Day 26... Goals Met, Challenge Defeated.

Hello Darlings!

I have met my goal, and so am calling my own personal gypsie challenge successfully ended. I will also be too busy for the next 4 days to post anything, so  I thought I ought not  (isn't that a seussian sentance) leave you hanging.

It's been a great month for me, failures and all. I honestly thought I had bitten off more than I could chew, but it has worked. As soon as that last payment comes through, we are so having a credit card cutting ceremony. Perhaps I shall photograph it for you all.

I have been thinking a lot about how it's a cultural norm to carry debt from month to month. On the radio the other day, they were saying that on average Canadians carry (not including a mortgage) TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS OF DEBT. I nearly pooped my pants. If that's the average, then that means there are those who are much farther in debt than even that.  What a heavy burden to bear. And what a foolish way to live.

This year, we are going to try to live without credit of any kind - because we aren't responsible enough to only spend what we can pay off each month. If we don't have the money in the account, we simply cannot have what we want or even need. Just because living from month to month on credit is normal, that doesn't make it a healthy or successful way to live. If you are one of those rare and beautiful birds that can keep control over a credit card and pay it off each month, I salute you. All of the above is not directed at you. I am preaching to people like me.

Here is an old wartime slogan that I am trying to stencil onto my brain meat:

"Use it up
Wear it out
Make it do
or Do without"