Paid Off!

This is a pretty big deal when I stop to consider how much we had run those babies up.  When we lived in Arizona we used them quite a bit to pay for our frequent Vegas trips and such.  And then of course when we moved out to Cali we both took pay cuts and had to use them to supplement our income until we actually started living within our means.  The traveling pretty much stopped once we moved except for once a twice a year and over the years our pay has increased so we have been slowly paying off big chunks of the principles on the cards.

Even so, when I think back on how large the balance was I wasn’t sure I’d ever see the balance paid off in my lifetime.  It was pretty large.  And now it’s happening!  Since we were paying large sums every month that frees up some funds for us to make the purchases we have been putting off forever.

So just for fun here is a list of the things we are going to be spending our new hard earned cash on over the coming months.

• A new mattress.  This is a pretty important purchase for us since we both tend to have back issues and “sleep wrong” quite often causing back or neck pain.  We’ve had the same mattress since we’ve been together and I don’t know how long Rob had it before that but it’s at least sixteen years old I think.  It’s not falling apart my any means but it’s not especially comfortable either.  But since we’ve been sleeping on it forever we don’t realize how uncomfortable it is until we stay at a hotel or go camping in the backyard with the air mattress.  While I’m at it I will probably splurge on all new bedding since we are overdue for that as well.  I think the last time we bought anything it was a “bed in a bag” when we first moved here so that would be 8 years ago next month.

• A new refrigerator.  We are currently using the fridge that came with the house so I don’t know how old it is.  It’s a standard fridge with the freezer on top and fridge on the bottom.  No fancy frills like ice or water but we really don’t need that.  The fridge does what it is supposed to do.  It keeps the stuff cool/cold and all that but at some point along the way the seal hasn’t kept the tightest grip and we get a condensation problem.  Water will drip down from the ceiling of the fridge and pool at the bottom of the fridge.  The only reason we discovered this was because one day it had gotten so full it just started pouring out when you opened the door.  So now every so often I have to pull out the crisper drawers and sit down next to the fridge with a turkey baster while I pull out all the water and squirt it into a bowl that Rob periodically empties until I am done.  I’m sure there is a better way to deal with this problem but this is how we manage it.  But now there is a mildew problem developing in the seal and I just don’t even want to deal with that so, new fridge it is!

• Deep Carpet Cleaning.  Our dog Pappy is a pisser.  He just is.  He was well over three years old when we got him at the shelter and he hadn’t been fixed.  They say that if a male dog doesn’t get snipped in the first year he will “mark” his territory for the rest of his life.  I find this to be true with Pappy.  He pees in the house if not watched constantly and he’s at home 8 hours a day while we are at work so you do the math.  It’s frustrating but we don’t have a solution to the problem at this point.  Our yard isn’t secure to trust him to a doggie door since he is also a runner.  We do periodic spot treatments but after six years it’s just time to get some professionals in to do the job right.

• New Computer(s).  The “main” computer in the house is about 10 years old and a major source of frustration for my husband.  It’s so old and so full that it locks up at the drop of a hat and he spends most of the time on it shutting it down and rebooting it.  We both have fairly new laptops but Rob accidentally left his out in the rain one day while he took a nap and while it still functions it needs a separate keyboard to hook into it to type anything thus kind of defeating the portability factor.  So while I’m cool with my new laptop, I am flirting with the idea of getting an Ipad Mini just for shits and giggles.  However, the main computer will for sure be replaced in the near future.

Those are the top four we are currently thinking of.  Of course once we get those major purchases out of the way it’s time to start socking money away and create a little nest egg for our retirement.

It’s nice to think of all the things we are going to be able to buy but the bottom line is that getting out from under all that credit card debt is a huge relief.  I never thought I would see the day, but I’m glad I am.