Of debts, that is !!

After 5 long years, I've managed to clear out all my student loans. It feels incredible. A new "chapter" of my life now begins. I can finally begin to store money and find the ideal appartment when the time comes.

Now to celebrate this joyous occasion with a beer... or two

Edit :

And just for kicks, here's a pic of my tarantula having a drink !

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii29 … yDrink.jpg

Yes, they drink from a water bowl like all other animals.

It's a great feeling, isn't it?  I've managed to stay debt-free since I paid off my student loans, and I have little desire to acquire any more debt.  Now, this means not having a mortgage or a car payment, but I really don't like the idea of buying anything that I don't have the money for.

Haha, yeah, I just finished off my student loans as well, so I know the joyous feel of freedom.

Congrats man, now go and buy more soundtracks!

f--- yeah, paying debts. I finished off the last of mine a number of months ago. Feels good, man.

Congrats! Financial freedom is very liberating.

toss my kudos in there, too!

I know the feeling; Im the kind of guy who feels uneasy just owing $10 on his credit card bill

I have about $15,000 on my credit card. $27,000 in student loans. $31,000 left on my mortgage.

I don't experience "debt" in a tangible or emotional way. I don't even consciously experience paying my debt every month, since it's mostly handled automatically. This is what I feel: If there is any excess money in my account when I die, then I was not living. (I'll never, never, never in a million billion years understand why so much emphasis is placed on one's financial worth when they die, such as 'he died wealthy' or 'he didn't die wealthy'. It has NO VALUE. Some people still have the mentality of ancient Egyptians, as if there is some way to transport wealth into the fictional afterlife. The only reason why I can think of amassing money you will never spend is to pass it on to other people. Even then, I don't understand it. I just don't see how accumulating money for the sake of money is interesting.)

My idea of freedom is not related to money. I'll be free when I get my own planet. In other words, never.

you'll always have Uranus...

It does to the grubby successors who end up legally slap-fighting over the estate. Of course, I visualize a literal slap-fight in which the participants make squeak-toy sounds.

Dragon God, your spider's a cutie!

To the dead guy, no. But generally speaking a person who dies with a positive net worth is a person who, over the course of his lifetime, has produced more than he consumed, which is good for the rest of us. Not just his heirs, but for society generally. So it makes sense that we have a social convention that not spending all your money before you die is a laudable thing.

I don't understand what you mean by "produced more than he consumed?"
If a person supports his family, and dies with relatively little net worth because it was spent on sending his children to college, paying for a house, etc, does that mean he produced little? I agree with Jodo on this matter. In the end, money does not matter. You do need a certain amount of it to be happy (pay for food, housing, clothes, etc) but ALL studies show that millionaires are NOT happier than someone in the middle class. I think the reason people care if someone was rich, is because they think (wrongly) that money = happiness. Also, many great people have died poor, yet they contributed much to society (artists, authors, scientists, etc).

The idea that someone who has more money produced more than he or she consumed is incredibly naive. Especially the idea that it might be better for society. Money earned completely ignores deferred costs such as that of subsidies and social, health or environmental impact (costs which must be paid by someone eventually). When those costs are counted, the flaws of that idea are revealed and the cracks in the whole system begin to show. Which brings us to where the world is right now.

Congrats Dragon God! Being debt free is a great freedom.

It would help if you elucidated "produced". Produced more grapes than he consumed? Produced more jobs than he eliminated? Produced more weight in turds than water he flushed?

You are effectively irritating enough to make me laugh.

Thanks for the kind words, everyone !

if anything, spending money is more beneficial to society than saving it, especially when you're paying your debts, paying the money you owe people, that you borrowed from them, essentially other peoples' money in the first place; hoarding it with no intention of spending it takes that money out of the economy.

economy's in the mess it is now because so many people defaulted on their loans and mortgages.

Id have to agree: dying with $$$ still in your bank account shouldnt necessarily be seen as an admirable thing, especially when (possibly) undeserving people are (probably) just going to raid your riches after your death.

hey Luc,, i have a arizona reptilian treat for you
http://youtu.be/8ejgt83Ic-E?hd=1

Neat !! What type of snake was it ?

If you see some tarantulas or scorps, I'd love to see footage of it !