Melanie

Hey, everyone! We have an awesome Dear Debt letter from Bee Debt Free. She is working towards paying off her student loans and has 2 degrees. She is swimming in debt and trying to stay above water. She’s also a hustler working a full-time job AND a part-time job– and she blogs! You can follow her on Twitter.  Enjoy and I hope you guys are all having a good week!

Dear Debt,

We need to talk.

I’m not happy with our relationship.  Unfortunately, I can’t afford to kick you to the curb right now.  I have no choice but to let you stay in my life.  Taking up space.  Spending my money.

Of course, I knew what I was getting into.  My friends tried to warn me.  My family told me you were bad news.  I wanted to believe differently.  I wanted them to be wrong.  I thought you’d support me and not take advantage.  But, I was the one who was wrong.  So very wrong.  And now I can’t get rid of you.

You’re like a bad ex-boyfriend that won’t go away.  As if you’re sleeping on my couch as a constant reminder of what I’ve gotten myself into.  Can’t you just leave already?

No, you can’t.  You have nowhere to go.  So here I am, pouring my hard earned money into you. Living a less than luxurious life because you’re in it.  Was that the plan all along?

Here’s the thing.  I’m not going to let you get the best of me.  I didn’t know you very well in the beginning, but I’ve wised up. I’m stronger than you and in control.  It may not be today, but I will be rid of you.  Don’t you forget it.

Until then, mind your manners, follow the rules, and keep quiet.

Yours for the unfortunate next few years,

The girl who is going to BeeDebtFee!

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend! We have another super rad Dear Debt Letter from Little Miss Money who writes at The Pursuit of Riches. These letters are so inspiring to me and really help me stay motivated. Special thanks to everyone who has participated in the project. Read on and show Little Miss Money some love.

Dear Debt,

You know I’m not a fan of the face-to-face confrontation. I can write the manual on how that would go: I’ll say “I’ve been thinking…”, and you’ll look up from whatever it is you’re doing in that way that makes me regret opening my mouth to begin with. I’d bravely continue, my voice a little shakier: “I’ve been thinking that… we might need a break. From us, I mean.” You’ll move closer on the couch, calling me ‘baby’. You’ll come up with excuses and promises, while stroking my hair and assuring me in that soothing voice that everything will be alright and that “what are you talking about? It’s you and me against the world!”  you love so much. I’ll gently yet firmly push you away, determined to follow through this time. You’ll get annoyed and sigh a “Fine, what do you need a break for, anyway?”, and I’ll start rambling this incoherent tale about independence and finding my own way. “This is not working for me anymore,” I’ll state, “I don’t see myself growing old with you. I’m sorry.” You’ll start laughing that sarcastic snort of yours, asking me what I would do without you. Painting pictures of where I’d be if it hadn’t been for you, pointing fingers to all the things around me that you got me, questioning how exactly I think I’d manage without you.  Eventually I won’t even want to bother arguing anymore, and you’ll go back to whatever it is you were doing. And I’ll hate myself for letting you.

We’ve been through that a million times before.

So I’m doing this the only way I know how, no room for conversation left: I am leaving you. My bags are packed, and I’ll be long gone when you read this.

I know you’ll be pissed. But before you go slamming doors and throwing plates across the room, consider this for a moment: Where were we going anyway? Sure, things were exciting and adventurous in the beginning. You were a source of endless possibility, answers and solutions. Your charm was addictive, I must admit. But that excitement has long worn off, and there’s no denying it. I don’t even know how we lasted this long. It’s not like this would have ended on a sunny beach with me in a white gown and you putting a ring around my finger, now is it?

You think that you saved me, that you were there at the times where I needed you the most. And maybe that is true, but it wasn’t fair to lure me into the prison this relationship became. So I’m breaking free. I’m done. I finally realize that I deserve so much better. I’m getting as far away from you as humanly possible. And yes, my friends Budget and  Frugal did help me pack in case you are wondering. I’ll be staying with them for a while, until I’m strong enough to stand on my own two feet again. I know it won’t be easy to erase your memory, but know that that is exactly what I’ll be doing from this day on.

Until there is nothing left of you.

D.

Author Bio: Little Miss Money is a pseudonym that I found fitting to start this journey. I’m sure, one day, I’ll give that up. I’m a designer with a passion for the written word. I stopped storing shoes in my oven and use it for just cooking now. I sold the shoes on Ebay. I write freelance, I run a (growing) design blog and I organize events. When I’m not doing all that, I go to fancy parties with free hors d’oeuvres. And I’m dating. In New York City. I need a blog to write about just that. You can follow me on Twitter @GingeronMission, or start walking with me through my 365 days projects on The Pursuit of Riches.

Hi Friends. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I just returned to Portland after spending 4 glorious days in San Francisco. Are you feeling a bit of the post-holiday blahs? Well, we have an awesome Dear Debt letter from Sofia at Caviar and Quarters. Enjoy! If you are interested in writing a Dear Debt letter, get in touch!

Dear Debt,

I am up pretty late writing you this letter because I was experiencing another sleepless, teary eyed night in bed. These usually occur when I visit my parent’s home and as it turns out it’s the tail end of Thanksgiving weekend. Coming home I am reminded that because of you I had to move back into my parent’s home & take a job I hated at 22. It’s six years later and yes I have moved out of my childhood home with a new job, but along you came, tagging along, 700 miles away. I am much closer now to being done with you once and for all, but it’s been a rocky road. This holiday season I will finally be paying off those first two Bank of America credit cards I opened up as a college student. But I can’t help but feel regret about all the things I have missed out on because of you. The past six years have been all about you and I am sick of it. It’s been affecting my relationship with my partner, family and myself. My gf and I had and still have so many goals in mind to accomplish in our twenties: a road trip to the West coast, a trip to Europe some day, saving up a three-month emergency fund, all postponed because I have you in my life, Debt. I have changed my own behavior drastically since really focusing on getting rid of you. No more “feel good” trips to Target, I rarely go into CVS by myself anymore, because I don’t trust myself and I don’t have any active credit cards, at all.

It is hard to shake those *what if* thoughts about you. What if I had never opened that second BoA credit card? What if I had never opened an account at Banana Republic for a new wardrobe for work? What if I lived farther than walking distance from Best Buy, when I moved into my first apartment or had been more responsible with that VISA card I was supposed to use only for grad school applications?

I need to get over you, fast. I am spending time hustling, often working two jobs at a time, but it never seems like enough. I wish I could spend my nights and weekends doing things I enjoy or with friends instead, but not only are you, debt, bookmarking a chunk of my paycheck but also my time.

I did educate myself about what rights I do have as a consumer. I was able to get those harassing phone calls from debt collectors to stop. Learning that life lesson could have been avoided, by not getting in bed with you in the first place. I am learning to like myself again and stop beating myself up for getting in so deep (roughly $17,000), but it’s a slow process for sure. There are some types of debt that I am on okay terms with: like my car loan and student loans. My car has been a great tool to help me take on more work and gain independence. I wish I could be one of those people who paid for my first car in cash; but like I said before, I am not going to be too hard on myself about things in the past I can’t change. I look forward to the day when my paycheck really is all mine and I don’t have to split it amongst creditors.

I hope next Thanksgiving I will be writing you a goodbye letter once and for all.

Not lovingly,

Sofia

This Dear Debt letter is from La Tejana at Las Aventuras de la Tejana. She’s a new blogger and has paid off over 3k in student loans this month! Wow. Show her some love. You can also follow her on twitter.

Querida Deuda,

Where do we even start? I must say, you have done quite a number on me.

The first few months were agonizing. Payments were hard. You turned me into a wreck.  I couldn’t sleep at night, I only lay in bed thinking of how the in the world I would pay off all $80,000 I owed back to you. How many years it would take. How I could never enter a serious relationship with you hiding in my closet. How I would forever be striving for financial freedom.

Then I was able to get on my feet with a second and third job and could pay more. $200 extra here, $400 extra there. It added up. You were getting smaller. Slowly, but surely you were dwindling as every extra payment was made, and I was ready to do whatever it took.

Then the burnout set in. Working 7 days a week? Still having $69,000 in debt? Was it going to take this much hard work all the time?

Loan 4 was then paid off and yes, yes I knew I could keep going.

Debt, as a 17 year old college student and 21 year old graduate student, I never expected that you would have such an unbearably painful and seemingly never ending grip on my life.

It’s hard to say that I regret using you to go to a private university or get a master’s degree. Without those experiences I wouldn’t be who I am today (financial nut included), but I know I will NEVER, EVER, EVER use you again.

What a funny relationship, Debt.

Sin amor,

La Tejana