The Debt Stomach Ache: How to Cope With Debt

There are times in our lives when no matter how right we know what we are doing in our life is, we still can’t believe what is coming.  Today has been one of those days.  When I sit and think about the place we are in our lives.  And while I know we prayed about this decision and we knew it was right, even though it would be the first time we have EVER been in debt in our lives, I wonder why we chose this.

How to Cope With Debt

When I think about the debt it literally makes my stomach ache.  I know some of you may never understand this, but I have ALWAYS been the saver I am.  When I was 6 I got some money from my grandma.  I didn’t spend it.  I saved it and continued to save it through my life.  I never liked spending my money.  I would always analyze what I spent my money on and what I had money for.  Debt was never in the cards for me.  I decided early on that the only 2 things I would go into debt for is a house or school.  My husband and I worked hard to avoid debt and sacrificed a lot.

So when we moved down to sign a form saying we were going to be taking out so much debt, my heart sank.  I can honestly say that the stress this has added to my life is crazy!  There are those who are fine with the debt and they can move past it.  but the saver in me suffers daily trying to accept what has to happen for us.

Because we prayed about it and I know this is where we wanted to follow what we felt, it makes it a bit easier.  But as I have been going through this I honestly have looked around me at all the people who live their lives with debt and I wonder how they can live with the stress and the pressure.  I can’t imagine living my whole life always owing money to someone else.

I know this will go away some time, and we wont be in debt forever, but I am definitely learning a lot about myself and how I react to this.  I now know that debt causes me stress, it also causes me to always feel like I owe people.  And when I say stress, I mean I STRESS.  I am constantly trying to figure out how to earn more money and save more money.  I now know that if I could do this again, I probably would have gone with a cheaper place from the beginning, I would have bought a slightly cheaper car and saved more money.  I am not going to sell it and get a new one now, but I probably would have been happy with a dodge grand caravan too.

So How I have learned to cope for the time being.  Don’t look at it.  When I look at it, I worry, I stress and it begins to effect all my relationships and it runs my life.  I also have learned that trying to reduce the debt helps me cope, but there is a fine line where it starts to ruin my family.

Spend time with family outside. This is a lost art for many.  I think for me as I focus on the debt it makes me push this aside.  I cope much better when I detach myself from the house and the stress of everyday and spend some time out playing with the kids or reading a book.  The mess of the house or the money issues and all that will still be there.  take some time for you.

Do you have any tips on how to cope with the debt you have no choice but to get into?  I could use the help and encouragement to get me to be able to accept this and move on.

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