Breaking the Debt Cycle! The Total Money Makeover

   It's the beginning of a fresh new year and with it comes lots of big plans. If you are like Robert and me, one of those plans is to get debt free. To be honest with you, for years our goal was to get one of those savings account thingies we kept hearing people talk about. After a rough year of  job loss, almost losing our house to foreclosure, and a big move, we found ourselves reestablished in a new state with an amazing job. Unfortunately the wild year had left us with a mountain of past due's and no real plan of how to get it under control. We spent our first year in our new place just getting by. You know, living pay day to pay day. Waiting for that paycheck to hit the bank on payday so we could finally fill up our gas tank and I could stop driving on prayers that I wouldn't run out of gas in the car line at school!
   Then we were introduced to Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. LIFE CHANGING!!! It's a simple book that is easy to understand and at the end, when you close the book makes you ask your self where your head has been. It's all common sense stuff. The problem is that we are so ingrained in this country to live on tomorrows money that we don't even consider the idea of living only on what we have today.  
   We are in the middle of our third month on the program and are proud to say that we finally have one of those savings account thingies! Can I just tell you how good that one little thing makes life feel. There is something to be said about being prepared for an emergency. Knowing you are going to be able to take care of anything that comes up without using the rent money or pushing the cell phone bill to the next payday, etc. That was just step 1!!
   After we paid of our first bill, I was hooked.  I thought, this is fun! With each bill that we pay off  I feel a little bit lighter. The weight of debt, no matter how little or how big, is more than we were meant to carry. We are expecting to be debt free by the end of the year. It feels great just to be able to say that.
   I want to encourage anyone who would like to be in control of their money instead of  being controlled by their money to check out Dave Ramsey's website. You won't be sorry! You can purchase his book used online at Amazon.com or ebay.com. It will be the best purchase you have ever made. Trust me!!
   Check out my links for a quick link to his website and check out the videos I have posted of him on this blog sharing some of his money makeover techniques. There is also a quick link at the bottom of my blog for Amazon.com if you want to look for a copy of his book. Good luck!