Monday, November 7, 2011

Welcome to the 1%, That is if you DO IT!

And by DO IT, i mean get OUT of debt. Follow us on our journey of living within our means and less. How many of us as Americans actually do that? I know that in our family buying what we want has become a way of life. Then when the bill comes we have absolutely nothing to show for it.

I mean besides the added pounds of McDonald's takeout and our already outdated six month old gadgets. Oh and those lovely zero percent for six month statements. AWWWW, such a beautifully painted picture of wealth. SWEET! right? right? Come on admit it, the majority of you do the same thing!!

Let me give you some background (and please no pity, I already feel sorry for myself). We had a nice nest egg of debt! Some 10k in student loans (for a degree I didn't get). Credit card debt of a few hundred. Which was fabulous! I mean it was ONLY a few hundred dollars! We had become pretty great at paying off our cards as we used them. But that temptation was always there!! Because we have several department store cards, a Lowe's card, and more. And we used them! Especially Victoria's Secret!! I will spare you that though  (wink, wink). Just kidding people, but not really! Let's see we borrowed something like 10k extra when we bought this house. Sitting on a good 'ol card or what are those things (lines of credit). You know where you can always go back and get some MORE when you want to. We used it to fix (hahahahaha) a water problem in our basement. It still leaks, and the guarantee they gave us for five years has meant squat. Live and learn people. We have a car payment to the tune of money every month. I purposely left that amount out! Still have $8900 left on that! And then a 2nd mortgage on our current house. Still owe $9900 on that. Our mortgage, we owe 55k. Then we have an additional property in our name, which we owe another 49k. OKAY NOW, you can throw your pity our way. Just kidding again, although this time I mean it.

My husband has a good paying job. I quit my job a year and a half ago, because I NEVER saw our kids. We have three angels! Awww, angels! I hear them singing, the angels not our kids, as I write this. They are cheering us on!! Listen close you can hear them as well!! Go Tommy, Go Lacy, Be Debt Free, That is where You wanna Be, So you can GIVE, GIVE, GIVE to really LIVE, LIVE, LIVE. (You know angels say 'wanna' and not 'want to'). I don't know if you have noticed by now but I REALLY LOVE parentheses!!

So here is our rundown:

Credit Card: $575
Home Repair: $7036
Student Loan: $6565
CAR: $8960
(2nd mort): $9930
House: 49K
Another House: 55K

It is truly sad that it has taken me that much explaining to get to the point! We started Dave Ramsey's program. We have already completed baby step one: Got our mini emergency fund done!!! We have already paid off the credit card.  We have also already shoved another $1500 on the home repair card. We sold my husband's bike and the Ipad2 I so BAD wanted! Knowing that it WILL all be worth it. Listen this was all in the last couple of weeks!! (No my husband doesn't make THAT GOOD of money.) We are learning to live with less now so that later we can truly LIVE. We were spending an ungodly amount of money every month just eating out! It was ridiculous. I knew it was true because my sweat pants and I have a very close relationship since I can't fit into my jeans.

  We are trying to follow Dave's recommendations to a T!! We are still selling things, because I would rather that stuff be gone and my debt to leave with it. WHOOP WHOOP! We have a dual reasoning for all of this! We want to retire wealthy, I mean really who doesn't! But more than that we really really really badly want to be able to GIVE! Give and not expect anything in return EVER. How awesome would it be to be able to just give someone the money because you could. Because you care. Because you realize what it was like to be in that situation and now you CAN help. We are so gonna help a ton of people someday. So take that you negative nancy's out there that are saying they will never do it. We have bigger goals than money, we have better help than mere people (That would be the good Lord), and we have a boatload of determination! Watch and learn, or just watch.

We are on our way!! True it will take time but we are on the same page. Our kids are on board and are excited about Saving, Spending and Giving as well.

I took a couple of pics of our first couple of weeks . . . Enjoy!

Our kids helped us cut up all those cards!! It is freeing!

We are using the envelope system, because it forces us to live within our means! Something we need but everyone might not need!

The kids have three jars each! A Love (Giving) Jar, a $ (Spending) Jar, and a Jar with their initials (saving) Jar. They each HAVE to put at least ten percent of whatever they make in their giving jar and then most of the time they choose to put half and half of what is left in the other two jars. We make them put at least one dollar in their saving jar each time they get paid.
Now to all you thiefs out there, that are thinking "I need to find her house so I can steal her wee little ones money." I believe in Jesus, and I own a couple of Guns. I will use JESUS AND THE GUNS. LOVES!!!