Among Friends

[Happiness Is Inside JOB]

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@1950DeDee wrote:

From someone that learned the hardway, dont close your credit cards after you pay them off.  IT WILL LOWER YOUR CREDIT SCORE CONSIDERLY.  Pay them off, use hem once a year n go home n write a check and pay it off.

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Thank you.

I honestly knew that closing might lower my credit card score,BUT I THOUGHT it was my only displine option.... I think I need to cut up the cards so I can't use them again.

I have paid off to many times to later...2 - 3 years later, charge the card right back UP!!!!

[Happiness Is Inside JOB]

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@jannabelle1 wrote:

@Happiness Is Inside JOB, your life lessons regarding financial issues are excellent for all of us.

My life lessons at age 70:

1) Always keep a stash of cash of your own. Build it up and keep it to yourself. Some of you will understand for your own reasons.

2) Never assume that you have the perfect marriage unless you actually do.

3) Accept your responsibilities but take time to do the things that make you happy.

4) Eliminate as much credit card debt as you can.

5) Don't buy more than you need in your life.

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Thank you

I also need to work on Number 1.

I have enough clothes that I NEVER need to buy ONE MORE ITEM.  I keep remininding myself, if you plan to RETIRE in 8-10 years....what are you going to do with ALL THIS WORK CLOTHES???

GIve it away to the salvation army?  Plus I was teleworking one day a week and I'm trying to increase it to 2 days per week. THat means even LESS clothes are needed for work.

I have WORK TO DO!!!

[september]

@Happiness Is Inside JOB  My daughter is in your situation, too.  However, she just finished school, this is her first “real” job, and she worked for just over a week before being furloughed.  She has almost nothing in her apartment. She planned to buy furniture once she started getting paychecks....no paychecks 

she’s making the best of her situation...has been getting to know the area, taking some free classes and has also taken advantage of some local restaurants that give free meals to furloughed federal employees.  

She doesn’t want this to go on much longer but she (and you) don’t have much of a choice, right?

[qvcaddition]

@Happiness Is Inside JOB

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@Happiness Is Inside JOB wrote:

I'm here in Washington DC, and I'm an employee who is under the federal furlough. 

THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL POSTING..... SO PLEASE NO COMMENTS ABOUT politics.... "them", the cat, the dog, him, her, they, my opinion is.... none of that....nothing political please!!!

This posting is about life lessons and what you learned from the experience.  

This experience...taught me to :

1) Learn TO discipline MYSELF from purchasing everything I want.  How many dresses is enough, how many shoes is enough.  What I need is to SAVE MORE and spend LESS!!!

2) Eliminate as much credit card debit as possible. Pay off and CLOSE, not pay off and slowly charge it back UP!!

3) I checked the balance on my mortgage and my NEW GOAL for 2020 is to pay at least 2 extra payments a year so I can retire in 8 years.

Have you had a life lesson involving anything that helped you. 

It could be anything a financial lesson, family relationshiip lesson, death of spouse lesson, home ownership lesson, anything

I'd love to hear from you, I learn so much from the men and ladies on QVC. You just never know how you can help someone else.

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ITA

[Pook]

Live life each day like it's your last and don't obsess over what "could" happen tomorrow!   I've known many who didn't really live, not buying things they wanted (and even really needed) because they were always planning for too many what ifs that never happened.  When you're gone  it doesn't matter that you saved and saved for emergencies that never happened.  Others will then get to squander and fight over what you never spent!!

[CalminHeart]

I've learned a lot in my almost-65 years.  Sometimes it's scary to look back and realize how self-centered I was in my 20s and 30s. The good thing is to see that I have grown a lot.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

Don't let petty things take up space in my brain.

Make someone else's day.

The older I get, the more I ignore.  I prefer to pay attention to the person inside rather than think about their looks, style, spelling, pronunciation, etc.  I want to try to be nice to everyone I meet because it might be the only time that day that someone is nice to them.  

I've also decided that I can no longer sit back and watch what's wrong in this world.  I have become more involved in charity work, politics, and finding ways to make other peoples' lives better.  The harm being done to people around the world, especially in our own country, has spurred me to do more.

[happycat]

Life taught me to have an emergency fund. Several years ago, I was seriously ill. Had to quit my job. My dh and I had managed to save some money. I didn't make much with my job, but we did have a years worth of my salary in the bank.

That gave us both so much comfort. We didn't have to worry about money, could concentrate more on me getting the care I needed and our children, which were small at the time.

Thru this illness, and other various health issues thru the years, I also learned to question the doctors, to seek out specialists, not to settle for what the first dr says, if I don't feel right about it. Basically to question everything. And that someone gradualted at the top of her/his class. And someone did not.  We have to take care of ourselves.

And that life is kind of like the weather. We cannot stop the winds of change.

[AngelPuppy1]

Anything which brings a person peace in their life is a great lesson no matter whether its a lesson learned in finances, health, matters of the heart, family -- whatever.  I think the most important thing is just to learn from our mistakes and not keep repeating the same ones over and over again!!!  

When I was much younger, I never thought I was going to be old and never thought much about finance.  Although I was not a reckless person by any means, I never really planned for a rainy day.  If I had the money and wanted something, I bought it.

I now know that it gives a person a sense of serenity to know that you have your finances under control.  Not everyone can be a millionaire, and not everyone can have millions saved -- I don't mean that.  But livining within your means and even below it --- then stashing some away so that if something comes up --- you do not have to panic and worry about what you will do.

On an entirely diferent note --- be present in each day.  Try not to worry so much about what will happen tomorrow.  We have not much control over that.  Appreciate your loved ones today and show them today that you love them.  Tomorrow --- we don't know what tomorrow holds for any of us.  

Be mindful.  Look around.  If you have an attitude that today is lousy --- it probably will be lousy.  Try and see what is good about today.  And today will probably get better because of it.  

[Mom2Dogs]

@Happiness Is Inside JOB....good lessons learned...I learned the rules many years ago when DH and I owned our own business....our only income. Bills, taxes and the business always came first.  We never knew when we would have a lean month or two,

[jeanlake]

While preparing for retirement next year we've had a magnifying glass on our finances. We've done some things right, but I can't help thinking we could have been more disciplined over the decades. We only bought homes we could qualify for on husband's income, even though we're a 2 income family -- but what if we could have saved ALL my income and lived off of husbands' income. With 3 kids and foster child, maybe that is wishful thinking and I shouldn't kick myself -- but like most of you -- we could have been more conservative with finances. I've established my own credit. We had a plan and stuck to it. We've saved money. More gratitude than regrets. 

Also learned that the best revenge is a good life. That philosophy has never let me down.