LEAD April 2024 | Page 44

What Successful People

Do in Traffic Terri Savelle Foy

“ If you can train yourself to do what you should do , when you should do it , whether you feel like it or not , your success is virtually guaranteed .” — Anonymous
I jumped in my beautiful black Mercedes one Saturday morning to run a few quick errands . By the time I got home and the rest of the family woke up , I had paid off my car ! What happened ? you ask . Did you win the scratch-off at the convenience store ? No , I got something better . During that short fortyfive-minute trek to the bank and the car wash , I got the wisdom I needed to be debt-free .
Let me explain . I was listening to financial expert Dave Ramsey as I drove across town that morning . He made a simple statement stressing the importance of living without
debt and not wasting money on interest charges every month . Then he said that if you have the money in your savings account to pay off your car , but you ’ re leaving that money in there to feel secure , then drain the savings . He shouted , “ You ’ re wasting money paying your car note every month along with that interest payment ! Pay off the car now ! Today ! Then build your savings account back up .” 1
I was so proud of myself for finally having a savings account that I didn ’ t want to drain it . But Dave ’ s wisdom made such sense . I owed around $ 14,000 on my car and I had approximately $ 16,000 saved . I went online , transferred the money , and paid off my car that very day . And then I went to work on building my savings back up , starting with the money I used to spend on the car payment .
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