Our Journey to Debt Free Living.. part 2

When my husband and I decided that debt was not going to be the lifestyle we were going to pursue, we made some drastic changes. First of all, we cut up our credit cards. It was sort of empowering and a little scary to do so. We had depended on credit cards for a lot. We had went from spending a little as a convenience to depending on them sometimes for groceries and gas. Now we were required to pay our own way, by cash, or not pay at all.

Here are a few of the things we did to change our money spending habits. I will admit, it hasn't been easy and there have been many times we have not followed it exactly. But I believe in the long run, it has worked and paying off for our future.

1. We got with a credit counseling agency to help us lower our interest and consolidate our payments. This has helped dramatically get our credit cards under control.
2.  Sit down and make up a monthly budget, on paper. We had no idea where our money went before we did this. It helped us greatly see where our money was going to and where we needed to focus our lifestyle changes.
3. Work, work and work some more. God bless my husband. He has worked 2-3 jobs for as long as I have known him. He has spent a lot of time away working 15-18 hour days earning the extra money needed to catch up. For the last couple of months, he has only worked one job now that we are doing a little better. It is nice to have him home!
4. Make some lifestyle changes... eat out a little less and curve impulse buying... I will admit, we haven't been as strict as Dave Ramsey recommends, but it has made a difference.
5. We are more creative.. it doesn't take a lot of money to entertain the kids and it is okay to buy used. I couldn't tell you the last time I bought the kids new clothes... used is just as good.

Again, it hasn't been easy but it has been worth the effort. We have a few more months left of credit card debt and car payments so we are not out of the woods yet. But soon, we'll be there. I'm ready!

Our Journey to Debt Free Living

I remember the days early in our marriage when we would eat out several nights a week, go to movies frequently, and pretty much buy what we wanted. Not enough money? Just charge it. Those seemingly carefree days caught up to us quickly. Now, two kids, fifteen years and a mortgage later, we are still paying for those costly mistakes.
After the birth of our second son four years ago, our church offered Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. It totally changed our way of thinking about money. We have worked very hard and have had a lot of obstacles but in about a year we will be debt free, except for our home.
We have a goal. When we can afford to live on one income and have significant savings, we want to move to the Seattle area. We lived there in those carefree days when we were first married. We want to return to our first home together, but this time much wiser. This time we will be debt free.
In the next few posts, I am going to be discussing some of the things we have done to trim our budget and earn more. It has not been easy, and we still have a way to go. It has been a long journey  but we're almost there. Please post comments about creative money saving techniques and thrifty living tips so we can share the journey!