Things are getting better

You know, sometimes it's tough to see what is important when you are being pulled in a thousand directions at once. You lose sight of where you want to go and wind up getting sidetracked. There are basic demands that a person has that must be met before delving into side ventures. You need to decide what is important and do that. If there is time left, you can do other non-essential work. This applies to your time and your money.

This realization and simplification of life came about when I realized what the financial books were talking about when they say you need to save a part of your money for you and use what is left over for necessities. We have chosen what is important to us in spending our money. If we can, we will cashflow our essentials before delving into our savings. Now we have savings, by the way. So, we distinguish between spending money and our money. Spending money goes to pay for our wants and needs. Our money consists of our savings. We decided we will only spend our money on healthcare; auto repairs not covered by our cashflow; housing, if we can't find another means; electricity, again, if all else fails; and food, if there is no other option. If we have not met our needs, bill collectors can wait. We won't be pressured into using our savings for non-essentials. It's no longer an option.

So, my wife and I are excited to be on the same page, financially, and to actually be accumulating savings. Of course, we still have to increase our incomes and pay off some debts that we have, but things are looking good in that direction. She has good prospects and I have decided to finish school. Unfortunately, we may have to leave the Valley in order to make decent livings. I have not yet decided whether to finish my finance degree or to study auto repair at STC. I am seriously considering auto repair because cars are getting more and more complex. Certification in different types of autos is now a must. ASE is not enough any more. If I am certified, I will always have work. Combined with my business experience, it would not be an issue to open a repair shop. Auto repair is a service that everybody needs. Everybody needs healthcare, everybody needs a funeral, and everybody needs a car. I want to sell something people need rather than guess what they want. Not everybody needs a finance major.