Setbacks, but not too set back

The main, final goal of the Financial Integrity plan is stash away enough savings in an interest bearing type of account so you can live (frugally) off the interest. For many people, this can take a decade or more, and that is fine. The point is, there is a goal, it's a hugely motivating goal, and it will keep you on track.

So, I have analyzed my spending habits. I have budgeted tighter than ever and realized it's not such a huge pain in the ass and it can actually be quite satisfying. I have paid off all revolving debt and am left with the larger debt of a car loan and my student loans. To do this within 3 months is huge for me, and it shows that I have a lot more room to "play" with my budget than I thought. Phase 2 is coming on now where I move in with my boyfriend, but rather than find a larger space for both of us, we are both minimizing our lives and staying in his inexpensive 1 bedroom. We both have fears about this because it's a small space and it's not the most pleasant place to live. The money saved will make it worth it, though, if only for a year or two.

Now that those plans are underway and the calculations are done, I see that I am still very far from the ultimate goal of the program. I don't know how to handle this information because I took this on with a real sense of urgency and now it feels like I'm still stuck in my current situation for many years to come. I have to increase my savings and eliminate about $40,000 total in debt before I'm truly DOING IT and I don't know how I'm going to stick out my current job for that long. It's never as easy as finding a new job, both because of the current economy and also because if I'm just jumping from one situation to another similar situation, what's the point?

As I try to not be disheartened by this realization, I am focusing on the good. By researching the rise of modern marketing and the creation of consumer culture, I feel like I've broken (mostly) free from a really horrible cycle. My goals of lessening my imprint on the earth, of minimizing my contribution to worldwide labor abuses, and of mindlessly giving my money to false promisers, have all been met. The changes are happening, even if they are too slow for my taste.