Do you really need that monthly massage membership (that’s what spouses
are for), or that weekly yoga class (there’s always youtube)? Narrow down
your expenses to the things you absolutely need (car insurance, mortgage,
etc). This process is called budgeting. If the goal is to free up money to pay
off debts, budgeting can be a temporary process. The third step is to total
up all of your debts, prioritize which one needs to be paid off first, and make
a consistent schedule to pay off each of them over time. It may take a few
years, but think of how much money you’ll free up once each is paid off. I
learned, that by paying off the loan I had, I actually ended up saving literally thousands of dollars paying it off sooner than I would have settling with
monthly payments. I may not be going on as many vacations as I used to,
but there aren’t any bill collectors calling me either! The other end of the
money-making spectrum is to find a way to make extra money on the side,
to help pay off your debt, and have pocket change to do other fun things…
but make sure you have time to do it, which brings me to my next scenario:
-I have waaaaaay too much on my plate: There’s a separate tumblr post for
this one called “Dealing With Spreading Yourself Too Thin”. Check it out by
clicking on the title.
-My family is driving me crazy!: This one is tough, because you can’t ignore
your family, especially if you’re living with them. Normally I do the classic
“tune-out”, but that doesn’t always work either. Depending on the situation, sometimes it’s best to space out for a little; go to a movie, go to a
library to do some work, hang out with friends, etc. I can only speak from
the perspective of the “college student” when I say that if it’s completely
overbearing, to start saving up to find your own place. Again, sacrifices will
be made, but the peace of mind will be worth it.
-My job is stressing me out: There’s a simple answer to this one too, but the
answer may scare you: find another one. Not only find another one, but
find one in a field you actually love. I shared my story many times of quitting
my paid accounting internship during my freshman year in college, and
switched my major to music. Some people thought I was nuts at the time
(not that I cared, because it’s my life, not theirs), but I’m making more money now teaching piano than I was at the accounting firm. I liked the art of
accounting, but hated going to the job. I knew that if I couldn’t handle the
few months I was working there part time, that I’d be miserable working
there full time for the next few decades. No job… again… NO job… is worth
that much stress. (Cont’d)
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