So you’ve found the website and you’re learning all these new great things! You can’t wait to get started!

There’s only one small problem…
You can’t afford it.

Does something like this sound familiar to you? Have you or a friend of yours ever experienced a situation in which you wanted to do something but there was a financial roadblock?

Quite often, I get emails with readers mentioning how they can’t buy certain vitamins or participate in such and such because they’re too expensive.

And it’s perfectly understandable because I’ve also had the same thoughts before, and here’s how I dealt with it.

Ray, How Much Do YOU Make?

As of now, here’s a little bit about me and my situation for those of you who are wondering. Keep in mind that I’m not a multi-billionaire, I don’t make six figures, I don’t even have a full time job.

Right now, I go to graduate school full time and work part time at an office. And I’ll put it out there, as of now, I make about $1,000.00 a month after taxes.

+ $1000 Income/Month
- $450 Rent & Utilities
- $100 Driving/Gas
- $50 Cell Phone
- $250 Lunch, Dinner, Food
————————-
+ $150 Remaining

For those of you who can work more hours or don’t go to school, no excuses.

This isn’t including miscellaneous spending, vitamins, loans for college, nightlife, or other unexpected costs such as leaks, housing repairs, car repair, late charges, etc…

This also isn’t including the side eBay business that I have buying and selling electronics, which I do as a side job because well… I’ve had to in order to support myself because roughly $1,000 just isn’t going to cut it.

But you have to realize that a lot of the foods and vitamins that I recommend tie in with the $250 I spend on lunch, dinner, and food because … IT IS FOOD!

So that’s my situation… and I’ll admit, sometimes things come up and that $150 at the end of the month isn’t always well… let’s just say it’s not $150, if you know what I mean. But I manage to get through it because I know that this is just a temporary period before I complete the Dietetic graduate program and can start my career consulting and advising.

RAY, HOW MUCH DID YOU SPEND ON VITAMINS?

When I was really hardcore, I spent about $80~$100 on vitamins and supplements a month. But keep in mind that I probably didn’t know as much as I do now, I was buying all the top name brand products, and I was really, really into being “healthy.”

I burned through health books and would often read them two or three times just to fully absorb the material. I took 15+ vitamins every day and drank green drinks, ate probiotics, etc… It was actually pretty insane, I’ll admit.

ARE YOU ASKING US TO DO THE SAME THING?

In no way am I asking anybody to do what I did or be as dedicated as I was, however, I’d hope you all can understand and empathize with the mindset that I had.

I was determined to clear my skin.

I wanted to figure it out.

I didn’t care what I had to sacrifice to move on from this point in my life.

Consequences be damned.

I was going to do whatever it took to have acne free clear skin.

And that’s exactly what I did.

And I did it.

But that’s my story. Your story may be a little different.

WAYS YOU CAN AFFORD ACNE FREE CLEAR SKIN

These are things that I did to give me more financial freedom so that I could dedicate more resources to what I wanted. And at the time, for me, it was doing what it took to clear my face.

1.) Cut back on excess spending

We all do this. Do you really need that new leather jacket? Do you really need that new cell phone? How many times would you really use that thingamajig? How many times are you actually going to wear those new earrings?

Does it really have to be new? Can it be used? Can you find the same or better pair of jeans at a vintage clothing store (Yes you can =). Should really buy that video game console? Would it really bring you any good in your life?

How many times would you actually wear those shoes? Do you really need a new pair? Should you eat out tonight or just dine in? Is drinking alcohol really necessary so often?

How much money have you spent that you really don’t need to?

And there’s a reason I put this as the first bullet point. We all need to ask ourselves this question:

Is there something in your life that you’re putting off that you shouldn’t be? Is there something in YOUR life that you need to deal with that you haven’t yet?

What I’m saying is simple: I realized early on that, at least for me, no matter if I bought a new Playstation video game, a cool new blazer jacket, or ate out at the fancy restaurant with my friends that Friday night, none of this would bring me as much happiness as it all would if I had clear skin.

And that before I do “any of that,” I should focus all my efforts on clearing my skin first.

So whatever “any of that” is for you, maybe “it” needs to be put aside and we need to focus on something that we’ve been putting off for a little too long.

2.) Start a side business

We all need to be smart with our savings. If you’re not making enough, think of little ways to make more and if you are business savvy enough, you probably don’t need my advice =).

After all, this website/blog is about acne not about financial wellness. Although, I am open to suggestions or comments if you have any great ideas you want to share =)

3.) Sell your meaningless possessions

Let’s face it guys and gals, sometimes there’s stuff in your closet that you simply just don’t use anymore.

Sell it.

eBay, Craigslist, vintage clothing stores, pawn shops, your friends and family, whatever.

And ladies (or gentlemen), if you haven’t used or worn that [insert whatever that may be here], for over [insert however long that may be here], you probably DON’T NEED IT.

4.) Trade down

Sometimes you don’t need that iPhone, sometimes you don’t need that new monitor or new sound system, sometimes you don’t need a 80″ DLP television.

Trade down, get a smaller TV, a less expensive cell phone, a used monitor off eBay.

There, instant money in your pocket.

5.) Be smart about your eating habits

Though I mentioned it earlier, sometimes you don’t need to eat out. You don’t need to go to that $ restaurant on Yelp.com, you can go to a $ restaurant with your friends. If you can’t afford it, there’s no reason in trying to pretend like you can, you’re only hurting yourself.

Eat less junk food. In fact, I’d actually recommend not eating any if you have the willpower. Spend grocery money on other foods instead that are healthy and worth your time and resources.

And I’m not going to lie, I’ve done all these things, not just for the sake of my skin, but for many things that I wanted in life. I’ve stopped putting off what’s important to me and tackled real issues that were uncomfortable for me to deal with in my life. I’ve worked multiple jobs and spent countless hours thinking of ways to be clever with my money, I’ve cleared out my closet and sold useless things that I’ve had for just a little too long, I’ve traded down and bought at used, vintage clothing stores, and I’ve wised up when it comes to my eating habits.

Take it one step at a time, you can do it to. What’s important is that you’re committed.

HOW MUCH IS ACNE FREE CLEAR SKIN WORTH TO YOU?

So let me ask you something: what would you sacrifice to get this acne problem over with right now and be able to move on with your life?

Well… to figure that out, most of us would have to ask ourselves what it’s cost you over the years?

How many opportunities have you missed because of acne?

How many times have you NOT talked to that girl or NOT talked to that beautiful woman because you thought that she’d never give you a chance because of your face? How many times have you seen that cute guy but thought he’d probably like that other girl better because she was so much prettier than you? How much opportunities have you given up because you DON’T HAVE CLEAR SKIN LIKE OTHER PEOPLE DO?

Sorry if this hits home for some of you but this was exactly how I used to think. And mannn… did I miss a TON of opportunities.

How many friends have you missed out on because you didn’t want to go out because you were ashamed of that pimple on your nose? How many laughs have you sacrificed because you were too ashamed to just be yourself and instead were self conscious about your skin?

Tell me, what is this worth to you?

How much of your college experience did you sit aside and watch because your skin broke out and you didn’t want to be “seen” this way?

Were you that girl that people made fun of because you had pimples? Have you ever been hurt before because others laughed at your acne and complexion?

How many hours, days, months, YEARS have you spent being self conscious about your acne and your skin?

What is this worth to you?

I used to spend hours and hours in front of the mirror just staring at myself. Turning away and looking back, I’d often try hard and imagine myself with clear skin.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably held your hands up to your cheeks and covered up your acne, trying to imagine what you would look like the day that you finally cleared your skin.

Have you ever been so frustrated with your complexion that you just wished you could rip off that top layer and stick a new one on?

How many hours have you spent obsessing about your skin, watching ProActiv commercials, thinking about acne, being self conscious with other people, looking at yourself in the mirror when you could have been out socializing, making new friends, making more money, investing in a career, working out and investing in your body, or just NOT thinking about acne?

How much have you ALREADY spent on facial products, creams, cleansers, topicals, antibiotics, dermatologists, appointments, ProActiv, natural pills, herbs, “magical” solutions, surgeries, tools, gadgets, treatments, magazines, books, manuals, etc…???

Really, how much is this worth to you?

Because it was worth a lot to me. And I though I don’t think how I became who I am now was a mistake, there are definitely thousands of moments in my life that I would do over again if I could rewind time with who I am now.

And if not incredibly frustrating, it can sometimes stunt people emotionally, destroy self esteem and even ruin lives, if you are stuck with problem in your life like acne that just won’t let you move on.

HOW I CAN HELP

Read the HICMA articles. The more you know, the better off you’ll be. It’s a lot easier getting to your destination when you know which direction to take. You don’t want to be heading North for 30-40 miles and then suddenly turn and decide that it would be better to go South.

Watch the HICMA videos. I have a channel on youtube.com that I started, please visit THIS LINK.

Do your own research. I admit that I don’t know everything (though it would be pretty cool if I did), sometimes you have to go find out on your own. And if you’re nice enough, you’ll bring it back for the “tribe” to share. Because, like I love to say, “sharing is caring =).

Register to Tour Ray’s Life. At that point in my life, I was so desperate, I would’ve definitely hired an acne health coach if there was one. Some people have asked me if I do personalized sessions so I decided to look into something like that. If you want personalized, one-on-one coaching with yours truly to go through your lifestyle detail by detail and how I do everything and anything that I do and have done. For insider information on acne, behind the scenes secrets, what I don’t talk about on my website, CLICK HERE.

How many more hours are you going to waste on acne?

Then do something about it.

I hope all of you who have read my article enjoyed it and maybe had a good laugh here or there! I take many hours out of my own day working on this website to contribute back to the community. If you feel like this article has helped you, I hope you can understand that you can contribute back in some way too. If so, please support this website and encourage future detailed articles to help with your acne and your health. Whether it’s a comment, new recipe, a small donation, or just an email to say thank you, I want your participation!

-Ray

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