Learning to live on less doesn't come naturally to most of us. Having grown up with plenty, this is a lesson that was a LONG TIME in coming for me. Many of my young grown up years I went into debt, because I went shopping (using credit cards) any time I was lonely, unhappy, happy, sad, feeling fat, feeling thin...you get the point.
When I was preparing to get married, my soon to be husband had me show him all my debt. He proceeded to pay everything off, and asked me to cut up my cards and refrain from using them. That was one of the hardest things I had ever done, but I did it, because I wanted to have a happy marriage.
It was many years before I used a credit card again, and it was very hard for me to use it, and I stressed out until I paid the bill.
A year after we were married, we wanted to purchase our first home, and because neither of us made much money, we needed to reduce our expenses as much as possible. To do that, we made the decision to cut the cable TV. Both of us liked to watch certain shows, and this was going to be hard. Guess what? Neither of us died from this, and it wasn't until a few years ago (we've now been married 29 years) that we got cable (Dish) again.
Sacrificing to become debt free or start a new business is part of the growing up process. We could have had the nicest furniture, beautifully decorated home, the newest fashions. I could have gone for regular pedicures, manicures, eyebrow waxes, etc. Instead, we made personal sacrifices so we could pay off our home early, while taking our children on vacations that they probably didn't need.
I see young families today that have the same choices we had. Some make the same decisions we did, some make the choice to have all the personal "me" items they think they deserve. The outcomes are completely opposite! I smile when one of my children makes the decision to be financially wise, sacrificing now, so there isn't hardship later. At the same time, it makes me sad when a child makes the choice to live in debt. There are consequences for every choice we make.
What is the moral of this story? Say NO to yourself. Don't think you deserve everything. I know what I deserve, and it isn't pretty. Be teachable. Learn to live with less and be happy in whatever your circumstance. Most circumstances change with time.
When I was preparing to get married, my soon to be husband had me show him all my debt. He proceeded to pay everything off, and asked me to cut up my cards and refrain from using them. That was one of the hardest things I had ever done, but I did it, because I wanted to have a happy marriage.
It was many years before I used a credit card again, and it was very hard for me to use it, and I stressed out until I paid the bill.
A year after we were married, we wanted to purchase our first home, and because neither of us made much money, we needed to reduce our expenses as much as possible. To do that, we made the decision to cut the cable TV. Both of us liked to watch certain shows, and this was going to be hard. Guess what? Neither of us died from this, and it wasn't until a few years ago (we've now been married 29 years) that we got cable (Dish) again.
Sacrificing to become debt free or start a new business is part of the growing up process. We could have had the nicest furniture, beautifully decorated home, the newest fashions. I could have gone for regular pedicures, manicures, eyebrow waxes, etc. Instead, we made personal sacrifices so we could pay off our home early, while taking our children on vacations that they probably didn't need.
I see young families today that have the same choices we had. Some make the same decisions we did, some make the choice to have all the personal "me" items they think they deserve. The outcomes are completely opposite! I smile when one of my children makes the decision to be financially wise, sacrificing now, so there isn't hardship later. At the same time, it makes me sad when a child makes the choice to live in debt. There are consequences for every choice we make.
What is the moral of this story? Say NO to yourself. Don't think you deserve everything. I know what I deserve, and it isn't pretty. Be teachable. Learn to live with less and be happy in whatever your circumstance. Most circumstances change with time.
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