Adventures in Personal Finance

I'm supposed to be at work, so I'll keep it short.

I am so ashamed of myself. I have all of this "free time" where I could be reading Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover, but I'm not. Instead, I've been doing some research on the Reformation--which isn't going well because I can't keep staying up until three in the morning and go to work the next day (or get up early on the weekends because my husband can't sleep past 7 in the morning). But I want to read so much, and especially Dave's book. I don't know if you have listened to him on the radio or on podcasts, but let me explain what he does. He provides a way for you to get your money act together and become debt free. No matter what your income or your debt amount. He has a list of "baby steps" that you take, beginning with creating a budget so you can save $1,000 then paying down your debt one small bill at a time until it's all gone. But that's a simplified way of doing it.

Not to tell all my business, but we are doing that. We are not quite doing the baby steps in order, but we've paid some stuff off a month ago and will be doing some more next month. My husband doesn't quite believe in being totally debt-free (although I think it would be great), but he does want to be MOSTLY debt-free.

I keep thinking this way. If it takes us two to five years to pay off our debts (I know it seems like a long time; just bear with me)--including student loans and our house--just think of what we are going to be able to do for the rest of our lives! Let me break it down...

1. We will be able to save a couple of months and get what we want (and by that time, if you think about how the markets are right now, what we want will sell for a cheaper price).

2. We will be able to take vacations whenever we want to (and whenever work lets us)!

3. We can go shopping without having to buy the cheap stuff (even though, by then, it will be an ingrained habit).

And most importantly...

4. We will have a better relationship because we have sacrificed together, we've come together and set goals for our money, and we won't have to worry about where we are going to have the money to eat, much less to buy the new house or vehicle.

These are just a few things, and I wanted to let everyone reading this know that they need to go to Dave Ramsey's site and see for themselves. I'd rather sacrifice for a few years than keep on being worried every day about money for the rest of my life.  Just click on the title of my post and it'll take you to his site.  Also, be advised that Dave is giving away $1,000 a day and $10,000 more at the end of the month if you fill out the information they ask for on the site--you'll see.  You don't have to buy or sign up for anything.