Team Mitchell & Crew

Remember the very addicting, very obnoxious- albeit it very funny "Free Credit Report" kid with the bouncing head and the cool pirate suit on TV? He pulled me in today. We talked. I took the plunge. With him and the encouragement of my hero in the making, Dave Ramsey, I got a hold of my own credit report.

http://www.freecreditreport.com/ (sing as you will..)

I am pleased to announce that I am of little risk to the future creditors that may want to lend me money (they are knowing at the doors, we know!) I am higher than what is considered "good" but with what I am about to tell you, you will see why I am not considered "great."

First, the good parts. I have no car payment. I even have 2 cars in my name + plus the truck in Scott's. Dave would totally tell me to sell one of the cars to pay off remaining debt, but ahem....Dave, 2 kids cannot fit in a Mustang, only in the Mountaineer and I have no plans of ever selling that Mustang! Regardless of the brood of children I bring into the world. Selfish, immature, shameful. Yeah, all that. It's a stick shift and it's red and fast and makes me feel like I am not 32. (Nay-saying friends and family members...you get no comment for this part!) So, point one for me.

Next, since April, I have cut my debt in half and am almost to the end of Dave's baby step #1. To get $1,000 emergency fund. Now, I would totally be there already, but apparently you pay for babies now BEFORE they are born (versus the $300 check I wrote the last day at Central Baptist in 2003), which keeps me from bouncing across town for two months. So I sent Central Baptist $400 out of the emergency fund to pay for Tator Tot outright. No complaints by any means. My insurance is pretty good and for heaven's sakes, we're blessed with another Mitchell addition. No complaints at all. Just now my emergency fund needs a bit more fundage.

I also have all of my debt consolidated into 3 chunks. Our house (not part of the slashed by 1/2 figure), my bad habits credit card that is dwindling, and the "oh my graciousness, the washer and dryer did NOT die at the same time AGAIN" card from Sears that I used in January for said appliances. Again, pretty good.

Another good, I take almost 15% of my check and put it into a separate retirement account through AIG. I started this at 22 when dear sweet Kim L. at school introduced me to Randy the Retirement guy. I had no children, no house, no husband. I loaded it up. Luckily each month, I don't miss it, because I've never seen it. 10 years of that has done really well for me.

So the bad......

According to the report, I had 13 credit cards from college the year we bought our house. In 2000, I spent my summer canceling cards to be able to get the mortgage we deserved. How can grown adults prey on young naive students on campuses and spring break events the way they do with t-shirts and cups and junk?? Look at the mess. I swore I'd never do it again!

Here's the funny part...

I have 13 NEW credit cards since 2000. I am NOT even a college co-ed anymore. I know better! Not one of them has a balance on them. Granted some did...but they have long been paid off. Apparently, now I am a sucker for the save 15% today if you open a ____ credit card. OK! I think 15% of ? is better than 0% of ?, right? Gosh! When I really thought about it, I even remember signing up for two during football season because A. I needed a long sleeve shirt for that night game and $28 is insane at Commonwealth stadium (PS: I totally love that shirt!) and B. that UK blanket looks warm! I mean it was November!!!! So - they got me that way too!

So I now begin the quest of "call and cancel" to the delightfully polite card service members at the debt institutions. At least I can do that while sitting outside in the sun.

Dear Dave, (and Carol Fosson)

I promise I am listening and trying hard. I have 32 years of silliness under my belt and that is a lot of fat to trim. Please be patient. I will get there someday. I'm now off to call the creditors.

Sincerely,
Painfully Getting the Picture