topic Re: Off topic - Stress relief in General Credit Topics

Off topic - Stress relief

ngerasimatos — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:37:04 GMT

What does everyone here do for work, or for fun when not stressing over credit and money?

Since I have found this forum and taking a renewed interest in finally clearing my credit from identity theft I don't spend much free time doing anything else... other than pulling credit reports daily, printing out DV letters/dispute letters, and occasionally going out to the bar and getting smashed (probably a release from all this credit stress).

I spend quite a bit of time at work, in excess of 50+ hours weekly. I am a Support Analyst for Microsoft, its a good job and I enjoy it greatly.

So, what is everyone else into?

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:57:09 GMT

I'm an instructional designer - which is fancy-talk for I design and develop training materials for corporations.

For fun, I read (Just finished Duma Key by Stephen King - good stuff!) and as stress relief I stuff my face. Which is not such a good thing to do, since I had a very stressful day and downed 2 cupcakes and a really good piece of dark chocolate. And some pizza. I wish I could say that for stress relief I run or do yoga, but exercise = pain. I do it, but only because I have to.

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:06:38 GMT

I never stress about money. I expect that that is part of my recreation. Stressing about credit and money used to own me. Now I just coast.

I too work 60 hours a week but I live in an apartment to keep things simple and I either ride my motorcycle or go backpacking every weekend.

For those of you who are sure your life will always be hell, I can assure you it does not have to be.

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:12:46 GMT

I stay at home right now, use my treadmill, do weights trying to get in shape for my 50's when I get there. lol. My hubby is an inspector for a gas company. Our kids are grown. We have a new granddaughter she will be 1 year old in sept. 08. Vicki

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:30:03 GMT

I used to have a life.

Back before I got caught up in this stupid credit mess. Now all I seem to do is to obsess on how to get out of this freaking mess.

Now all I seem to do is to stress about the FICO score. I stress about what is going on with the disputes. I visit credit boards now and seek answers.

For years, I never had credit issues. I had no idea that a world like this even existed. I've never really had any kind of money issues, so I really never needed credit, until this refinance of my house started to come up.

I try to keep my sense of humor, but this entire thing is just draining. It frustrates me that agencies have this much control over my life, and even though I don't have a lot of debt, this has really set off something inside of me that has me convinced to get myself debt free, because once I have this house refinanced, I will never allow myself to get caught in a situation such as this again.

Something else that really has affected me. It's reading the stories of people that have it worse than I do. I've thought a lot about how hard it is for those who have had bankruptcy's and have had collection agencies hounding them. I've seen a lot of stories where people are just getting by and barely have the money to make ends meet. It's been a sad thing to see, and if you have a heart at all, it really gets to you.

It just seems so unfair to me that people can make mistakes, or have tragedies hit them, and they seem to have to pay a higher price than what people who intentionally break the law have to do. This has been a very eye opening experience to me.

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:40:19 GMT

Well, I work in local government, so that takes up a bunch of my time....the past four weeks have been concentrated here...the info, support and stories are real motivators...this place has been both a nasty obesssion and a great comfort...stress relief...well this is a clean forum so ....LOL

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

ngerasimatos — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:42:27 GMT

I agree its sad that the credit bureaus have to much control over our lives.

I obsess over my credit daily, and whats even worse is while I admit some items may be mine and I have made my fair share of mistakes, the MAJOR ones are NOT mine and they are ruining my future.

I just want to get from "under the bus" and move on with my life. Having to pay cash for everything constantly and never having a large CC to make taking a vacation or trip more affordable (ability to spread out the balance over 5-6 months) makes life less enjoyable.

Message Edited by ngerasimatos on 03-05-2008 07:42 PM

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

atlastontheroad — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 04:24:38 GMT

Funny, as obsessed with checking the fora, the scores, the balances and all that as I am, I find this obsession has in and of itself relieved me of a huge stressor: the UNKNOWN. You know, the credit monster? The one that hides in your mailbox? Gone, vanquished, ne'er to be seen in these parts again!

So, for now I'm back at the gym three times a week, working fulltime, in the middle of a second master's degree. While I'm on the treadmill, I get to daydream and plan.

Setting financial goals is now fun, planning additions to perennial gardens, heck, half of the 150 bulbs I planted last fall are peeking up already!

But what keeps me going is the thought that a year from now I'll be able to wander over to the CC board and not get booted for having humiliatingly low FICOs.

Living life and being able to look forward to enjoying each day without the massive weight of the unknown....

.....at(long)last

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

ngerasimatos — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 04:27:10 GMT

I long for the day that I can walk into a Best Buy or other major retailer and when they ask "Do you want to apply for a CC with 0% and no payments for 12 months" I yell "YES!" enthusiatically, am approved and walk away triumphant!

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

fishbjc — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:10:19 GMT

I work 30 hrs per week as an office manager, going on my 27th year. I work p/t @ Kohl's to simply receive the discount and get a few smaller bills paid off.

We love to travel, especially Europe.

We have a grown son, 27, college grad living on his own in NC. Four cats indoors, and eight outdoors. Tons of friends, large family.

Credit is a stressor, but since Nov. I've added 100 pts to dh's scores. We've recently got cards that we need, so we're not apping until June for NFCU. New home, 4 years, two autos. No need for additional cards, that's a great feeling! Time is the KEY word.

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:45:40 GMT

Well, I am a Retired US Marine. Which of course has reduced my wife's stress level a great deal after wondering and being worried for so many years. Especially after being recalled back to service several years back. As a result of that recall, I am also medically retired from my civilian job with the US government. To stay busy and occupied, I am a volunteer lobbyist for Veterans issues at both the state (Virginia) and Federal level. This is work that I do not get paid for any more which i have found give me an advantage.....I can say "NO" if I don;t want to do it!

I actually miss physical training. I was an avid runner, but with my injuries, I am confined to swimming, riding a bike and low intensity weight training for exercise.

For fun, well, I still like to go to a rifle or trap range and send a few round down range! I also enjoy spending as much time as i can in my wood shop making sawdust. Yes, as my wonderful wife likes to say, I am a man and I like my toys! And yes, they are more expensive know!

As for stress, never really been a problem for me. I have always taken things as they come along and dealt with them! No sense in worrying about something you have no control over. When ever a situation arrives, I take a hard look at it, evaluate the events, look for what control I have over the situation and work or attack that angle.

I always believe the "glass is half full".

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:47:28 GMT

Your story is exactly my story.

Many here have gone from "It's all bad" to "It's all good".

atlastontheroad wrote:
Funny, as obsessed with checking the fora, the scores, the balances and all that as I am, I find this obsession has in and of itself relieved me of a huge stressor: the UNKNOWN. You know, the credit monster? The one that hides in your mailbox? Gone, vanquished, ne'er to be seen in these parts again!

So, for now I'm back at the gym three times a week, working fulltime, in the middle of a second master's degree. While I'm on the treadmill, I get to daydream and plan.

Setting financial goals is now fun, planning additions to perennial gardens, heck, half of the 150 bulbs I planted last fall are peeking up already!

But what keeps me going is the thought that a year from now I'll be able to wander over to the CC board and not get booted for having humiliatingly low FICOs.

Living life and being able to look forward to enjoying each day without the massive weight of the unknown....

.....at(long)last

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:12:19 GMT

I like to play at pogo.com and go hiking when he weather is better. We pay for the club pogo, it's an different addiction all it's own but it's a good one.

Jask

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:16:25 GMT

I am active duty Air Force and repair computers. It is a fun job and I like the people I work with, so that helps. I have a 21 year old son who is on is own and a 20 year old daughter who has not got there yet. I am having a hard time making her understand what good credit does for you and vice versa. There was a time right after she turned 18 that she was applying for and receiving all kinds of credit. Now, her credit is worse than mine. She has nothing good on her reports and does not seem to care. I have gotten her out of trouble before but she has to learn. This is one of my major areas of stress. By Jan 09 I will be living by myself whether she likes it or not.

Other than that I like gardening, especially when I need to vent. Taking a hoe to the ground and pounding it can work wonders for your stress.

I also have Meatball, my 5 month old puppy who keeps me busier than I want to be sometimes.

Message Edited by guiness56 on 03-06-2008 07:16 AM

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

iltph — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:10:11 GMT

I'm a web developer for an interactive agency and have been in the industry for nine years. In my free time I like to drink microbrew, play video games, mountain bike and play with my two airedales.

Now that I've figured that there IS something that can actually be done about my CR, I'm going to make this my new hobby/obsession. My wife and I have both have bad credit for over seven years and it's time for things to change so we can feel better about our lives.

As you can see in my signature, my FICO score hasn't really gone up much in over two years from not doing anything. Now I'd like to see how much I can improve our scores and look forward to the challenge. I'm going to send out 6 or 7 DVs out tomorrow.

Message Edited by iltph on 03-06-2008 12:10 PM

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

ScarletFever — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:26:58 GMT

Guiness and tpg.........thank you for your service.

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

demi — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:32:09 GMT

Stress out about the new house (finally started construction), about financing it (thats the bad part, cause nothing is finalized until the last two months), stress out about turning 50 (over now, whew, was Monday, still kicking), and the IRS (which hopefully will be resolved by the end of the week).

Seriously though, I do have what could be a fairly stressfull job in Local Government in California, but for the most part, its ok, and I love what I do. I have learned to deal, for the most part, with stress. Earlier in my career was much different, because I really had no control over workload, etc and worked in county planning in a very, very contentious land use development setting.

I have a great set of friends that can help you deal with anything. I give a tremendous amount of time and effort to charities and am very involved with a service organization. And, since I am single, no kids, my dog, the sweetest around, is a big help.

My biggest stresser is gone, worrying about the phone calls from the bill collectors. I urge anyone and everyone to take care of these issues, its so nice not having to worry if the phone call is a collector.

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:47:30 GMT

You are very welcome and I am glad to do it.

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

Junejer — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:28:43 GMT

I have my own business as a commercial loan broker. After many years as a commercial banker, I decided to take my show on the road. I am tired to the stress of that though and am semi-retired from it. Now, most of my work consists of marketing a software program that helps you pay off a 30 year mortgage in 1/2 to 1/3 of the time.

I am currently in the final phase of new construction on my house. Was appraised yesterday (finally completed yea!). This new beauty for $800M will be paid off in 9 years.

Normally, I like to lift 5-6 days per week, but lately I haven't had the time to do so. My schedule has been completely hectic. Golf, is my main obsession, even though I am staring at a snow bank four feet high right now. (I am thinking that a southern state is in the plans once the last child hits college).

I find these forums to be quite therapeutic. I love helping people. I don't like to see people hurt, so if I can help someone through my experience, I am more than happy to do so.

Re: Off topic - Stress relief

ScarletFever — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:54:14 GMT

Good job Byrdman. Glad to see a guy in the industry want to help people, good luck on the new house.

Separately, though my scores are not as high as yours. like mine, your TU lags well behind the others, with EQ leading the way.

Any insight on TU?