out from under my debt....

truly inspiring! best of luck and let us know when to celebrate!!! a blogging girls night out will be essential to celebrate :)

I love the idea about Erin/SuperCrafty! Please do it Erin. And don't think that you're being whiny or needy. It will give us a new way to help that little baby and his great parents, and to give you a surprise in the mail all at the same time.

I'm sure that all of us have benefitted from the pay-it-forward and many of us (including me) might be a bit behind in our part.

Good for you, hon! We're working our way through that same mountain of debt (although for us it's probably about 2 years until it's all gone), and it sucks. Thanks for the story of encouragement.

Good for you! Being debt free is SO great!

And a comment to Erin....you can sign up on the Knitty board (knittyboard.com) and put a list up on the RAK list - random acts of kindness....or do a swap.

Think of all that money you ended up owing as an investment in a bit of learning - like going to school. Better to have learned now rather than later that the man you were with was the type of person to not only dump you to "get his creativity back" but also to sneakily stick you with all the debt you amassed together. Imagine what you could have owed after another ten years of "marital bliss" with this man. Not to say you got off lucky in that part of the deal - my divorce worked in similar, but cheaper ways, but I was so happy to have my freedom that I accepted the debt along with it - but you can at least know that you are not the person who would do that to someone they shared a home with for so long. Debt plus your dignity? Or debt-free but with the knowledge of your deceitfulness? And besides, he is someone else's problem now. Hindsight might actually make you think that you would pay that much just to know he's no longer yours to deal with.

I have asked you in the comments several times if you received a little something I sent you. I never got a response, and now I am all paranoid that it never got there. In my previous houndings for a response, I never mentioned what it was, but maybe it wasn't obvious who it came from. It was a bottle of the white wine my husband makes. You are always saying to send wine, and I actually had wine to send. So, I did. I hope it got there. Could you let me know if it didn't? I'd be curious to know what happened to it (post man had a little fiesta??). If it did get there, I hope it was enjoyed.

Once again, sweetie, you are an inspiration. My 2 year relationship left me scratching my head over a very large debt. A quick skim over the statements and it all comes together. I like you take some of the blame. I was feeling quite overwhelmed and a little panicy. Thank you again for being so candid. I know it will take a while but I can do this.

Hi Crazy Aunt Purl, I'm mostly a lurker, but I read your blog regularly, love your stories, love your cats, but mostly I think you are an inspiration. You obviously have untapped reserves of strength and the wisdom to use it! I applaud you! Please keep blogging, we need you out here!
Jennie

Wow, fantastic, so exciting! There is nothing like financial freedom! How do you envision your first paycheck, after all debt is paid, in which 0 will go to credit cards?

Funny how some people's life circumstances can be so similar (and there one is, suffering the whole time, feeling they are alone in the whole world) even though they live in different countries (I'm Canadian). I've just had the same shattering experience, finding myself $30,000 in debt after a 2 1/2 month marriage ended with an assault charge. So, I'm just at the beginning of where you've been. Your success is certainly encouraging, to all of us, debtors or otherwise - keep up the good work and kiss those gorgeous kitties for me!!

Seriously dude, I know how you feel right now, with it being so close and all. It really is an awesome feeling. Congrats.

Good for you! I use your budget sheet and it is fantastic. Although I don't know you, I enjoy reading your blog and hearing of your accomplishments and laughing my butt off at your stories. You've touched a lot of people and I definitely think you deserved your trip to Paris! Good luck with the dating.

So I don't even know you (well, I read your blog ergo I feel like I know you) but I'm so proud of you. It's awesome that you've been able to keep up your payment plan, and deal with debt. I hope you enjoy sending your last payment in! You're my role model.

I feel bad. I never leave comments anymore. But there are SO MANY! I cant imagine when you have time to read them all. But I do still read every day. I'm trying to follow your lead and not driev 3 hours to Seattle to buy new shoes but it is killing me and I am making plans to drive there.... not only an I wasting money on shoes but I am going to drive 6 hours in total and cross a border! Pathetic.

Good GIRL. :) *cheers*

If it means anything at all, you've inspired me to stick a little closer to a necessary plan of my own. Not the same plan, or for the same reasons, but it will produce the same sense of freedom - without question.

Until then (for us both) I wish you as many bottles of Vueve Cliquot as you ever want, many more trips to Paris, and lots of cat nip for Bob.

And until then? All the heaven you can stand.

Congratulations on being that much closer to being debt free - I'm sure it must feel incredbily liberating.
Its very inspirational to read about you going through this, but at the same time I must admit that I'm a bit ashamed of myself to have not paid off my own debt by now when its so small in comparison to your own.
I'll be returning from my own trip to Paris in a few days and I must revisit my own budget and work more towards getting my own debt paid off.

Good for you - you've got the right idea - I used to be in finance, and the reason so many people fail with the financial plans/saving is because they trade what they want in the future for what they want in the now (Shoes vs. Retirement, etc.)

When I paid off my debt after the divorce-WOW!!! I can only say it was one of the top moments in my life-right up there with getting my Master's & having my son. Sending positve vibes your way. XOXO

Yay for you! And yay for your new $ skills, confidence and determination.
I love that Paris got you ready for dating again :-)
My trip to Paris changed me, too.

1. Congrats! It isn't easy, but what else are you going to do?

2. Bob is the most photogenic of your cats. He's my favorite even though I know it's mean to play favorites.

3. Really, congratulations!

Oh dear god, I just happened to re-read my comment while catching up on other comments, and...I typo-ed my way into hell. I wrote "lucky to be rid smarmy, cowardly, etc..." forgetting the all-important two words between "rid" and "smarmy": "rid OF THAT smarmy, cowardly, etc."
I'm horrified that it may have sounded as if I were talking about Laurie, rather than her no-good ex! It was about his smarmy, cowardly, poseur ass.
good god,
solvi

Honestly, I wish I could be more like you. I've been repaying crap from my Southern-Transplant move for years, and haven't had a vacation in about three. And three years into a degree, I could really use the time off. I'm doing what you did and going away with this year before I go completely insane.

AND hang in there... It will all get paid off, eventually. :)

My ex has added another $5k to her debt load since we split. Not me, boy.