I feel like I’m finally getting my act together in life. This year I turn 50. It’s about time. I have flirted with the debt free thing, flirted with healthy eating, struggled with the clutter, nevermind the actual cleaning.

A couple years ago I finally just had had it with debt. We had been debt free in our 30’s, INCLUDING the house so we knew what to do. We just got lazy. 

But I couldn’t live with that burden any longer so I got a part time job and started throwing my money at the debt. 

It was painful. Seeing thousands of dollars leave my hands and have really nothing to show for it taught me a solid lesson. I knew I never wanted to do this again. 

We followed the Dave Ramsey Baby Steps and just worked it. We fell off the wagon a bunch of times. But we crawled back on again and again and again. I’m happy to report that in September 2016, we paid our last debt. We could officially do our debt free scream and the burden was released!  With 10 more months of diligent focus, we finished Baby Step #3 and the new freedom from that is incredible!!

So…I (we, but I was the one pushing) got the money in order. That was the beginning of a new way of living. I try to budget, stay within the budget, and only buy what I really need. I still falter sometimes, but the habits have been established and I know I never want to experience that type of debt load again. 

Next came health. When I discovered Bright Line Eating it was so similar to writing a budget and then spending the budget, it felt right at home. Planning your food the night before is like a budget. Then eating the food as planned is like staying on your budget and spending in all the proper categories. Placing food on a plate that’s measured and fulfills each food category, and then knowing that it’s ok to eat every last morsel is very freeing!!  It was simple. It was and is like putting the pieces of a puzzle together and having them all fit!!  

It’s fun!  Really fun and after 42 days I feel like I’ve got this area of my life under control now so I can venture into the most difficult area of all (for me)….clutter!

What a plague to have stuff everywhere. I’ve filled a whole trailer load (a small one) with trash and unwanted things just this week and I’m sick that it’s all come out of my home.  Now to preface that a bit, lest you’re imagining an episode of “Hoarders”, most of it came out of my basement that flooded this spring, and it was stuff from when we moved 5 years ago. I’m dealing with neglect from the past and the process is excruciating. 

The only redeeming fact is that I have good systems in place now for paper and stuff, so it’s not continuing to pile up, and every item I deal with, I won’t have to look at it again. 

Money, Health, Stuff. I think many can relate. This is the order of attack that has worked for me. Living “Happy, Thin, and Free” is so much more than just losing weight!  I can see light at the end of a long and dark tunnel. I expect the next 50 years (yes, my goal now is to live till I’m 100!!) to be better than the first 50. 

I have a roadmap. I’ve traveled down the road. And best of all, I’m finally learning to enjoy the journey!!