Debt Free - What Now?

I know we are all looking forward to the day we are debt free. But what do you plan to do then? There was a thread on a message board asking what your plans were once you become debt free (excluding the mortgage). It got me thinking.....even though you are debt free, you still need a plan. You just can't start spending and spending again...that's what you in this mess in the first place. So, as we are getting closer and closer to having our debt gone, we started looking at the "what now" factor. So here's a rough draft, you might say, of what we plan to do.
1. Put back money to pay cash for another vehicle (we only have 1 now)
2. Save for at least 3 months expenses in a emergency savings account.
3. Increase the percentage deducted to our 401K
4. Pay off our mortgage (we will probably be adding a small additonal amount
to principal even while we are doing above)

Personally, I would like to have all of this completed in 8 years. Is it possible, I have no idea right now. We are just trying to take things one day at a time. You just never know what may happen from day to day.

We would love to be able to take vacations and travel somewhere during all this...but we'll just have to see.

What's your plan?

A New Endeavor

In an ongoing effort to increase my income and still be able to stay home, I have decided to sell Avon. I did this years ago while working full time and having three small children. With so much going on, it was easy to get burned out.

I am hoping that now that my kids are older and I'm not at a 8-9 hour job everyday, that I will do better. To begin with, I'm just going to shoot for $100.00 a month. I think that's a pretty low number and we'll see how I do.

If any of you sell Avon or have sold Avon and want to give me some tips, please leave a comment or drop me an email.

Thanks!

Where I am and How I got here

As you can see from my bio on the left, I am happily married to my husband Brian. What you can't see is that Brian and I have only been married for a little over 1 1/2 years. We each have three children from our previous marriages. However, our own children were only part of our past that we brought into our new relationship - that's right....we each brought our own suitcases full of debt.

When you are starting out in a new relationship, you usually don't discuss the financial aspect right away. Neither did we. Believe or not, we met via Match.com, an internet dating site. He found me....we met....and it was basically love at first sight. He asked me to marry him three weeks later. And eight months after our initial date, we said our "I do's".

At first finances were not as important, we were in love and still in the very very honeymoon stages. But reality caught up with us and we realized we needed to get finacially back on track. We were spending on things we didn't need, had no idea how much we were spending and where it was all going to.

So, in November 2006, 9 months after we were married, we set into motion our budget. I read Dave Ramsey's Financal Peace, visited his website, looked at his budget forms and thought..."this is something we can do". Have we fallen off the wagon? Sure we have...but we get right back up again. Has it been hard? You bet! (it still is). Is it tempting to want to go out and get a loan to buy a car, or a new T.V.? O.k.....I think it's more tempting for my husband than me. But yeah, I would like a new car. I would like for my husband to have a big screen T.V. But we realize that we can have those things....but patience is required.

So, here we are. Since November we have paid off over $7,000 in debt. We have only a little over $2,000 left to go with the exception of our mortgage. We are still learning how to curb our spending habits, deciding on the difference between necessities and wants. Somedays I see lights at the end of the tunnel and see hope, and other days I see the lights and hope that it is not a train that is about to run me over...LOL.

Why Be Normal?

For those of you who follow Dave Ramsey, you already know what I'm talking about. For everyone else, I'm talking about society's view today that debt is a normal part of everyday living. It's a shame that to be normal, we have to be held captive. Because that is exactly what debt does to a person, it holds them captive. Guess what? I'm tired of being "normal"! I want to be free!

No matter if you have a little debt or a large whopping amount of debt, you can get rid if it. I encourage you, to visit Dave Ramsey's website at www.daveramsey.com. From there, you will be able to work a budget (it's not a dreaded word - it's a plan to help you become debt free), make some decisions, and gain inspiration on your road to debt freedom.

Here's to not being NORMAL!

The Power of Positive Thinking

Let's face it, there are some days that roll around that we feel so down and defeated it is very difficult to look up. I know, I've been there - we all have at some point. It is then that I remember my mom saying, "Angela, you just have to think positive". My mom is a firm believer of the power of positive thinking and she'll let you know that very quickly.

So whenever I feel overwhelmed with what life happens to be throwing at me at that time, whether it's something financial, or homeschooling, or just life in general, I will hear my mom's voice creep in to my head saying, "think positive". O.k....sometimes it's more like a loud shouting voice saying, "The world isn't ending, pull yourself up, think positive and do something about the situation you are in!" It is in those times, I wipe away the tears, realizing sitting here complaining and pouting isn't going to do anything to change what is going on. I need to pull myself up and do something...anything.

Sometimes doing something means realizing that somethings can't be fixed or changed immediately. If you have two cars and one breaks down and you don't have the money to fix it. Instead of beating yourself up about it, realize that you'll just have to save the money and make do with one car for now.

Whatever you situation is, whether it be divorce, finances, housing, etc....there is always hope. Try and be positive, you might be surprised at the changes YOU can bring around.

I would love to hear your comments. PLEASE leave me a comment and I will be sure to respond. THANK YOU!

A New Month

I have been absent posting the last week of August due to my trip to the oral surgeon...ugh. But here it is a new month, and I'm ready to get back to posting, setting a new goal for the month and throwing myself into work to reach that goal.

Last month I set a goal of making $300.00 which I met and even surpased a little. This month I am shooting higher for $600.00...yes double last month. I will post my progess as I did in August, so check back to see how I am doing.

I also have a goal of paying of $600.00 in debt this month and putting $400.00 in our BEF (baby emergency fund).

If you have any questions about any of the programs I am involved with to make xtra money, just leave me a comment or shoot me an email. I do check my blog and email several times a day.

Have a great month....and don't forget to set YOUR goal.