Happy stories?

[southernrus]

Hi All,
I am hoping that this is the correct board for my post.

I am looking for some happy marriage/debt recovery stories. Mainly, for personal inspiration. Do you have one you'd like to share? I really need to hear something along these lines:

"XXX number of years ago, we were broke, we didn't have enough money to make it through the month without putting some on credit cards, and we had different attitudes and financial goals. Life was hard, we were going to divorce, but years later, I'm glad that we were able to live through this - we are still happy together. We did X, Y, and Z to achieve this"

Thanks!

[thyme4change]

15 years ago we had more personal / revolving debt than we did annual income. Our friends were yucking it up and buying cars, traveling the world, and we went into lock down mode. We lived in a way that made them look at us like we were crazy. We created a plan, sucked it up and paid everything off. We then started saving at a pretty high rate. Years later I remember several of our friends saying something like "We've decided to pay off our credit cards." And I was flabberghasted that it took them that long to come around. I'm glad we did it when we were younger and our marriage was new. Now, we likely have a higher net worth than most of those people we were trying to keep up with. And our lifestyle still looks more simple than theirs. Once we stopped trying to have all that stuff, we realized how little joy it brought us. In fact, the associated debt only brought us heartache.

[Sam_2.0]

We are in the middle of our story now

DH and I got married 3 years ago. He has taken a job that's 100% commission based. We've incurred some debt paying for his work, DD, and some stupid choices that first year. Last year was the first time we felt like we could actually pay all of our bills on-time. This year our plan is to pay off all of our CC debt. If DH keeps getting paid like he has been, that could possibly happen before my 30th birthday this year!!

We don't know the ending yet, but it is looking promising. And we have grown considerably as a couple and as individuals through the process.

[thyme4change]

What happened to the Financial Success Stories thread? It used to be pinned and locked.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

Jan 14, 2013 11:52:05 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

What happened to the Financial Success Stories thread? It used to be pinned and locked.

...good question... I did a search with no results for it... :-\





...and southernrus, we are still a work in progress... but it came down to agreeing on a game plan, setting things on auto pilot, and pure patience... iow, the day will come when you write the last check for "that bill" and the next month's check goes to the investment/reward of your choice... it's a great feeling... hang in there...

[ginpin]

I found the financial stories thread.

notmsnmoney.proboards.com/thread/14431/ncial-success-stories

[twinmama85]

My story is bittersweet...my husband filed for divorce (this is not financial related; however, I am almost 100% debt free and I keep getting blessed with "windfalls" of money or savings here or there, this is making it possible to be debt free sooner.

[Apple]

I can't do the happy marriage part, and was never really in debt, just poor. But, I can write some anyway. (Would still possibly be married if ex had not abused son--for me, after that, there really was no turning back. I think we could have worked through the money stuff).

I worked in a cafe at the local community college, did catering jobs for the owner at different locations, and would work in his pizza restaurant during the summer/breaks at the school when there was only enough work to keep the manager busy. Then husband worked construction, but would get laid off for the winter often. I would save like crazy when money was coming in, but would dip into savings more and more as the winter months went buy.

I was able to get a new job where I worked part time and went to school full time. The job came with a big enough raise that I was doing better than I had been working full time. Of course, I had to pay for school, so in the end it was about even. The husband left halfway through those two years.

I cut off cable, I picked up a few more hours, I took night classes instead of all day classes. Some nights my son went with me--he sat next to me and scribbled in a notebook or played quietly with a toy. Fortunately, my instructors understood that it was either bring him with me or drop the class, and I really needed the class to graduate on time.

I started only buying what I needed. When my washing machine broke, I washed the clothes in the bathtub because I couldn't afford a new washer (the fix would cost more than a new one). When my refrigerator broke, I used an ice chest (I was lucky to have a large freezer so I could make my own ice and not buy it). I lived with no washer for just over a year. After about 6 months, it got hot enough the ice chest wasn't working out as well, and I found a mini-fridge for $75 (I cook, I don't buy fast food, etc, so it was hard for me--the mini fridge helped a lot).

I bumped up my hours to 30+ a week, was only home on Sundays and those were spent studying. I missed the hell out of my son, who it seemed I was barely seeing, didn't get to play with him like I wanted, I had no free time. I wish I had given up the grades and just did what it took to pass my classes looking back...

Anyway, two years of no time, always studying or working, and I finally graduated, then got to go back to work full time, with a better job and 3x the pay. Made it into the training program where as long as I did well, I could get a nice raise every year until I made journeyman.

None of it was easy, it took a lot of sacrifice, some scary times, but I did what I had to because I knew if I could just make it through the bad stuff, things would get better.

Now, 12 years later, I have a larger house, paid off car and pickup, property, money for overseas vacations, put DS in private school from pre-k through 6th grade, and prioritize where I want my money to go.

It will take hard work, may require a career change, but it can be done.

[Deleted]

Apple I never knew the details of your story. HUGS to you! I wish I could give you Karma LOL.

[Deleted]

Southernrus, although I have been on these boards for nearly six years, and won several races on the WIRR international thread, we never had *that* much consumer debt. On the other hand, we've never had great incomes either. We're in Europe (France) so we probably couldn't have gotten into much debt even if we have wanted to LOL.

DH and I both inherited modest sums at the same time, about 12 years ago. We let the money sit for a while. Then I decided I wanted to get into rentals. I bit off WAY more than we could chew. Last September, every. single. payment. was refused. The good news was, for the first time, the bank decided to work with us.

They lengthened the terms of our rental mortgages, increased the interest rates (but not by too much), and lowered the monthly payments. And we are FINALLY managing!

You WILL get where you want to be! It may take longer than you'd like, but you are smart and savvy, and you WILL get there!

(You need to lose the dead weight though.)

[taz157]

Jan 19, 2013 22:07:14 GMT -5 @debthaven2 said:

Apple I never knew the details of your story. HUGS to you! I wish I could give you Karma LOL.

 Since there is no Karma, I "liked" your post. 

[Apple]

Aw, thanks I've had some rough times in my life, but it's gotten better--I'm a fighter! (actually, I'm just stubborn )

[HappyCat]

First miserable marriage 1987 - 1997 ...literally my entire 20's. Produced two beautiful children so I focus on that. Husband left and never paid a dime in support.  I HATED being married and swore that I would NEVER EVER do it again.   I worked two jobs and went to school.  Five long years as a single mother truly believing I would never be happy again.  I was content to be Mom and we made it through somehow.

I met Mr. Cat in 2001  I knew he was the one for me the first time I went to his house (we lived an hour apart) for the weekend. It was early in the relationship and I wasn't quite ready for "that" just yet. I was nervous about how to handle it.  When it was time for bed, he showed me to the guest room, kissed me on the forehead and shut the door when he left. A true European gentleman. We married in 2002. I had a major lung surgery in 2008 and we paid off over $70k in medical bills and cc debt. It has literally been "in sickness and health, for richer and poorer".   It's not perfection by any means...but it's perfect for me.

ETA: The first year of marriage was hard for us. The joke is that if he or I ever wanted a divorce on the same day it would've been over along time ago. Ten years later, I am SO glad we got through that period of adjustment.