My secret: Give to God first. He will take care of the rest. We lived on one income and banked the rest when we got married. Had one car, one or the other of us walked to work. Bought land, built our own modest house. I stayed home till kids were weaned, then only worked part time. There were years at a time when I'd sit down and write all of our expenses on one side of a sheet of paper, and our income on the other side. We lived frugally, no extra money for hobbies or extras. Every single month, the expense side was greater than the income side. Every single month, we gave to God first. Every single month, all bills were paid when due. Now, if we were without medical insurance, just my hubby's medications alone would equal more than his income. He drives 100 miles/day to work. We live close to the bottom of the median income level for our state. I work per diem, and often do not have any work hours for 3 weeks at a time, then only 3 - 4 hours at a time. Hubby only works 4 days/week in the winter. Bills still get paid, we are mortgage free, no car payments. Have enough money in savings to cover short term loss of income. Hubby is 3 years from retirement, and I am cautiously optimistic that our retirement investments will see us through, as long as the economy does not tank. Still, God comes first. I write a check to give to HIS kingdom at the first of every month. He has seen us through incredible hardships.
I suggest that you look into Financial Peace University. This program has helped thousands of people achieve debt free living.
I outline our situation above, cautiously. Always risky to post such personal details on a public forum. But, I do so, to give praise where it is due. It is possible to live within your means. It's not necessary to have a fancy house, new cars. We have become a society who want it all and want it now. Many people do not know how to "defer gratification".
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