by Beks
When my husband first lost his job and I wrote about further ways to reduce my finances, a few readers gently pointed out that it looked as though I had missed making those cuts on my initial reductions for my debt free journey.
The truth is…
I didn’t.
I have two simple choices when it comes to reducing my debt. I can sprint or I can marathon.
I am currently sprinting. I’m pushing, giving it my all, and taking no breaks. Unemployment is forcing me to take a hard look at every dollar. There is no dinner with friends, no movies at theaters, no new clothes, no dental insurance, no doctor’s appointments, nothing. There is no waste.
Sure I could even go further. I could eat bread and water and be debt free faster. I could sell my car and bike to my bus stop in the dark and be debt free faster. I could stop wearing make-up, shower once weekly, and leave my electricity off and be debt free faster.
But my weariness would grow at the same sprinting pace and I would burn out before my balances ever read zero.
I can’t sprint forever and once my husband is employed again, I plan on slowing my pace to what is was before his layoff. Every once in a while, I think it’s OK to buy a $6 burger during happy hour at a nice restaurant. Once every few months, I like to buy my husband a bag of his favorite coffee.
This is my marathon. Sure, some folks will be faster and others will be slower but I’m running this debt marathon to finish – not to burn out before I see the finish line.
Are you sprinting or marathoning?
