Get on the Same Page.

I have been un/underemployed for five years.  During this time we have moved twice and I have chosen to go back to school.  It has been challenging for us financially.  With challenge comes the opportunity to think outside the box and be creative.  Not only have we stayed afloat in the five years; we also managed to pay off all the credit cards, two car loans and a student loan (one more to go).  Trust me, I’ve had to be creative.

Each January, I set some new goals.  Phase I of my of my 2011 new year’s revolution was to stop using the credit card at the end of the pay period for groceries.  Other people in my house (that will remain nameless) did not see a problem because we always pay it off the following week.  It was a problem for me because every two weeks, we were behind trying to catch up.

So, I ended the debt card usage and reset our grocery budget with our pay cycles.  There was one week of whining.  We had to eat whatever was in the freezer and cupboard (and mine are not very stocked).  However, it was temporary and we got through it.  Yay team!

My plan for phase II included Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University classes.  I have enjoyed his articles and radio show for years now.  I was ready get serious.  What I really needed was a partner on board to get serious with.  I went to http://bit.ly/dSDkpT and found a class in our neighborhood, and signed up.  I told my husband (with a mandatory look in my eye) that I really wanted to do this together.  After our first night of class, I wanted to cry.  I was so happy to be there and I had one regret.  I wish we had taken this class before we got married. 

The class consists of an hour of Dave Ramsey http://bit.ly/e9H0rm presenting the material on DVD followed by small group discussion.  Dave is so engaging, funny, and serious.  But most of all he speaks from his heart.  He has been through abundance and loss.  He teaches with compassion and humor.  Dave has counseled many people and he understands us.  He speaks to the “nerd” in the family that likes crunching numbers.  He addresses the “free spirit” that likes to disregard rules.  He has a way of directing these two personalities to get on the same page very quickly. 

We are now finishing week five and we have our annual expense budget, our monthly budget, and our paycheck spent “on paper and on purpose” before it comes in.  We are using cash or automatic payments.  The envelope system is up and running for short-term categories (non-food grocery items, gas).  We have online bank accounts through ING http://bit.ly/hxRYVt to save for non-monthly items (water bill, oil changes, gifts).  And we have meetings when we need to make changes.  

Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace class is fantastic in so many ways, but the most noticeable was his effortless process of getting us both on the same page.  A true partner is a great gift!