As the title of this blog indicates, we are BIG fans of Dave Ramsey and his advice regarding debt and all things financial. Jen and I took the course in 2009 (Oct. - Dec.) and are putting his advice into practice, such as:
* Living at Navarre St. in South Bend - even though it's farther away from work for me, it is yielding better rent than we can find anywhere else. This allows us to save some money towards other obligations.
* Sale shopping & coupons - we take the opportunity to look for the best deals on things (groceries, eating out, items for the apartment) and use any and all coupons we can. Sometimes that forces us to go places that we might not regularly shop, but at least it saves a bit o' cash. :)
* No new credit cards! - I was a big believer in the power of credit and it got me into nothing but TROUBLE! Are credit cards bad? I leave that to you to decide but doesn't work for me.
* Debt snowballing - this is a DR term, which just means we start paying gung-ho on the smallest debt we have until it is paid off. Then that money that was used is focused on the next smallest debt and so on. You are still paying on all your debts, but the focus is on one at a time.
These are just a few of the ways we have begun our debt-free marriage. Even our wedding was debt-free, which was (and is) such an awesome feeling! Has it been easy...not really, but it is really easy to say goodbye to having to pay a given bill or two. And yes, it has forced me to come out of my old habits and comforts to think more frugally. We are also encouraged by the recent development of Jen's brother and sister-in-law becoming completely debt-free, even paying their house off in one year!!!
Sooo....all this to say that today, Jennifer and I paid off not one, but TWO CREDIT CARDS!! It was so awesome to write that check and do that last online payment. Such a burden has been lifted!
Someday WE will get to yell "WE'RE DEBT FREE!!" What a great feeling!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Car Repairs - The Saga
Greetings!
Well...I just want to say that I HATE car repairs. I hate them with a passion that burns deep within me. Not only are they expensive as all get out, they also inconvenience the driver and force a change in routine, plans, budget, etc. Don't get me wrong - if something is wrong with my poor Coby (my car...that's his name), then I want them fixed. The last thing that I want to happen is some day when I'm driving my daily commute to work via the US-20 bypass that I end up stuck on the side of the road like some poor schmuck. That would NOT be pleasant and I fear for the person that finds me. I think the deepest root of my hatred is that dealerships STRETCH the truth of what actually needs fixed and what could be fixed, but isn't a true problem, followed by an astronomically expanded cost to each repair. Why?? I know they want to make a buck - hey, this is America - but it REALLY costs THAT much to bolt on a rotor, or replace a shifter? Good grief!
So, that being said, today I took Coby (my car - remember him?) to a dealership here for a safety recall. No big deal - it's free to me and I would much rather have it fixed, especially if GM thinks there are going to be problems. To the credit of the dealership (who shall stay anonymous - they did their job well), they were very pleasant and I couldn't have asked for better service. They left the decision on the repairs up to me and I felt no pressure to do it RIGHT NOW (which one sometimes feels with these places). Of course, I receive my phone call at McDonald's (yeah, free wi-fi!) that the car is finished, followed by a litany of OTHER "problems" they found. ARGH! Well...of course, my lovely bride was not excited, but we decided with good discussion and thought and LOTS of prayer beforehand, to have a second opinion. Yeah for respect and communication in marriage!! :)
Now, as I sit here, waiting for that call to see how many of the "problems" are actually problems, I pray that this will not hurt the bank as much as I think it could. Thank you all for allowing me to vent my frustrations. Better on a blog than on a poor repairman. Ha!
Until next time!
BTW...marriage, weeks 2 and 3....still FREAKING AWESOME! I love my wife!!
Well...I just want to say that I HATE car repairs. I hate them with a passion that burns deep within me. Not only are they expensive as all get out, they also inconvenience the driver and force a change in routine, plans, budget, etc. Don't get me wrong - if something is wrong with my poor Coby (my car...that's his name), then I want them fixed. The last thing that I want to happen is some day when I'm driving my daily commute to work via the US-20 bypass that I end up stuck on the side of the road like some poor schmuck. That would NOT be pleasant and I fear for the person that finds me. I think the deepest root of my hatred is that dealerships STRETCH the truth of what actually needs fixed and what could be fixed, but isn't a true problem, followed by an astronomically expanded cost to each repair. Why?? I know they want to make a buck - hey, this is America - but it REALLY costs THAT much to bolt on a rotor, or replace a shifter? Good grief!
So, that being said, today I took Coby (my car - remember him?) to a dealership here for a safety recall. No big deal - it's free to me and I would much rather have it fixed, especially if GM thinks there are going to be problems. To the credit of the dealership (who shall stay anonymous - they did their job well), they were very pleasant and I couldn't have asked for better service. They left the decision on the repairs up to me and I felt no pressure to do it RIGHT NOW (which one sometimes feels with these places). Of course, I receive my phone call at McDonald's (yeah, free wi-fi!) that the car is finished, followed by a litany of OTHER "problems" they found. ARGH! Well...of course, my lovely bride was not excited, but we decided with good discussion and thought and LOTS of prayer beforehand, to have a second opinion. Yeah for respect and communication in marriage!! :)
Now, as I sit here, waiting for that call to see how many of the "problems" are actually problems, I pray that this will not hurt the bank as much as I think it could. Thank you all for allowing me to vent my frustrations. Better on a blog than on a poor repairman. Ha!
Until next time!
BTW...marriage, weeks 2 and 3....still FREAKING AWESOME! I love my wife!!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Marriage Week #1...Some Thoughts
WOW!!!
That is my thought for week one. :) The wow is simply a way of saying that I have no words available to me to describe the love and admiration I have for my beautiful wife. This is something we've actually discussed and can only thank God for such beautiful, indescribable love. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I could be THIS happy with one person.
Now we are beginning to phase ourselves back into the public. Sorry if this sounds a little weird, but we've enjoyed being alone, just the two of us, and want to savor as much of that as possible. Yesterday we went out for a bit, but maintained that we were going to shop, explore, and enjoy, but not proactively invite anyone to us just yet. So today, I am o.k. with our public "unveiling" because I know that now I get to share my love for Jennifer with those around us, especially our church friends and our families. It is my hope that our marriage and our undying happiness with each other can be a testimony to those around at the power of God's amazing love.
In summary, as I sit here in my livingroom, thinking about all that has happened in the last week, I can't help but tear up a little. I can only hope that the next 60 to 70 years of our lives are this incredible. She has my heart forever.
Until next post,
Josh
That is my thought for week one. :) The wow is simply a way of saying that I have no words available to me to describe the love and admiration I have for my beautiful wife. This is something we've actually discussed and can only thank God for such beautiful, indescribable love. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I could be THIS happy with one person.
Now we are beginning to phase ourselves back into the public. Sorry if this sounds a little weird, but we've enjoyed being alone, just the two of us, and want to savor as much of that as possible. Yesterday we went out for a bit, but maintained that we were going to shop, explore, and enjoy, but not proactively invite anyone to us just yet. So today, I am o.k. with our public "unveiling" because I know that now I get to share my love for Jennifer with those around us, especially our church friends and our families. It is my hope that our marriage and our undying happiness with each other can be a testimony to those around at the power of God's amazing love.
In summary, as I sit here in my livingroom, thinking about all that has happened in the last week, I can't help but tear up a little. I can only hope that the next 60 to 70 years of our lives are this incredible. She has my heart forever.
Until next post,
Josh
Thursday, July 1, 2010
The End of an Era
Greetings, readers! This will most likely be my final blog before my wedding day. Yes, it is FINALLY here! I am so excited to marry my sweetheart, I can barely stand it. This blog is going to be dedicated to the end of this stage of my life.
Marriage is not something I step into lightly. It took a lot of thought and self-searching to make the leap and get engaged. I've experienced a lot of hurt in my relationships, and definitely didn't want to go down that road again. Have I enjoyed bachelorhood? Absolutely! It has given me the opportunity to develop into my own person and mature beyond what living with my parents had done. I found myself along the way and began to relate to people as an individual, not someone's child. Getting married is a product of my bachelor days. Because I was able to figure out who I was and what I wanted, I am better prepared to enter into this new adventure with Jennifer. No longer do I need to wonder am I going to get lost in our relationship. The answer is NO - I am a unique part of a new family. I think my individuality will be enhanced by my relationship with my wife.
So, to all of those who are pondering and considering marriage, think long and hard, but do THINK. Farewell, bachelor days...hello, marriage!!
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