Dave Ramsey and I

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!

A Good Place

Joy is such a great feeling. The feeling that wells up and lets me know everything is as it should be. I've heard it described as a small taste of eternity - that's such a GREAT description (too bad I can't remember who said it and where...sheesh!). I love how God gives small samplings of what heaven will be like and I can't wait until I get to taste the full menu!

As I sit here, listening to Coldplay (one of my FAVE music groups) and typing away, I realize that, "hey...I'm in a really good place right now!" So many times, we only see the negative things: the stress at work, the messed up relationships, how little money we have for the ever-increasing bills, etc. It's so easy for us to get bogged down with all the problems we face that sometimes it's hard to see how God has blessed us and provided so much for us.

The biggest blessing is my beautiful fiance, Jennifer. She is my PERFECT match. God has provided this light in my life just when I was pretty sure all lights were out for good. It is uncanny how much we share in common and how manage to read each other's thoughts. I know it's cliche, but can finish each other's sentences and do things at the exact same time without discussing anything (just ask our family and friends how many time we've matched or coordinated outfits). With our wedding just 26 days away (WOW!), I can't help but be excited for what God is going to do in and with our marriage. It excites me to no end!

Another big blessing is the continued good health and the improving health in my family. I've always struggled with weight issues. I'm a foodie and it happens. For the majority of my 20's, I've been hanging right around 190-210 lbs. at any given time. Finally, as I move forward toward those blessed 30's (eek!), I've dropped 50 lbs. and am sitting pretty at around 155-160 lbs. YEAH! My mom, too, has been inspiration to me and an answer to prayer as she too has improved her weight as well. I've very proud of her and her continued commitment to improving her health. My dad, too, is working on improving his health. I am so happy to see us becoming healthier - I want at least 30 more years with them. :)

The last blessing talked about here are my new friends and family. I have been so blessed to have people in my life that help me through any particular season - good or bad. These people are so important to me and I love them all dearly. They come from different places (church, work, etc.) and have made my life that much more colorful. I especially thank God for my future in-laws. They have adopted me into their family and I couldn't imagine a GREATER group of people. These are people I can just hang around with, be silly with, or share my deepest feelings. Thank you!

Today, as we process all the problems in this world, be sure to also thank God for all that he has blessed us with. Find your silver lining...find your joy. God bless!