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| Gal-pal and BFF, Gail |
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| A nice kick in the pants! |
This week has been full of great conversations and activities. On
Wednesday I met with my friend ‘L’ for lunch which she graciously paid for. She
and her husband were in a similar situation as I was with debt up to their
eyeballs but they managed to find a way to get back on track and fix up their
credit. Listening to her story was a great motivator for me to keep this up and
to continue to look for ways that I can save. Not only do she and her husband
manage to stay out of debt, on top of it all they raise two adorable children
without trying to keep up with the Jones’. I feel like she is a great example
of someone who figured out that you need to step back and really look at what
it is that you need and try to live within your means. That lunch was certainly
a nice kick in the pants.
I’m continuing on with my resolution to not drink for the month of
January and it has definitely been a challenge. It’s so funny how people got
used to me being that guy who always had a beer in his hand at a party and how
they react to me as a result. I think that some people think that there may be
something wrong with my health, but I’m here to tell you, there isn’t. The
biggest motivation to quit drinking is to get myself back into shape, which it
is definitely doing (hello flatter stomach). Secondly, I am getting to save a
lot of money from my entertainment budget. I was at the bar on Friday and I
spent only $12. That’s pretty ridiculous for me since usually a few beers will
bring me up into the $30-$40 range. Since I am on the subject of being sober at
the bar, I’d like to ask all the non-drinkers how they do it! Sure, I had a great
time being with my friends and dancing to horrible remixes to horrible songs,
but I couldn’t believe how much people make out – and with multiple people! It
was really quite astonishing and disgusting.
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| Crayon Art - Cheap and Beautiful! |
Speaking of entertainment, I want to share some great low-cost ideas
with you that I have participated in recently. The first was a really great
idea to make artwork using crayons and some canvas from the dollar store. My friend
Eric hosted me and some friends to make some crayon art by melting crayons onto
canvas and it turned out really well! The best part is that it was really
inexpensive and a super fun idea. Search the internet for some how-to
instructions and go to town! The next cheap as free activitiy is to get out and
enjoy winter. Yes, I know that it’s colder than a witch’s tit out there, but
when you strap on (lol) some skates and hit up the rink, you get to have some
fun for free and enjoy winter at the same time. Yes, the winter can be $hitty
sometimes, but as with all things, sometimes you just need to say “eff it” and
make your bad situation into a good one.
I have really noticed lately that I am becoming more positive with my
outlook on life. When I get asked how I am doing, I don’t even flinch when I
say that I am truly doing well and I think that my healthy financials are
living proof of this. Looking back, I always sort of had an understanding of
how money works and I don’t recall being taught specifically how savings,
RRSPs, loans, credit cards, and all what all that other financial jargon meant,
but I took some initiative and got myself informed about finances. Now I know
that there are some of you out there who are pledging to get your debt paid
down this year, so if you are struggling, take the time to get informed because
the resources are plentiful. My methods are not going to work for everyone, but
there is a way to go about this if you just commit to working hard at getting
on track. Trust in yourself and there is no limit to what you can do in this
world.
"L" here....thanks for the shout out!! I think what you are doing is so important and inspiring. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteLiving debt free feels better than any new car parked in the driveway or address you cannot afford!