How we saved enough money to change our lives and how you can, too

(Photo by Warren Talbot)

This is part of a series called How We Saved Enough Money to Change Our Lives and How You Can, Too. Click here to get all the posts delivered directly to your email inbox or feed reader.  You’ll want the inside scoop on how we saved $75,000 for the adventure of a lifetime!

There, we’ve done it.  You now know exactly what we did to save half our income last year to take the trip of a lifetime.

I wish I could tell you there a magic trick or secret ingredient to make it easier, but it really comes down to a few important rules:

1. Spend less than you earn.
2. Pay off your debt and stay out of debt.
3. Live a life rich in experiences, not possessions.

To give you a quick recap, these are the steps we took:

• Decide what kind of life you want to live and compare it to the one you are living.
• Move in the direction of the life you want in small and large steps.
• Pay off your debt and stop using your credit cards for expenses you can’t pay off at the end of the month.
• Keep moving in the direction of the life you want.
• Set up a budget and have your savings come out of your check automatically.  Pay yourself first!  If you wait to see what’s left at the end of the week you’ll never put any money in savings.
• Keep moving in the direction of the life you want.
• Tell everyone what you are doing so they can support you.  It will also highlight those in your life that don’t want to see you get it together, which makes it easier to decide who to hang out with.
• Keep moving in the direction of the life you want.

Are you sensing a pattern here?  Once you take the step of making your budget to save for your big dream, the rest of it is just moving forward in small and large ways.  By the time you save the money, you’ll be emotionally and mentally ready to take the leap toward your big dream because of all those small and large steps you took along the way.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series, and for those who would like a little more detail I’ll be putting out a free e-book in a couple of weeks.  It will be the perfect time for you to do the research and set up your budget in time for the start of 2010.

So tell me, did I miss anything?  Do you have any other questions about how we saved the money and changed our lifestyle?  Let me know in the comments or by email at btalbot (at) marriedwithluggage (dot) com.  You can read all the posts in the series by clicking here.

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Betsy Talbot writes about carving the lifestyle you want out of the life you already have. When she’s not writing, she’s paring down, saving up, and getting ready to travel the world with her husband Warren.