The Plastic and the Damage Done

stroopelogue — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:21:18 +0000

I am 31 years old with two bachelor’s degrees and make an income of $18.65 per hour (roughly $38,792 before taxes). This is the most I have ever made in my life.

And I am outrageously in debt. Does this sound familiar?

Sadly, the fact that a lot of people are in the same situation doesn’t lessen the heart palpitations.

So I’ve started this blog to document the creative ways I try to make ends meet each month (and maybe have a little extra to put towards that debt and saving for an overseas holiday/home/etc.)

I’ve been on this hamster wheel before. Student loan debt accumulated at an out-of-state college, some credit card debt. Thanks to sharing a flat with two housemates and a sudden bump in income (cheers, retail management!) I was able to pay that debt down in no time.

Flash forward nine or so years. A cross-country move and living beyond my means for a while and I’m in the deepest hole I’ve been in. I am trying to pay down the credit cards while still enjoying life, trying to push and pull and play with the budget, with comfort levels, in order to live the proverbial “within my means and between my seams”.

So let’s just put this right out there. This is a snapshot of my credit card / student loan debt as of right now:

Capital One: $3,246.50

Chase: $4,695.20

Washington Mutual: $2,479.03

GM Card: $2,300

American Express: $2,188.01

Citi: $5,132.75

Student loan: $23,583.42

For a grand total of $41,324.91

Cough. Sputter. Choke.

There are no quick answers to this conundrum. But I might as well have fun finding clever solutions.

Courtesy Bartleby.com

stroopelogue — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:53:26 +0000

Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.

Class V. Words Releasing to the Voluntary Powers

Division (II) Intersocial Volition

Section IV. Possessive Relations

4. Monetary Relations

806. Debt.


NOUN:	DEBT, obligation, liability, indebtment, debit, score. ARREARS, deferred payment, deficit, default; insolvency (nonpayment) [See Nonpayment]; bad debt. INTEREST; premium; usance [obs.], usury; floating -debt, – capital. DEBTOR, debitor [obs.], mortgagor; defaulter [See Nonpayment]; borrower.

VERB:	BE IN DEBT &c. adj.; owe; incur -, contract- a debt &c. n.; run up -a bill, – a score, – an account; go on tick [colloq.]; borrow [See Borrowing]; run -, get- into debt; be over head and ears in debt; be in difficulties; outrun the constable. ANSWER FOR, go bail for; back one’s note.

ADJECTIVE:	LIABLE, chargeable, answerable for. INDEBTED, in debt, in embarrassed circumstances, in difficulties; encumbered or incumbered, involved; involved -, plunged -, deep -, over head and ears- in debt; deeply involved; fast tied up; insolvent (not paying) [See Nonpayment]; minus [colloq.], out of pocket. UNPAID; unrequited, unrewarded; owing, due, in arrear, outstanding.

t h r i f t w i c h

The Plastic and the Damage Done

Courtesy Bartleby.com