Greetings Lords and Ladies . . . I’m feeling a little retrospective today. I think it’s a good thing when you’re on a journey like paying off debt to occasionally reflect – realizing how far you’ve come, how long the road is ahead, and what lessons you’ve learned along the way. So today, three things I’ve learned in the last nineteen months of paying off debt.
1) It’s not always been easy but life for us is much richer. This is rather obvious I know, but it’s completely true. It’s easier to go to the movies, sit in the dark quietly, than to actually spend time together as a family (or as a married couple for that matter). We’ve had to become incredibly creative in what we do together as a family since our budget for entertainment is non-existent. However, I have better memories of the things we’ve chosen to do instead than the years of mindless spending when it comes to entertainment and eating out. It’s easier to hit the drive thru (maybe even tastier, depending on who you poll after eating dinner) but it’s not as healthy for us. It’s easier and even fun to spend a ridiculous amount of money on the holidays. It’s better not to have the stress of running around finding gifts or the miserable after Christmas realization that we don’t have the money to pay the bills we’ve run up. It’s hard to say no when you can’t afford something a friend wants you to do (whether it’s as simple as a lunch out at Chick-fil-a or a road trip to stay with friends when you don’t have extra gas money in the budget). However, solidifying friendships by asking others to do affordable or free things together makes the time spent more valuable for everyone.
2) Less truly is more. If you’ve heard me speak you’ve probably heard one of my favorite proverbs – To have more, desire less. It’s printed on a button pinned to all of our paid off debt magneted to our fridge. I have never been so confronted by how much I truly have already than through this journey. I’ve always known we were blessed but the more we pay off, the more I realize we have so many good things in our life – both non-material and material. I don’t want as much (I can still get a mean case of the gimmes but they’re becoming fewer and farther between), I don’t need as much, I don’t buy as much.
3) You never know where things can lead. I’m continually blown away with how many things have happened in a short amount of time. I really didn’t get serious about blogging until January of 09. It’s crazy the developments of the last 10/11 months. As a person of faith, I am consistently reminded that when you make the wise choice, you’ll be blessed. Obviously blessings are not always monetary; however, more money has “found” us than I ever thought would in a short period of time once we decided to get serious about getting out of debt.
We have two last debts standing in our way of being truly Free. I can’t wait to truly be the Queen of Free (as in Debt Free). I joke that I look forward to the day when I’m worthless – I owe nothing to no one. 🙂 We have a credit card and a BIG student loan (think undergrad and law school with all the bells and whistles) standing in our way. We started out with SO much more than that. And somedays, I still feel like we’ve got a looooonnnnngggg way to go but I do know we’re on the right path.
Thanks for listening to me ramble. Hope you’re learning something along the way, too.
www.queenoffree.net
Love it! So true Queen. As you know we are on this journey to becoming debt free as well. It has been great fun to create and find new fun things to do with the kids. A bike ride or walk to the park is just wonderful. The same is said about sitting down in our own kitchen eating as a family. It is the simple, little things that bring JOY and Happiness!
Thanks for confirming for what I know is true in my own heart! 🙂 Glad to be on the same team with you.
Thanks for confirming for what I know is true in my own heart! 🙂 Glad to be on the same team with you.