Then & Now

[Shell]

I was thinking how much wiser I am now with money over the last 10 years and the things I have learned.

10 Years Ago . . .

On payday ran to the mall spent almost everything and hoped to have enough for bills.

Didn't save for a rainy day

Owed on several credit cards

Had no food in pantry

Now hopefully, I am a little wiser . . .

I pay myself first.
I have money in my emergency account. Almost all my credit cards are paid off and I have cut up most of them. I have stored months worth of food in my pantry . . . just in case. I even have first aid kits and emergency kits.

Hmmm, I wonder what I will be doing in another 10 years? I hope I can say my house is paid off.

How were you 10 years ago and what are you doing now?

[Dixie]

Ten years ago, living paycheck to paycheck. Now, we have a savings account. (albeit a small one)
Ten years ago, I bought food enough to last a week, now I stockpile. Then we only had a refrigerator freeze, now we have a large chest freezer.
Then, I bought clothes for my family and I as we needed them, now, I buy clearanced clothes, for the next season. I've always bought stuff from yard sales, but I'm talking about the items I couldn't find at ys.
I had four dkids at home ten years ago and now only have two, since the older two have flown the nest. So things are a lot easier. Well financially, anyway. I miss the older guys like crazy. Sniff, sniff.

[summercat]

10 years ago I was making less on disability then I am now.
As far as food went, we didn't have much {me & my oldest DD} I tried to make what we did have stretch for the whole month.
Never had a credit card & I was in debt.

Now I am out of debt make more $$ on disability have a pantry full of food and have 1 c.c. since I do all my shopping online and can afford it

[Lori Biever-Launder]

Ten years ago, DH had a new job that paid much less than his old one and we had a one year old and a brand new baby. I was stressed to the max (no sleep, no sex, no TIME! ) and completely broke. I can remember spending 17.++ (can't remember the cents amount) for groceries for an entire MONTH that year. Our anniversary dinner was a $4.95 take and bake pizza--that first we had had in MONTHS! Boy, did it taste GOOD.

I was very happy that I had a good stockpile of food. We ate out of our freezer and made a lot of stews, beans, etc. We didn't starve, but did have some very tight moments.

[PrairieRose]

10 yrs. ago we had 3 kids at home, all in the high school age range. We bought each of them a car and have since put each through college (with the help of some nice scholarships). We had little money but always just enough. We've always eaten well but we didn't always watch our pennies and now we're wishing we had. We're almost completely debt free and have a stock pile of food now and no kids. Man it's amazing how much difference 10 years makes! (oh we have savings and a retirement fund now)