Just wrote a check to my credit card

[Maestro]

and I now owe nothing, zilch, nada! Feels good. My only debt is mortgage or car related. Now to keep saving for the kids' college fund and my retirement when I am 90 since there will be no social security for me. Actually I am teacher in Texas and we, or at least, I do not pay into SS.

[GOPisEvil]

1. That is a great feeling!

I paid off an old credit card a while back, too. It was nice getting the statement showing a 0 balance. The other credit cards I have get paid off in full each month. :-)

[Obamarama]

2. BRAVO! Feels GREAT, doesn't it!?

My partner and I were just commenting yesterday that for all outstanding debt, our interest charges amount to a grand $65 per month.

We've paid off mortgage, cars and do NOT carry balances on our credit cards. We pay off credit card balances every month. We only have a small home-improvement loan that will be paid off next year.

Feels great, doesn't it!? Good job!

[whistle]

3. I paid off three outstanding credit card bills earlier this year...

...and it was a great feeling for a short time. However, my regular bills come like clockwork (insurance, monthly electrical, mortgage payments, car payment, etc.). I made some really major financial adjustments two and a half years ago, because I realized that my credit card charges had gotten out of hand with over $10K that needed to be paid off. So I cut everywhere I could. I took on freelance jobs to supplement my income which was dropping. I have made it a strict policy not to charge anything and to pay cash or by check whenever possible. The discipline continues, but I have also found that there are certain things totally out of my control. My share of company health insurance for example has gone up by over 28% in the last two years. My taxes are up taking a combined bite out of my weekly paycheck of nearly 23%. Food prices have sky-rocketed. We all know what has happened to gasoline prices. Sticker shock on big ticket items is evident everywhere.

Am I better off than I was three and a half years ago? Well, financially I have made my condition better. As for what the future holds for me, being on a fixed income and the prospect of retirement coming ahead in five years, I have no idea what will happen. Four more years of republican domination gives me little hope for a secure and modest retirement. The democrats can win, but look at the mess the Busheviks have left behind to clean up! So it won't be easy, but with the democrats in charge, I know that the burden of cleaning up the Bush mess will be shared equitably.

[Maestro]

4. Well things are still touchy

with the regular finances and I am definitely not better off than I was four years ago. Because of the economy, I have not had a raise in three years and this year's raise is only 3% which doesn't cover increased medical expenses and property taxes over the past 4 years. Paying off the credit card just makes things a little easier.

[DenverDem]

5. I'm just trying to get my cards down below their freaking limits.

Starting up a business in this economy is both stupid and difficult.