Paid off my credit card right before the due date for the first time in two years

I was sitting at my kitchen table last Tuesday evening with my bank app open, dreading the $43 late fee I always get. But I had a slow month with extra side work, so I transferred the full $680 balance and it cleared before midnight. Has anyone else felt that weird relief of actually seeing a zero balance for once?

3 comments

3 Comments

clairen851mo ago

Didn't I read something about how paying off debt triggers a dopamine rush...

jamesroberts1mo ago

$500 on my car loan. I remember exactly when I hit send on that last payment. The app congratulated me, I felt a little floaty for maybe ten minutes. Then the next day I realized my monthly bills dropped and I just felt normal again. So yeah, the rush is real but it fades way too fast. The second you turn around, something else pops up like a water heater or a tire needing replaced. That's the trap right there - you get hooked on that quick hit instead of building up a real emergency fund. Isn't the real long term satisfaction from having actual savings you don't touch?

drew_reed621mo ago

My monthly bills dropped and I just felt normal again. That pretty much sums up the whole thing right there. The high wears off quick and real life comes back fast.