Credit is fun...NOT

The weekend I proposed to my beautiful wife, we decided that we NEEDED a wedding ring set, even though we had no money. So, off to the jewelry store in the mall to buy our wedding ring set.

Well, obviously, I didn't have the money or the "credit score" to finance the rings, so Sonya financed the rings in here name on a jewelry store credit card.

Now we are on a roll. We moved to Memphis and in order to do that, Sonya sold or gave away everything from her condo that wouldn't fit in her small car, so when we get to our new apartment, we didn't have any furniture. We slept on an air mattress and used bean bags. Instead of looking in the classifieds for used furniture we went to the nearest furniture store to buy furniture on, you guessed it, credit. Sonya and I had to compromise on the furniture...
She got to pick out the furniture, but I then got to buy a home stereo, because I had always wanted a home stereo and now I had the "opportunity."

So, in the span of 6 weeks, we went from 4 credit cards (I had 2 before we got married, and Sonya had 2) to about 10 or 11 with more to come. At one point our finances were so bad, that we would make a payment on our maxed out Discover card and then as soon as that payment was credited we would go out to eat on the Discover card.

Looking back, not only were we stupid with credit, but we didn't know how to do a budget. We would get paid on the first but go hog-wild shopping, and then wonder why on the 7th or 8th of the month we didn't have the money to pay our bills. If only we had known about Dave Ramsey back then.

In the next few weeks I will introduce you to the man who developed a plan that probably saved our marriage. That man is Dave Ramsey, but for know I leave you with this...

If you can't afford to pay cash for something, then you can't afford it, because; as Dave Ramsey says, "There's no such thing as EASY payments!"

'Til we meet again, I am...

Tim, your Tour Guide

Love...in a nutshell

Most 19 year olds would pay big money to be where I was when I was 19. I was single, thousands of miles away from home, with a decent job. Now you would think that I was living it up, dating, partying, and just having an all around good time. Well, I was having a good time, but not like most 19 year olds.

I had been in Pensacola, Florida, for less than 2 weeks, when I met "her." Who is "her?" "Her" was the most beautiful woman in the world, but she wouldn't give me the time of day, so I did what most 19 year old males do...I followed her around like a little lost puppy, until she spoke to me.

Once she spoke, I knew she was my angel. We talked most of the evening about our lives. She was just coming off a horrible relationship and I was single and probably a little home sick. Now she freely admits that I was just someone to hang out with that night, but I wouldn't go away. Who says persistence doesn't pay?

We spent the next evening (Saturday) together, but she couldn't hang out on Sunday, because she had to spend that day at her mom's. Sunday night we spent 4 hours on the phone and by the end of that phone call, we knew more about each other than we knew about ourselves.

The next week was a whirlwind, but the following Friday, 7 days after we met, I asked her to move to my next base with me, and she said yes. The next day, I asked her to marry me, she said yes and Monday we bought the rings. We set a wedding date for mid-February, we met in July.

In late August we moved to Memphis, and discovered that I was going to have to live on base, which meant she had to live by herself in an apartment in a strange city. Oh, and by the way, she didn't have a job yet. There we were in love, broke, and apart. Something had to change!

We decided right then and there that we would get married as soon as possible by the Justice of the Peace. We got married September 4th, 6 weeks after we met, and will celebrate 14 years together this Labor Day.

Thanks for taking this detour with me. 'Til we meet again, I am...

Tim, your Tour Guide

Road to Bondage

There I was, 17 years old, with a new credit card. I thought I was king of the world. I still don't know what I bought with that credit card, except for 5-10 CD's that were purchased during the first 2 weeks of college. These stand out because I only spent 2 weeks at Evangel University (Evangel College when I attended) before dropping out, but I got my credit card filled with music and paraphenalia.

By the time I left home for good when I joined the Navy, I had 3 credit cards and a car loan. This was all before I turned 19. When I left for the Navy, I was convinced that I would be able to afford the credit cards and the truck. Boy, was I wrong.

Little did I know that although I was getting paid while I was in Basic Training, I didn't actually get the money until after basic. So, all of my debts were getting farther and farther behind. When I completed basic, I had enough to catch up my debt, but while I was on leave visiting my parents, I was able to get a pay advance a week before payday. This was a huge mistake.

My next payday came after I had reported to Pensacola Naval Air Station. What I didn't realize was that the pay advance that I took was going to come from my next paycheck. Thus, my next paycheck was $94.00. That is for 2 weeks, yeah I was rakin' in the cash...Not.

I had no way to pay my credit cards or truck payment. Well, that $94 went to the credit cards, because I didn't really have to have money to live, did I? I lived on base, ate for free on base, so I thought I was okay, but then I found the love of my life (which is a long story in itself), and realized that I needed a life. So, I asked my dad to make the truck payments and he agreed, until I could get on my feet.

Well, he struggled as much as I did. So, there I was 19, in love, and broke. I thought it couldn't get any worse, little did I know that it was going to get a whole lot worse...

'Til we meet again. I am...

Tim, your Tour Guide

Who am I?

I am just a guy that is fed up with debt, but very intrigued by technology. I've always wanted to do a blog, but didn't know how, or what to write about, but that all changed this morning.

I found a blog that not only inspires me to continue battling my debt, but also to write my story, so I would like to thank Joel Maxwell for inspiring me to step out of my comfort zone.

Tim

The Beginning

I remember like it was yesterday. I was 17 years old and had just started my senior year of high school. I was sitting at my dad's desk, when the mail came, and it contained something that would almost ruin my life.

The envelope in the mail contained a secured credit card that my parents had encouraged me to get in order to "build my credit." Thus began my long horrible journey with debt.

As I look back, I realize that this was the key event that led me to the financial place my family and I are in.

And over the next few days, I will lead you through my journey from that day to my current place, and that place is in a very deep financial hole. So, if you think I'm going to tell a story about how that credit card helped me become a millionaire, you're wrong. It has made my financial life worse than it should have been.

So...join me over the next couple of days, as I tell of the journey through the desert of debt that my family and I are crossing.

Until we meet again, I am...

Tim, your Tour Guide.