Sometimes I find it hard to get people to understand that though. I’m amazed at how many people treat consumer debt as normal and inevitable, and how often I hear that I’m “too young to worry so much about retirement” (I’m in my early thirties!) and that I “should spend more on yourself.” People don’t want to hear that you can’t have everything you want, whenever you want. (Well, you can, but I think we all know the consequences!)

Apparently it’s okay to make financial sacrifices to get yourself out of trouble, but not okay to make compromises to stay out of trouble.

When my credit card company raised my interest rate to 35% with no reason given (I pay in full every month), I spent a couple of very frustrating hours on the phone trying to get an answer.

After being told that I probably did something to lower my credit rating and a series of other “explanations” that didn’t make sense, I responded to one of these nonsensical explanations (that I had too much credit available) and asked to lower my credit limit as I had no need of the high limit that they had kept raising. I was immediately transferred to someone who told me that no they had just raised everyone’s interest rate across the board but because I was such a good customer they would lower mine to 9%.

I began looking for a new bank but didn’t bother to tell them why I was switching. The difficulty I had talking to anyone with a reasonable explanation told me that they didn’t really care if I was happy doing business with them.

“I don’t buy things I don’t have money to pay for on the spot. Well, I guess I do use a credit card, but I pay it off in full each month. And when I want something that I don’t have the money for, I either put aside a little at a time, or I go get a second job. Or I sell some stuff on ebay/amazon. Or I babysit a lot.”

It’s pretty boring, truth be told, but it does work. I tried to tell this once to an athletic trainer who worked at my PT’s office. He was bemoaning his lack of money and telling me how he couldn’t afford to travel (especially in response to hearing some places I have been). I think this guy makes more in a year than I made in 4, so I was pretty shocked. But when I explained the above, he just shook his head and said “I don’t get it. That wouldn’t work.”

Didn’t quite drop by 100 or I’d email them.

*failure 1: incompetent bank resulting in me deciding to take my business elsewhere mid-process
failure 2: incompetent appraiser who freaked out when he saw my team name emblazoned on my trailer and declared us a “commercial property” despite zoning that prohibits commercial business here.
failure 3: loss of property value dropping below threshold for refi. Thanks for nothing, housing bubble!

Digging my way out of a hugely, mind- and soul-crushing debt load was WAY harder than living within my means is now, but it’s still a struggle (although my credit score and history are gorgeous, I could always pay, it just got out of hand). When digging out, I read up on every tip I cold get my paws on (and got extra jobs too). I hang out here and at the YNAB boards much like some people use 12-step plans.

I guess our stories aren’t sexy enough