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Everything happens for a reason

February 14th, 2014 at 07:53 pm

Well I am hell bent on my car goal. But I went a little cuckoo for a while and tried to convince myself I should have/deserve an item that would have cost thousands.

Then I sat down and crunched the numbers. I would have had to wipe out one of my savings accounts and half of another to get a discount on the item or put it on a credit card and take on several hundred dollars of interest.

After the truth hitting me and realizing that I only realistically have another month or so of gainful employment if I am lucky I realized that I don't "deserve" anything. I choose what I want and I have worked so hard to get this this point financially. Why blow it all on a purchase that I cant comfortably afford.

I realized its a self-sabotage thing I do every time I am close to the end of an assignment. I do something that I shouldn't do financially and pay for it dearly while I am unemployed. Of course in the past few years its been not that bad in the last assignment I paid off a high interest credit card and then bought myself an item worth several hundred dollars when I could have had a wee bit more in savings.

This time I almost wiped out half my savings to get a item negating months of success saving and completely eliminating credit card debt.

I also thought to myself why on earth am I willing to wipe out my savings for this item and "make it up" in the last two checks, but unwilling to make large payments on my car/into savings and keep what I already have saved as well.

I crunched some numbers and I can affordably make two large payments out of my next two checks so that I am on track for paying off my car by the end of the year as per my goal and promise I made to myself at the beginning of the year. And I can do this just on the part time job income if I get no unemployment.

I was elated. If I had not gone crazy and tried to buy something I could not afford I would have probably never figured that I can reach my goal and keep my promise to myself.

This is not the first time this happened. At my last assignment I was about to start investing for equipment for a new hobby when I realized that for the money I was willing to sacrifice and spend on it I could actually pay off my high interest credit card.

I think that move now almost two years ago pushed me in the direction that I am in now. Every success comes with that one first step forward.

Rather than condemn and chastise myself for wanting that item I am just going to shelve the idea and stay on track. Who knows maybe in a year I can afford it? Or maybe I'll just forget about it which is fine with me too.

Either way 2014 just got a whole lot brighter for the path eliminating debt and continuing to strive for financial independence.

6 Responses to “Everything happens for a reason”

  1. MonkeyMama Says:
    1392408528

    "Or maybe I'll just forget about it which is fine with me too."

    This is the thing. We are fairly slow and careful with our purchases. Which means the vast majority of our "Wants" disappear by the time we save up for them. Wink {Or, the costs come down. My spouse covets electronics, but is also pretty darn cheap. Some of the stuff he has salivated over at some point or other has come down so far in cost over the years that it is crazy. OF course, we also tend to buy a lot of used goods, which is very "have your cake and eat it too"}.

    As far as staying on track with debt payoff goal? That's awesome!!

  2. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1392424828

    Close call! But you steered the ship in the right direction.

  3. snafu Says:
    1392428863

    Good on you for being mature enough in your thinking to examine all the points and not just buy it because you want it NOW! Paying off your car is a terrific goal and you will be one of few who is driving a fully paid off car. BTW,owning your car outright gets you a reduced auto insurance rate.

    If it's truly important to you, this new object of desire can be a new, secondary goal. Do you still feel upset about forgoing the craft item you passed on - last year? Do you find after waiting a month to eliminate an impulse 'tag,' you still seriously desire that object? Like MM we usually find the desire fads after 24 hrs.

  4. PatientSaver Says:
    1392428951

    Well, now you've got me curious? What was the item you were going to buy? Don't worry, we've all been there!

  5. Permanent Temp Says:
    1392454112

    @PatientSaver It was a beautiful piece of jewelry! I thought it might cheer me up to have, wear and look when my assignment ends. After the high of thinking it could be mine though the reality of paying off the car and the relief that would bring seemed like a much better option.

    @snafu Thank you for the tip, I didn't not know paying off the car will give me lower insurance.

    Thank you for all the support guys. Smile

  6. PatientSaver Says:
    1392469316

    Oh, I understand about sparkly jewelry. It's a weakness of mine, even if most of it sits in the jewelry box unused.

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