financial freedom

I am 27 years old and I AM DEBT FREE!

While talking to my roommate early last week about life and the readjustment to culture in America after returning from Haiti, I told her what I really wanted was to be debt free... then I said I could empty most of my savings account to do that right now...

And then I realized it was a reality.

My savings has not been this low since high school.

But I am completely DEBT FREE.

May 31, 2012 I made my final loan payment.

Yep. That is quite the payment and significantly larger than any amount I have ever paid.

Today I got the confirmation email that they received my payment. So I logged in just to make sure my balance really was $0.

YEA!!!

Special thanks to GOD for providing me with a variety of jobs these past five years.

Thanks to all the jobs who provided me the money to pay off this sucker.

Said jobs would include: KGBC, Walmart, Joann's, GFS, Sunset Shores, First Church of God, Storyline, WyldLife, Macomb Christian, substitute teaching and little odd jobs for people I am sure. (Yes, I realize that's a lot of jobs in the past five years, but each experience has helped me in some way figure out more about myself. I am thankful for each opportunity.)

Encouragement for people still in the battle with loans:

• Pay as much as you can. Thanks to Sarah V, my co-worker at Joann's, who was talking to a few of us one day about making payments on her car every time she got paid. Don't neglect needs but also don't be stupid with "extra" money that comes your way.
• Learn to say NO to yourself. My guilty pleasure is not clothes... it's books. Or travel. I look forward to taking a trip now that I can save up money for it. Dr. Rob Ford taught me in personal financial management class that saying no now (and having self-control) means saying YES later.
• Live within your means. I always laugh when my mom says that ministers do not make a lot of money. It CAN be true, but in my case, I was able to pay off my loan. I made ENOUGH money to live on and now I have even more freedom to choose jobs based on things other than money. I am blessed.
• BUDGET. Seriously. Do it and stick to it.

THANK YOU, DEAR JESUS.
IT IS FINISHED!