OFFICIALLY FREE OF STUDENT DEBT: The importance of treating yourself
TODAY!!!! I sent in my last OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) Payment.
$21,145 to be exact.
What a journey this has been! Before beginning this financial journey I thought a lot about the lows I would experience during this savings journey as well as all of the highs I would experience post paying off my debt.
The Lows included: missing out on a lot of events, birthdays, parties, monumental moments in loved ones lives but most of all, this savings goal came with a lot of judgment. Ignorant comments about how cheap I am, how much I don't contribute, how much I don't support people financially.
But at the end of the day those discouraging and rude comments helped me stay whole, centred, focused, they almost pushed me to keep saving. Sometimes you have to be selfish and miss out on fun to be successful; that's just reality.
The Highs included: Seeing my saving grow drastically, I went from consistently having $2-3k saved to having over $15,000 in my account. It was a fun sight to see and made me feel like I could save for anything at any time. This goal helped me grow discipline, set goals, achieve and succeed in all aspects of my life. No goal is to challenging for me at this point.
I thought trying to lose weight, or pass a class was hard; try saving almost half your yearly salary.
Regardless! This whole journey was completely worth it. I am 25 years old, I have no student debt, no car note, no bank card credit debt. I can start fresh and take a break FINALLY!
Treat yourself--
My plan at the end of this journey was to go on a big trip to Tulum, Mexico. Relax at a luxury villa with my loved ones. But obviously, COVID has different plans for us all. My new plan is just to simply take a break from saving. July will be filled with spending time and money with friends and family. Buying some of the things I think about such as clothing and gym equipment.
I'm excited to finally spend for a month and then refocus and get back to saving for my next goal! Which I will talk about in my next blog!
Thanks for reading :)
-Coll