Keeping up with the Jones' is an expensive and dangerous activity.
But it's the way that most Americans choose to live.
Materialism run amok, debt up to their eyeballs - unfortunately, when I look at many of our friends this is what we see. We struggle to keep ourselves on our path to financial freedom and out of the paths that lead to more financial destruction. Fact is, living within your means isn't fun and it isn't socially accepted.
John and I will get on a kick and see something that we just have to have.
It's not usually something small that we can just save a little and purchase.
We want to find ourselves debt free living the life of tomorrow, today.
Treading water is tiring.
The Rich rules over the poor and the borrower is slave to the lender.
I drive an old truck. I hear things from others all the time, financial myths - "you'll pay for the car payment in the gas money you save not driving the truck". False, it's interesting what others assume without doing the math to check it. Unless you drive a tank or an incredible distance in your daily commute - you'll only save about 20-25% towards a car payment.
In John's office, lunch is a social activity. We've cut his eat out days to about twice a month. It's really nice that they offer for him to go out with them, but dogging on him for brown bagging it gets old.
Eating out is a major social aspect with our friends. We're slowly adjusting our regular dinner dates to a pot luck night... others aren't so eager to jump on the bandwagon.
Shopping for new clothes is an interesting issue as well. I love shopping, but it just isn't a financially responsible approach to clothing ourselves. We're blessed to have access to great resources for purchasing good quality, second hand clothes.
All this makes my friends sound like jerks which isn't true. They think they're helping. They've bought into the financial myths. {And we're probably a little sensitive to it all since it's less than fun to begin with}
Sometimes sticking to our financial plan feels like we're just treading water.
But slowly and surely we're making progress, the shore is just in site and we're getting closer to it.
Today I pray for those who are walking in the same path as John & I.
I pray that you provide for all of our needs while guiding our financial path to freedom.
I pray that working together to live in financial peace will strengthen marriages.
But it's the way that most Americans choose to live.
Materialism run amok, debt up to their eyeballs - unfortunately, when I look at many of our friends this is what we see. We struggle to keep ourselves on our path to financial freedom and out of the paths that lead to more financial destruction. Fact is, living within your means isn't fun and it isn't socially accepted.
John and I will get on a kick and see something that we just have to have.
It's not usually something small that we can just save a little and purchase.
We want to find ourselves debt free living the life of tomorrow, today.
Treading water is tiring.
The Rich rules over the poor and the borrower is slave to the lender.
Proverbs 22:7
I drive an old truck. I hear things from others all the time, financial myths - "you'll pay for the car payment in the gas money you save not driving the truck". False, it's interesting what others assume without doing the math to check it. Unless you drive a tank or an incredible distance in your daily commute - you'll only save about 20-25% towards a car payment.In John's office, lunch is a social activity. We've cut his eat out days to about twice a month. It's really nice that they offer for him to go out with them, but dogging on him for brown bagging it gets old.
Eating out is a major social aspect with our friends. We're slowly adjusting our regular dinner dates to a pot luck night... others aren't so eager to jump on the bandwagon.
Shopping for new clothes is an interesting issue as well. I love shopping, but it just isn't a financially responsible approach to clothing ourselves. We're blessed to have access to great resources for purchasing good quality, second hand clothes.
All this makes my friends sound like jerks which isn't true. They think they're helping. They've bought into the financial myths. {And we're probably a little sensitive to it all since it's less than fun to begin with}
Sometimes sticking to our financial plan feels like we're just treading water.
But slowly and surely we're making progress, the shore is just in site and we're getting closer to it.
Today I pray for those who are walking in the same path as John & I.
I pray that you provide for all of our needs while guiding our financial path to freedom.
I pray that working together to live in financial peace will strengthen marriages.
Yes, so agreed! "living within your means isn't fun and it isn't socially accepted." It really isn't socially accepted... Why do we do that to ourselves? I'm so glad my husband is so down to earth and really smart with our finances. If he wasn't I'd still be going down a dark dark dark financial hole. Thanks for this post and thanks for praying for us! :D
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