Personal Finances & The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

Hey There! Lately, I've been immersing myself in personal finance websites and blogs. What I want to accomplish more than anything in the next five years is to become financially independent. I realize that being financially independent means different things to different people, so I've listed below what being financially independent means to me:

• No longer needing public assistance (SSI included)
• Having a 12 month emergency fund
• Have a vehicle paid for outright ($3k - 6k)
• Renting my own apartment and paying utilities on my own (No Roommates)
• Sending my children to a Montessori school or educating them at home
• Having steady streams of income (Including substantial investments)
• Being able to donate time, love, and money to things I care about without worrying about how much money I might be losing out on (Volunteering, Religious/Spiritual, Tutoring, and Teaching)

With the economy the way it is, I saw these goals as a pipe dream. After researching and tracking my own spending habits, I've found that even I can save money on this meager budget. And while I may not become a millionaire, I can begin my journey towards financial stability right now, instead of waiting until later. Cutting extras from my everyday life doesn't mean I'm sacrificing the quality of my life. There are still plenty of things I can treat myself and my family to without feeling deprived and pressured to "binge spend" to make up for the subsequent unhappiness of extreme scrimping. Things I'm doing to save money in 2014:

• Eating out every other month instead of once a month (+ $240/YR)
• Using the library or free online resources instead of buying books from Amazon (+ $60/YR)
• Using premium streaming services (Amazon Prime, HuluPlus, and Netflix) instead of going to the movies (+ $200/YR)
• Going to museums when they're free instead of during "pay days" (+ $240/YR)
• Buying non-perishable items frequently used/consumed when they're on sale, rather than waiting until I run out (+ $600)

Just by doing these few things, I could possibly be saving over $1300 a year! That means I'm living in excess by more than $100 a month. I would love to see my savings grow and still have the same quality of life, rather than continue to overspend and complain about never having enough money. There are so many things I can do to reduce my spending without being hypervigilant, but I never noticed until I began reading more about personal finance. So, my question to you guys is: What things can you do in your life to reduce your spending without reducing the quality of your life? Leave your answers in the comments below! Until next time friends, ~ Domonique ~ Facebook | Twitter