I just made my final student loan payment in a large lump sum just to get rid of the debt. All in all it was about $80k for undergrad and grad school. There was $5k of accrued interest. It took me 58 months after graduating to pay it all off plus some help from my father (THANK YOU POPS!). It feels great to have this burden off my back. I haven’t quite comprehended what this means yet for my life, but I do have a sense of greater freedom.
The only remaining debt I have is the mortgage on the house I own in Delaware. A part of me feels I should pay that off as fast as possible. But, that cash could possibly be invested more wisely. I don’t really trust the stock market right now, so I’m in a tiger phase, waiting for the right moment to invest.
At this point in my life, I could totally just sell the house and cash out. But, it wouldn’t be a wise decision in the long run.
I have had trouble appreciating and being in the present moment. I always feel a sense of impending doom or eternal bliss ahead. I know things are going to keep getting better in the future, it’s just a matter of time passing. But, the only way to get to the future is by riding the wave of the present. I want to improve my present-wave-surfing skills. Some people are very good at this and seem to enjoy life on a more consistent basis than me.
When I am the happiest, I feel a sense of deep calm and inner silence. Stress disrupts this peace and causes me to recoil like a turtle hiding in his shell.
My goal is to eventually remove all of my monthly expenses by creating residual income through real estate. If you break down your monthly expenses, you can think of small ways to reduce these by spending less or making more money. At a certain point, budgeting can’t save you much more. The decrease in daily happiness isn’t worth eating Ramen Noodles every day, for instance.
I would love to run my own business, but I know the risk involved and I don’t have the time to devote to that right now in my life. So, until that time comes and I’m making money to cover my expenses, I will think of other ways to make money.
Money isn’t everything in life, but it sure helps. For someone with an accountant’s brain like me, the stress of money is an every day issue. You can ignore it all you want and procrastinate, but if you don’t follow the thought patterns and figure out the underlying cause of your stress, you are just putting off a future mental breakdown.
If only I could create a cult where money wasn’t a thing, like an artist community that farms their own food and makes their own beer and wine…
Photo credit: https://thetrashrat.deviantart.com/art/Fuck-the-System-398576155
Nomad Max 