Last week, I read a great post by Beks over at Blogging Away Debt. She wrote about why she wanted to be debt free. Figuring out your “why” will keep you on track with your goals. It’s hard to stay motivated if you don’t have a solid reason to be frugal and thrifty. It is way easier to spend the money, get the car loan, or use the credit cards.
The reason I strive to be debt free is a little complicated. I was raised by a single mother. My mom worked as a waitress my entire life. As you can imagine, we were very poor. I never went to bed hungry, but I also never felt secure. We moved frequently, we lived without electricity/water at times, and my mom was always scrambling to pay our bills. Even as a kid, our lifestyle was stressful. My mom loved her children, but we were more than she could handle financially. From a young age, I knew I never wanted to live like my mom.
When John and I first moved in together, we definitely made some bad decisions with our finances. But even as a carefree young adult, debt made me uneasy. However, it wasn’t until we had children that my desire to be debt free really intensified. I wanted stability for my babies. I never want them to feel the way I felt as a child. They are loved, they are wanted, and they will always be provided for.
Although its not very exciting, my “why” is stability. Having a simple, predictable life is important to me. Knowing that my children will have all of their needs met is an amazing feeling. I love that I can pay my bills without borrowing money from family and friends. These are all simple things, but they mean the world to me. Have you figured out your why? We’d love to hear what is motivating you to pay off debt.