Climbing Out One Family’s Adventure in Becoming Debt-free

Tomorrow is the vote.

In the past 8 weeks we have been hustling; hard. I’ve picked up two new side jobs — one tending bar and one doing freelance visual effects while The Wife has worked diligently turning last year’s October debacle into a pillar of savings.

In the last two months we have added four grand to our emergency fund and paid the bare minimum on our remaining debt.

By this time tomorrow we’ll know if we will need it to live on while I look for my new career or if we get to drop it on the last credit card.

Thanks for hanging with us. You’ll be the first to know.

the Dad

Update: No: 135, Yes: 87. Sigh of relief and tomorrow morning $4,000 goes right on to our last debt!!

My cheese has been moved.

Last week things at work took a huge shift; a majority of my colleagues signed union cards and filed their intent to vote on organized representation with the National Labor Board.

I’m not going to debate the idea of union vs. non-union work here, but as a jack-of-all-trades whose position is impossible to classify, organizing is not in my favor at all. The two most likely outcomes I see are either a strict narrowing of my duties and a pay decrease of about 50% or an elimination of my position. …continue reading

I should start by stating something obvious; no one wants us to be out of debt more than us. In fact I NEVER WANT TO SEE A CREDIT CARD AGAIN.

I believe our perceptions of money, debt and even contentment (i.e.: happiness) have become so healthy as The Wife and I sear the lessons of becoming debt-free into our psyches.

All of our family and friends support our goal and some have even dug in and are applying the same principles that bring us such peace. But a recent offer from very kind, loving family members highlights one of the red flags we have come to watch for. …continue reading

This post is an example of what happens when companies put customer service last and the customer realizes there are other choices after all. Everyone who engages with customers (which pretty much means everyone) should be reading Seth Godin’s blog. That really is the sidebar to this post, but I think it’s so important I’m putting it right at the top.

I am consistently amazed by businesses that seem to go out of their way to make things more difficult for their clients. Not just slow, awkward or boring but down right more difficult. …continue reading

DOMAIN RENEWAL NOTIFICATION: Your domain Climbingout.net is going to expire!

Wow — already?!

I can hardly believe it has been a year since we started on the road to financial peace. First, a thank you to all of you who follow our journey and offer encouragement. To those of you doing it with us, HIGH FIVE!

So how are we doing? It’s been 12 months since we started this journey and this blog.

For 12 months we have …continue reading

This whole get-out-of-debt nonsense has really screwed me up, you know that? I mean, really. When was the last time someone handed you $2,000 and you said, “no, thanks”?

Not long ago I mentioned some freelance work coming up. It’s a fun, challenging project, but one for which there has been little time lately.

It is for a dear friend and is not on a strict deadline. Nonetheless, I want to get it done sooner rather than later. I am shooting for the end of February. It should net around $3,000 toward our debt and I look forward to making that payment. …continue reading