I realized recently that not having debt doesn't make you rich. That may seem obvious to some, but my point is more subtle. When you are living paycheck to paycheck, and writing checks for hundreds of dollars to multiple places (cars, credit cards, etc) you feel like you could own the world if you could only just keep all that money for yourself.
It turns out that it doesn't quite work that way. Once you have your debt paid off (which I don't quite yet) you realize that there are lots of important things you need to be saving for (giving to others, family vacations, your next car, emergency funds, retirement, etc) that you were just ignoring before because you had no choice.
I realized that I'm not going to be buying any isla mujeres hotels any time soon. I wasn't floored by this but it was just something that I am finally getting my head enough above water to realize. Then I remind myself that being able to save for those important things is the reason that I decided to do this in the first place. To provide for my family and make our lives and the lives of those around us better one bit at a time. I couldn't do that before, but I'm getting closer to it now.
I don't feel completely out of the woods as far as the plan I have in my head, but I can see a lot more daylight than I could a couple of years ago. I really just want to clean up my past mistakes once and for all and begin living the life I should have been all along.
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