How My Life Improved after Becoming Debt Free for Good (2)

Living debt free has completely changed my life and I want to share with you some of the most important lessons I have learned in the last 7 years of being debt free. 

1. The sense of freedom is unbelievable

As soon as I paid off my last debt and headed into my normal slow work period, I was amazed at how much stress just dropped off my shoulders.

I didn’t realize how much stress I had been under when I had debt until it was completely gone.

There has been so much peace in knowing that whatever I need or want, I can pay for it in cash.

I have so many life options available that I wouldn’t if I was still tied down to making payments each month and I now have full control of my greatest financial asset, my income.

It’s one thing to finally become debt free after you have struggled for so long to pay it off, but to continue to live debt free is really amazing.

2. Sticking to a budget is even more important now

I am WAY more passionate about budgeting now that I am debt free, because I am convinced that a budget is a great tool that allows you to wisely live the life you want by guiding your money.

Not to mention, I have so many big money dreams that I would like to see happen and the only way they will happen is to stay on a tight budget.

My budget is now concentrating on saving money so I can afford to cash flow those dreams and enjoy them fully – without them turning into a nightmare ball and chain of ongoing payments.

You know what? Budgeting does gets so much easier when you have paid off your debt! There is a lot of comfort and strength in knowing your money is going where you tell it to go. 

3. If I need/want something, and don’t have the money, there are other options besides going back into debt

I seriously hate debt and the stress that comes with it so much that I will do everything possible to avoid debt.

If there is something that I need/want, I will budget for it and save up the money, then buy it with cash.

Saving money in an emergency fund is vital for taking care of those real emergencies. I know, I don’t like dipping into the emergency fund either, but that is the purpose of having an emergency fund.

Another great option for coming up with the cash to get something you need/want is to work a side hustle and bring in some extra cash.

These options are all viable options to use instead of putting the purchase on credit cards or taking out a loan and making payments on that impulse buy for a lot longer than it’s worth.