The Most Important Reason to Get Debt Out of Your Life

So many times when writing a post, I think to myself, what can I write that will really help someone.

Often I decide to write about how to save more money.

But does saving more make a difference in real life?

Do our savings actually help us reach our goals? How can we stay motivated to put those savings towards our goals and not just spend them on something else?

We all look for meaning in life. It’s what keeps us going. It’s what makes a difference. It’s what makes change possible.

Remember What You Are Working For

When cutting expenses and paying down debt, it helps to remember what we are working for. But how do we do that? We’re only human.

Jackie at The Debt Myth asked me to write about this and to include a picture of why I paid down debt.

I’ve written before to carry a picture like that in your wallet. So when you are tempted to spend for something you don’t really need, you’ll see the picture and decide not to waste the money. Wrap it around your credit card if it helps. You might want to laminate the picture to prevent wear and tear. I use two strips of wide clear package tape on each side.

For my husband and me, it was always about our kids. We have four children and they always were our first priority.

We wanted to be able to send them to college. We did it by living a frugal lifestyle that was rich in love and experiences.

Our debt was for our house and our cars when we started out. We paid off all our debt, slowly but surely. We learned to save money by not keeping up with the Joneses and doing things our way.

We learned to cut expenses and still have a happy life. I will never regret the time and effort we put into the kids. It was the best investment we could ever have made.

Our children did get their college degrees and have gone on to be successful in their careers and in their lives. We are proud of them and of our own efforts.

We are retired now and have no debts. We live a very fulfilling life and visit our kids and grandkids often.

I agree with Jackie. Debt is not forever. No matter where you are on your journey to make a meaningful life for yourself, remember all the little things you do add up to something important.

Many of the things I learned from raising four kids and sending them to college are what I write about on Square Pennies.

Click here for my series of posts called 50 Money-Saving Tips You Can Use for some of the best ideas.

And keep that picture in your wallet to remind yourself what you are working for. It’s so worth it!