We are in week 16 of the Debt Free Challenge! This week’s assignment is a little bit different. This one requires you to think with your heart rather than your head.
When you look around your home. What do you see that catches your eye? Furniture? The large television? The new shoes you just bought? Now, close your eyes and then open them again. This time, look with your heart. What do you see that you need? The photos of your children. The artwork on the refrigerator. Your child looking up smiling at you. Your spouse cooking dinner. These are the things that are important.
High Def TVs, fancy furniture, the latest electronic gadgets – these are things. In the grand scheme of life, things do not matter. If you look at your debt, how much of it is as a result of getting things? Granted things have happened for some of you that you could not control (illness, death loss of job). However, for many this probably holds true. It is a hard reality check, but it really can help you gain some perspective (trust me – it did for us).
As you pay down your debt, you realize that the TV did not bring true happiness into your life. Sure, you may enjoy it, but at the end of the day, it is just an inanimate object. A thing. A thing that is replaceable.
When my husband and I began our journey, we took a good hard look at the things we had in our life. We actually got rid of a lot of it. It was stuff. Stuff that did not matter to us. Being debt free and happy mattered. Teaching our children about the importance of living a financially independent life mattered.
That helped us to not only regain perspective, but we actually even made money too – which we used to pay down our debts. Take a look around your house. What things can you live without? What could you perhaps sell to make a few extra bucks? I promise you that getting rid of it can be a weight off of your shoulders because it is oftentimes the stuff that is holding us back and keeping us down. Simply your life and the rest, will follow. Just wait and see.
**Please, if you have recently paid off another debt, share with us! You can report every single debt — so that we can have an accurate amount reflected!! As a reminder, the survey is completely anonymous – there is truly no way for me to know who you are at all. You can share your amount you have PAID OFF HERE.
(I am not a financial advisor and the information listed within these Debt Challenge posts is not to be construed a financial advice. This is knowledge we gained through our own personal experiences and information as outlined in Dave Ramsey’s Financial Makeover — and is being shared as such. Participants are not required to follow any steps listed if they do not wish to do so. Financial concerns/issues should be addressed with a professional in order to receive advice and assistance.)
New to the site? Catch up on all of our previous lessons and join us for the 2012 Debt Free Challenge!!
Tracie is a stay at home mom to three young children; ages 4, 6 and 8 in Raymore, Missouri. In November 2007, she and her husband decided to eliminate their debt and made many changes in their lifestyle to do just that.
In 27 months, they eradicated over $37,000 in debt through both budgeting and learning how to live a frugal life. She now shares her knowledge in order to help you stretch your hard-earned dollars so you can live the life you want.