SUCCESS! So proud today! I am out of debt!

I just retired last December, and I'm pinching pennies now.

I've been divorced twice, and the most debt I had was from student loans, which I paid off in under a year. Of course there was also the house mortgage.

Before retiring, I down sized my appliances. I now use a dorm room fridge, and a 40 gallon hot water tank. I had a tiny freezer from years ago, only about 1 1/2 cubic feet. It runs on 12v DC and 120v AC, and has a compressor. The old compressors last forever, unlike the new ones. I keep my frozen meats in it, mostly chicken and fish.

I live in the 3 bed/2 bath by myself, and only heat the bedroom, and the rest of the house I heat with a wood stove occasionally. If I'm careful I can get my electric bill down under $50.

I do have a killer stereo, and a couple of big screen TVs, but I never use them. All I ever really use is my laptop.

I have a couple of nice vehicles, and I've giving one to my niece as a college graduation gift.

I'm maximizing mine out then am not going to pay them.

They can't take my social security and I don't need good credit to buy a car or home....so why not?

What an optimist. wbh

A lot of people don't know this, and end up dribbling away $$ they could have kept. My husband and I did that and benefitted by doing it that way, and I learned that my brother and mother didn't and I almost wept when I learned that, so I think it's worth passing on.

There is also a spiritual dimension to debt.

And yes, I try to keep my thoughts on the brighter side. That old thing about Abraham Lincoln said people are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be... and I find that being pessimistic makes me feel down and being optimistic makes me feel more happy. But I tell you, brother, it's darned hard to find much to be optimistic some days. These are the times that try men's souls, and women's too.