Choices. We each get to choose our financial path. We can choose living life way beyond our means, or we can choose to live within our means.
I'm close to someone who chose a very different financial path than my husband and I. They live a life that looks affluent to me. They travel a lot, eat out frequently, have not just one extraordinarily lovely home, but a second home, as well. They drive very nice cars, have gorgeous clothing and furnishings, and would shudder at the thought of "having" to live the life that I chose.
My family shops discount stores, thrift stores, clearance racks, gladly accepts hand-me-downs, makes do with what we have, and drive our cars until they just won't move any more. We rarely eat out, our travels are limited and so feel very special, and our home is almost entirely furnished with second-hand furniture, most of which was given to us by relatives who were down-sizing.
Looking at the surface, it would appear that this other couple is doing much better than my husband and I, financially. Their career paths have been far more lucrative than ours. My husband and I have always managed on about 1/3 to 1/4 of the other couple's income.
However, looks don't always tell the whole story. My husband and I don't have 1 stitch of debt, not one tiny bit. Our house is paid in full. We paid cash for our cars. We have enough comfort in our lives that life is indeed enjoyable. And we have a significant savings to ward off any unforeseen financial disaster. This other couple is in the retirement zone, but unable to retire for several more years, due to debt. They try to be upbeat, but I can hear between words that they wish that they could be enjoying retirement right now, as are all of their friends.
Over the years, I've felt envy for all they seemed to have. But now, I feel sorry for them and their financial choices. If my husband and I had to retire right here and now, we'd do okay, and find happiness regardless of our finances. If something were to happen and this other couple were to be forced into retirement, they'd be miserable with the style of life that they'd "have" to live with.
Often times, these choices are gradual. You find yourself in the fast lane and boxed in, unable to move over to a slower lane. In no time, the spending-lifestyle has escalated, and debt builds. Or in my family's case, our income was quite small, and we needed to trim costs a little bit, all those years ago. And before we new it, 27 years had passed and we had developed many frugal habits, and managed to snag a bit of financial freedom for ourselves in the process.
Either way, it takes just one step in the direction of choice to set a new path for yourself. Just one step. I'm grateful that my husband and I took that one step in a frugal direction.
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