conversation: User (Primatebuddy): "All my adult life I have wanted to invest money, have it grow and serve me. Unfortunately I saddled myself with a tremendous amount of debt early on, and I have not been able to move onward since.\n\nI've always been read or been told that one needs to pay off debt first before investing or saving. But here I am at mid-life, slowly paying off debts, raising a family, and I have a job that allows me some extra money. This is resulting in a philosophy shift.\n\nI don't believe anymore that I need to wait. The nature of my debt is such that I should consider that money gone, reframe my income to exclude that debt, and operate from there. I want to start taking some of the free cash and investing it, perhaps in some index funds, who knows; I am just starting to research. \n\nI just feel like I am wasting time and my investing life is oozing away. I need some guidance on this philosophy, so if anyone has advice/feedback/slaps in the face, please feel free to deliver."
  Self: "List out your 300K in debt with all the rates, so people can see the scope of the problem.\n\nHaving spent and maybe spending now beyond your means is what caused this. You will have to make a commitment to a dramatically changed spending plan, aka budget, and follow through.\n\nFeedback from /pf would be more focussed if you clarify also where your income is going now. Cash flow statement, please. What is coming in and what is going out, and where, exactly. \n\nA significant debt burden. No magic bullet."
  User (Primatebuddy): "Thank you, but really I am not looking for someone to look into my finances for me. What I am after is advice on the how to think about debt load and repayment versus investing. Thankfully a number of good people here have given me some things to think about."
  