Dear Debt, This Isn’t Working for Me Anymore

Hey debt fighters! We have another great dear debt letter to motivate you to conquer your debt. Today’s letter comes from Tre. Tre is a freelance writer who is passionate about personal finance. You can follow her journey out of debt on her blog House of Tre or on Twitter.

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Dear Debt,

We haven’t really spoken for a while, but we need to talk. We’ve been together for a long time.  A very long time.

You’ve been with me for some of the most important events in my adult life. You were here when Tiny Tre was born. You were here when we bought our first house. You were here the day I received my MBA (no offense, but you were pretty fat at that time).

You’ve also been with me during my darkest times. Do you remember that time we were almost homeless? Yeah, that was a rough time. No one expects to finish grad school and almost end up living on the streets, but you were there with me the whole time. Reminding me of your needs. Making them seem more important than anything else.

Debt, for a couple of years I tried to forget about you. But you wouldn’t let me. You always popped up and made sure your needs were met. You made yourself a priority in my life.

I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately.  I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been giving you a lot of attention. In fact, I’ve paid you more attention this year than I ever have in the past. Were you flattered? Did you think “Oh, she’s finally remembered me?”

Don’t get too excited. You see old friend, I could never forget about you. You wouldn’t let me. You were always there. Looming over every decision I made.

Debt, this really isn’t working for me anymore. I have some new goals and you just don’t fit in with them. To be honest, you’re a bit of a control freak and I’m getting tired.

I’m tired of you ruling my life.

I’m tired of you deciding where I work.

I’m tired of you deciding how I spend my money.

I’m tired of you deciding if I get to take a vacation.

Most of all, I’m tired of making sacrifices to please you.

Debt, my old friend, it’s over. I’ve made a plan. I have it all worked out. I know exactly how many more days we have together.  You’ll be surprised how short our time together is.

Don’t worry; you’ll be getting a lot of attention until then. In fact, you’ll be getting more attention than you ever have before. Enjoy it! This time it’s really over. I’m breaking up with you for good.

Tre

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Melanie

Melanie Lockert is the founder of the blog and author of the book, Dear Debt. Through her blog, she chronicled her journey out of $81,000 in student loan debt. She is also the co-founder of the Lola Retreat, which helps bold women face their fears, own their dreams and figure out a plan to be in control of their finances. She is passionate about empowering women, helping others get out of debt, and focuses on the intersection of debt and mental health. Every September she organizes a Suicide Prevention Awareness Blog Tour, to help share resources for those struggling with debt and suicide. In addition to her love of personal finance, art and music, she is also a karaoke master and a cat mom to Miles and Thelonious.

Latest posts by Melanie (see all)

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