Comments on: A Life Without Debt: A Debt Free Life Is a Creative Life

By: What

What — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:51:56 +0000

[...] a glimpse of what it will be like to be debt free through Sadie Morris

By: Prepaid Debit Card User

Prepaid Debit Card User — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:04:55 +0000

You are most definitely right. There are so many times people are being creative when they figure out a fundamental solution to an ever growing problem such as personal finance…but don’t quite realize it. I know I’ve gotten creative and opted to drive my old jeep since it’s paid off instead of buying a new car. I’ve also started using only prepaid debit cards. Credit cards get people in this mind set of “buy now, pay later” and I don’t want to be paying later for the rest of my days. It’s kept me on track and on budget, a minor financial success as I move to bigger and better parts of my life!

By: Gail

Gail — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:14:47 +0000

Your post is completely right! It does take great skill and creativity to ‘make it do or do without’. Most people can’t be bothered to think up a creative solution to any problem.

I’m appalled as I look at ebay auctions for sewing machines that start out with, “I bought this machine a year or two ago and have never used it as I have a baby” what does having a baby in the house have to do with not being able to sew? So instead they take a machine that they paid thousands of dollars for and resell it for 1/2-1/3 of what they paid. I sewed when I had small children in the house and they sure didn’t suffer for it and it was part of being frugal. The machines being resold are some of those great top of the line machines where creativity is hardly needed to make clothes and soft furnishings for the house. I just find it amazing.

I created my own way of keeping track of due bills about 15 years ago and it has been so helpful to see the broader picture yet when I tried to explain the simple program like I use to someone who was about to declare backruptcy, they couldn’t be bothered to listen. They weren’t interested even at that point with saving, they still wanted to spend.

By: Ann

Ann — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:00:07 +0000

Nothing feels better than knowing you don’t owe anybody anything…well I should not say that because the thrill of driving a brand new car feels great, but when you remember the monthly payments and the high cost of auto insurance, I rather drive my old clunker, which still rides great.

By: Justin

Justin — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:03:11 +0000

Frugal living definitely requires creativity. It’s amazing some of the crazy fun and useful things yo can come up with when you open your mind.

By: Jackie

Jackie — Tue, 26 May 2009 21:21:55 +0000

the Tightwad Gazette is, if nothing else, one of the most entertaining reads. Amy Dyczcyn makes it clear at the beginning of each bound issue that the point of the book is to cultivate a creative way of thinking, not to necessarily follow each idea to the letter.

Encouraging people to think creatively about their finances has been some of the most useful advice I’ve ever gotten. Sometimes it takes more effort to reuse or recondition items, but it can also be fun and very fulfilling. There is satisfaction in buying new, but I never have as great a sense of accomplishment buying a new item as I do finding creative ways to avoid that purchase.