Single Mom Seeking Financial Peace

If you want to live like no one else can, first you have to live like no one else is willing to. - Dave Ramsey

I may be a little off on my quote, but I'm just too exhausted to open the book and find the exact wording. Really, the book is literally less than an arm's length away. It's not even a bent-arm's length away and still I'm just too tired to reach for it. So, let's just call that opening sentence a paraphrase. 

The point is, I have been living like no one else (or at least very few people) is willing to for the last two months. Working a total of 5 jobs (that really equate to a little more than 2 full time jobs hours-wise), I have had to sacrifice some things during that time. 

• I've had to cut back on time spent with friends. Just when I'd started to actually have a social life, a feat in and of itself for a single mom, I have had to all but eliminate it. 
• Then I had to cut back on running, one of my few escapes from work and stress.
• Now I've had to cancel my plan to run my first marathon. Or delay it. Let's say I'm delaying my first marathon. 

But, for the first time in my life, I am beginning to feel somewhat comfortable with my financial situation. I still have a long way to go before I reach a level where I can feel fully comfortable, but it's progress. I have avoided a zero balance for the last 3 weeks straight. (Really. I have money in my bank account. WHAT?!? Yep.)

Four am wake up calls, 13-15 hour days 6-7 days a week, loss of social and recreational time, and a little extra stress are not things I would normally recommend. But they are temporary. Six months temporary. That is my commitment to this plan. I will continue this schedule through January when I will have the first step of my financial peace strategy completed and then I can start to scale back on work and reclaim the funner parts of my life. (More fun parts? Funnier parts? Whatever. You get what I'm saying.)

So, whether you're a single mom or a struggling couple, I encourage you to consider making some sacrifices in the short-term so you can live better in the long-term. 

Go ahead and live like no one else is willing to so you can live like no one else can...or something like that.