Just Like Dorothy

About two years ago, my sister-in-law asked me to host a workshop on personal finance for her women's church group as part of a larger seminar on providential living and self-sufficiency. Since my segment was towards the end, we only had about 20 minutes left, so I decided to open it up for questions from the audience instead of giving my planned presentation.

One lady with blond hair, probably in her early thirties, asked me how to get out of debt. I suggested a couple of tactics and several resources to which she could refer to for more details. She quickly responded that she had already tried those things, but they didn’t help because she and her husband were still in debt. She enumerated several challenges to her situation and explained to me why those ideas wouldn’t work.

Of course I listened…but probably not very nicely (I’m sure there was an eye roll or two in there). When she finished, she asked me again for an answer to her problems. She seemed like Dorothy asking the Wonderful Wizard of Oz to wave the magical money wand and make her debt go away so she could go home to live in continual financial bliss. I didn’t respond right away because I wanted to be sure I should say what I was thinking. Yep…I did.

“Look,” I said, “I understand that you find yourself in a very challenging situation, but there is no magic spell to make money problems go away. No matter what the tactic is that you employ to eliminate your debt, the fundamental issue is your desire. You have to want to get out of debt more than anything else…or it ain’t gonna happen! I guarantee that there will always be something else to spend your money on; there will always be another bill to pay. You have to make this goal your number one priority. That is the only way to get out of debt...and stay out.”

I don’t think I made many friends that night...but it’s what I believe. Paying off debt, and continuing to live without it, is challenging. That’s no surprise. So, just as I told Dorothy, we have to want it more than anything else; if we don’t, there will always be something that will keep us from achieving a debt-free lifestyle. Furthermore, in the actual story of the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, not the Wizard, possessed the means to return home on her own, but she had to choose it. Likewise, we are the sole answer to our money problems. We’re the ones responsible for making poor choices with our money; however, it is also true that we can make wise choices with that same money. It all comes down to priorities.

I’ve made a commitment to myself to not borrow money, but it’s still a struggle sometimes to live that way. I have to guard my thoughts and actions continually by remembering what my priorities are and being honest with my intentions. I can’t rationalize why I should do it “just this once” because it’s a slippery slope back down into that I’m-deep-in-debt-and-completely-broke-again hole. I’m not saying that I will never, ever borrow money again. That’s probably not realistic, but I can achieve the life that I truly value sooner by keeping my priorities straight.

Each person and situation is different, and we each need to do what we think is best for ourselves, even if that includes borrowing money or delaying complete debt repayment for a time. It is not inherently evil to use debt. I’ve used it. Just about everybody has used it. It’s a part of life. But it’s also something that I need to remain vigilant about, or before I know it, I’ll have set the life I really want aside for what appeals to me right now.