Debt Free, For A Week

I am just about to write a check for fifteen hundred and eight dollars, add 95 cents. This is what remains of my credit card debt. I had it under control for more then a year now, in zero percent accounts, opening new cards when the old ones were about to expire from the intro period. I paid big if I could, otherwise just dollar a day, in a kind of a calendar ritual. My credit ranking grew quite a bit, but I almost got burned again this winter when I went abroad and got stuck for two month. You know the drill.

It wasn't always this easy on me. I never had too huge a debt, perhaps because I missed my first payments even before I had a chance to get big credit lines. It was about three and a half grands at its peak, and stayed there for long time while I struggled to catch up with payments and all sort of fees, periodically forgetting to send a check, causing another avalanche of penalties. I dived on my checking account and got three hundred of them, on small purchases totaling less then a hundred. I didn't even open the letters, waiting for the next paycheck to come. Well the bank didn't wait and closed my checking account. I was maxed on my cards, nobody would issue me another, and the rent was due. I borrowed from my roommate and had about six hundred outstanding on my closed bank account. Add the bills and my split-the-bill balance with my roommate and the total would be about five grands.

It is now about five years since I first didn't pay the full balance on a credit card, and I never got out of it. Living with an out-control debt is quite different then normal, and living happily is quite impossible. I plan to write about this, but at this point I'll just write down the check and go mail it before it's midnight. These are the tax money I am sending. Wish me good luck.