The worst financial decisions of the past seven years

We moved to Georgia a little over 7 years ago. What are my worst financial decisions since making this unexpected and unplanned move?

1. Saving sacrifice -I have had several well-paying jobs over the past seven years. And every time, although experience taught me, I was not saved by sacrifice. Like giving up things to make great progress in them Build a very strong emergency fund. Having a solid 6 month cash savings account would have been life changing many times over.
2. Credit score -Ignorance of credit, scores, and how it works hurts me over and over again. I was unable to get a car loan when I was in desperate need of a job to support me and my family. I was blessed to have family to help me through the worst of times. But I should have done better. Know your credit scores and take baby steps To maintain and improve it. Burying your head in the sand and just thinking that everything will work out doesn’t work. Trust me.
3. Don’t skimp on the important things -I was very proud when I bought the Princess car with cash. Very proud. No debts. Beautiful but old car. I was so proud. But the whole cow that car ended up costing me money. I’m clueless when it comes to cars, and maybe if I had a trusted person to give me advice or an honest mechanic, things would have turned out differently. But never again. In hindsight, I should have saved more time and bought a better car with cash. only Find out how to last longerAnd, as #1 says, provide these types of things too.
4. Push it and close it – Stick to yourself. Prioritize yourself. What this means is a full evaluation of each debt you have. List them by equilibrium or interest rate, there are arguments for both. and Just start paying it offone by one. There are no games, no “squirrels”, you just dig in, making minimum payments on each one except the ones you focus on. As Nike says, just do it! Now that I do it (mostly), man, it’s worth it.
5. Cook it – Focus on cooking. that it The best way to control your discretionary spending. Cook food for your family. Cook for your friends. Center your social life around your kitchen and in your home. Game nights, puzzles, book clubs, or just sitting with friends and enjoying the weather. As much as I love eating out, I was amazed at how much I enjoyed being in my own space. This is where I have greatly improved and been able to get a grip on it. But this was not always the case.
6. Buying a house -Housing has always been a challenge since I became a single mother. And until I had several teenage drivers, my monthly bill was always the most expensive. Buying a home was especially difficult as a contract worker. Too late, I am I wish I had prioritized buying a house Years, perhaps even decades ago. But I’m so grateful that I was finally able to afford one in the last few years. The security and comfort of owning your own home is priceless – seriously. You won’t realize how good an investment it is until you try it for yourself.
7. You are not alone – The hardest part for me is doing it alone. And I’m not talking about having a two-income household, although that would have been nice. I’m talking about not having a sounding board, or someone to moderate my wonderful plans, or tell me to stop. I mean BAD was great. But there is a lot of shame around debt and stupid financial decisions. Even here, it is very difficult to be open about this. Find an accountability partnerFree judgment but counselor tells the truth. Someone who will hold your feet to the fire, as much as he can. And put everything. I’ve endured a lot of shame. Even when I do a good job, I don’t do a good job. Get an education. Be transparent. And then commit to listening.

I am a terrible example when it comes to finances. The worst part was that I made the same mistakes over and over again. And you know the proverb…

This was very true. I get a great job, fail to save, lose a job, suffer… badly, rinse and repeat. Now, here finally, I’m turning it around. Not quite but his heart.

Don’t do what I did. Do it right the first time. Because life is hard enough without making the same mistakes and stupid decisions over and over again.

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