First, thank you to the forty-six voters in my navel-gazing poll asking for a 'subplot'. You have boldly chosen to join me the quest for freedom from our debt-insistent surroundings. Are you stoked? The tally is still visible on the right sidebar, and you're clearly geniuses for sparing yourselves my rather pedestrian goal of dropping the last (thirty!) pounds of the baby basket. The only thing more boring than gym exercise is reading about someone's gym exercise.
This, however, is going to be a great challenge. I'm intrigued by the idea of having no mortgage, buying a home outright and having our income available as we please. Travel. Helping with our childrens' college tuition, enabling them to begin adult life without debt. Giving to the causes and people we love.
I'll explain pieces of our financial history as we go along. Or no, I'll just summarize --- sketchy. Since leaving the workforce eight years ago to raise a family, I've watched my husband meet our every economic need. He's amazing. He left a career field he was passionate about for one that was much more lucrative. Then that effectively tanked, so he was brave and took a lateral kind of mumbo-jumbo which has kept us afloat.
We've learned good stuff along the way, not the least of which is reliance on God's providence. Simplicity. Unity. Most tender and elusive: humility. I have no original tools to offer you, but I have discovered this dude and will craft a program around that, and share our progress with you each Monday. As for today, homeschooling and the elliptical machine call.
This is a subject we are quite passionate about. The Dassow's also LOVE Dave Ramsey. We took Financial Peace University in 2009, began the "baby steps" and as of 12/30/11 we paid off our last debt (besides our modest mortgage which we also hope to kill one day) and so according to "the plan" we are now screaming,
ReplyDelete"WE'RE DEBT-FREEEEEEEEEEEE!" His plan, though simple (the way God and Grandma do finances,) works. We, may God have all the glory, paid off $73,000 in 25 months. It was a happy, happy day, the day Sallie Mae died! :) We hope we are changing our family tree, and that our children will know life without the bondage of debt. Lots to say about this, but I'll spare you (for now.)
We are in exactly the same place, jumping into Ramsey's teachings now that we will actually have an income again. I also love mint.com. It's a rather incredibly thorough way to track spending, debt, etc.
ReplyDeleteDave Ramsey is awesome! Glad you are taking this on.
ReplyDeleteHi Father Christian! Thank you each for the energetic replies. Jessica, that is SO exciting. Mindy and I will both be awaiting any tips you have, I think. God and Grandma, I've never heard that one. Sweet.
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