One thing I enjoyed about reading Dave Ramsay’s view on finances was his saying “live like no one else you know so that you can live like no one else you know”. In the last week it was my Birthday, I’m now closer to 30 than 25, eek! For my Birthday I asked for vouchers for my most local grocery store from my family. Friends looked in disbelief as I told them. You see most people my age, particularly those unmarried without children, are about blowing money on Birthdays – expensive nights out involving drinking, food, cabs etc. Nice presents like new handbags, clothes, weekends away etc. There’s nothing wrong with those things if you can afford them. If it means you have to go in debt, you are already in debt and should be paying every penny down on your debt or you don’t have an emergency fund then there is something very wrong with those things. Right now I’m thinking short term, yes I’ve paid off my debt, but I didn’t do that by continuing an active social life or buying a couple of tops a month etc, I made pretty big changes – a night out once a month has a budget of £10. I have to choose which night I go out and stick to it, I have to say no to other invitations, but I’m finally OK with that. I care more about my personal finances then missing out on the odd night out!
On the one hand now I’m out of debt people might thing I could ease up. Yes, I’d like to be able to buy a new top eventually, yes I’d enjoy meeting friends for a couple of drinks at an expensive bar and I could really use a haircut, manicure and pedicure, but, right now I’m keeping my eye on the goals I need to reach by “living like no one else I know”. Goal 1 was paying off debt, goal 2 is getting my 6 months emergency fund and goal 3 is getting 15% of my income into a pension. Once and only once those are done will I “ease up a bit”.
Changing your finances doesn’t happen overnight, it takes months and for some years of dedication. All I know is that I’d rather live like no other single London gal in her, gulp, late 20′s for these next 6 to 9 months then spend years paying for and stressing over the choices I made.
Well put and happy belated birthday!
Love the blog..
Absolutely! Some of my friends also think I’m strange because I don’t want to spend money on things I no longer see as necessary but just as they’ve made their choices, I’ve made mine. I no longer want to live like them and shall keep that “live like nobody else you know” line in mind. That’s actually what I’ve pretty much done my entire life so I’m used to being seen as a bit ‘odd’, I’m just odd in a different way now
A belated happy birthday from me too (who’s fast approaching her 48th… getting close to the big 5-0 now)
Belated happy birthday. Good for you that you’ve sensibly decided to ‘live like no one else’ (love that phrase, I’ll certainly remember it) at such a young age. You’ll most certainly have the last laugh when you are debt free and have your emergency fund and pension in place. I wish I’d have had the guts to live like you do when I was your age.
that is a great gift to request. i hope you had a wonderful day on your birthday! i like that part of DR’s book too
it’s nice to discover that frugality doesn’t even put a dent in one’s happiness:)
very happy belated! what a terrific idea for a birthday present! i think i know what i want for christmas now…
i’m extra-impressed now, knowing that you’re way younger than me (i just turned 41) and are on this amazing journey. that makes me even more dtermined to get “dirty” and make serious changes in my (marginally better) spending habits. and i have just set myself a new goal as of last night, too, which i’m really excited about.
because of you and others in the PF blogworld that i’ve recently started reading on a daily basis, i’m starting my own blog, too. i just set it up last night, so there’s nothing on it yet, but my hope is that i can become far more aware of where my money is (or isn’t!) if it’s “out in the open” so to speak. if you’d like the link, let me know. i’d love some advice!
Belated Happy Birthday Frugal!
Wow, I’m in awe of your self-control! You are my frugal guru!
Happy Birthday!!
Happy (belated) Birthday!!
I’m glad you got something you really wanted for your birthday. This was the first year I asked for things I really needed or that would improve my life so I got a new hairdryer (old one broken) and a handheld whisk (soups are much better now) and a hulahoop (my hips love it!).
This whole challenge has made me put so much more thought into buying presents too. I can’t wait for Christmas!!
i’m on a very similar journey, so this is really inspiring to read. i’ll be debt-free in a month, though i already started on the retirement savings (forewent the earlier debt payoff for compounding interest). i too sometimes get the look, but it will be worth it!
i remind myself that i would rather have a trip around the world than an overpriced drink at the bar… so far so good!
(ps- i am 30 – it actually gets better!)
happy belated birthday! I feel the same way, most of our friends have new cars, holidays, the latest everything, but all on credit. I drive an old, reliable car, and don’t feel the need to have all the latest toys and gadgets. I know if we had been trying to ‘keep up with the joneses’ we would have lost our home when we were hit with some of lifes detours. keep going!
Thanks for all the Birthday wishes!
Deepali that’s wonderful keep up the good work! 1 more month – woo hoo!
Holly those sound like very sensible presents!
Neiman I agree completely, it hasn’t dampened my happiness @ all, in fact it has made me happier!!!
Happy Birthday.
Wow, you are so much more sensible than me. I can’t keep myself on the straight and narrow at all, so I have to stick with straight-ish and broad instead.
How do you not fall of the wagon?
Well, you’re not the only single, late 20s, London gal living frugally even if it feels that way sometimes–because I am one, too! Your post really cheered me up today b/c friends were going out for a drink in Mayfair and I decided to come home, cook dinner and blog. But, I will wake up both hangover-free and more importantly, closer to the prize. I have to remind myself this more than once a day!
Plonkee I do occasionally fall off the wagon, last week I spent over £20 on groceries instead of £15. I also may buy a magazine this month. Re the bigger stuff I’m simply NOT going near it, I won’t go into those stores so I’m not tempted and I just keep thinking “if I lost my job I wouldn’t be able to afford my rent or to eat” and that pretty much keeps me going!!
I’ll do a post about it soon!
Saving For Shoes – welcome and it’s great to meet “another one”!!!!
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Taking the Dave Ramsey course certainly changed my life. We’ve been able to able other people with special things because we save. And there have been many emergencies that we wouldn’t have been able to handle unless we had started saving. So that 13 week course was so valuable to us.