As you know, April is financial literacy month. If you haven’t already gathered from my previous posts, the Baby Dickey household is big time against debt! I found a wonderful writer from debtconsolidation, named Nicole Bostic, who wanted to share some of her best tips for becoming financially independent and staying out of debt.
It seems everyone these days is looking for the key to financial success and independence. What most people tend to overlook is the fact that success and independence does not start or stop with your finances. The truth of the matter is that financial happiness starts with personal happiness. Express gratefulness; do away with feelings of want or lack. There are a multitude of tricks and tips for obtaining financial bliss but they’re useless if you don’t first start at the root of the problem. As a consumer based society we all tend to perceive needing and wanting as the same thing. The first step in eradicating debt? Realizing that they’re not. The only thing necessary for a fulfilling life is to have your needs met. We have to recognize that most of us have everything, and then some, that we could ever possibly need to make us happy. Acknowledging this truth and always acting from a place of gratitude will make the process of getting out of debt less of a process and more of a natural course. Here are some tips to get you started on your way to a financially independent life:
+ Pick one day to run your errands. Crazy idea right? It’s one of the most simple and practical tips, but rarely, ever put into practice. Obviously, due to the erratic nature of living, you can’t always do this, but try. The most relevant reason being, you’ll save money on gas which, as we head into summer, is sure to do nothing but increase in price. One trip will also help cut down on the “oh, maybe I should pick this up too” effect that happens when we’re only buying one or two things at a time. Best of all, having a designated day and time will force you to plan ahead and make a list. The benefits to planning ahead? Taking advantage of coupons, sales and other opportunistic promotions. That and you won’t forget to pick up that loaf of bread.
+ Keep it simple, focus on the things that you need. Simplicity is about sensibility. Despite the American consumerist mantra that more is better, it simply isn’t true. The plethora of gadgets and gizmos that are supposed to make life easier, in truth, often times actually turn a simple task into a difficult one and a general waste of money and time (think IT help . . . awful, emotionally draining, inexplicably difficult, incredibly frustrating IT help). It’s easy to get caught up in want, but more often than not it’s a fleeting feeling: an impulse. If you want something, give it some time. You can save yourself the buyer’s remorse if you wait. By the time you know in your heart and gut that you still want something, you’ll have the money to pay for it.
+ Self educate. Technology does have its merits, use the internet! The information needed to help you learn and grow is out there, you just have to seek it out. Most importantly, use multiple sources. What may have worked for one individual or family might not be applicable for you and your family. Gather whatever and as much information as you can and extract from it what will best suit your financial situation now, and in the future. Education and creativity is also the best way to stay debt free. It’s an ongoing process and a lifestyle, so keep your wits about you and stay curious. The more informed you are, the more prepared you’ll be when/if the next financial bump in the road springs up.
Those are some great, Zen-like tips if I do say so myself. Again, thanks so much to Nicole Bostic for guest posting this article via dectconsolidation!
Great post! And I totally agree about keeping it simple 🙂
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Such an informative and interesting post
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I love the idea of doing all of your errand running on one day it makes so much sense for so many reasons!
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