Are you debt-free and bored with your life? You’re not alone.
If you’ve just gone through the long, arduous process of getting out of debt, that requires so much focus and intensity, it’s natural to struggle with a feeling of boredom. I mean, you have just accomplished one of the most challenging, and emotional financial tasks of your lifetime. And, like any major accomplishment, the build-up tends to be bigger than the reality.
So, how do you combat this? I mean, life after debt is supposed to be this glorious, freeing accomplishment, right?
Right!
And that’s exactly why, in this post, I am going to show you how to spice up your debt-free lifestyle, and kick boredom to the curb.
Let’s get started!
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Addressing Your Debt-Free Boredom
When you go through a debt-free journey, there is a lot to do. You have to cut expenses, challenge yourself to live on less than you think you can, and even adopt new, productive habits. It’s challenging, and yet there is something innately satisfying about it. It’s what I refer to as a glorious struggle.
I know, that is a bit of an oxymoron, but let me explain. When you are presented with a challenge, you can either run from it, or tackle it head-on. And when you choose the latter, it’s thrilling.
So, even if you didn’t feel like it throughout the process, your debt-free journey was a thrill. And now that it’s over, that thrill is gone. Hence, your boredom.
Your boredom doesn’t even remotely come from your lack of debt. Debt is a wealth-destroyer, and going back into debt would not reduce your boredom — it would reduce your financial freedom.
Rather, if you want to reduce your boredom, you need to find a new challenge. You need a new thrill — which is what we will discuss next.
How To Spice Up Your Debt-Free Lifestyle
You worked too long and hard to get out of debt to just settle into a nice, boring debt-free life. That’s for the birds. The good news is, there are all sorts of ways to reduce the boredom you might be feeling with your debt-free lifestyle. So, if you’re ready for a little excitement, here are a few of my favorites.
1. Travel
If you had any designs on traveling when you first started getting out of debt, then now is the best time to do so. Without any debt holding you back, you should save for multiple vacations every single year, and use your debt-free lifestyle to see the world.
Seriously, when you were in debt, you were just throwing money down the drain that could have been spent on life-changing experiences. It’s time to capitalize on your cash-rich situation and make a point to save money for travel.
Plus, you can use all the frugal living skills you cultivated while you were getting out of debt to maximize the amount of money you save for your new adventures.
If travel is a dream of yours, then you shouldn’t ever be bored. There’s just too much to see.
Is travel something that you want to incorporate into your life? If so, be sure to read our post, 12 Week Travel Savings Plan ($1,000).
2. Start A Business
If you follow Be The Budget closely, you have probably figured out that I love just about everything to do with starting a business. And if you are out of debt, I will encourage you to start one of your own, all day long.
It is so much easier to start a business when you don’t have any debt. Without the pressure of monthly payments weighing you down, you can hit the ground running with a business that is quick and nimble.
You will be able to better serve your clients, level-out the ups and downs, and dominate your competition. Plus, you will be better prepared to handle all that extra income you make, because none of it will be going toward debt. Can you say profit?
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3. Learn A New Skill
Whether you are debt-free or not, there are too many skills to learn to ever suffer from boredom. And with the ease of access to online courses these days, you can learn most skills for less than a couple hundred dollars.
If you are looking for a few ideas for what you can learn online, here are a few of my favorites:
- Learn a new language
- Woodworking
- Leather working
- Web development
- Acting
- Learn To Play A Musical Instrument
- Blogging
- Writing
- Accounting
- Photography / Videography
You see, there are so many skills you can get out there and learn. You just need to commit to them like you committed to getting out of debt.
4. Commit To A New Financial Challenge
If the thrill of the chase while you were getting out of debt was what drove you, then you probably just need a new challenge. Though, if you are bored with your life, doing a no-spend challenge, or a 52-week savings challenge might not be enough.
I recommend you set a big, inspiring financial goal with and place as much importance on it as you did when you decided to get out of debt. In other words, you need to start chasing something awesome, and challenging.
When my wife and I got out of debt, we decided to start saving for a house. Now, most people just save for a down payment, but we decided that we want to pay cash. This goal is big enough, exciting enough, and difficult enough to keep us engaged for quite awhile. Plus, like getting out of debt, when people find out about our house savings goal, they often feel the need to educate us with their opinion on our financial life. (Which is exactly how we know we’re on the right track.)
On top of that, it’s like a boredom repeller. We get excited every time we talk about it.
If you want to kick the boredom out of your debt-free life, just commit to a new, daunting challenge. Like us, you could save to pay cash for a house. Or, you could set a goal to increase your net worth to over $1 million in the next 5 years. Whatever it is, just start chasing a new financial goal.
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5. Invest Like Crazy
One of the best things about being debt-free, is that you are unhindered by payments, and can therefore, invest your money like never before.
Dave Ramsey always says, “your income is your most powerful wealth-building tool.”
So, take advantage of how much income you just freed-up, and start investing. I know, this might not seem like a quick fix for your boredom, but when you start to see the power of compound interest work in your life, it’s anything but boring.
Like gas on a fire, when you start to watch your money grow, it will fuel your desire to add to your investments.
6. Read More Books
My whole life, I was not a reader. There were times I tried to be, but it just never seemed to click for me. Then, when I decided to get out of debt, I picked up a couple books about personal finance, and entrepreneurship, and my inner-reader came bursting out.
You see, all that time I told myself I wasn’t a reader, what was really going on, was that I wasn’t reading books about a subject that interested me.
Now, I am confident that reading is one of the best ways to conquer boredom. Not only does it fill your time with something productive, but books can inspire you to do bigger and better things than you ever imagined.
So, if you are debt-free and bored, pick up a good book and get reading.
7. Be Generous
On this website, I often speak of how money is nothing more than a tool. You can either use a tool to build something great, or you can use a tool for destruction. And if you are bored with your life, you might just need to use your money as a tool to make the world around you a better place.
You see, one of the best benefits of getting out of debt, is that it gives you more of an opportunity to give to those that are struggling around you. And most times — at least in my experience — helping someone in need is the best way to change your perspective on your own life.
I think there are times we all need a bit of a perspective change. I don’t care if you are rich beyond belief, newly debt-free, or struggling to make ends meet, serving others — financially, physically, or spiritually — will give your life purpose, and improve your outlook.
8. Get In Shape
Whenever I am getting a little bored with life, I try to take my frustration out on the gym.
Exercise is one of the best things you can do when you are suffering from boredom. It improves your health, gets you out of your own head, and can help improve your attitude.
Like getting out of debt, you should challenge yourself at the gym. Take this time to lose that weight you’ve always wanted to lose. Sign up for a marathon and get to work. If you are a thrill seeker, then set a goal to climb a bunch of 14’ers this year.
I can tell you that working out harder than you ever have, and getting in shape, is one of the best ways to conquer any boredom in your debt-free lifestyle.
Final Thoughts
Getting out of debt is a difficult, time-consuming challenge. So, when you finally accomplish your goal, it’s natural to feel a sense of let down and boredom. Just don’t let that feeling consume your thoughts and actions.
Rather, you need to get out there and start a new challenge. You worked hard to get out of debt. Now, use your newfound financial freedom to do more with your life than you ever thought possible!
