Letting it all hang out

I'm broke. No, no, I have a job that pays well and I'm not siphoning my money away to crack dealers or high-priced prostitutes - I've just been irresponsible. Very irresponsible.

It started when I got a job in high school. All my money went to CDs and cigarettes. Mom, Dad, if you're reading this - sorry. It's what the cool kids did.

Enter long-distance boyfriend at 19, living in NYC, an affection for delivery, life. New sneakers, new jeans, new credit cards. Discover Card, I blame you.

At almost 29, I'm over $100,000 in debt. About $75,000 is student loans (graduated early from NYU and that cost me, grad school on my own). About $30,000 is personal debt - car ($3,000) and everything else ($27,000). I'll go into the what and how later. It's brutally grotesque.

That said, I cut up my credit cards yesterday.

I inventoried my pantry: 58 packets of ramen, 12 boxes of Mac N Cheese, cocoa, vanilla.

I inventoried my freezer: 4 pound bag of frozen vegetables.

I looked at my recurring expenses: cell phone, car payments, starbucks, restaurants, etsy.

I gave myself a pep talk, a promise to write a blog, and off we go.