Which do I do first?

Essentially, I want to live below my means because I want to have a security blanket sufficient enough for emergencies and year long support. I don't know where this desire comes from. I have always enjoyed saving more than spending. I didn't even want my parents to spend money on gifts for me or treat me to birthday parties and extravagant affairs so that we always had enough in savings. In fact, if I buy something that is on my want list and not my need list I get a bit anxious inside. Is that weird? 

I want to enjoy the work I do to earn money. I want my future children to take on my energy of appreciation and excitement for the work I do. I want to feel pride and dignity and joy each day. That is what everyone deserves. We should not feel shame for what we do not have. We should have honesty, integrity, and pride in ourselves and our behavior. So where do we start?

For me, I have to start where I am right now. I have quite a bit of student loan debt, a few months of job searching and a personal finance course under my hat. The more I learn about finance, the more I realize how vital it is to know and to survive in this day and age. Why in the world is finance not required coursework in school?! It makes no sense to me. People get taken advantage of all the time because of a lack of basic financial knowledge. What I see now, having made a few mistakes, and undoubtedly will make a few more, when I find myself traveling in the wrong direction, I can always make a u-turn. Where I am now is a reflection of past decisions. I have control over what I think, say and do. I see that it is important to do what is right not necessarily what is easy. Having financial knowledge is the key. No one is going to care about my money more than I do. Time is on my side. Now is time to invest and save in order to amass an abundance of wealth for retirement. Yes, the sooner we invest in retirement the better off we will all be. 

So what should I do- pay off my student debt or start saving with the new job I have now? Why does it have to be either-or? Isn't it funny how we always think in terms of this or that? Why can't we do both? We can portion our income into parts. So I can make minimum payments on my student debt, cut back on my expenses, rent a smaller apartment, put some of my money into the company retirement account, hopefully the company will match part or all of the money I contribute, put part of my money into an emergency savings account and make a habit to take care of my money like I take care of my health so I will be ok and eventually when I can take care of myself, I can take care of others. This is the dream. 

Even if I had an incredible FICO score, it doesn't matter if I cannot live securely and rest assured I will be able to function and survive through the years. Yes credit- wisely using money- is really important. Getting a credit card from a credit union, such as one from creditcardconnection.org can be beneficial on both sides. The key is information, not just going about life blindly. Take back your power, make your own decisions armed with knowledge. Not all credit unions are good, but there are institutions that have capped interest rates and can be a good place to have a credit card. 

There are so many issues far beyond what I may talk about in a single post, but the main idea I simply want to convey is seek knowledge and make your own decisions. Student debt is the most dangerous debt. It is the only kind of debt that cannot be discharged by bankruptcy. It is vital to pay back student loans as soon as possible. It is also vital to save for retirement and build up financial cushions early and be able to support yourself and all of the people who are and will be dependent upon you.