Emily's list: Albert Camus edition

On this date in 1913, French writer and philosopher Albert Camus was born in Algeria. Camus won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. His philosophies increased the prevalence of absurdism, the belief that trying to find meaning in human existence is impossible.

Albert Camus in 1957, the year he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature..

In "Le Mythe de Sisyphe" ("The Myth of Sisyphus"), a literary essay on the absurd, Camus wrote, "The struggle to reach the top is itself enough to fulfill the heart of man. One must believe that Sisyphus is happy."

Many of us feel like Sisyphus as we try to escape our debt. We climb and push, but as soon as we are almost out of debt, we fall back down the mountain and into the red again. Maybe it's an emergency that sends us back, or maybe we just fall back into our old habits. Sometimes we get so used to this struggle that it becomes a part of our daily life. It's an ongoing challenge and keeps our adrenaline running.

While we all love working hard to achieve our goals, you don't need to spend the rest of your life fretting about getting out of debt. You do not have to be Sisyphus pushing the stone up the mountain forever. Delight in the fact that one day, your hard work will pay off. You will get over that hump.

For more personal finance tips, information and inspiration, read on and learn from some of the best credit- and debt-related blog posts from the past week.

1. See something on your credit report that shouldn't be there? Mrs. Micah offers steps for disputing an error on your credit report.

2. Ultimate Money Blog features a hilarious list of "The economy is so bad that...." one-liners. One of my favorites: "The economy is so bad that I got a pre-declined credit card offer in the mail."

3. Being Frugal says while it's tempting to pull out the credit card to cover holiday expenses and worry about it later, don't do it. She offers advice on how you can start budgeting for the holidays now so you're not in a world of hurt come January.

4. Frugal Dad describes what it is like to finally be at a place where he and his family are about to finish the climb to debt freedom.

5. Kathryn at Million Dollar Journey tells a compelling story about a major health scare with her son. She explains why in some situations, such as when a life is at stake, money and debt don't really matter.

6. Fabulous Financials explains why the Credit CARD Act can harm responsible credit card users and discusses why she is preparing herself by using only cash for a while.

7. So your debt reduction or savings plan didn't work out as you had hoped? Don't beat yourself up about it. The Simple Dollar explains how you can revise and rework a financial goal rather than giving up and feeling like a failure.

8. Shrinkage is Good explains how your credit can affect your cell phone bill, and how your cell phone usage can in turn affect your credit score.

9. Finances get tricky once they cross borders. Ask Mr. Credit Card helps a reader who is about to move to Australia for a year learn what his options are regarding credit cards.

10. Free Money Finance features a guest post that lists many of the important things you should do and be aware of in order to use a credit card wisely. One of the themes is to put a stop to unnecessary features, such as access checks, before you have the chance to use them.