Debt

This thermometer (see below) has been hanging in our hallway for a year now.  I created it when we bought our car and slapped it up on the wall.  I wanted it to serve as a visual reminder for my kids that we were working really hard to pay the debt that it represented.  When we first bought the car, I told the gal at the bank that did our loan, "I will have this paid off in a year!  And I'll be sure to let you know when I do and you can celebrate with me."  When we decided to have another baby, I knew it would slow us down a little on the pay-off, but I'm happy to report that today, 14 months after we bought the car, we now own it debt free!  Wahoo!  

My boys have been coloring it in each time we paid on it, and they were good reminders that we needed to pay it faster.  It was also nice that we as parents could refer back to it when one of the boys wanted to do something that we felt deviated from our pay off plan.

I joked with the gal at the bank when I made the last payment that it should be like when you vote and as you put your ballot in the box, the ladies always say, "Telena Hall has voted!"  They need to announce, "Telena Hall has paid off her car!"

As I drove Tyler to preschool today in my paid for car, the beautiful Acadia that always passes me on my way there didn't look as appealing as usual.  I just thought to myself, "I'd rather drive a paid for mini-van than a big, beautiful Acadia with a car payment any day!"

It feels good.  We still have one more debt . . .a bit one-Dave's student loans.  That will be a happy day when I can announce that they have been wiped out, but that is still a few years down the road.