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Updated and getting there...

March 23rd, 2014 at 11:05 am

Have been watching everyone's progress and just couldn't resist today. Finally I am nearly there - 8 years later!!!

And I love my life now!

Compared to the stress and pressure that I used to be faced with everyday and every night, my journey has had so many lessons (and I am still learning every day).

On the 1 May 2014, I will have been back in full time employment for 5 years, as an ORN. And here's the first lesson:
- It's not what you earn that gets you where you want to be but how you manage what you earn.
My income dropped by 30% but in return I got subsidized retirement contributions, medical insurance, overtime pay, specialization allowance, uniform allowance and a guaranteed 13th cheque every December.

Second lesson:
The simpler you can make you life, the lower your cost of living will be. When I was a sales exec I needed an extensive wardrobe, hairdresser every 6 weeks, larger car for the high mileage, help at home to look after my daughter and so the list goes on...
Now that I wear a uniform and work shifts, I am able to keep my clothing to a minimum, fetch my daughter from school, do my own housework (unusual in S Africa), low car expenses, lower car insurance etc

Third lesson:
Paying off debt is a journey not a project. If you don't change your habits then the debt will come back again because your behavior hasn't changed.

Fourth lesson:
Gratitude gets you through the worst days - there is always someone worse off than you, so being grateful for what you have and where you are gives you the courage to do one more day.

Fifth lesson:
Enjoy today for today and always look for one more thing to do which will save you a $1 - its the singles that make up the hundreds Smile

4 Responses to “Updated and getting there...”

  1. creditcardfree Says:
    1395583033

    Nice to hear you are doing so well!!

  2. snafu Says:
    1395598460

    Nice to see so many 'debt' categories listed as Nil. Loved your 'singles that make up hundreds!' Our gran told us endlessly that if we managed our pennies, the dollars would look after themselves...that's inflation I guess.
    Please forgive my woeful ignorance of SA, does your government give senior or retirement benefits for those over 60 y/o? Do you have free/inexpensive medical care like UK or more like USA? At 52 y/o, $ 152,500. seems problematic for 35 yrs senior self financing.

  3. freeme journey Says:
    1395601762

    We get no state pension or as you call it, retirement benefits if we have any sort of pension funding over a certain limit (not sure what the limit is). But that is why I am holding off with focusing on buying a home - I need to get my savings up up up!!!! (by the way made a mistake made a exchange calculation error - have $84,111 not $157,000) Smile Medical insurance stays when you retire from a company for the rest of your life - so I am staying with my hospital group. Remember though that my pension savings was achieved whilst paying off the debt so when the debt is gone the savings increases hugely. Depends on how much you think you need as well - in South Africa we can carry on working contract work as well so that's an option too.
    Definitely a concern but there's no use worrying about it - just got to do the best I can.

  4. LivingAlmostLarge Says:
    1433343315

    awesome post! Glad its been going so well.

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