The other day I pulled out my favorite pair of jean shorts. I was shocked at the condition they were in. Paint splattered down the front. Errant strings hung down like a warped version of Daisy Duke’s country attire. I wondered when they had gotten so bad?
I thought of a bazillion parallels to life. We get so busy. One day, we open our eyes and it may be paper piles, cleaning, weight, or finances that have gotten out of control. Or maybe all of the above. Remnants of past good intentions are hidden in a messy drawer or a box in the basement. Systems that once controlled your life are now in shambles. What’s a person to do?
First, take stock of the situation. Just how bad is it? How far are you from your goal weight? How far are you from your desire to be out of debt? How quickly can you get your house clean? How big is that mountain? If you don’t know, then how are you going to do anything about it?
Last summer, I realized that I had been living as if I was still working after leaving a part-time job the previous December. Six months without a secondary income can take a beating on the family budget. Determined to get things under control, I blew the dust off both copies of Dave Ramsey’s “Total Money Makeover.” I gave one copy to an auction to free up space in my house and to share the wealth with someone else. I sat down with my copy and read cover to cover.
Through applying basic money savings principles, my husband and I were able to enjoy life and stay even without going further into debt. That’s a great feeling. Now comes the hard part. This last year, we’ve been walking around the mountain. Now it is time to start climbing up it and paying off our debt little by little, making the necessary sacrifices to be debt-free.
To carry me to the next step, I read the book “Learning to Live Financially Free” by Marybeth and Curt Whalen. In it, the couple tells their story of getting in way over their heads and having to take the necessary steps to climb out of a very big hole and onto a plateau of financial freedom, while raising six children.
The Whalens share several great tips under the chapter “Learning to Live on Less.” In it, they say to think “survival,” to eliminate unncessary spending, to shop wisely, and to generate income by whatever job you can find to do that fits your needs and abilities.
“I think the biggest key to generating more income is to be willing to do whatever it takes,” shares Marybeth. She follows with several ideas for starting one’s own home based business by taking the talents and skills you have and putting them to work for you.
The bottom line is that life is about maintenance. Anything you start or do has to be maintained to be successful, from following budgets to counting calories to simply staying organized as you grow your business. Read, learn, reread and put into action steps that work. When you get out of control or discouraged, go to the people who have been there. Know that you can reach the top of the mountain where the view is magnificent. Don’t worry, I’ll be climbing right alongside you.
E-mail thoughts or suggestions to Sarah at sarah@peppel.com
Today’s article was in the new free edition of the Phoenix last weekend, June 20, 2009, and is referenced at Chesco Moms this Friday under Frugal Finds Friday. Here is the original article in its entirety as I try to build one site with all the frugal content I write. Enjoy! Keep watching for much more to come on this site. It is in the building stages!
