Feeling good, saving the pennies and hammering the debt!

SmilingHaggler

Just wondering??? I'm sure we have all at some point got low due to tackling debt and being unable to see the light of being debt free, me included. Just wondering what others do to shift the focus in order to continue this quest for freedom?? For us it's watching the birds in the garden with a cuppa or strategically getting a takeaway in true MSE fashion with money off coupons of course and then incorporating it into the weekly shop! I'm sure I'm not alone

jenniewb

You mean free/low spend thrills?

I have been broke or on no income all my life! (Gap year, then Art student- trust me, affording fabrics, multiple quality paper for sketch books, writing paper, A2 Mounting paper, art history/analysis books...yarn, travel to the places to check the quality of the yarn, show entrance fees for research....trust me, art has got to be one of the most expensive things to study in London, plus we were strongly advised NOT to work at the same time and could have gotten chucked off the course had we not signed in on time each day) then various minimum wage jobs, gaps inbetween on no pay....

You never get used to it though! Seeing so many other people shopping its still hard to realise you cannot do the same, perhaps ever!

I think the best thing you can do is to take pleasure in the things money cannot afford: people, relationships/friendships, colour, light- the changing of the seasons, the lights at Christmas, being able to see/smell/watch things like fireworks, see the snow. Most of us have these abilities, they require no real work other then to stop and look/listen/experience. Few people don't take this for granted at some point in our lives and yet it can enhance life so much. Its sad that quite often, we don't realise we take things for granted until something threatens to take it all away eg illness, death of someone close, major injury... That I think is terrible- you don't then get a chance to really experience anything when your feeling a threat like that, half of your mind is still devoted to trying battle through and coping with the loss.

I guess taking stock is hard to do, there normally is so much else going on and often when we do stop and think, a million and one other things come into our minds- its not so easy to do! I think its an actual skill that few properly develop.
Things like Yoga and Meditation can help but again, not always so easy; Yoga is supposed to be a "non competative sport" yet how many have done a class and felt sad they were unable to stretch as far as the person infront of them, complete a headstand as the person besides them or irritated by the lack of physical stregnth required for the flow of a sun salutation? Like I say, its a skill that takes time to develop and yet so few of us do.

So in a way, maybe OP, you and I (and many others!) are lucky- without the constant drill of "I need to have" and going round in circles to feed the 'need'it gives us time to stop and look at things from a totally different angle and to experience things rather then feeling the 'need' to own them.

Life is about experiences and I think if we are not careful. many of us will realise that when its just too late!

SmilingHaggler

I mean it's like the debt is sometimes too much of a focus in ones life sometimes and that is all one can focus on, rather than the bigger picture on life as a whole.

Having started out in debt after studying music for four years and no job at the end. Very frustrating! I would need to do another degree in order to be able to teach which we cannot afford. However I look on the bright side as we have recently moved in order to be closer to family which of course is priceless.

I guess my money saving ways are amplified as I currently work in a sector where people buy whatever they want regardless of cost. Cartier watches are the norm and so are Chanel bags etc. I often think how lucky I am but if I may say, like yourself, studying in the arts sector is very expensive as you and I know.