This is Me

Photo provided by andyk at morguefile.com.

Introduction

I'm in my early forties, and I've spent the majority of my adult life either in debt or struggling to make ends meet. It’s a depressing existence and one that I am determined to change before I pass the lifestyle of debt and despair on to my daughter.

Who am I?

I am a single mother who found herself several years ago stuck in limbo. I decided that if I wanted a better paying job, then I would have to finish my college degree. In my mid-thirties, I went back to finish my bachelors degree. After I did that, I decided that if one degree was good, two would be even better. Now the chickens have come home to roost, so to speak, in the form of student loans. Lots of them.

For several months since the loans came due, I’ve been struggling to stick to a budget. Child support has dried up now that my daughter is over 18, and, on top of all of this, I decided to take on the project of replacing all of the carpet in my house with laminate wood flooring. Yeah. The added financial stress has not helped matters.

But it will get better. I've been in worse situations so I know that things will improve. I just have to face the music of where I actually stand debt-wise, and create a strategy that will lead me out of this financial desert.

Money-saving tips and ideas

I'm hoping to use this blog to motivate myself to come up with some creative and realistic ideas for how to save money on a day-to-day basis and stick to my debt-busting plan. These ideas might just allow me to funnel more cash into paying down the balances I owe and bring financial freedom a little closer, one small step at a time.

This is going to be a huge learning experience for me. I am totally stepping outside my comfort zone here by putting myself on the line and committing to living and experiencing life in a way that not only will lead to financial independence, but will, hopefully, add more meaning to my life as well. 

I invite you along on this journey and welcome your ideas and suggestions. 

Next steps:

Start a planning a budget
Face the music with regards to the debt