What Really Makes the Difference?

I have had a wild 2 months since I my last post. We decided to try and sell our house, got an offer within a week and moved into a rental to save money to buy another house in a couple of years. As of this Monday, when we close on the sale, we will be completely debt free! Going through all this has made me think of how far we have come in the last 5 years before we started this journey. We were broke, had a lot of debt, and living nearly paycheck to paycheck. We had great vision but no guide as to how to actually get where we wanted. All that changed when in the Summer of 2007 we were introduced to Dave Ramsey's ideas about debt and money. This paradigm shift is exactly what we needed. Since then we worked hard to not only pay off all our debt (about $24,000 worth) but build an emergency fund. We are getting ready to celebrate our 10th anniversary in a couple of months and celebrate in style we will by going to Jamaica. This is something we couldn't have imagined doing 5 years ago. I can't help but reflect on what has really made the difference in all this.

The things we do now aren't rocket science. Any sixth grader can do the basic math required to balance a budget. I think we've realized that is the easy part. The follow-through requires strength, discipline, and maturity to tell yourself 'no' or 'not right now' a lot of the time. It is NOT an easy road to travel, but since when is hard not worth the end result? Now we have a completely different view on money. We save up and pay cash for things, even if that means going without or less at times. This has given us freedom that was unfathomable before. Because of that freedom I want to shout it from the rooftops and wake people up. Let them know that there is a better way and that they don't have to be broke or nearly broke as a way of life. I have learned that doing this tends to rub some people the wrong way. They think I'm being conceited and think I'm better than them. This couldn't be further from the truth. I have never intended to offend anyone. I just can't contain my joy sometimes. I am simply enjoying the view of my efforts and want to assist others in their journey. My point is that to climb out of debt and change your life is HARD. It's REALLY hard to change the attitudes and behaviors that got you where you are today. But in the same breath I say that just because it is hard, it's not impossible. My husband and I are living proof that it's not. So decide to change today if you are tired of the same old results of being broke or nearly so. I'd be happy to show you the way!