This is the first post in a new feature I’m calling “Of course you can do it!” Each post will tell the story of someone who did something big and give few pearls of wisdom you can use to pursue your own goals. We’ve got stories from people who have lost 50+ pounds, ridden bicycles on 100-mile races less than a year after taking up the sport, gone back to college, saved a lot of money, started their own businesses, and even one who wrote a book. Have a success story you’d like to share? Send me an email at btalbot (at) marriedwithluggage (d0t) com (yes, I know it is weird to write it that way, but it keeps the spam bots from finding it and sending me Viagra and lonely housewife emails).
Today’s first guest is from Bethany North over at The Coffee Bump.
I’m happy to say that my fiancée and I have had the pleasure of starting our own home-based business, buying a home, and still being able to save enough money to go on a cruise! This may seem like an almost impossible feat with the way the economy is going, but it is easy to do with these money saving tips.
First of all, we didn’t necessarily have to starve ourselves or sell all of our possessions, but we did sell one car since I work at home. This was also another key to our success because I was able to begin freelance writing at home to earn my own income and also contribute to our own business. From there, we were also able to set money aside to go on a cruise for extremely cheap in the off-season. Even if you are saving money toward a goal, you still need to reward yourself! Last of all, we were able to move out of an apartment and purchase our first home, which is a delightful condo!
Here are some helpful financial tips to help you reach all of your goals for the next year:
- Work hard and play hard: It is very important to work as hard as you can to meet all of your goals, but still reward yourself for your efforts.
- Book vacations off-season: If you do have the time and availability, it really pays to book a cruise or vacation off-season. We booked our cruise in October for $299 per person.
- Live within your means: We did purchase a new home, but it was in our size and price range. You can easily meet all of your financial goals if you live within your means and stick to it!
Many thanks to Bethany for sharing her story (and being patient with me while I waiting for the new year to begin this series).
Does your goal involve saving ridiculous sums of money? You can still get a copy of our ebook, How We Saved Enough Money to Change our Lives (and How You Can, Too!), for free until the end of January. After that, we’re taking the excellent feedback we’ve gotten and revising it to include more juicy information and popping a price tag on it. Do you have input to share? If you send it to me, I’ll make sure you get an updated copy of the ebook at no charge. That’s how much I appreciate your help in making this ebook a valuable resource for people.
More about our guest blogger today: Bethany North is a coffee fanatic that has spent the entirety of her career cultivating and studying all of the best uses and brewing styles for optimal coffee and espresso flavor. Her specialty site for all coffee needs, supplies, and Bunn Filters can be found at The Coffee Bump.
About Betsy
