Life Plans

Sometimes I am so focused on getting out from under the debt I don't see the bigger picture. What happens in life after debt?

For me, it means having an emergency fund, being able to travel and enjoying life knowing I am prepared if something does happen. It also means being my own boss and being in charge of my time. Getting paid what I am worth and spending that money wisely.

I found a great blog post today creating a life that needs no escape (thanks to Little Miss Moneybags) and it really got me thinking. I can create a life I love and don't have to live up to others expectations. I have been doing that my entire life and its time to live up to MY expectations!

Another blog post found from the above article is about living a minimalist life. His main points are go carless, give up your storage, give up entertainment and give up the idea of trading time for money.

Now, I don't know that I could give up my car right now but moving to a new city with better transportation and easier ways to get around on a bike could be in the future. Healthier and better for the environment and my wallet. Ultimately I don't know if I could ever give up not having a car but I could at least have a paid off car.

The only storage I have comes with my condo. I don't pay extra for it. My condo is 900 square feet and houses four people and two animals. Two of these people are not there all the time. Storage is limited but I am tackling that bit by bit. I am getting rid of hobbies that take up space and cost a lot of money like scrapbooking in favor of knitting which takes up hardly any space. I still sew but again, the largest thing I own for that is my machine.

Giving up TV is a hard one. But probably not as hard as I think. We gave up extended basic cable lsat summer and although I miss a few shows my life is not ruled by the 50" TV so much anymore. The hubs and I are movie watchers so I don't imagine we will ever give up our Netflix subscription. It's a work in progress.

I like his fourth point and am working towards that. I have followed Tim Ferris and love his ideas. I just need to focus more of my energy on turning his ideas in to reality.

There are things I can do now to make my life the way I want it. I have been planning on going back to school but I want to keep this idea in the forfront as I search for what I would like to get my degree in and how that will affect work life after I am done. I know my husband and I are going to move on to a house after the kids are gone (four short years away).

I can see my days filled with work I enjoy and after work activities that get me out of doors and interacting with people.