People tell me that I don’t really understand financial hardship. That is not correct. They see me where I am today, and not where I was 20 years ago.

When I started my financial journey, I was broke, REALLY broke. I lost virtually everything! Talk about financial hardship!!!  But, from that, I was able to turn everything around and come out of a long dark tunnel into the light.

Now, my life is very different. While I still look at needs vs. wants, I am able to afford a few wants which I couldn’t do 20 years ago. It’s hard to believe how much I learned and had to change in order to accomplish what I have. And while 20 years seems like a long time, it didn’t take me that long to go from the start of my journey to where I am now.

Hubby died in December of 2004 which is when my journey started. I was able to retire in June of 2017 with enough saved in retirement and emergency funds so that I wouldn’t have to work part time if I didn’t choose that option.

So, what is the moral of this week’s story? I learned was that if you stay focused on your goals and are tenacious with your plan, you can achieve financial independence. Financial hardships can be turned around.  I know it can be done because I did it. So can you!