As Promised....

the beginning of the debt redux saga in this house.  Now, we don't have a ton of debt (if you don't count the student loans...which we don't because those are setup as allotments from the pay and we never see that money anyway) but the debt we do have is nasty, ugly stuff that is from years of struggling with little pay and big monthly bills.  I know, I know...our choice.  But enough of that.

I decided last week that we'd do some serious cleaning of the credit reports.  One adult at a time.  We're starting with Soldier first, as he is the one making money and not me.  Plan is to have him debt free by next April on JUST the base pay that comes in minus our regular operating budget (the minor utilities we pay, groceries, insurance, etc...no counting COLA, BAH or any other extra).  Totally doable!

Sat down on Saturday and did a budget, then typed up letters to the creditors with payment plans and a mini-contract.  They go out this week and payments go out beginning the 1st.  Bi-monthly.  Of course, we likely won't have the signed contracts back by the 1st, but that's alright...they'll still have a payment on the way (with Signature confirmation and copies of all receipts being stored in their own little file here at home to PROVE that we have in fact started payments).  Once Soldier's credit is cleaned up and clear (in less than a year I might add...woot!), we'll start on mine.

The logic behind the "divide and conquer" here is that Soldier makes $$, I currently do not.  My credit score is currently higher than Soldier's is (don't ask how, I don't know).  So mine can take a couple more months of being kicked around, especially since there are no intentions of me attempting to get more credit during the pay-off party.

So, we are basically doing DIY debt consolidation (or counseling or whatever).  When the bug bit me, I googled (naturally) the above and came up with waaaaaaaaay too many websites...the one that mattered was this one, if you're interested.

The biggie for us (me rather, since the footwork/paperwork is all on me) was validating the debt.  See, I called the two that were bugging me the most and come to find out one of those two can't pinpoint where two-thirds of the supposed debt came from.  Yeah, $167 worth of debt that they can't tell me the origins of...just that it was "invoiced".  Okay, invoiced for what?  I ask.  No clue, they says, the invoice doesn't say.  Really?  Well then guess what...I only owe you the $37 that you have an invoice for that tells me what the $$ owed is for, until you can get me an invoice that says otherwise.  That hits the mail along with a validation/verification letter on the 15th that basically says "take this and consider the bill paid and the account closed".  Bet they come up with an invoice real quick 'cause you know and I know they won't be happy with that!

I'll let you know how it goes with the rest of the jokers...most will probably have no problem with it.  But I can already figure on who will give us crap...too bad for them.

Now, I'm off to tackle the kitchen that seems to have grown a mind of it's own and refuses to stay clean!  Adieu!