How I did it: when i went into this goal i lived paycheck to paycheck, had debt on a few credit cards and had a car loan. i had to borrow money from my parents to avoid late fees and i often overdrew my checking account and paid bills late. i couln't live on my own because without roommates i would never have been able to afford rent. in order to get to where my finances weren't hanging over me i had to chang eseveral things about the way i lived on a day to day basis. first i started to take any extra money  got besides my paycheck (house sitting for friends, birthday/christmas money, tips, consigning clothes, selling things on craigslist, etc...) and putting it aside where i wouldn't have access to it typically. i started a savings account in a totally new bank where i didn't have any other accounts so i wouldn't think about it unless i was depositing money into that account. after a few months i knew i had a nest egg big enough to cover any random expense that i might not expect that would otherwise have wiped me out like new tires for my car or a doctor bill . i also started to build up my checking account by cutting little expenses that added up quick such as impulse buys. i don't buy coffees, get manicures or pedicures, buy things i know i won't use or things that i'm not totally sure i like and need.  one of the hardest things i did was i stopped shopping because i was bored. i use a few techniques when i shop that have made a huge difference in how i save money and spend less. when i'm at a store and i see something i like, before i look at the price tag i give myself a price that i think the item is worth and if the item is more than my price i put it back and move on. at the end of my shopping before i go through the checkout i stop and look at everything in my basket and ask myself rather or not i really need this. if the answer is no i put it back. however i do also ask myself if i will regret not buying this later and that is an exception to my rule, i keep the item then. this has allowed me to save enough extra money in my checking account to always be able to pay my bills on time and sometimes make bigger payments toward my debt like my credit cards and car. meanwhile my savings account was still growing too. when the balance on my car loan was less than what i had in my savings account, i paid my car off in full a year early. it was really hard for me to part with such a large amount of money that i had such a hard time saving in the first place but without having to make a car payment each month i was able to save even more money. after almost a year i was able to pay my credit cards off by making them a priority whenever i had enough extra money to make larger payments. luckily i wasn't in too deep and my goal was actually achievable within a reasonable amount of time. it's almost like a game to me now seeing how much i can save each month and seeing how far i have come from just a few years ago.

Lessons & tips: its important to live within your means. it's really hard to tell yourself no sometimes but you have to remind yourself of your situation. i'm not a millionaire, so i can't live like one. it's not always worth it to try and keep up with everyone else and have all the things you want all the time. whenever i feel envious of what other people have i remind myself that i have no debt and a decent sized savings account, which to me is worth a lot more than having the newest trends or fads. i have piece of mind and i sleep better at night now. even though i buy less i feel like i have so much more.

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Jun 16, 08:51PM PDT | 3 comments | 5 cheers