When I first began my debt free journey, the mountain of debt standing in front of me and a list of financial bad habits I had to unlearn, made me feel this journey was impossible. The only thing that kept me motivated was running my numbers on my spreadsheet and looking at my “end”. I made mock budgets of what I could with all that extra cash!
I would daydream of what I could do with those extra bucks and those daydreams were the place I’d find happiness when my journey felt abnormally challenging.
But, upon returning to reality, I came back mad at my debt and motivated me to get rid of it faster. I got creative with side hustles and sold items for additional income.
I made subtle changes at first, like packing my lunch, saying no to my coffee addiction, brewing at home, and staying away from social media accounts that made me more inclined to spend money. I continued to implement these habits into my daily life, with occasional slips, like forgetting to bring my lunch and having to buy lunch at work.
In retrospect, my “end goal” was what I was focused on BUT the most important part of my journey were the daily/weekly/monthly habits I implemented into my life. My journey was HARD and changed me as a person. Those little habits added up and were essential to me becoming debt free.
There is so much beauty in your struggle and the journey. Looking back at the sacrifices and all the work you put into your habits will leave you in awe. The destination seems the most desirable, but what you do to get there is truly what matters. You now have these habits that will be part of your post debt life. Those mock budgets and all the additional cash that was going to your debt will be managed with intention and be used as a powerful tool to build a life you love!
Valery is a 30 something millennial, Latina, entrepreneur at heart, first time mama, real estate investor, bookworm, board game enthusiast, and dreamer.
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Dainty Dollar LLC is a financial literacy and coaching platform for millennials and entrepreneurs growing their wealth and working towards financial freedom.
