Ok, wow, after reading 9 pages of 'stuff', I'll throw in my bit.
I read this article, and others much like it, looking for ideas. I look for the 'I wish I'd have done' or the 'it was bad timing for this'. No, this article didn't have that, but it gave me some other ideas and encouragement. I'm sure they had more hardship than they or the magazine wanted to impart, but thats par for the course. As I said before, I know DH and I will have some pretty good screaming matches, heck, I'll probably throw things (not at him) and I'll have crying meltdowns. But I WANT to do this!
As for being debt free, we are working on it. Slowly. And this ties in with looking for land for our new life. No, you don't find the perfect piece overnight. Currently there are 3 lots we will be looking at this month (this week! haha) to see if they fit our bill. We have crunched numbers, and discussed it til its dead. We penciled it out, and we can afford the $20 a day needed to make it happen. Doesn't sound like much? How about $550 a month instead? Bigger numbers are harder to swallow. Even harder to take out of the monthly check all at once. Heck, I know people who spend $20 a day on soda and junk food. Breaking it down that far makes it an easier goal.
One last thing......when we read things in black and white, the gestures of body language are lost. Humans rely on body language as a major part of communication. Without it, we only read words, and put with those words whatever mood we are in from the day. Its hard to 'read' people when its only in text. Many times I've been misunderstood in forums, only to find out the responder had a bad day, or missed a word when reading. It happens. I have gotten in trouble more times than I care to recall for misreading things then going off on someone. Then the amount of humble pie I've had to eat has made me fat! haha So maybe I should be under the chair with everyone else, but I don't think anyone should judge, or come to a public forum with attitude. There are plenty of forums out there that thrive on fights, and snotty members. I am proud to say I was one of the first few members of SS, and I can say that this is no place for that. We all have the same idea, though our ending goals are different. Wealthy with $$ or heart, its irrelivant. We are here to share ideas, goals, and knowledge, while making friends along the way. No, we shouldn't gather 'round the fire and hold hands singing "Kumbaya", but I think we need to remember what brought us all to this forum.
Wow, thats my 'mom' lecture...HA! Sorry to run off at the mouth!
Social Security. I completely forgot about Social Security! I think it's because I kind of assume it won't be there for me 32 years from now when I'm going to need it. It would be really cool if it were, though.
