Dave, Dave, Dave (That's All You Talk About)

This Dave Ramsey class is really something. Last week we did the budget. And yes, it hurt. It's hard to hear (and see in your own writing) that you've been dumb. We've got a lot to learn. We didn't even realize what a mess we were until we actually looked at it. It's messy. I hate messes. We feel so dumb, knowing just how much smarter we could have been. In that, it's liberating. Exciting. Because, now we know. We know what to do. Eventually, soon even, we will have money again, without the credit cards, without the debt. We will still have a life. A great one even.

Last night's class talked about having a 15-yr, fixed-rate mortgage rather than a 30-yr. At the time the 15-yr seemed like something good to work towards, but unrealistic for where we were. At least we have the fixed rate. He just showed how very much better the 15-yr mortgage is, and how much money you save versus the 30-yr. Amazing really. That's like both girls' college, and some major chunk change.

He talked about getting rid of the car payment. Like having NO car payment (could it be true?). And you can do this (oh, yes you can) by having a (reliable, nice, slightly) used car. And all of this makes perfect sense. It just hurts, cuz I love my car. And that's the point. I shouldn't love my car. Right? It's a car. I can really enjoy the fact that the car does it's job, but you love people.

Basically debt is stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Credit cards are bad. He actually said the words, "Cut up your credit cards," last night. All of this makes HUGE sense. It's just a total switch in your (MY) mentality about things. About money. About the norm. About the everybody does it thing (ie. car payments--I mean, I thought we were doing good, cuz one of our cars is paid off). He made this statement that really stuck with me. Something to the matter of how we don't really think about if we can actually afford things, we think of if we can afford the payment.

We've always thought we've been pretty "smart" about the money stuff. Our bills are paid (the "important" stuff), we eat, we're clothed, we put money away for the kiddos college, and for...later, we tithe, we went to Disneyland. But we are just really, really, REALLY realizing how very much more we could have been putting away and really having in our hot little hands, had we been living without credit and debt all along. Geez, it's really like--DUH. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Despite the fact that we keep sinking lower and lower into our seats during the class, because we know Dave is talking right to us, we are really excited to follow through on all of this. I have a good friend who I talked to this week. I was telling her about this class and she got so excited for us because three years ago, she and her husband took the class and paid off $78,000 debt in 3 years. She said it really, really, really works. Recently we talked to a friend of hubby's, and he and his wife took the class as well and he very enthusiastically told us that it works, if you do it.

We're in. And it will be good to see my little friend I haven't seen in a while--her name is Cash. You might know her. I hope you do. She's pretty nice.