Baraka_Guru

In simplest terms, to me it means being conscious of my spending, and to do it in a way that I can manage.

I usually go for days between times where I spend money, so when I do so, it's only after I've thought about it for a while. On average, I spend maybe once a week. A purchase over $30 happens maybe once or twice per month. The latter kind of spending only happens when I know I have the cash flow or I need something badly enough to use a credit card to get it. (This doesn't include obvious things such as rent, banking charges, debt payments, and other regular expenses.)

"Fiscal responsibility" means my debt is steadily decreasing, not increasing.

I recently peeked at my credit score for the first time in my life. I'm only 20 points away from the highest credit echelon, where I'd be deemed to have "excellent" credit. My credit rating is above the 65th percentile in Canada.

I have a low income, and my current debt-to-income ratio would appall many of you, but that doesn't stop me from being responsible and having it show.

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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot