livingdebtfree

I have been learning more ways of saving money as I desire to go on vacation next year to Jamaica to see more of my family and to get some much needed relaxation.  I would consider this vacation trip as a reward for enduring school and finishing my education.

1. Anti-Virus Software

A friend of mine told me about Avast anti-virus software, and use this instead of a paid subscription.  I have found this anti-virus software does great on my system and catches everything that comes to my laptop computer.   It actually did more than my paid subscription software.

2. Carpool

I have been carpooling with friends and family for when I go grocery shopping. So I not only carpool for any work projects that I have but for errands.  This helps me to save money on gas.

It is definitely not a mouse trap but in many occasions it is lion trap with locked in financing options, additional fees, and escalated interest rates.  Looking through all of my debt I noticed a pattern of these “Buy Now, Pay Later” plans, and of course I did not make it in paying it off when it came to the later.  In my mind I am thinking oh well I can pay this later, and I kept putting off paying additional money on the bill to get ahead on my finances.  So I am finding that I really rethink those special deals and decide on whether I really need the product.  If i find that I do then I ensure that I have the funds upfront to pay for my purchase.

This has been on my mind as I have watched friends of mine whip out the plastic to pay for purchases that they desire to purchase.  Whether it is that Coach purse, or a week’s worth of groceries, I see more and more people using their credit cards to purchase items and they do not have the cash to pay for it upfront.  Now I do not see anything wrong with splurging on one’s self however doing it wisely is a better idea. For instance if I were to purchase that Coach purchase and if I decided to use my credit card, well when the bill comes in the mail, I would pay for the purchase and any interest rates that occurred. This would be called paid in full! The goal is to not incur more debt.  Now I have not purchased that Coach purse yet however it is a special treat goal for when I am finished paying off all of my debt. I know that I can rent one from Bags Borrow or Steal however I would rather have one of my own. It will take time before I would be able to buy it however I rather not go in debt to purchase it now.

What do you think?

I have been researching my alternatives in bringing more income for my finances and I have found that I need to not overdo things while I try to do all of this.  I have been writing and blogging on a more serious focus.  I think that I need to work on expanding my options in writing as there is more than just writing blogs and small articles correct?  So I have been thinking about starting a writing business, so I will be looking into creating a business plan. and asking other writers that have writing businesses.

I am not able to work outside the home due to having Fibromyalgia, and I would love to do more.

Do you have a business?  I would love to hear  more from all of you.

I have been wondering just how is it that people are able to become rich and I am not talking just by having a great job that pays extremely well.  They make a decent income but they have a large savings, and can go on extravagant trips from time to time.  I have been learning that it is not about how much you spend but how much you save.  I am realizing that I need to continue in saving my money.  I received a payment for some freelance writing projects that I completed with a bonus, so I decided to save a large part of the money and put it in savings instead of spend it.  I would like to go on vacation but I decided to wait until next year and finish some important projects that I have been working on.

I have been learning that those are rich and grand millionaires have done this:

Drive older cars
Live in modest sized homes or smaller homes
Do not wear expensive clothing but only for special occasions

So these millionaires live below their means and this helps me to continue to strive to work on this issue in my life.