Fuel prices driving any vehicle or driving changes for you?

[Sierra_rider]

Fuel price hasn't changed a thing here. I commute 50 miles a day for work, car gets 28mpg. I drive the 9mpg truck when I need to haul something, or just because I feel like it, and a tank of gas lasts a couple months in the truck.

We did the Dave Ramsey thing a couple years back. Hunkered down and paid off everything except the mortgage. Put six months living expenses in savings, and we live on about 1/4 of our income. Pay cash for everything. What do people who don't have debt have? MONEY.

Either of us could lose our jobs and the remaining one working could carry the entire load, with a comfortable safety net above that. Dave's plan is Financial Peace university, and it sure is right.

In the past, I've been paycheck to paycheck...partly because of crappy circumstances, but also because of my own poor planning. I'll never do that again as long as I can help it. Nowadays, I stress out when I don't have the extra cash to buy things that aren't necessities.

 

[OM617YOTA]

In the past, I've been paycheck to paycheck...partly because of crappy circumstances, but also because of my own poor planning. I'll never do that again as long as I can help it. Nowadays, I stress out when I don't have the extra cash to buy things that aren't necessities.

Been there too. A few cents in the checking account at the end of the month was a win, and I've also intentionally overdrawn my account just to be able to eat. Buried in credit card debt and spending hundreds every month on interest alone. Car payment on a hot rod I couldn't afford and never should have bought to begin with. Tremendous stress. Never again.

NEVER. AGAIN.

Yeah I make more money now, but I'm living on less money than I made back then. The biggest difference is that now I manage my money to the penny. I tell my money what to do, instead of wondering where it went. Every cent has a goal before I ever receive it, and after all the responsibilities are handled, one of those goals is "blow it." Random craving for french fries and milkshakes yesterday? Came out of the "blow it" category. When you don't specifically tell your money where to go, it all winds up being "blow it" money, even if it should have been for mortgage or gas.

Never again.

 

[Sierra_rider]

Been there too. A few cents in the checking account at the end of the month was a win, and I've also intentionally overdrawn my account just to be able to eat. Buried in credit card debt and spending hundreds every month on interest alone. Car payment on a hot rod I couldn't afford and never should have bought to begin with. Tremendous stress. Never again.

NEVER. AGAIN.

Yeah I make more money now, but I'm living on less money than I made back then. The biggest difference is that now I manage my money to the penny. I tell my money what to do, instead of wondering where it went. Every cent has a goal before I ever receive it, and after all the responsibilities are handled, one of those goals is "blow it." Random craving for french fries and milkshakes yesterday? Came out of the "blow it" category. When you don't specifically tell your money where to go, it all winds up being "blow it" money, even if it should have been for mortgage or gas.

Never again.

It's amazing what you afford when you don't blow your money on frivolous crap. A lot of people look at my toys(nice selection of tools, fancy dirt bikes, a quiver of carbon fiber bicycles,etc) and assume I'm in debt up to my eyeballs or that I'm secretly rich. No, it's because I only spend money on necessities and things I care about.

What they don't see are the things I go without. I don't have the latest electronics, a 100k diesel pickup, a bunch of subscriptions, or a fancy house. What I do have, is a cheap smart phone, a 15 year old diesel pickup, a TV that pretty much only plays Youtube videos or music, and a house that is a time capsule from 1985 lol.

I do like chainsaws a lot, so my justification for spending big money on brand new saws, is that I do use them for side work. Everyone of them has paid for themselves...I could've got by with my 30 year old Stihls just fine and had extra money in my pocket, but I wanted something new. I don't factor side work into my income...all side money is "blow it" money as far as I'm concerned, so I just "re-invest it" into saws, saw parts, and climbing gear.