Goodbyeee debt.

This is a story about us, our money, and a HUGE reality check.

Literally just a few days after we got back from our honeymoon, we sat down at our dinner table with an Iron Man notebook, pen in hand...and all of our student loan paperwork in front of us. We didn't want to talk about it, but it was time. Time to talk about that awful, dreaded D word. Debt.

We'd both taken Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, TWICE in the last year...and were waiting until after we got married (since we had that whole wedding-thing to pay for) to implement it in our lives for real.

We took a deep breath, and whipped out the calculator.
I just knew how much debt we had.....

or so I thought. We put it down to the PENNY, and the outstanding balance I saw in front of us made me nearly sick to my stomach. I was angry. So angry that I wanted to scream. It was in that moment we decided not to let our debt consume us forever, and that we also would NOT spend 15 years paying these off.
We set a tough goal... 2 years. In two years we want to pay off EVERYTHING we owe. It's a lot of money...but I know we can do this.

So what does this mean? BABY STEPS! Following A REAL budget. Like...a zero balanced budget, with pen and paper. If I don't tell my money where to go, it would tell ME where it was going (trust me, if I had a dollar for every Chickfila run I've ever made...I'd be rich). We took a step back and started first thing in June, looking at how much extra money we had at the end of each week that we NORMALLY would've spent...it was amazing and disgusting at the same time.

Part of Dave Ramsey is using cash, for everything. So, we did just that. It's called the "envelope system". Luckily, I've never owned a credit card in my life...so I never had the fun time of slicing them up with an oversized pair of scissors...but Caleb did. When we got engaged, he cut his up like an overgrown fern and quickly paid his off.

We give ourselves a small "play fund", and we also have a grocery fund, a gas fund, and a tithe fund.

Speaking of groceries...Caleb introduced me to Aldi  last month. HOLY COW. You're missing out if you haven't been yet. Everything is cheap...like dirt cheap. I am addicted.

Baby step 1) Save $1,000 up for your emergency fund. Your emergencies won't seem quite as bad when you're prepared for them, trust me. Oh, you mean I have the $500+ for that dreadful car repair?! Awesome!

Baby step 2) -- what we are currently working on. Paying off ALL our debt with DR's "debt snowball"...we'll be stuck on this one for a while, but we're at least working on it!

Caleb and I are getting intense about this, like gazelle intense (watch that, seriously!)! In the weirdest way, it gets me so pumped.

So what are we doing to pay off so much debt in so little time?
-We currently have the most basic internet plan possible.
-Eating pb&j's for lunch/dinner more often than we'd like.
-We plan to start car pooling to work to save gas.
-We have no cable, thanks Hulu!
-Caleb's working OT at work
-I'm picking up extra photography jobs where I can.

Somehow, its sickeningly fun getting free lunches at work, scoring a free sample, finding a new way to lower our monthly expenses, etc. Not spending money on ourselves is a huge money saver as well. We both pack lunch nearly every day...and what keeps me going? I know this isn't forever, its only temporary.

Proverbs 22:7; The rich rule over the poor, the borrow is slave to the lender.

Dave's main line; Live like no one else now, so you can LIVE (and give) like no one else later. I can't imagine when I have wealth and am able to rock someone's world with my giving. That has to be the greatest gift of all. To HELP people.

I know...I'm a total nerd and you all had no idea. But seriously--this stuff will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Take my word for it. Think about if you saved all the $$ you spent at Target, Starbucks, or your favorite clothing store...just how much $$ you'd really have, and how little debt you'd have left to pay off.

I'm so excited to post about our progress...along with these posts, I plan on doing a "Cheap Date" series. You won't want to miss it ;)

Staaay tuuuned.