Be Perpared to Pay if you want to Play
Just went to the Credit Union today to see about a loan for a used and possibly a new 5th wheel. Well, well, well, what a eye opener! If I get a 60-month loan for $38,000 on a used unit at 4.01% the...
Forum Discussion
Like many other things that come up on these forums, if you have information others might find useful, you often share your experience. I was fortunate in that in my early years, I encountered an excellent financial counselor as a result of my wifes cancer, and the debt that ensued. While the debt was a real issue, the lessons learned as a result were life changing.
Simple lesson; avoiding debt when possible, and living within your means are the best wealth building tools at your disposal that don't involve high rates of risk. Surprisingly, I learned you only have to "sacrifice" for a very short period of time to get ahead and stay there. As for not having the good things in life, I've also found it had just the opposite effect in that we could have even more. Having just turned 58 I've been to every state in the nation, 11 foreign countries, had a wide assortment of RV's, cars, trucks, ATV's, boats, etc. I've climbed mountains from the alps, to Mount Whitney in California, and Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Run the Rubicon on the West coast and explored the Swamps of the south East via swamp boat. Watched plays in theaters from the Odeon in London to Tuacahn in the red rock of southern Utah. We've been able to do far more than most, and wouldn't call it sacrificing.
Following an adventure filled working life, in 4 more weeks we'll retire, paid off home built the way we wanted, driveway and garage full of paid for vehicles, and enough in the bank to provide us a very comfortable lifestyle well past 100 years of age should we be so lucky. We're also set for the inevitable issues life tends to throw your way. In the end, it really isn't about putting off life for a future date. It's all about finding the way to enjoy life to the fullest while staying within your current means. In doing so, I think your means will grow to the point where you can do so much more than you would have been able too.
Simple lesson; avoiding debt when possible, and living within your means are the best wealth building tools at your disposal that don't involve high rates of risk. Surprisingly, I learned you only have to "sacrifice" for a very short period of time to get ahead and stay there. As for not having the good things in life, I've also found it had just the opposite effect in that we could have even more. Having just turned 58 I've been to every state in the nation, 11 foreign countries, had a wide assortment of RV's, cars, trucks, ATV's, boats, etc. I've climbed mountains from the alps, to Mount Whitney in California, and Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Run the Rubicon on the West coast and explored the Swamps of the south East via swamp boat. Watched plays in theaters from the Odeon in London to Tuacahn in the red rock of southern Utah. We've been able to do far more than most, and wouldn't call it sacrificing.
Following an adventure filled working life, in 4 more weeks we'll retire, paid off home built the way we wanted, driveway and garage full of paid for vehicles, and enough in the bank to provide us a very comfortable lifestyle well past 100 years of age should we be so lucky. We're also set for the inevitable issues life tends to throw your way. In the end, it really isn't about putting off life for a future date. It's all about finding the way to enjoy life to the fullest while staying within your current means. In doing so, I think your means will grow to the point where you can do so much more than you would have been able too.
