For those of you in the GC, You may have noticed I challenged another member to pay off 11k in CC debt before February of 2015.
The Stakes are changing.
I challenge EVERYONE that wishes to accept the challenge to Use this thread as a motivation to reduce your CC debt or Utilization.
Please do not include Mortgage or Auto Loans in this thread, as this is just for revolving accounts.
Please do include, creditor, current interest rate, total CL, amount owed, etc etc. Any information you feel like sharing in regards to your credit card uti/balances.
For those that are more experienced, feel free to offer suggestions on easier ways or faster methods of paying down this debt. Our ultimate goal is to see who can pay off the highest percentage of their personal CC debt before the end of the year.
I challenge you all to join in, and lets have some FUN motivating each other to reduce our UTI and Payoff our debt!!
OFFICIAL GARDEN START DATE: 10-05-2014... TARGET GARDEN END DATE: 06-01-2016 Lets Git 'r' dun
And I will post first. I know i have a LOT of work to do to get this looking good. But by bearing my faults, I can and will grow stronger in my goals to be responsible with my CC usage!
As of January 1, 2014:
| # | Issuer | Credit | Current | Available | Credit | APR | Monthly |
| Limit | Balance | Credit | Utilized | Interest | |||
| Overall totals: | $30,400 | $12,316 | $18,084 | 40.5% | $110 | ||
| 1- | Capital One | $1,000 | $966 | $34 | 96.6% | 22.90% | $18 |
| 2- | Walmart | $1,200 | $1,020 | $180 | 85.0% | 22.90% | $19 |
| 3- | Sams | $4,900 | $2,703 | $2,197 | 55.2% | 22.90% | $52 |
| 4- | Carecredit | $3,000 | $0 | $3,000 | 0.00% | ||
| 7- | Dell | $2,500 | $1,700 | $800 | 68.0% | 0.00% | |
| 9- | Chase Freedom | $4,800 | $4,753 | $47 | 99.0% | 0.00% | |
| 12- | NFCU Signature Cash Rewards | $5,000 | $543 | $4,457 | 10.9% | 15.65% | $7 |
| 13- | NFCU Platinum Mastercard | $5,000 | $0 | $5,000 | 16.99% | $0 | |
| 5- | Lowes | $3,000 | $631 | $2,369 | 21.0% | 24.90% | $13 |
I'm at 1% now can't go any further 
I'll be the odd ball in the thread
I'm increasing to 2% to see if I get a scoring bump
This is painful to look at it but some progress down from 72% UTIL to 59% in the 30+ days I have been with MyFico..
Issuer Balance Limit UTIL APR
PP/SMCT $933 $1000 93% 26.99%
Barclay/NFL $310 $500 62% 0% Currently until 1/2014
KOHLS $0 $300 0% 21.9%
AMA/STORE $0 $600 0% 25.99%
SHELL $435 $500 87% 24.99%
WALMART $533 $600 89% 23.9%
MERRICK $1743 $1900 91% 24.2%
FINGERHUT $407 $2100 19% 24.9
CHEVRON $0 $500 0% ? Never used it no statements ever generated
CAP 1 $330 $500 66% 22.4%
KAY $0 $1000 0% 18%
MILESTONE $0 $300 0% 23.9%
DISCOVER $2900 $3000 97% 0% For 13 more months
TOTALS $7591 $12800 59%
Count me in! I'll have to calculate my current util but I know it's in the 55-65% range. I lost my job and have had to pay bills with credit cards. But, I refuse to let a minor setback keep me from maintaining the credit profile I've worked so hard to build.
Thanks OP for this timely challenge!
@pembrokepride Awesome!.. Glad you have made progress!.. Lets keep working on this as a team, and support each other to continue to make progress!
@ everyone else:
Sometimes it takes the "painful to look at it" approach for us to correct something that may turn into a mistake. I felt the same way looking at mine. We are here through the good times and the bad... so lets rock it !!