You can do it. I'm living proof.

You're looking at the last, snipped remnants of my consumer debt. I called and canceled our last (and really only) credit card today. We hadn't had a charge or payment in more than a year, so I figure we're safe. (And it was surprisingly easy...the only rebuttal I got was, "Are you aware we're offering holiday promotional rates?" Wow. Persuasive.)

Debt's a funny thing, as I was reminded today. I felt I needed a witness to this big moment, so I walked into a co-worker's office with my scissors and card. Her reaction: "That's a bad idea. It can really hurt your credit."

First of all, having a huge, unused credit line is a big liability for credit, not some glowing beacon of financial savvy. Ever seen your credit report? Everyone's surprised to see all those credit lines (that couch you bought five years ago and paid off right away, etc.) are still open. That adds to your total potential debt, and that's a number that can make financiers nervous.

Second, I hope to all that is holy that my credit rating will never matter again. We got our mortgage, and our loan processor practically swooned over our credit score, so I'm guessing that helped. But from here on out, seeking new debt sounds about as good as elective prostate surgery in a training hospital.

But back to my co-worker's comment, which is similar in tone to the warnings Karen and I have heard since the day we decided to bust our collective ass to escape debt forever.

I've heard how dangerous it is not to have a predatory lender waiting to help me in case of emergency. I've heard I'm losing out on magical tax breaks that justify paying massive wads of interest for home equity lines and such. (Though I'll happily enjoy the tax break on my mortgage interest while I'm paying it.) I've heard that it's silly to pay extra principal on our house because the dollars are inflation-adjusted...or it'd be silly because you could invest the difference better....or it would be silly because of tax benefits or because of....oh christ already, just read this article or one of the thousands like it and admit to yourself that paying off a home early is one of the single smartest things you can do in your lifetime.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not here to preach. I know most of you have debt and couldn't have gotten where you are today without it. I know I've had more than my share of help and lucky breaks that made it possible to pay off everything, and I'm thankful every day to my parents for setting aside savings bonds throughout my life to help cover what scholarships couldn't for college. Similarly, Karen's parents had tremendous foresight in their savings for her education, and their example is one we hope to follow with our future offspring.

But if this does, in any way, motivate you guys to focus on paying off debt, then I'll be glad. All I can say is, be prepared for more than a fair share of derision. Debt is the standard for our society, and I've had quite a few people tell me it's just part of life. Fight that urge, and brush off the comments from armchair experts about how it's smart to plummet into a bottomless debt spiral. If you do nothing else, please please just read this book.