Saturday, August 30, 2008

A sobering blast from the past

Inspired to continue our office makeover that began last night, I was just emptying a few old accordion files. The contents are old bills and receipts from 2000 or so. It's awful. If I ever had the audacity to wonder how I ended up in my current financial situation, I need only to look at my old bank statements and credit card bills.

I was paying a small fortune every month just in bank fees (Thank goodness for no-fee PC Banking!), foolishly using IBMs that didn't belong to my bank almost every day. And then there were the multiple cash advances from my credit card. I was being charged $2.75 every time I got cash from my card, not to mention the interest rate I was paying on that cash. AND I had a $35 yearly fee on my card!

It's very frustrating to get a glimpse of how stupid I was with my money. I can only breathe deeply, remind myself that everything is under control now, and thank the heavens that I didn't dig myself a hole so deep that I could never recover.

(Must include a shout out to the amazing DP at this point. My hole was pretty deep when he stepped in. His loan, as I've said before, allowed me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am forever grateful.)

Amidst all the disappointment in my younger self, I did find something rather funny: I once had to sign an "Extraordinary Risk" waiver for a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta that I did, because I was dancing in a 36" hoop skirt. That's how dangerous my life is.

Total debt: $4765 (Interest sucks!)
Spent today: $40 (Just groceries.)

(If only I had a scanner, I would include a picture of me in that hoop skirt. Alas. But with back-to-school sales, it might be time...)

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