Do you want to make 2017 the year of your financial freedom? There are a few habits that you will need to start.
Rachel Cruze shares practical advice from her book .
Habit 1: Quit the comparisons
We live in a culture of comparison. Rachel reminds us that comparison not only steals our joy, but it also steals our paychecks. She shares a personal example,
“It was my husband and I’s first big vacation together. At the time, we were newlyweds and we saved up. We were so intentional, we were so good at paying cash for it, and really working hard for those small vacations.”
“I was on Instagram looking at everything from my friends who, a lot of them, were celebrating their one-year anniversary. They were on these week-long trips to these fabulous places where there are beaches and that kind of thing. One of them was in Greece on this yacht, and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, we just went 2 nights away.'”
In that moment, she realized that she was experiencing the battle of comparison and needed to realign her thoughts with the truth.
“Comparison not only makes you discontent and steals your joy from the present, but you’re replacing your present with someone else’s pictures; someone else is taking over where you are in that moment. Learning to quit the comparisons is so key, not only for our present joy and where we’re at in life, but also for our money situation and our money habits.”
Habit 2: Eliminate debt
In addition to quitting the comparisons, Rachel says that eliminating any existing or foreseen debt should be a top priority. She shares a few helpful tips,
“Stop going into debt. If a car loan is nowhere in sight to be paid off, maybe you sell the car. You cut up the credit cards. You really get in a place where you stop digging into this hole.”
“Create a plan to attack your debt. We have found, helping literally millions of families across this country on how to pay off debt, we found the most efficient way is to pay off all of your debt, smallest amount to largest amount, regardless of the interest rate.”
By practicing these simple habits on a daily basis, you’ll be on your way to financial freedom and living the life you want this year.
Rachel Cruze is a seasoned communicator and presenter, helping Americans learn the proper ways to handle money and stay out of debt. Today she serves as a Ramsey Personality, using her knowledge and experiences from growing up as Dave Ramsey’s daughter to educate others.
Money habits for the New Year
