Today is a prosperous day.  I made my final payment on my credit cards. Yes, that is correct.  I am 100% credit card debt free! And it’s probably one of the best feelings I’ve had in a very long time.

 This victory was  8 months in the making.  I decided back in August (after returning from a very expensive trip to Asia) that once I returned, I would get serious about my credit card debt.  I had attempted to work with credit counselors in the past to no avail.  I always felt that it put me at a disadvantage not knowing exactly where my money was going each month if I worked with a debt management agency.  So I started with a simple excel spreadsheet.  The first column indicated the name of the account, the second column showed the balance, the third showed the payment plan and so forth.  I used columns to record as much information about the account as possible. I even used a “Notes” column where I would write things like, “Pay ASAP, high interest!” 

 Once I took the first step of writing everything down (and I do mean everything), it actually became fun.  It became my little side business, where I was benefitting directly from my efforts.  I was eager to track any progress on my payments and post the new balances as soon as something was paid off.  It felt so great to see the new balances go down every month.

After 8 months of continuos, and on time payments I was able to pay off over $6,000 in credit card debt, including some student loan payments.  I am by no means a financial expert ( I cheated my way through college accounting), but I knew that if I could commit to writing it all down that it would help me accomplish two things 1) I would be able to see my financial situation in its entirety and 2) I would be able to manage and track it on a regular basis, making it much easier to pay off.

Making my final payment was an indescribable feeling.  And all it took was that first step.