Needs versus Wants is a life lesson we all learned and need to revisit almost daily.  It’s something we try to explain to our children at the grocery store check out next to all the gum and candy.  It’s something we say in our heads right before we purchase that additional piece of clothing online that looks exactly like something in hanging in our closet. 

Melanie Lockert paid off $81,000 in student loans. She is a freelance writer and all-around side hustler currently living in Los Angeles, California. She runs a blog DearDebt.com where she shares her financial inspiration.