Money Makeover Monday (Early Edition)

Hi all!  Sister K here.  Just thought I’d follow up Sister C’s Financially Fit Friday with my own Money Makeover Monday story.  (I know it’s a few hours short of Monday, but we’ve got softball in 2 different town tomorrow night and I don’t want to forget to write then.)   I was inspired by Sister C in January to start couponing and I’m hooked on all the great deals.  I can’t believe how much money I have saved and how much better my budget looks because of it. 

I’ve also been intrigued by her references to Dave Ramsey’s Money Makeover plan and her Financially Fit Friday updates.   I admire her determination to not only become financially fit, but to share her story in such a public way so she can motivate others too.  Hubby S actually bought some Dave Ramsey books and dvds about a year ago and they’ve been collecting dust ever since.  About a month ago, after seeing all Sister C’s updates and realizing I had those books on my shelf, I decided to read them.  Wow.  What a great message.  Hubby S just finished Financial Peace University Revisited and I am almost done with the second book, Total Money Makeover.  I’m chomping at the bit to get going on the program.  For the first time in over 10 years, I’m interested in knowing where every penny of our paychecks is going and I’m questioning purchases before just spending money.  (If you aren’t familiar with the system, it basically lays out a 7 step plan to help you become debt free and live life to the fullest.)

We’ve always paid the bills and gotten by with what we had without charging much, but now we are working on our first real budget and have already established our first emergency fund.  As soon as we tweak the budget and make sure we really know where our money is going, we will be ready to move on to step 2 and start paying off any and all loans, including 2 car loans and one family loan.  It’s an amazing feeling just to have the plan. 

I have to admit that I’m not quite brave enough to bare the family finances on the blog, but I’ll try to keep you update on our progress too.  Like Sister C, I think it helps to see how others are doing and to know you are not the only one pushing toward a goal.  We’d both love to hear your stories too.   How do you keep your family budget financially fit?