Friday Finances

This is not necessarily a regular feature... I just like alliteration (in case you couldn't already tell). So, it just happens to be Friday and I'm off work for the day. I'm planning to spend my day off working on finance stuff. I've gotten a bit of a jumpstart- getting energized and motivated- by purchasing and beginning to read Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. I began this journey to financial freedom (gosh... sounds almost poetic) by going solo. I took what I already knew and started there... sticking with it... making sure I kept up and actually doing it. But, obviously, what I know to do is NOT enough, or I wouldn't be here. I decided that I needed some help. Within the past 6-months, or so, I have come across a couple of different radio programs about money, finances, getting out of debt, etc. Two of these shows stood out- possibly because of the callers coming on air and triumphantly exclaiming things like: "We've made it to step 3!" ... "We've just completed step five and we're ready to take it to the next level!" ... "We did it! We're debt-free!" Now, the last statement is a no-brainer, but the first two required a little investigation. So, I looked up Crown Financial Ministries (the first radio show that I heard) and Dave Ramsey's website (the second show that I heard). Both places offered a variety of books and software to help families get out of debt and get on with living, looking to the scriptures and common sense for guidance. It was a tough choice, but I was able to find a lot more people that were doing Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover or Financial Peace University, so I decided to go with that one (plus I could get it at Barnes & Noble for 25% off, using my educator discount this week). So, now I am making my way through that book. So far, I've found it to be pretty honest, easy reading. Here's one of the most true things or something that I read that I liked in his book:

"I rediscovered God's and Grandma's simple way of handling money. Wealth building isn't rocket science, which is a good thing for me (and probably you). Winning at money is 80 percent behavior and 20 percent head knowledge. What to do isn't the problem; doing it is."

I really like this quote because I think it is so true (in finances and in health or weight management)... live within your means... spend less than you earn... pay yourself first... eat more veggies... eat less, exercise more... We all know what to do. The difficulty comes in applying our knowledge... in actually doing it. So, here's to DOING IT! I'm going to get off my blogging butt and DO IT...
Today I'm...
-getting into the nitty-gritty of executing my new budgeting system that I spent so much time and thought developing... printing off the half-calendar/ half-budget sheets for the rest of the year and placing them in the pockets of the oh-so-practical "Super File" (as Target dubbed it)
- digging through the papers and envelopes that are scattered in strategic and random places across the house, containing the dirty secrets of my (our) debts
- tallying said debts to get "The Big Picture" about where we really are with our finances

Scary stuff, I know. But no more telling myself, "Well, I'm not that out of shape" (financially), in denial, and no waiting to have the denial kicked out of me by a shocking, devestating blow to our financial way of life.
Everybody out of the way! I'm diving in!