Chirky

that's easy... open up a savings account! whooo hooo!!!!

With lots of free sex, because everything else costs money and who wants to go back into debt and also because I am a dude and I have to look out for Roger... I mean, it was your debt after all, the man deserves copious amounts of pleasure.

But for real, congratulations! By the end of April I will have a couple of huge debts paid off that have been haunting me for the last 5 years. I am so close to having them paid off that I am looking into other ways to make money to pay them off faster. Got any suggestions? Should I sell a kidney?

The same way. My wife married my debt. We did it by getting married and moving into my tiny house and then paying off the debt. Then Katrina and then we had to dip into retirement and savings, and then other things happen and we have to do it again. We're pretty strict about what can go on a credit card now ( car repairs, medical expenses, etc. ). I think what's important is that you two did what you had to do. More importanty, I hope you remember to cut expenses, restrain yourselves and save.

I have a friend who is trying to do it alone. It will take a while. I always suggest he get a room mate to cut his mortgage and help with the debt.

~Jef

Our rule about credit cards now is that nothing can go on that we can't pay for outright. The only reason we do it on a credit card now (instead of a bank card) is to earn frequent flier miles.

On a (slightly) separate note, your friend should most definitely get a roommate. A girlfriend of mine used to do that, and her roommate used to basically pay the mortgage with her rent, so my friend had a condo (basically) for free.

It was a sweet deal.

Hee Hee you are talking about me in the above comment and It was a HUGE Blessing to have my roomie when I did!!! Now my Hubby pays the Mortgage!! Got to love that :)

CONGRADULATIONS Jes!!!! I am SOOOOOOOOOOO Proud of you guys! I know that you have been working on that for a long time!! YEAH!!!!!!!!

Jes that's awesome! I paid off the last penny of my student loans in October so I know exactly what a relief it is. I'm boring though, so I celebrated by starting an investment account and started dumping money in there since I no longer had to use it to pay off my loan.

Celebrating with a nice dinner out might be fun, but whatever you do, don't celebrate by doing anything super expensive like a big trip, because then you'll just be back in debt again!!

We are 6 months away (if not sooner) from paying off our credit cards. Thanks to my $10,000 divorce and the credit cards my ex-husband and I used for EVERYthing under the sun, I had to turn to CCCS. That was almost 4 years ago, and we are making our last payment in July. And to be perfectly honest (and between you and me and the whole internet), we've decided to try for baby #3 as our celebration. Because how else do you celebrate getting out of debt? Getting in more debt for the rest of your life!!!!!! :)

Congratulations! This is a big step, and one I think you deserve a lot of credit for (no pun intended). It's hard to make all those payments, and buckle down and give up so much. Certainly, I recommend opening a savings account with all that money you're saving. But also, make a plan to save towards something you really want, like your first house, a vacation, or something. Budget something good into what's leftover after it's all started - keep the savings account growing, but without a little fun for all of your hard work, life is less rewarding.

What a FABULOUS accomplishment! Congrats! I don't know how I'd celebrate... Probably start saving for something I'd been wanting to do for a while---like a trip to some great place or a stay at a luxurious spa, and make that (paid for in cash and upfront, of course) my celebration. But that's cause I'm a travel junkie...

What ARE you going to do?!

Yay! Great job, you two!

I personally like Eddo's celebratory suggestion, but you're free to do whatever you want...as long as you tell us about it!

BIG fire, lots of wood, and credit cards, and champagne, and s'mores, too.

Good for YOU. Both of you. This gives me hope that one day Chris and I will be dancing a jig around a plastic smelling fire.

Congratulations! You and your husband should be very proud. Get a nice bottle of wine and toast each other on reaching such a gratifying accomplishment together. So often, money (or lack of) comes between couples, so it is so nice to hear that it actually didn't drive a wedge between you. Well done!

I love all these suggestions. I think the smores, fire and wine would be an awesome idea (to combine the previous two).

I'm hoping to get my credit cards paid off soon, too. My new job with more money will help. If I had a roommate, I'd be in awesome shape. Oh, well. I'll make it fine on my own. I'm getting closer every month!

Wow. That's a huge deal. Congratulations. I'd give you suggestions of what to do, but given that I am in the same boat and inching closer towards a debt free life, I'm not in a position to think of how lovely my life will be when I pay it all off. All I'm saying is that right now it sucks. But I am very happy for you.

WAY TO GO Jes and Roger, what an accomplishment. I know that paying off your debt has been a HUGE priority for ya'll and you've been so great at dogeedly sticking to your goal.

I would open a savings account and start saving up my emergency fund. Then I'd go out to dinner!

I am so proud of you.

Yes, open a savings account. That is a stellar way to celebrate.

Congrats! I'd open a savings account, and try to deposit the same amount each month I'd been paying to the credit card company. But first, I'd have one incredible "price is no object" night out!

That is the most AWESOME news ever! How exciting to finally pay off debts that were just hovering there, always in your peripheral vision? So, so great. Congrats! :)