RamonaCreel.com

This time of year, most folks are imagining all the things they’d like to have in their lives — but rarely do they think about what they need to let go of to make room for those new additions. I have given up a lot of things (the huge house, the hot sexy car, and a lot of expensive “playthings”) because I have my eye on the bigger prize. My goal is freedom — the ability to do what I want when I want it, to be able to travel endlessly without having to ask for time off, and especially financial freedom (which I define as having enough money to cover my daily expenses without having to hold a full-time job). I’m looking at a longer timeline than just what I do for enjoyment “today”.

My Story

In order to do this, I’ve chosen a fairly unconventional life. I used to work for someone else doing the 9 to 5 grind thing until I started our own business. It was scary, I worried that I wouldn’t have enough money (thankfully that didn’t happen) — but I can work in my pajamas, and take the day off any time I like. That’s freedom.

My life is not as “tied down” as a lot of people’s. I have cats instead of kids (but I never considered not having children a sacrifice!) Tried homeownership, didn’t like it — so I’m a full-time nomad, living out of a 29-foot Airstream Excella instead. I travel the country, stopping to “live” for a while anyplace that strikes my fancy. That’s freedom.

I try to live frugally, because I don’t want to spend my life working to pay the bills. I have no debt and I refuse to pay anyone interest for anything if I can avoid it (which means I have to save up to afford each purchase — no financing). I have one car, when wI need a new one I buy used (with cash), and then I drive that vehicle to death. I don’t eat out every day of the week, I shop for most of my clothes at thrift and consignment stores, and I don’t pay the exorbitant fees that most folks do for cable or satellite TV (I wait until the end of the season and get my shows on DVD from the library or Netflix. And I put money away in savings every month toward my goal of financial independence. That’s freedom.

What About You?

The point is not to say “ooh look at how great I am” or brag about my life — it’s simply to point out that everything I “give up” is a conscious decision, and I do it because there is something else out there that I want even more. Some people think I’m weird and wouldn’t want my lifestyle for anything in the world, and that’s fine — everyone has to decide what their dream is and what they are willing to sacrifice in order to achieve it.

So I guess I would ask — what kind of life are you leading now, what would you really rather be doing, and what would you need to give up in order to have that? How badly do you want your dream to come true? Are you willing to go there, no matter what it takes? And what will your first step be? It’s all up to you!