Introductions are in order...

Here I am...I've been a long time creeper on other personal finance blogs, but never had the courage to create one for myself.  I've struggled with my debt, having good months, weeks, days and bad ones.  But it seems I don't make any progress.  I hear over and over again about how having a blog holds you accountable to yourself and others in the PF community, and gives you the incentive to stick to your budget, pay down debt and make actual, honest-to-God progress.  Yes!  Sign me up!

Here I am...I'm thirty-two, and in a whole heap of debt.  I went to law school a bit later in life, so I'm still new in my legal career, working in a public service field.  Translation:  I don't make a lot of money.  The good news is I went into the law school completely debt-free.  No credit cards, no car loan, no student loans from my undergrad degree. I had minimal savings at that point, but I figured, heck, that's what student loans are for!  And oh my, did I rack up student loans....and credit card debt.  I should've been smarter.  I should've lived within my measly student means.  But I didn't.

Next came graduation, and the bar exam, and no job right off the bat.  Then came a crappy job that paid very little.  When I finally got a decently paying (for my field), steady job that I loved, my credit card debt was crazy.   I would pay some down and then Bam!  Something would come up that would cause me to say, "What the heck, I'll just put it on my credit card." 

Well....that stops NOW.  My debt is so out of control, I think I've developed a bit of debt madness....kinda like "cabin fever," but more like the absolutely frustrating feeling you get when you're working really hard but not making ANY progress. 

Here I am...this blog will be dedicated to breaking free of those (debt) shackles and doing what I want with my money...not sending it all to those stupid credit cards.