It All Adds Up

Change is something I have a hard time grasping onto - either in the cold hard cash form or when life throws a curve ball at me. Not all change is bad, though. You all know of the bucket list that I've been working on and I'm happy to report that I have been able to cross another item off the list: getting my finances in order. I did this by enrolling into Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and it was one of the hardest classes I've ever taken.

If you're like me, you break out in a cold sweat; feel like puking or running away to a remote desert and sticking your head in the sand when you hear this word: budget.

For five straight weeks this is how I felt every Monday night knowing that class was about to start and we'd have to talk about our budgets. Not fun. But I stuck with it and by week six, I had finally gotten the hang of Dave's way of budgeting and felt like I was on top of the world! Tomorrow will mark the 9th and final class and because of the class, I am a changed person where my finances are concerned. 

If you're struggling with your finances at all, I highly recommend this class. Here are four reasons why:

1) Its Biblical Based...

Dave Ramsey really gleans from the Bible and draws all of his lessons from scripture. Praying about your finances and putting God first and in the center of them is really the key to getting things in order. Not just in a monetary form, but in life as well.

2) Dave Ramsey is real and honest...

He did not come up with this program for his own benefit; he truly wanted to help others. He wanted to teach people how to get out of debt, because he has been there. He went bankrupt and was able to get out of debt by following God's principals regarding money. 

3) It's simplified into 'Baby Steps'...

There are 7 Baby Steps that are to be worked through at a slow pace. I did not really understand this until about week 6, but Dave really does break it down so getting out of debt is doable. It's really true the tortoise wins the race in the money game.

4) If I can do it, you can do it!

Every month I was coming up short on my budget. I did not understand my spending habits at all and was shooting in the dark most months. It was a very stressful way to live. When I started the class the instructor had us tell one thing we hope to accomplish during the course of this class, I admitted that I was a horrible at making a budget and needed desperate help. Now that I know how to budget and stick to it I no longer use a credit card!

Also, God will bless you and help you save money when you make a point to follow his way of managing money. Last March I hurt my foot pretty badly running in a 4 mile race. It was still hurting last month and I made a doctor’s appointment to get an X-Ray even though I wasn't sure how I was going to pay for it. That next Monday I sat next to a new guy in class and asked him where he worked and it turned out that he was a foot doctor! I politely asked him about my foot and he examined it right there on the spot and gave me the good news that nothing was seriously wrong and that it was just a slow healing injury. I was thrilled and cancelled my X-Ray appointment the next day! What an answer to prayer!

Some of you may be fellow Taylor Swift fans and know that her new album came out October 27th. Well, because I'm sticking to my budget, I couldn't buy her album and I was quite sad, but I accepted it. I thought maybe someone would get it for me for Christmas. Then a week later, without them knowing I was trying to save money, two friends of mine thought it would be a good idea to give me the new Taylor Swift album! I cried I was so touched and excited! I am so glad I didn't fall into the temptation and spend out of my budget zone and buy the album. 

So the next time I'm tempted to go out of the budget zone, I'm going to 'Shake It Off' save the money and if you listen closely, you might hear some loose change in my pocket ;)

-A