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Advice for real people

May 14th, 2018 at 09:18 pm

I have been reading lots of articles on the internet about getting out of debt and saving money. But I am wondering where the advice for real people is. (Besides SA) The advice is... travel less, reduce 401K contribution, change your bill dates. ??? Really. I guess if you are not struggling with debt and cash flow, these may be ok suggestions. I only contribute 1% to my 401K. And I do this because my employer matches and I would hate to miss that opportunity. I am definitely not traveling. And changing my due dates won't change anything for me.

Today I changed to paperless statements at Chase so I could get a $5 credit. I committed to only going to the store for milk and dog food. And I listed 2 things on letgo this morning. I have 2 small baking orders this week and am going to try to sell some items at a swap meet this weekend.

I dream of the day that I can go get a pedicure and know that I have the money to pay for it and I do not have credit card debt. I played around with numbers to see if I could see what it would take to get my debt paid off in 3 years, contribute to Savings and our business, and take 3 years off of our mortgage. I would need an extra $168.75 per week. Is that obtainable???

4 Responses to “Advice for real people”

  1. CB in the City Says:
    1526334344

    It wouldn't be obtainable for me! I would focus on the debt first; don't overwhelm yourself with too many goals, at least not at first.

    I agree that most sites are not very helpful with money-saving ideas. It's highly individual. You just have to be laser-focused on your own life and what you can cut to get yourself into a state of living below your means. That's the only answer -- spend less than you make!

  2. LuckyRobin Says:
    1526338080

    The best advice I have found for real people is honestly in The Tightwad Gazette books. Check your library for them. They were life changing for me when I first started out with far more usable suggestions than sell your third car or your rental property.

  3. Dido Says:
    1526339543

    One thing at a time, so you don't overwhelm yourself. The bad debt at $122/pay period is almost done; when it is, add that to either your highest interest or closest to being paid off loan, whichever would be more motivating. Make sure you and your husband each have a small allowance for personal expenditures in the budget. If you don't feel too deprived, it will be easier to stick to your plan. After that, perhaps work on growing the business since more income will help. Don't worry about taking time off the mortgage until you've accomplished the other goals. Baby steps!

  4. househopeful Says:
    1526398374

    I agree with the one step at a time. You can find little bits of money here & there to snowball to the debt payoff...but don't stretch yourself too far. You want to be in this for the long haul and to not get burnt out!

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