THE NEW NORMAL

Your favorite store is having a 50% sale on EVERYTHING!  You get to the register and your items come to 73.00.  Have you ever had this conversation?

You:  WOW, my budget was for $100.00, maybe I should go back and get another pair of pants.

Worker:  Do you have at XXXX store credit card?  You can take an additional 15 % off.  If not, we can open an account for you right now.  It will only take a few minutes.  

You:  No thank you - Im going to pay cash.  If I open a charge I will never pay it off in 30 days.

STOP RIGHT THERE!!!!

There is an actual conversation you are having the the lady at the cashier doesn't even hear.

You to Self:  I really could use the extra 15 %off, but if she runs my credit I will get denied.  I  don't want anybody to know that my credit is shot to shit.  How embarrassing!!  Nope, I will just pay the 73.00 from my debit card.  

Sound familiar?  I used to have those conversations with myself.  

If you are at a place where you DO NOT want to have those type of conversations with yourself anymore....WELCOME TO THE NEW NORMAL.  

Nothing can prepare you mentally, emotionally, psychologically, physically, sexually (you get the picture) for what is about to happen to you.  All you need to know is that YOU WANT A CHANGE.  Everytime you start to have doubts - think about your NEW NORMAL.  

The "new" normal right now is living on a budget. 

The "next new" normal will be living on a budget AND being debt free.

The "next next new" normal will be staying debt free. 

Your normal is never the same - but you have to be flexible enough to move to every "normal" level.  

It will be HARD.  I wish I could explain the emotional roller coaster that will take place, but I can't put it into words for you.  What you need is a DEBT FREE buddy.  Similar to a work out buddy.  Someone that you can talk to (no criticizing) that can remind you of your long term goal.

That is your first step....deciding that you are READY TO MOVE TO YOUR NEW NORMAL.  

***On another note, did you really need to purchase $73.00 worth of clothing items.  Could you have put that money towards a credit card balance or your car note?  FOREST THROUGH THE TREES!!

THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES....

How many of us (I include myself) REFUSE to see the forest through the trees?  How many of us have gone to "that" store with the bull's eye on it for a handful of items and got to the register with $78.00 worth of stuff in the cart.  I know I am not the only one!  

A few years ago, I became debt free. It took MAJOR work on myself.  I started to look at what I was doing with my money on a daily basis.  What I found out might surprise you.  I couldn't see the forest through the trees.  Ummmm - how can I say this?  Just because you paid for it doesn't mean you can AFFORD it.  

It WAS NOT easy!!  I had to take a look at my spending habits, my saving habits and what I had been taught about money.  I had to start breaking habits that I had since high school.  I had to break generational curses.  I had to start educating myself on finances and budgets.  More importantly...I had to get rid of THOSE PEOPLE.  You know the ones that always come along and try to crush your dreams. I set a goal to be debt free in 18 months.  I told EVERYBODY who would listen my game plan.  This meant cutting back on lunches, movies, weekend dinners, concerts, kids activities etc etc.  Every so often I would get that call......"You are doing so good with your goal, why don't we go on a cruise to celebrate."  (Sidebar...remind me to tell you my cruise story later.) 
Me:  I cant go on a cruise.  I haven't been able to tell Mr. Macy to kick rocks yet.

Minus: (that's the friend I had to delete):  You can get back on track once we get home.  One mini vaca will not hurt.  It's only going to be $569pp - and that is WITH  a balcony.

Me:  Let me think about it.  
(As far as she is concerned...Im still thinking!) 

At this point in my plan - i was starting to see the "trees."  I wasn't going to let anybody f**k this up for me.  I wasn't going to F**K this up.  You hear the harshness in my typing...(lol)..that is how I was feeling about being "0" balanced.     

14 months later....DEBT FREE!  Now, everybody keeps asking me "how."  So, we are going to do this together as a group. What I learned about money will surprise you.  It has nothing to do with stocks or bonds.  It has more to do with how you THINK about the money coming in.  

Together...we can all get and continue to be DEBT FREE.   

You can continue to be trendy, have lunch with your co-workers, go to the movies, etc etc.  One thing we will not continue to be is BROKE.