Do you want to work forever?

I am obsessed with money. It is a trait that I'm sure has annoyed people over the years when I tell them I can't go out to dinner because I have to triple my student loan payment that month. But it is a trait that has been a real asset, considering that until very recently the periods where I was making good money were inconsistent at best. (Hey, hey, an actor's life for me!) But despite the lean times, I've never had to live paycheck to paycheck, and I find that a real blessing.

Now that my paycheck is steady, I'm finally getting close to realizing some of my financial goals. I paid off $13000 in student loan debt this year, which is something I'm pretty proud of. Of course, that isn't even half of what I owe, but it is still awesome progress - I think I've saved myself somewhere around $7000 in interest had I been making minimum payments for the life of the loan. Not bad! However, I'm going to have to cut back on that this year, as I also need to focus on some of the other goals I have - getting my emergency savings account fully funded as well as getting a Roth IRA going. I've done lots of research over the years, but only had a portion of the money I needed to get serious about my retirement. The time to get serious, is now. And if you are reading this, you should start thinking about it too. In fact, if you are related to me, then I absolutely insist that you keep reading this. Considering how perfect our family is, I still suspect that none of us are particularly educated on the financial stuff or the importance of planning for retirement. Well, something tells me Liz knows a little something about what I'm talking about. And I'm sure Scott knows plenty about taxes and investments that the rest of us mere mortals will never need to know. lol But there is no reason why all of us can't get it together. Take that power for yourself. Because what better feeling is there knowing you have the resources to take care of yourself and your family?

Maybe what I'll do is break this into a couple of posts, because obviously people write whole books on this. But, as we get into the Christmas season where we all want to spend more money than we have, lets remind ourselves to stop and think about it. Credit cards, while certainly a useful tool, are also a road into financial oblivion. Do not be tempted to buy things you cannot afford. If you have credit card debt, then you've just identified goal #1. Pay that debt off as soon as you can. I use my credit cards for just about everything, because it is easier than paying cash most of the time, and also because I get 1-3% cashback on all purchases, which is a small but nice discount. But I pay off those credit cards at the end of every month. I haven't paid interest on my credit cards in years, with a few exceptions associated with moving expenses. Never just make the minimum payment, or you will be trapped forever paying interest instead of earning interest with that money invested somewhere else. Seriously, pay those cards off, in full, as soon as possible.

Ready, set, go! Next time I'll talk about how much money you should have in your savings account, and then I'll get you excited about how totally awesome Roth IRA's are. There is great power in becoming financially secure. And once you taste it, it becomes addictive. So join me in the journey, I promise you won't regret it.