Freeing Yourself From Your Financial Shackles

Julie Starr • September 10, 2020



Everyone has a financial history. A lot of us are tied down by financial relationships and parts of our history that can make it hard for us to be as conscientious with our money as possible. Here, we’re going to look at the financial shackles that bind most people today, as well as steps that you can take to get free of them. These steps are directed towards supporting financial health. We all know that so move forward sustainably, whether in business and/or our individual lives, having integrity in our finances is essential. In fact, financial independence isn’t easy to achieve and it often does involve taking on some risk, but it can be important in order to make sure you’re not beholden to financial institutions outside yourself.

Investing in yourself
 The biggest shackle that keeps most people chained down in long financial relationships that don’t work in their interest is everyone’s need to work. There is an argument to be made that the current job market is coercive by nature. This is one of the main reasons that so many people want to get away from the standard nine to five. Consider looking at your own potential to start a business and take control of both how and when you work and how you spend or invest the money that you make from your own business. This is where much of the risk of becoming financially independent truly comes from.

Making your money work for you
 One of the most important steps towards being financially free and not having to rely on any employer or other money institution is to become as self-sufficient as possible. When it comes to your finances, one of the best ways to do that is to have your money put into investments that can grow your wealth over time. If you’re solely working for the money that you own, there is a cap on how much wealth you’re able to create and earn by yourself. By learning to invest , you can instead make sure that your money is doing the work for you. Investing in the right assets can see you making returns that can even provide a living through dividends, though it can a lot of time and luck to get to that point.

Optimizing your savings rate
 Putting your money into investments is often considered the surest way to wealth, but that doesn’t mean that is where all of your earnings that aren’t spent on necessary expenses should go. Savings do not offer the same kind of potential gains as investments in most markets, but they do offer the chance to have your money slowly grow while providing some protection and liquid assets for you when you need them. Having liquid assets available means you can be more flexible to a financial crisis in your life. As such, you should start saving as soon as possible to ensure you have those protections in place and to help you take advantage of compound interest , letting your savings grow significantly larger with enough time.

Don’t let credit errors go unchecked
 Debt and credit relationships are another prime example of a long-standing financial relationship that most people do not want to be in and, sometimes, may have had no say of getting into. There are clerical errors all the time that can lead to debts and outstanding balances being assigned to the wrong person. Simple mistakes these may be, but they can have a profound impact on your financial health is not addressed. As such, it’s worth taking the time to look up your credit report and to inspect every record that appears on it. You may find that a debt has been assigned to you, or an account with a financial institution has been opened up, but you’re not really responsible for it. You can get these black marks erased from your record if you’re truly not responsible.

Can your debt be discharged?
 If you have a debt assigned to you, there are other ways to get rid of it as well. If you’re in the situation that the debt has been fraudulently assigned to you, then you should take a look at what can a secured party creditor do to help you discharge that debt. Otherwise, you may be able to have your debt reduced and discharged by negotiating the lender. For instance, you may be able to argue to pay off a lump sum reduced payment to have them take the rest of the debt off the table. In other situations, you may be able to negotiate to have the debt payments reduced and paid over a longer period of time to make it easier to keep up with payments.

Cutting up your credit cards
 Once you have your debts paid off, then it may be time to consider closing the loop on those open lines of credit entirely. A lot of people can find the temptation of an open overdraft or a credit card too hard to resist in the long-term. However, if you are going to cancel your credit cards and close open lines of credit, you have to do it with care. For instance, you should follow the point below to have financial protections in place. If you don’t have any other options, credit can be a useful tool to help you pay off sudden emergency costs, so you should ensure you have those protections so that you don’t have to rely on it. Furthermore, anticipate that closing your credit accounts could lower your credit score to some degree.

Avoiding debt in future
 Aside from the protections that we’re going to cover, there are plenty of ways to ensure your financial independence by preventing yourself from getting into debt, otherwise. For instance, one of the most valuable tools in any financially responsible individual’s arsenal is an app that can track your expenses and compare them to your planned budget. This can help ensure you don’t step over any lines that could get you into financial trouble and otherwise help you get to learn your spending habits so that you can better correct them in the future.

Consider relocating
 Geographic realities can sometimes feel as limited as financial ones. However, though they may not be easy to access, you have just as many choices revolving around your geographic situation as you do your financial one. Relocating could help you achieve financial independence all the sooner. For instance, you could move into a market where your business is better able to take off, or to a place where the costs of living are low enough that you can more easily get rid of debt and start contributing towards your savings.

Protect your finances
 As mentioned, to prevent yourself from falling into debt when an emergency cost comes your way, it’s important to have protection for your finances. Some would consider that an insurance policy is the kind of long-standing financial agreement that makes it difficult to attain financial independence, but when it comes to choosing between crippling debt and recurring insurance payments, it’s worth choosing the latter every time. Aside from figuring out which insurance policies you should be paying for , you can also put in place an emergency fund. The emergency fund has fallen out of favor lately, as a lot of people have trouble saving enough money to make one. However, if you get a windfall of cash, it’s a good way to make use of it.

While you can’t escape the financial realities of the past and how they influence you today, you can take steps to shake of the shackles that might otherwise keep you from making the proper use of your money for years to come.

5 Simple Ways to Make Your Online Business More Sustainable

By Julie Starr • August 9, 2025
Running an online business can feel like a constant balancing act. You’re trying to grow, keep customers happy, and still have time for yourself. The trick to making it all work long-term is to build habits and systems that last. You don’t need a complicated plan or endless resources to do it either. Here are five straightforward ways to make your business more sustainable without overcomplicating things. Focus on long-term customer relationships If you want your business to last, you need customers who keep coming back. That doesn’t just happen because you’ve got a good product or service. It’s about making people feel valued every time they interact with you. Simple things like remembering their name, following up after a purchase, or sending a quick thank-you email can make a huge difference. People are far more likely to support a business they feel connected to, so keep those relationships personal and genuine rather than purely transactional. Make your marketing work smarter A big part of sustainability is making sure your marketing isn’t draining your time or money. You want it to be efficient and get results. This is where working with seo consultants can help. They know how to make sure people can find your business online without you throwing cash at random ads. Even if you can’t hire someone right now, you can start by focusing on keywords, improving your website’s loading speed, and posting valuable content that answers the questions your customers are already asking. Streamline your products or services It’s tempting to try to offer everything to everyone, but that’s rarely a good idea. The more you offer, the more time, money, and resources you’ll end up using. Instead, focus on the things you do best and make them as good as they can be. When you streamline what you’re selling, you can put all your energy into perfecting it, which makes it easier to maintain quality over time. Customers notice when you consistently deliver something great, and they’ll trust you more for it. Keep an eye on your finances No matter how much you enjoy the creative or customer side of your business, the numbers are what will keep you going long-term. That means knowing what’s coming in, what’s going out, and where you can cut costs without cutting quality. Set yourself a monthly check-in to look at your spending and profits. If you spot something that’s not working financially, don’t leave it for months, hoping it will improve. Tackle it early and you’ll avoid bigger problems down the road. Look after yourself You can’t run a sustainable business if you’re running yourself into the ground. Burnout isn’t just bad for you, it’s bad for your customers and your bottom line. Make sure you’re setting boundaries, taking breaks, and switching off when you can. That might mean scheduling a full day without work every week or turning your phone off after a certain time. The more balanced you are, the better decisions you’ll make, and the easier it will be to keep your business moving forward without constantly feeling like you’re in survival mode. Sustainability in business isn’t about doing one big thing; it’s about making intelligent, consistent choices that build over time. Start small, keep checking in on your progress, and before you know it, your business will feel a lot steadier and more future-proof than it did before.

Sustainable Choices That Heavy Industry Businesses Can Easily Make

By Julie Starr • August 8, 2025
Are you hoping to build a heavy industry business? It’s the kind of company that can have globally sweeping positive and negative effects. On the one hand, you’re contributing to the industry, ensuring there’s enough supply to meet demand, and you can do your best to operate in a sustainable way that prioritizes the environment. But on the other hand, the heavy industry has long been the most significant business polluter in the world. Despite advancements in industry technology and usage, their ranking relative to other sectors, such as food and beverage , and shipping and logistics, has remained unchanged as of 2025. Requiring extensive use of large, heavy, and expensive machinery, the fumes produced by heavy-duty factories in sectors like mining, aerospace, nautical, and metal production regularly cause harm to both human and animal life. It’s why anyone interested in investing or scaling within an industry like this needs to focus on their company’s carbon footprint. There are various ways to ensure you’re limiting your harmful output and waste, and you’ll want to use as many as possible within your operation. Check out our recommendations below. Work with Green Suppliers No matter what stage you sit at in the hypothetical supply chain, you’re likely to source at least part of your overall production material from a supplier. If that’s not the case, you’ll still need to work with companies that provide machinery and equipment, as well as replacement parts for these industrial items. All in all, to make as sustainable a choice as possible, you’ll want to commit to working with a ‘green’ supplier who makes eco-conscious choices at every step. Eco-friendly suppliers will strive to both implement sustainable practices within their production line, as well as provide sustainably made and/or extracted materials. The products and/or parts they send out are likely to be recyclable when they reach their end-of-life period, or they’ll run a scheme where you can send old or broken parts back to them. Offset Your Carbon Emissions Offsetting carbon emissions converts the waste output from your operations into something more positive. If you’re interested in programs like this , you can use official government platforms or climate charity websites to contribute. You’ll be able to find a variety of projects that have been undertaken to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, and they’ll be located in various regions across the world. You can choose to patronise as many of them as you wish, but if you want to focus on specific types, you’ll also be able to do so. When approaching a program like this, it’s usually best to offset month by month, as this helps you stay on top of your carbon footprint. Be sure to invest in as much carbon removal per tonne as your business has potentially contributed to the atmosphere in the last month. But before you go any further, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind here: Carbon offsetting is just one sustainable practice you can turn to, but it’s not the only one your business will ever need to use. Yes, it’s one of the most sustainable practices a heavy industry business can invest in. But that’s only true when it’s partnered with real-time carbon-lowering efficiencies within day-to-day operations. Repair, Rather Than Throw Away Repairing is the best option if a repair is possible. This should be the first step when evaluating old or broken-down equipment. If it can be salvaged, it should be. Otherwise, you’ll have to replace the equipment in question. Not only is that expensive, but it also means more waste to manage. And not all heavy industry tech can be recycled. Sometimes it’s potentially hazardous and needs to be disposed of carefully, and this could have harsh impacts on the surrounding environment. Repairing is your best bet, at least 80% of the time. You can get back up and running faster, and you don’t need to account for a large investment at short notice. And more equipment can be repaired than you might think. It’s not just small, singular parts that can be pulled out. Entire internal systems in even large vehicles, such as freighter ships, can be replaced by secondary parts. A marine logistics provider or deep-sea fishing operator would save a lot of money just by ordering a Cummins Rebuild Kit for one of their vessels. Deciding to put the ship out of commission and eventually scrapping it will contribute to the large-scale waste common in companies like this. Aiming to repair and limit environmental damage will get that same boat back onto the waters in seaworthy condition. Operate with Lower Emission Logistics Shipping your products to businesses and markets always generates a carbon footprint. Unless you’re operating only within the local area and you’re able to transport products back and forth on foot, this is an unavoidable issue. And seeing as you’re a heavy industry business, that’s not very likely. But some shipping options are better than others. Indeed, there are low-emission choices to be made, and you’ll want to look into these logistic partners only. You’ll likely find that air travel is a total no-go zone. Alternatives to this are long-haul road transportation or a traditional shipping company that operates via sea. Yes, even trucking your products over land generates a lot less carbon waste that can damage the environment than flying something! Staying Green as a Heavy Industry Player Working sustainably within the heavy industry is a career-long project. You’ll need to continually make moves to consider what could be streamlined into something greener and less consuming next. In the end, this can help your long-term costs decrease and stay low. Fewer risky investments, fewer fees from environmental bodies, and more productive time within your business. So, it’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it