Debt Free

Debt free. What a concept. What a goal. Am I crazy? I don't think so. I've dreamed of being debt free since I was in college and received my first credit card. What a joke, my first credit card, and I didn't even have a job to pay it off. That credit card was paid off long ago thanks to tax refunds. But as I've lived and grown, so my debts seem to have grown. I have medical co-pays that got pushed aside, a set of books that I probably paid too much for, but they had sentimental value, I actually don't mind this debt, but look forward to paying it off. And of course like every other American citizen, I have student loans. Luckily mine aren't as high as they could be, but they are still there.

A couple years ago I found Dave Ramsey. I was in love. A financial guru who wasn't advocating the get rich scheme. Who was pushing hard work and savings and above all Debt Free to get ahead in this life. I printed out the baby steps. I set a goal. I tried very had to get my then DH on board, and he agreed with the concepts but when it came to actually applying them, we both struggled. The baby steps got pushed aside, as we had 3 children. I had forgotten about Dave, although he was always there in the back of my mind.

Now its years later, not many, maybe 3, and I'm divorced, a single mom with 3 kids. I started working, my first job since my oldest child was born. Its also the first job that I actually, absolutely love. I work at a bank, and an email was sent out company wide about a Super Savers Class, so I requested more information, got the website www.daveramsey.com and as I was browsing, thought, this seems familiar. But didn't think much more of it. I printed out the free forms he has on his website and got to work. Wrote out a budget, listed what debts I knew I had, and then requested my annual credit report from www.annualcreditreport.com to refresh my memory as to what other debts I owe.

That was 2 months ago. Now I have $850 in savings, (had to dip into it this month) that will be built back up to the $1000 BEF. (Baby Emergency Fund) I've started paying on my outstanding debts. And I have a subscription to www.mytotalmoneymakeover.com Today I just finished reading "The Total Money Makeover" and I have hope, I will be out of debt in a couple years, I will be able to save enough money that my kids won't have to take loans out for school.

I'll be blogging about my progress through the 7 baby steps. Which I will list in the next post.