Hildebrandt: We had dinner out.
MarketWatch: Where did you go?
Hildebrandt: It’s not too extravagant, but it’s what we like: Pizza Ranch.
This tells me it is a true story. People often think "once I get out of debt, I'll splurge and take a vacation" or some such thing. No, not if you actually do it. I once charged too much on a card due to an emergency, and had to stop and do nothing until it was paid off. By the time it was paid off, I valued that zero balance more than any other reward I could have given myself. the zero balance was the reward. And I have never gotten into trouble again.
With many credit cards charging 18 percent interest or more there is a huge reward in achieving a zero balance.
If anyone doubts me all they have to do is read that line on their credit card statement that tells how long it will take you to pay off your balance if you make only the minimum payment each month. Then a simple calculation will tell you how much that credit card balance is costing you.