Will you guys do me a favor...? An online intervention?

[StellaBlue]

I fell off the wagon.

I came back from four years spent in the UK last summer, after a hard year, a nasty breakup, etc. I had not a dime to my name, and all my possessions fit in nine boxes. My only debt was $39,000 in student loans, which was manageable - at $210 a month for 25 years.

I read YMOYL and had an "aha" moment, as Oprah would say. I realized that I share a lot of values with the simplicity "movement". I was energized.

However, after spending ten months in East Texas, living with my mother, I couldn't hack it anymore. I quit my crap job and moved to Austin at the end of April. Over the past few months, I have managed to somehow rack up several thousand dollars of debt (under $10K) on credit cards. I have also bought a car (which was really a necessity for me - and I bought a cheap, reasonably fuel-efficient, compact car). I had to make this move; for my sanity.

Now I am on my own, blissfully happy compared to where I was in my life a year ago, just before my break-up. But I really want to get back on track. I have a modest apartment in a great neighborhood - with a pool. I have a decent car. I have tons of free/cheap entertainment in walking distance. I am about to start an MLS in two weeks, and I have lots of interviews. I want to become an academic librarian. My life is on track.

Yet I keep buying stupid magazines and overpriced prepared food and terribly un-nutritious colas in the grocery store. And "cheap" (read cheaply made!) clothes at Old Navy, when dragged there by a friend. I go get drive-through crap food because I am too exhausted from looking for a job almost 24/7 and cleaning to bother cooking anything. I go out of town for the weekend with a girlfriend and drop $200. All on my credit card. This has got to stop. I sort of feel like I was unhappy for SO long, and everyone else I know is in debt, and it's so out of control now that, hey, another five bucks won't matter. But they add up, don't they?

I have transferrred as much as possible to a no-interest-for-12-months card. I don't know what else I can do. Hopefully, I will have a job within another two weeks or so. That will help, obviously!

But, really, I need some motivation and refocus as to why I wanted to "drop out" to begin with. I think not watching TV would be a great start.

Please, guys - stage an intervention for me!

[LiberalEsto]

1. I'd start by looking for a debt counselor

Maybe the local unemployment office could suggest one.

It helps to get into a mind-set of - how can I face this economic challenge?

I unexpectedly got sick and was unable to return to work full time after our second child, so we struggled to get by on my husband's paycheck. I learned to do many small home repairs and shop at garage sales. My whole house is decorated in Early Yard Sale, and I think it looks great.

Could you read your magazines at the public library instead of buying them? Carry bottled water in your bag instead of buying drinks that mess up your health? Prepare two or three meals during the weekend and enjoy those during the week? When I was a hippie way back when, my bf and I cooked up a big pot of stew or something every Sunday and lived on it for a week. It saved time, cleaning and energy. We went to the library to look up new recipes to keep things from getting boring.

When you start to think of every bit of money saved as a victory, you'll be able to get into the thrift thing. I love coming home with a beautiful original oil painting on canvas that I paid $2 for! Or a nice piece of jewelry for a dollar or two. You can dress nicely for very little if you work at it. I save my change and small bills for the Saturday yard sales. I might spend nothing, I might spend $10, but I come home feeling that I've splurged and saved at the same time.

[melnjones]

2. Good idea...

I am enrolled and using this one https://www.debtcounselingcorp.org/ and so far I love them. They got my credit card that was at 25% interest down to 3% and my other card that was at 15% to 7%. I'm paying LESS every month on my credit cards and will have them paid off in 5 years if I just make the minimum payments their program allows. They are absolutely wonderful.

[StellaBlue]

5. That sounds wonderful

Thanks so much for the link! Will look into it Thursday. As it is, my parents are arriving for a two-night-stay tomorrow WITH a piano and my new cat, AND I have FOUR job interviews in the next 48 hours.

But I am NOT going to charge anything. ;)

[NMDemDist2]

3. turn your girlfriend onto "Vintage" shopping

make it a mission to find the coolest re-sale/thrift stores in town

cook on weekends instead of going out of town

make it a game with yourself to see how LITTLE you can spend at the grocery store

shop for groceries at ethic markets as an "adventure" (and save $$ doing it)

and the best bet for credit cards? freeze them in a tupperware bowl covered in at least 3 inches of water. that way you'll have to think ahead to use them (and you can't microwave them without killing the cards LOL)

take out your weekly budget in CASH. when it's gone, you're broke til the following week

make it fun and a challenge, you'll be back on track in no time

[StellaBlue]

6. LOL

That's hilarious. And an excellent idea.

You're so right about the weekly cash budget, too. I keep meaning to get around to that.......

thanks!

[kestrel91316]

4. Get thee immediately to daveramsey.com. Pick up a copy of his

books Financial Peace and Total Money Makeover. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. Oh, and you may safely ignore the Christian angle if you don't like it (I did). He also has a radio program you can listen to by radio or the internet.

I FINALLY got my financial life headed firmly in the right direction because of his books, and I listen to his show to keep reinforcing the ideas.

Do a personal budget for the past 2 months. You can't figure out where to spend and where to cut if you don't know where every cent is going. Stop using the cc's RIGHT THIS MINUTE. Relax, take a deep breath, and jump right in. You won't regret it.

[StellaBlue]

7. Thanks for this!

And for the encouragement!

[kestrel91316]

8. Dave will straighten you out!

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

9. First I want to say how much I admire you

for recognizing that you might be headed in the wrong direction at such a young age. Many of us didn't wake up to that until we were much older. A real duh! comment here, but by realizing there might be a problem you're half way to fixing it.

Everyone has given excellent advice. The only thing I would add is that if you continue overspending then you might end up back living with your mother!!! Maybe that will give a bit of added motivation. :rofl:

Best to you. I know you'll be successful.