The Debt is Dead

It’s official. I am now free of all credit card debt. I got the letter last night from AMEX stating that all the remaining interest on the account (about $4000) has been forgiven and my balance is now zero. I am in shock. Four years of consistent forward movement towards this goal carries a hell of a lot of inertia. Now what? I do not want to lose momentum and fall back into destructive behavior. I am looking to walk the fine line of making sure that I give myself space to enjoy this success without piddling away the gains I’ve made.

The plan: Use a chunk of what I would have paid towards debt next month on my trip to VA Beach for the Half Marathon. Having a buffer for that makes me feel a lot more comfortable. After that, I’m rolling that money into savings in my ING account. I will not fall victim to lifestyle inflation. I hope that I can keep myself in check and save up a substantial amount towards one day buying a house. That is a worthwhile goal I can sink my teeth into.

But for now, for today, I’m content to bask in the glow of this accomplishment and just feel good. I’m entitled!