Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

[shawni]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

I agree with DivaJen. In order to live an extraordinary life, you have to decide what that means to you. Find what fulfills you. For me, it was working somewhere I can make a difference in peoples lives. I work in a non profit HIV clinic and would continue to work there even if I won the megamillions jackpot. Loving what I do, fulfills me and I find that extraordinary.

[nanamom]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

My life is extraordinary. The Lord has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams and way beyond what I deserve. I am married to someone who loves to pamper me with time together, I have wonderful children, the two eldest of which are married to people I love and they have presented me with awesome grandchildren, and my youngest is a daily joy. We hope to have more kids this year. We aren't financially rich but we are so very Blessed in other ways, and we have enough to make it if we are careful.

[Fern]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

What a great question.

Slow down, and take time to notice all the things you take for granted in your life: family and loved ones. Your health, a steady job, a roof over your head. The daffodils now in bloom. The love and devotion of the family pet.

Try to live in the moment. So when you're washing the dishes, don't let your mind wander to the hundred other things you've got to do. Concentrate on the sensation of the warm water falling on your hands, and let your mind rest.

[Thrifty Ray]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

I read a great book several years ago "If I Knew Then What I Know Now". It was written by CEOs of companies.... FAMILY and REGRETS kept popping up in their answers.

Ive lived the high income, fast track life. We had money for most anything and we also had a HUGE amount of debt. The one thing we didn't have?? TIME. Oh, we would take mini vacations here and there....but it took two days to unwind from the job and the last day was always filled with thought and anxiety about going back to work...yuck!

Now- we have WAY LESS MONEY...but we have time to CAREFULLY PLAN our menu's, trips, and weekends so that we get the most enjoyment out of life.

Divajen was right, everyone's idea of an 'extrordinary life' is different...for me it is TIME and FAMILY....and is not about money or nice stuff...

[Ima saver]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

I think thrifty ray's quote, says it all. Work like you don't need money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one's watching!!

[elcheapo]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

wow, I have this crazy kooky wonderful upside down blessed life and that has nothing what so ever to do with money or the lack of it, I have always been wealthy even though I have not always been rich. Just being able to live with the man I love for the pass 26 years and making tones of good memories. Thats an extraordinary life for me. Sure we have traveled the world from Hawaii to Germany from Spain to Georgia, thanks to the us military.
We got to retire when most people are still trying to make it 38 and 39. Now we get to do a lot of cool things because of the choices we made when we were younger, but none of it would mean a thing if we didn't have each other.

[wonderfullife]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

Thifty Ray's quote is brilliant.

I think your all making alot of sense. It's not about how much money you've got - it's about how you use it. Isn't an extraordinary life one that reaches out to others? The spirit in which you do things, rather than the things you do......!

[Ima saver]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

And I dance and don't care if anyone is watching!!

[Russell]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

Genchan, if my memory serves me right I thought you were doing quite well with your job at a young age. Did something change recently ? I don't remember you being even close to mid-life so what's this mid-life crisis talk about ?

[starving_student]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

****Disclaimer**** I think I'm going through a mid-life crisis...

BUT I really don't want to live an ordinary life. Is it possible to have an extraordinary life on a budget? When day to day life is taken trying to pay the bills and stay out of debt, how do you create an extraordinary life?

My bills are low so they sort of pay themselves. I live on 12 000$ (back to school) and I am doing ok. Actually beside a few more clothes and a ton of shoes they are not many more things that I would need even if I had the money to apy for them.

What do you mean by extraordinary?

[Ima saver]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

to me, it means being happy all the timeand loving what you have!![Automated by GetSmile]

[Haku]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

As it has already been implied, what constitutes an extraordinary life means different things to different people. For me, living an extraordinary life is to know the financial freedom from crushing debt and to see the wonder of compounding interest working in your favor!

[Ima saver]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

Haku, that is what I have achieved and you are right, it feels wonderful.

[BCHGRL]

Re: Living an extraordinary life on a budget???

Perhaps you can look at it this way -
Being on a budget will help you achieve an extraordinary life. If extraordinary life means traveling, budgeting and saving can help you achieve that goal. If an extraordinary life means advanced degrees, then budgeting and saving can help you achieve that goal also. And if extraordinary means touching the lives of others, there are plenty of ways to accomplish that on a budget. For example, volunteering can be a no cost endeavor.

The reader's digest often features stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They are heroic, they have passion for a cause, or they have overcome great tribulation. They are not featured because they are rich or have social status. They are featured because they are ordinary doing extraordinary things.