Time to take care of all this

Four years ago I took off to New Zealand. I had about $300 in cash (thanks daddy), a passport, and paid tuition. Oh, and some credit card debt. Now, I have much much more, and no New Zealand.

Reading the other blogs out there, with people paying off huge amounts, is really getting me motivated. I've been back in the states for almost three years now. The people who made it into Vet school the year I was over there are doing their clinical year right now, getting ready to finish school in November.

All I've got to show for it is a pile of student loans big enough to buy a very nice car, and credit card bills (admittedly not all wracked up at school) that could buy a slightly less nice car. On top of that I've moved from a place where I had a (relatively) good paying job, centrally located house, health insurance, and in state tuition. I've moved to a place where, right now, I have none of that. Some things will fix themselves- a year after I change my license and voter registration I'll be in state. Once I get a job (jobs?) I'll have income, and hopefully eventually health insurance. As soon as I find a cheap, running car the location of my home will only be a problem proportional to the price of gas.

But I've decided that I want something to show for that time I was away. I've pretended on and off again to pay off or down the bills I have. I've also spent time- lots of time- pretending that the whole debacle either didn't happen, or wasn't all my fault. Until I pay off the school, the cards, and the interest, I won't be able to move on. It's one of the things that stressed me out before, and something that I need to accept about myself- I don't deal well with debt.

I'll list all my debts soon- maybe tomorrow. I know what they are- mostly- but I'm not quite ready to post them all here. I want to put them up with the spiffy little widgets that everyone else has- provided they don't cost money.

For now, though, I thought I'd just give warning. Dave Ramsey talks about Gazelle like intensity. I don't think I'm there yet. I'd like to be, but there are some things I still want to enjoy- drinks or a concert out with my sister, a new computer (I'm still using the broken laptop from four years ago), a WoW account. I realize these are wants, I just really really want them. I'm working on developing that intensity.

Since there's only so far down my spending can go, I've got to get some income. I need a full time job, a part time job, and maybe another part time job. I hope to land a server job- I think I'm bad at it, but that doesn't mean that I really am. I'm doing a cheap eating project, a dollar a day for a year (I hope). I'm working on a budget, getting an emergency fund in place, and stashing my credit cards, debit cards, and everything else in a safe deposit box, where it's tough to get to.

I'm really just starting, but I know I've got great company out there in the world. And that I really can't travel until I've got this taken care of. It's time to move on, and that means paying for my mistakes.

Follow along, it's sure to be at least a little entertaining. Like a train wreck, only without the big pile of smoldering rubble and dead bodies.