Happy 2nd Blog-0-versary to me

In some ways it feels like I have had this blog forever and in others it feels like two years have just went whipping by.



I curled up yesterday to read my first anniversary blog. I have to admit I was impressed with what I had written. I actually sounded like I knew a little bit about what I was talking about LOL. Seriously though, each of the points I brought up there really fit well with someone just starting out on this journey of personal finance awareness.Finding a documentation system, getting organized, sticking with the idea of a budget is absolutely key. You really have to go in being realistic about what you have for income, what your debts and expenses are and what your goals are.



The most frequent complaint I hear about budgets, is that they are limiting. I used to feel that way myself before I was Gail vaz oxladized. I now find budgets very freeing...very permissive. It is by having a budget that I am ALLOWED to pay off debt and save for goals. What a radical thought. Sure it took me a few tries to get a budget that worked for my own life but I kept at it until I found one. It’s an absolutely fantastic feeling to know that one is setting goals and they are being achieved. I spent far too many years saying ‘we can’t afford to pay off x, or we can’t afford to save for y’ . Oh how I wish I could go back in time.


Here is a list of some of the things I learned/experienced this past year:
• Paying off a debt is a H$LL of a rush. I paid off my consolidated loan a year early. It was absolutely intoxicating to do it and know that “I” had accomplished it. “I” had taken control and made it happen. Absolutely glorious feeling. Almost wish I had more creditors so I could have experienced this more times. Ok maybe not. 


• When you have a working budget, let it do it’s job! I spent sooo much time last summer working and reworking numbers...hypothesizing about how things would look if I did such and such. The budget was consuming my every thought and it was incredibly unhealthy. I had to step back and let go...let what I had created do it’s job. Sure it’s ok to play with numbers now and again but limit the control it has over you.


• Recognizing that once you have a debt, it truly does control you and consume your thoughts (unless you are in debt denial). I reached a point where I had gotten a bit obsessive, perhaps even totally OCD about paying my vehicle loan off early. Every $ I found all I could think about was “ohh there’s another dollar to put towards that vehicle’. Or Don’t spend that for the boys (usually something they needed) and put it on the loan instead. Now I am all for finding extra money to pay down debt early, but it was taking over my every thought and that was very unhealthy. Again, I need to control my money, and not have it control me.


• Keep exploring new resources and ideas. I loved Gail’s book Debt Free Forever, and saved my spending money to buy it. I know most of her resources are on her webpage, but there is just something about curling up with a book away from a computer, that speaks to my literary soul. I found a site called dough.com which allowed me to see when I will be able to pay off my vehicle loan.


• Saving can be just as fun as paying down debt. Through purposefully saving, I had a Christmas budget put aside for the very first time. What a relief to know that money was there. Ditto for Summer. I was able to start an RESP FINALLY this year and I put aside my first RRSP. It’s nice to be proactive for a change.


• I credit having this blog as critical to my successes thus far. It gives me the forum to express myself, it gives me a specific place to record data and information. Knowing that people are reading it, is an amazing feeling.


• Read Read Read. Everything I have learned and incorporated into my financial life has come from a blog I have read. That lovely list of blogs on the side can each take credit in my successes. Thank you to all of you.