For those of us in the United States, Independence Day is coming up. Coincidentally, Consumerism Commentary began two years ago this month. This website is also concerned with independence -- financial independence.

Writing here forces me to take a look at my finances. I had to take a look at the many mistakes I made prior to actively thinking about managing my money, and creating a weblog to track my progress made perfect sense.

This isn't to say I haven't made mistakes after starting the blog. I still make purchases whose only justification is to statisfy my desire for "things," but unlike several years ago, I can generally afford to do that once in a while.

Thanks to everyone who has been reading the past few years (as well as those who have joined in over the past few months).

Today, Grace Wong from CNN Money offers three steps for declaring a goal of financial independence, tying the idea to the holiday theme. It's a little bit of a simplification, but nonetheless true. Her steps: set the goal, assess the cost, and craft the plan.

My plan is to have a great weekend.

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