I Care

About my money and finances. Seven years ago, they were a mess. We almost lost the house, the car, our health and our sanity. Too much stress due to my husband’s illness and therefore the lack of income, drove my mind and my nerves to the brink. Thank God for my brother who is an accountant, and my aunt who helped us, we came out of it barely alive, so to speak. I don’t even want to remember the times with no electricity or water, barely food or clothing. The tears, the agony, the despair. Awful. But it’s necessary to remember the past. Made us grow more responsible and aware. We learned our lesson well. But those days, vivid in my memory, are the ones that made me savvy and frugal.

After my husband retired, we sold the house, tried to settle in Colorado but we couldn’t because of the altitude, so we moved to Puerto Rico to start anew. Now, we spend for things that we need, and every now and then, if we can afford it, we buy things that we want. It has been a rough ride, but we are happy, stress free and content with what we have. Our only debt is the car and it will be paid in a little over 2 years. No credit cards. There are the biggest yoke known to man. Why pay $5.00 in interest for something that cost $1.00? Just because I can have it now? Please. If you wait a week before spending on something vain, you will not buy it. And the regrets afterward are not worth your peace of mind. Anyway, there is a lot of fabric to cut there.

I signed for online banking and all the utilities and the car are withdrawn automatically every month. No worries about being late. It is the best feeling in the world! The freedom, the peace, the financial stress free life is rewarding! Now, for the first time in my life I’m saving money. My account is growing every month and I’m proud of myself. Before, I would worry about having savings for an emergency, now, although I don’t have a lot, I see it growing little by little and I feel better. I have learn to live with little and to take advantage of some good deals.

So, while researching on the matter, I came across this blog called The Simple Dollar. It shows people how to manage their finances in a way that is easy to understand and follow. I recommend a visit.

• » Sat-06/12/10 | cat: Favorite Things