How I Enjoyed My LIfe

I was never in a high paying job, but I always made more than I needed, even when I worked for $2 and $10/hour.  Remember, when I was working for $2/hour, gasoline was on $0.18/gallon and hamburgers were $0.15 each, and cigarettes were $0.25/pack.  Rent was between $75 to $125/month or 1-2 days pay for a 1-bedroom apartment.

For the 45 years that I worked, I always brought my lunch except for once or twice a month.  This saved me $25 to $50 each week...  or $1,250 to $2,500 each year.  Over a 40 year career that is $50,000 to $100,000....   JUST FOR LUNCH...

Can you imagine what you would save, if you gave up cigarettes, alcohol, buying new clothes each year to stay in fashion, or a new car every 3-5 years?

Speaking of cars...  I don't buy new cars.  I buy cars that are a year old that have been leased with low mileage.  I typically save thousands of dollars.  My 2015 Venza was a leased car that I drove to Ohio to purchase that only had 5,000 on the odometer.  It was a fully loaded Venza on top of that with a moon roof.  I saved over $10,000 and paid cash for the car so there would be no debt.  

Over 7 years later, I only have 80,000 on the odometer.  This car was purchased the year I retired, so I don't drive that much anymore.  A perfect investment.  I plan to keep it another 5 years or until I turn 80 years old...  I will pay cash for my next car as well.

Thirty-five (35) years ago, I quit smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, and buying things that I really did not need.  Can you imagine the amount of savings I have acquired over these last 35 years in addition to not buying lunch at work?

When I moved over to TN from NC in 1990 and met my second wife in 1993 and married her in 1998, we went somewhere every weekend until we both retired in 2015.  When we retired, we went on a week's vacation every month just because we could and we still were able to save money.

HOW DID WE DO THIS?

1. We drove instead of buying airline tickets
2. We used Delta frequent flyer points
3. We did not stay in the best hotels
4. We did not eat in the best restaurants
5. We book our time between weekends when the rates were cheaper

NOTE:  we have an American Express Delta credit card that we charge everything we can on from mortagage payments to utilities to tires, clothes, food, etc.  Each dollar gives us 1 point.  We still have 300,000 of unused Delta frequent flyer points to use someday.  We pay the credit card off before any interest is charged.

For the last 30 years, my second wife and I have lived a frugal lifestyle while not giving up anything that we wanted to do.  We are living no different financially than when we were both working, earning collectively almost $100,000 each year.

We have enough money saved to pay our bills for the next 30 years knowing that we will be blessed if we live another 20.