It was the first day of the rest of their lives. . .
Sounds like a cheesy start to a story but it describes us just about two weeks ago. A friend turned me on to Dave Ramsey and I started looking at his website. Then I requested two of his books from the library. While waiting for those to arrive we drove to Barrie and picked up the workbook for his Total Money Makeover.
I decided to try to live on a cash budget, but we didn't get cash out and implement it right away. So as you may have guessed, in the last two weeks I've blown it big time. But something's different. Instead of just weeping and giving up I'm pushing on.
Wednesday I worked the Provincial election and actually got paid while reading Dave's Financial Peace Revisited. I took notes, even. I studied like a student with an exam coming. Today I printed off the Quickie Budget and Cash Flow Plan to work on with Tim tonight. Yep, he's on board too. We're reading and discussing Total Money Makeover together.
That job with the election? I got it on purpose to put it towards building our $1,000 emergency fund. I'm working Nov. 3 & 4th for the same thing, the Efund and Christmas.
What I don't know can kill me. That hit me hard. Ignorance does not equal innocence! My children are innocent and I am ready to change our family tree so that they learn what I did not, what Tim did not. . .how money works and how to make it work for me.
Solomon wrote in Proverbs "Get wisdom, get understanding". In several verses he says to sell everything and get wisdom or get understanding. It's serious stuff. But above all things guard your heart.
So this is us, starting the journey to living like no one else so we can eventually live like no one else. At this point I hardly dare think about life without car payments, credit card payments or debt, but the mere concept gives me goosebumps!
I don't know if I can do it. I love to shop, love to spend! But I hate the feelings of disgust, desperation, and embarrassment that come with making plenty of money but not having any. I can not do this alone. I need God. Every step of the way. Every time I go into Walmart or the grocery store or go on line to look at Amazon even. I'm scared but I have hope! I'll let you know how it goes.
Oh, hun, I so know where you're coming from. I have a whole lot more money coming in now than I did even a year ago and yet I still find myself struggling. It's true what they say--the more money you have the more money you spend. If it isn't an emergency (unexpected car repairs) it's spending frivolously (new CD's, books, junk).
ReplyDeleteI've been working hard at putting as much as I can in savings, though. Using my credit card less (it's the big baddie of my finances), using cash to buy groceries--which started out easy enough. But sometimes it's next to impossible to convince myself that I can get by on $30 of groceries a week. I stumble more often than not. But there's victory in trying, right?
That's probably more than you wanted to know, but I just wanted you to know that you're not alone and I'm behind you 100%. Living within our means is totally doable.
(((hugs)))