Recovery and Money - The Parallels Between Money and Addiction with Ms. Fiology, Deanna Broaddus

If there is one message Deanna Broaddus, who authors the blog Ms. Fiology, would like you to hear today, it is this.... IT IS NEVER TOO LATE! And Deanna speaks from experience.  HER ADDICTION Today Deanna shares her journey through addiction from a young girl experimenting with alcohol and how that evolved into drinking and drugging well into her 30's.  As a high functioning addict - it was not until the secret she had been hiding came to the forefront, that she eventually made the decision to seek help and, once and for all, fully address the root of her struggle with alcohol and drug.  THE TRANSITION After recovery, Deanna's next battle was to tackle was her debt. She was not sure what to do and found herself very overwhelmed. She drew upon her experience from recovery and began attacking her debt very strategically.   In 3.5 years she was able to pay off $47,000.00. She did this by doing something a lot of people in the forties would not do....she moved back in with her parents.  It was a humbling experience - but it also allowed her to attack her debt fiercely, she was putting 90% of her income towards debt, and because of this BIG MOVE - she reached her goal of debt freedom 2017.    Deanna's Key Components to Getting Out of Debt Budget - Zero-based Budget Accountability Method for paying off (Snowball/vs. Avalanche) Intensity The Importance of Community Deanna also credits her sobriety and her debt-freedom journey to Community.  She suggests that anyone new to Financial Independence seek out community.  Seek people and/or groups out.   Facebook.   Local Meet-ups. Podcasts. Blogs. Books. FIRE community! Why Community?  It’s important to surround yourself with like-minded people. They provide you with encouragement as well as get advice and tips. Deanna's Components to Success Community Accountability Having a Plan DEANNA ON THE FINAL QUESTIONS One money lesson (good or bad) learn growing up that she has carried over into her FIRE journey: Money equals freedom. Money is a tool that if used wisely it can help people and give freedom.  Deanna's Favorite Life Hack:    Time Blocking.  Time blocking allows her to tackle tasks and not allow them to over-take her schedule.  Recommended and Favorite Reads: The Wealthy Gardner, John Sevoric The Profit Dare, Tim Kaiser Simple Path to Wealth, JL Collins