Sunday, November 22, 2009

How LOW Can You Go?

I ask myself this question a lot.  Actually I wonder about this too.  Just read the following post which illustrates how low some will go...Is THIS SistaT? I really am NOT into cold showers folks! PROMISE! While I will appreciate a nice "scruffy" bath towel, repurpose throwouts into useful things, and make do with loads of things, HOW FAR can I go? 

It takes the whole family too willing to economize.  It makes no sense to turn off the hot water heater for brrrr...cold...brrrr....showers...if hubby isn't going for it~OR using oil lamps or not any electric lights if you are having to purchase glasses due to eye strain.  Everyone has to agree, and everyone has to appreciate and tolerate.  It will take everyone doing their part of lower everyday bills.

Small changes are easier and more tolerated than huge ones that eventually lend themselves to feeling deprived.  Feelings of deprivation will only throw us BACK into trying to compensate and OVER compensate for those ilks. Think about it.  Are there areas you absolutely don't feel you can life without?  Cable, internet, cell phones, house phone, fancy ride, manicured lawn, designer duds, "real" jewlery . . . I know the list can go on and on~for each of us, it's something different.  For me, I like eating out.  BUT I can say that in one month of this, a huge hit will occur in my budget.  Am I willing/able/wanting to reign in all my economic issues so that I can save more and have more? MORE? It's an oxymoron isn't it to have less that lends itself to MORE~

But MORE, how?

More freedom from debt.  We are still in debt.  STILL~but it's so much better since we have reigned in our spending and our outgo.  The light is at the end of the tunnel, and in about 8-10 mos we will be done with those credit cards.  We tore the things up almost four years ago and with systematic efforts, we have made headway.  We have paid down nearly $25K plus~but the real blessing is that through these economic times of recession ect...we continue to carry a second home's mortgage along with cash as we go renovations to our current home.  We don't do credit cards for anything~EVER!  They are history in our lives! We tore them up~and because we are paying them off, we have an open to purchase, we will not use them~Oh yeah~it's a pain to wait for what we want~that's another LOW~WAITING~but I can do this~YOU can do this! The freedom in knowing that we will have ALL our money for our own uses and not be paying high interest any longer is sooo wonderful! PEACE OF MIND is such a plus!  Every dollar will be ours~yeah!

So how LOW will you go? How far will you go to lower your debt to become financially FREE? It's something to consider and think about as we are heading straight into the Christmas season.  Remember to do what you can afford, and make the season about the true REASON!

Figuring out~HOW TO GO LOWer!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

She is ridiculous. My jaw dropped when you read this article to me! I can appreciate thrifty. But def think she crossed the line with the water. And when she mentioned that the kids enjoyed the showers it sounded as if she was almost defending it because she felt a bit guilty.