US consumer borrowing rises to record $2.75T

[lunatica]

1. Going through bankruptcy is a mixed bag, but I'm glad I had to

I've had to live on only my salary since July of 2010 because I had to declare bankruptcy after my mother died. I work in administration in UC Berkeley. If things break down and it costs money they don't get fixed right away. They just get added to the list of things to fix. I've learned to be very careful about how and where I spend money. I've also learned the wonderful value of shopping at the dollar store.

It can be a constant struggle, but my state of mind is so much better than when I was in too much debt because of the credit cards. I much prefer to have a dollar or two in my bank account for the last week or two of every month than to have to use credit to live. Most of the time I feel lucky not to have any credit cards.