You probably have wondered why I don’t talk about debt and getting out of debt in more detail. The reason: I don’t have a lot of experience tackling debt.
Except for the mortgage on our house (which is a 20-year mortgage), I’m virtually debt-free. I don’t have credit card debt. (I would be gloriously pissed if I got a credit card statement in the mail given that I don’t have a credit card to my name.)
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
As far as I’m concerned, I don’t owe anybody any money. What we have are regular expenses any regular household incurs on a monthly basis: food, utilities, school stuff, et cetera.
Now I’m not saying all this to brag, to ruffle any feathers or to make some people feel bad about themselves. I’m saying this to inspire. Becoming debt-free or at least having manageable enough debt can be done.
A lot of people before me have done it. I am in the process of attaining it, and so can you.
For many months now, I had been thinking about getting a postpaid mobile phone line so I don’t have to worry about expiring prepaid loads and being able to call and text home even in the wee hours of the morning when my friendly neighborhood sari-sari store owner is out cold and snoring.
A colleague even jokingly said, “You had been telling me this for months now, and you still haven’t acted on it?”
Well, yes, I haven’t. Not because procrastination got the better of me again, but because I have this habit of thinking long and hard before I plunge my way into something that has the potential to drill a hole in my pocket.
Okay, okay. Maybe I’m being too imaginative for my own good here. Maybe I’m being too pessimistic, or maybe my worst-case-scenario mentality is kicking up into high gear again.
Well, maybe it’s all of the above.
I don’t watch horror movies. (My closest friends at work can attest to that.) Why? Watching them make me lose sleep, paranoid even, that someone out there is out to get me and pump the blood out of my system all the while I’m watching.
Yes, silly me.
But hey, this is me.
Now I’ve read horror stories about mobile phone subscribers getting billed for hours they should have gotten for free. Most probably a mistake or miscommunication to the highest level, but I’m not ready to deal with hassles such as these. I have my life cut out for me, I guess – simple, uncomplicated.
Never mind that I don’t get to play this new game app on the iPhone or iPad that everyone nowadays is so crazed about. If you ask me, books make for a good past time, too.
And based on the reading I’ve been doing of late, there’s a way to get out of debt and stay out of debt. We’ll tackle those in upcoming posts. Stay tuned.
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Thanks for sharing, I like the post. I do not have credit card yet but I’m planning to get one from BDO or BPI. I’ll make sure to be responsible like you in using a credit card.
having a credit card is a big responsible..
Hi Cel..
I salute you for not having any debts… or just the idea of not having a credit card. I am now living on “cash diet” and avoid debts in all forms.. lol! I paid off my credit cards and start using the prepaid on online purchases if needed.
Cheers
Hey, Frugal, thanks for the comment. I, too, am proud of myself for having mustered the courage and discipline to stay away from credit card debt. It doesn’t always come easy especially when people around me are flashing the latest gadgets and such. Overtime, I’ve learned not to take notice. 🙂
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