DSG Testimonials - Would Love Feedback!

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
DSG Testimonials - Would Love Feedback!
14
Wed, 07-27-2005 - 5:54pm

In an effort to help others discover this phenominal board full of phenominal people, Becky and I are asking anyone who would like to write about this board to do so in this thread.

All my best,
Danni

Pages

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 07-28-2005 - 2:39am

I was in major debt-reduction mode when I first stumbled upon the DSG.

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 07-28-2005 - 9:58am

Hi Danni,

I think this is a great idea! And I'll gladly post my testimonial soon. But I wanted to ask whether we could have the testimonials gathered up and posted somewhere more permanent, like a special page linked to this one? I think it would be a great resource and inspiration to newbies, as well as fun to look back on in a year or two when we've all had so many things happen and done so many things.

Anyway, thanks for starting the thread. I'll contribute later. :)

Heather

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-1999
Thu, 07-28-2005 - 10:56am

I think I started posting/reading this board in 1999. This board has gone through many changes but I must say it is at its BEST right now thanks to the wonderful leaders here. That is what keeps me coming back! I no longer have credit card debt, & am now working towards being completely debt free. This board is a great place to come to for support, encouragement & it keeps me accountable.

cindylee - 34 months to debt free

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 07-28-2005 - 12:34pm
Heather - we will capture this thread on our DSG website.

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-10-2003
Thu, 07-28-2005 - 1:57pm

I love this board! I tend to lurk more that I post, but, I admit that this board has taken a tremendous weight off my shoulders. Money is not something that I felt comfortable discussing with anyone, and I ended up feeling incredibly stressed all the time about our debt. I thought that there was something wrong with us, or maybe we were just stupid to be struggling with managing debt.

This all really came to a head after 9/11 when the bottom fell out of the local construction industry. My husband's income was 1/4 of what it was the year prior and we accumulated a lot of debt. I have learned so much, and now I have a plan to manage our money. The greatest thing about this board is the openess of participant to share thier struggles. This has given me courage to tackle our problems instead of pretending that all is well.

You've all made me feel normal again, and given me numerous invaluable stratagies to help cope, manage, move forward. I am glad I found DSG!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-04-2004
Thu, 07-28-2005 - 7:16pm

What a great idea! This board has been a lifesaver for me! I have been here since November of 2004 and I can't believe it when I look at my debt spreadsheet and see how far I have come. In January 2004, I pulled my head out of the sand and looked at where I was debtwise, I did not like what I saw one little bit. But I was also really scared that I would never be able to get it all paid off. I was close to $30,000 in debt, now I am almost 2/3 of the way to paying it all off. I love this board and log on everyday during the week at work to see what is going on, to read others successes (that is really encouraging), sometimes I read about people having a really hard time. It all helps motivate me. Celebrating successes with other members is awesome! I really like the snowflake challenge because for me anyway that was the key to my paying off as much debt as I have so far. Finding those flakes every place I could. I challenge myself to have more snow each month than I had the month before. Surprisingly it works most of the time. Now that I can see the end of the tunnel I feel like I am making progress even faster and that is really exciting. I have gotten a pay raise since I started this too that has helped a lot and I just won some money from a local radio station that will pay off my CC completely and leave me with only a car loan, so yes, I have had some help along the way. But I also like my more frugal lifestyle more now I think. It makes me a little uneasy when I sometimes think about my past willy nilly attitude towards money. I know that when I am done with paying off this debt I will have much healthier attitudes towards money and living within my means. I'm pretty sure I will still check out the board frequently too, just as a gentle reminder of where I have been and where I am. Thanks to everyone here for all your support and willingness to share your stories too, it helps more than you will ever know. :)

~leanne

~leanne

deciding to be happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect, but that you had decided to look beyond the imp

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 07-28-2005 - 8:52pm

I don't really remember how I stumbled on this board--I think I was a member of some parenting boards on ivillage, and about the time that we hit rock bottom financially and started looking for a way out, I found the DSG.

I read for a while, and started posting only after we had gotten our finances straightened out--or at least after we reached the point where we were no longer getting calls from creditors, and could begin to see our way out of the deep dark hole.

What brings me back to stay is the amazing comradery, wisdom, and support here. Every time I post a question, I get helpful, insightful, useful advice and thoughts. Some of it I use, some of it I don't, but all of it is food for thought and all of it I appreciate. I love that it is 99.9999999% of the time offered in an encouraging, nonjudgemental way, and I can feel safe here knowing that no one is going to talk down to me or judge me. On the VERY RARE occasions that someone is a little judgemental, the cl's are very quick to step in and gently remind them of the rules. I've never seen a full-fledged argument erupt, or any kind of significant ugliness occur on this board. Which is really saying something.

I have continued coming back for three years, even though we are seeing the light at the end of the debt tunnel and our finances are comfortable, in part because I still get good advice, and in part because I like to think that maybe I can help other people who are where I was. I'd like to give back a little bit of what was given to me when I was so deeply, darkly, depressedly in desperation mode.

The board has helped me through the encouragement, the support, and the ideas, insight, and wisdom I receive here. And in the three years since we came on, our circumstances have improved beyond recognition. To recap:

We were roughly $32k in debt, not including our car. We were renting a cheap apartment and I was working late night shifts in a bar to make ends meet. We were behind on many payments, and living completely hand to mouth with no savings except a very small 401k (maybe $3k) that we were reluctant to cash out because we would lose more than half of it to taxes and penalties. We had sold everything we owned, almost, and were feeling pretty depressed and desperate. Dh was working a crap job that he hated, making 2/3 what his income had been the year before. We were tired all the time from being up with my job and our baby all night. My hair smelled like cigarette smoke from the bar, and my feet hurt, and I was sick of dirty old men. There was nowhere for me to take my son during the day without driving there, and we would spend literally five or six hours a day at the park, even in the heat, just to get out of our cramped apartment.

Now: Dh has a job he loves, with increasing responsibilities and much better compensation. I haven't worked in that bar in two years. We have another son, a house that we are in love with and an awesome backyard for the kids to run in. There is a community pond across the street. Our net worth is upwards of 10k--our debt is under $17k, our retirement savings quite substantial, and we already have a bit of equity in our house. Bills are a breeze, and we have money left for things that matter to us. We've learned to manage our money so that we spend it on things that matter to us and it doesn't trickle through our hands like sand. Life is peachy. Two years or less and we'll be completely debt free. Oh, and I have a home-based business that I enjoy and that allows me to be with the kids and still bring in a little extra income and use my brain a bit every day and meet with adults and so on.

Feels pretty good. And a lot of it is due at least in part to the outstanding support and wisdom I've received on this board.

:)

Heather

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Fri, 07-29-2005 - 12:44am
Hi, Danni--What an inspiring idea to spread the wealth of information and hopefully, allow others to join this remarkable journey of becoming debt-free. I was a lurker, mainly in the food section, and others. This is where the support and wisdom of the CL's shine! As others have said, non-judgmental, supportive environment. It is amazing to me how much learning is involved. Very impt. for women, especially. When I timidly first started coming to this sight, we owed the IRS thousands in taxes. No savings. No 401K. Medical bills, too. Now, I have about 95K in my 401B. Taxes are paid off. Opened credit union account and IRA.
Still, a long way to go with house, but car payments are easing. Some web sights are come-ons for speculative consolidations, interest-only mortgage payments, etc. Or, tons of spam and advertisements. This is the real deal, with people who have gone before us, and have learned the freedom of having no debt. I sincerely hope this sight will zoom to prominence with I-Village. The snowflaking and rounding up has been especially helpful! Thanks, everyone. Whiz.
Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 08-02-2005 - 11:03am
Thank you everyone for your posts so far.

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2003
Tue, 08-09-2005 - 10:24am
Thank you for starting this thread Danni and I appreciate all of the replies so far. I'm really excited about the upcoming

 

Kerri Kerr
Sr. Community Moderator
Home & Garden | Food
iVillage.com

Pages