2.03.2012

finally-free-friday!

debt-free friday

to wrap up a week of alliteratively named posts, i thought, what better subject to end on than a verbal celebration of achieving one really big goal my family set for ourselves. we are officially debt-free!... as of last night. mr. b. signed the last two checks for the last two payments of the last two debts we had. i stuck the checks in the envelopes, sealed them up and slapped the stamps on with emphatic pride and a sense of accomplishment! it was like breathing in the deepest breath and then exhaling. mr. b. dropped them off in the mail box on his way to return a book to the library last night. then he came home to join us for dinner, and i think i can honestly say... my dinner tasted sweeter that night... and my slumber was more restful.

this has been a goal of ours for a very long time... especially the past couple of years. reaching our goal came at a cost, and there are inconveniences that we'll have to live with for the time being as a result. but i would much rather have those slight inconveniences than have debt hanging over our head. it feels so good to achieve something that we worked so hard to do!

i figure, if this guy can do what he did, i have it pretty good {i've got a "few" more things than he has}. debt will no longer play a factor in the choices we make. income, however, is another story. but i'm learning to be content and live modestly, ordered and quietly, and freedom from debt is just one of the many ways i want to quiet my life.

i could write so much more on this... in fact i did just that, originally. but i decided to leave the rest out of my post. it just got to be too long.

well speaking of free...

clutter-free friday
just kidding! we're not really. but the hubby and i decided we would do something a little unconventional this weekend. we're going to get boxes, bags, bins, and whatever else it will take to go through each room of the house and completely declutter our lives and environment. and we decided we would do it this way... we are going to pretend we have to move into a much smaller place than where we are now. with that little psychological trick up our sleeves, we'll divide all of our belongings into four categories... keep, store, sell, or throw away.

if anything we own falls into any of the last three groups, it's leaving the room... leaving the house {unless it's in the "to store" group}... leaving for good. when we finish, i hope that we are clutter-free and have rid ourselves of meaningless possessions that only take up room. and as a result, i'm hoping for a much more peaceful space to dwell in. i've done this on some level many times before. but the older i get, the more i realize it has to be an on-going maintenance. {although, hopefully, based on the debt lessons we've learned that helped us get to where we are, we won't continue to acquire the things we don't need in the first place... and then this clutter-free status won't be as fleeting.}

anyway, we "move" tomorrow. i can't wait!

and since we're on a kick of freeing ourselves from things, we both decided to start a month-long detox diet next week, too. we had to start after the super bowl, of course.

toxin-free friday

if you know me or have been reading here a while {or both}, you'll know how much i love ice cream! this detox plan is four weeks long. yikes! four weeks without ice cream? well, i guess that will be good on several levels... namely, the first and last subjects i have written about today. when you like ice cream as much as i do, you sort of become an ice-cream snob and, thus, like the very best... which tends to be the most expensive.

but in keeping with a debt-free mindset that has us living within our means, and in keeping with the rules of the detox we'll be starting, i'm going to have to get rid of my last bit of cherry vanilla in the freezer this weekend. i'll have to savor it more than usual so that i can recall the taste while i'm craving it all next month when it's not allowed at all. *sigh*

here's to being debt-free and, hopefully soon, clutter-free and toxin-free. i realize the toxins are bound to return at some point. but if there was one of the three that i don't mind coming back into my life, it's that one!

17 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow, good for you! I would declutter in a heartbeat, but my husband has this strange need to hang on to things. It drives me CRAZY! You would think after 26 years, one of us would change. Ha
I have tried to throw things before, and he fishes them out of the garbage can. I am able to donate though...IF I keep track of every last thing for deductions. I better stop now. :-)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on now living a debt-free life! We have a house payment each month but otherwise our money belongs to us. It's a grand feeling!

urban muser said...

i love your moving/cleaning idea. good luck with it!

beth said...

wow....the two of you are making things happen and i love it !!!....xoox

Gale Wall said...

Wow...I cant wait for that. We are just a few years from paying off our home. We got rid of the other debt years ago and have been putting extra to our principle since then. And, I have been doing the room-by-room declutter too. Good luck for the upcoming weeks!

Leah C said...

Debt, clutter, toxins...all good things to be free of! Sounds wonderful:)

Unknown said...

You will sleep so much better!!! we have a house payment and THAT'S it....and i LOVE those vintage suitcases....*swoon* I love the circle thingies on your photos...such grown up talk!

Kmcblackburn said...

Congrats on your accomplishment!!!!!! Unfortunately, I can't even imagine what that would be like. I ALSO can't imagine my life without ice cream!!!!! And you are so right about becoming an ice cream snob. I admire all your choices and wish you further success.

Kathy

Nate Heldman said...

good for you, porgie! on both counts! if any of your really cool declutter stuff needs a home, we can always use some clutter. :-)

Becs said...

Wow, congrats on being debt free and the cleaning/moving idea sounds great, and really something I should do too! Love those vintage cases.

spread your wings said...

this is wonderful. i admire you.

birth defects caused by prozac said...

I must congratulate you for such an impressive blog.

Katie said...

Huge Congrats to you and your hubby. Becoming debt-free is no small feat. I also really liked how you said the older you get you realize decluttering is an on-going process. So true!

Heather M. said...

good for you guys! it will feel so good to detox and get rid of stuff. i've been on a detox since the end of December and while it's been really hard, it's also totally worth it. :)

and huge congrats on being debt-free! what a relief it must be.

georgia b. said...

thanks, all! nice to have all this moral support!

stacey said...

Congrats on being debt free! That's so wonderful, Georgia!

And good luck with the detox. I really don't think I could ever do that. I'll be anxious to hear how it goes. :-)

xo

Karen @ Pieces of Contentment said...

Congrats on being debt free, a great accomplishment and so worth it. I like your idea of "moving" too. Seems both you and your husband agree on these important issues - all the better!