DSG Testimonials - Would Love Feedback!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
DSG Testimonials - Would Love Feedback!
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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

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
Tue, 08-09-2005 - 4:49pm

I am mainly a reader and not a poster. The most important thing I have gotten out of this board is the ATTITUDE CHANGE from victim to action-taker. I discovered the site months ago when I was depressed about the financial disaster caused by my divorce and custody battle. Everything I got in community property needed to be spent on legal fees to fight the custody battle. Ex finally (this summer) gave up the fight, I got some financial concessions that will make my life MUCH easier and can now better plan for the future.

I also am able to live in a better place. I currently rent, a place in a great location, but rather run-down. I found something alot bigger and better for not much more $$. Short version of a long story--I'm leasing from a friend who moved away and wants to return to the house in a few years so she doesn't really need for the property to be income-producing. I'm getting it for much less than the going market rate. So happy about that. And the old marital home finally sold. I couldn't afford to stay there, so moved out. EX went to live with new wife. So that mortgage will go off my credit report and I can start building for the future and saving/planning for my own home purchase.

As soon as get settled after moving, I'm gonna get real serious about my financial affairs, put some of this plan on paper and start keeping track.

Thanks for the motivation, everybody!

Cupcake

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-30-2003
Wed, 08-10-2005 - 12:17am

Criminy! I kept meaning to do this...so here I am!

We "drew the line in the sand" in June of 2002.

I was paying the bills,& I noticed that it seemed like the balances on the CC's were NOT going down- they kept going UP UP UP. I thought- "this is stupid. Here we are paying for stuff we've long ago used up, thrown away, etc. This has GOT TO STOP." When I told Steve (DH) about my thoughts on the whole CC/debt thing, he was suprisingly willing to go with the plan- thing was, I HAD no plan! I'd been posting on the FLYBaby board at the time, and we'd been talking about how one of the next logical steps was to get our money lives under control. At the end of July 2002, Steve got laid off VERY unexpectedly from his job- it was very tempting to start using the CC's again, but we held steady. We were $20,000+ in debt, and I knew that I couldn't keep living like that- we had nothing in savings, no safety net, NOTHING. That was enough to spur me on to getting us OUT of debt, and to learn more about how we can have our money work for us. That's when I showed up here.

I stayed because about 2 months after I got here, I 'saw' another poster become debt-free. I remember how excited we all were for her, but I also remember how relieved she was! I've always envisioned this board as a big living room, where we can wander in and out as we can, or want to. Advice is given freely, and with good intentions. I always feel like I'm talking to friends about, well, how life is right now, and I know that I will get "atta girls" if I post about a victory, and "it's gonna be alright-s" if I post about a particularly low moment. I treasure this more than you all will ever know. When I'm knee-deep in school homework, and am so tired that I wouldn't know my own name if you asked me, "Hey, Lisa! What's your name?"-this board helps me stay on track.

I participate because I know that to learn the stuff myself, it's good to explain it to others. I know what it's like to be so scared about debt that it's hard to see the good things in life. I know what it's like to make a plan to climb out of the pit, and the setbacks that occur along the way. I also am starting to know what's it's like to have peace with our money, and to understand that this is NOT a life-long journey, but only temporary! I also think, well, I KNOW that I have an off-beat way of looking at life, and that truly, in the end, everything we go through teaches us something. Although, many times, I truly wish I would have learned it a different/easier way!

Since 2002, I know that we've paid off some debts, took on others, and still kept afloat. Both DH & I are full time students, as well as working 6 jobs between us (he has 1 FT +3 PT, I have 2 PT), and we're actually seeing progress. It hasn't been easy, and I can't (and won't) say that I've enjoyed every single minute of it all, but the things that we've learned about ourselves has been invaluable. Everytime I think we've done hit the end of our rope, we grit our teeth and keep going. We have almost $2000 spread throughout various savings accounts, and pay for most everything in cash.

So there you have it-my mini-story!

Lisa :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-21-2003
Wed, 08-10-2005 - 6:43am

duh, well, I really was sure I had posted in this thread already...

I found the DSG board rather accidentally, while surfing ivillage. And got stuck. I have a pretty bad history of compulsive spending, debt, student loans, not caring about how much I make or spend. Tough. And I was also a real pro in convincing myself and everyone around that I had not real problems, everything would work out, and it all wasn't my fault anyway. Not really...

Looking back now that seems incrediblly idiotic. I have changed a lot since, and the DSG board had a few things to do with that - and environment where I wasn't the only one, and where I could start to admit to myself and finally the rest of the world that I am in debt, and that it is my fault, and thus my own responsibility to change that. And that it is notonly okay but SENSIBLE to ask for ideas, help, information, instead of locking up inside myself and trying to run the whole marathon alone.

Greetings, Jordis

ivy_jordis

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-19-2003
Wed, 08-10-2005 - 9:45am

My husband and I have been battling money or lack there off for about three years. When we were in our teens we had lots of money. I made about $30,000 working 34 hours a week and he made about $70k in a union job. Things were great! We were living high on the hog. We bought a house, remodeled it completely (with cash), ate out every night, vacationed. We bought 2 new suvs on 0% loans.

Then in 2001, his company shut down, he had a vendor that hired him but the salary was $20k-30k less and we just signed a contract to buy a new house. So we think ok we can just work extra we will be ok. Not even three weeks later I found out I was pregnant. After my daughter was born, I put her in daycare, commuted to work, and the end of the week I noticed by the time I paid for fuel and ate lunches out I had to borrow $40 from my husband. So I quit and I started working part time every evening. By that point we had to get a grip on the vehicle loans, that we had to once again start paying, and instead of selling them we rolled them into the mortgage. Big Mistake.

For two plus years, we have still lived on the higher salary. We never changed our spending. So in June 05, (just three months ago) I found this board, and I learned that we have to live on a budget!! We have already paid off almost $5k in cc debt, and another $12k to go. This board has kept me on target. I plan on staying around for along time. Hopefully I can learn from others and maybe a few people can learn something from me.

Shannon

Shannon


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