About ten years ago a co-worker handed me a book called The Total Money Makeover – 7 Steps to a Debt-Free Life by Dave Ramsey. I was skeptical about the title but thumbed through the pages to be polite. She and another co-worker raved about the book and after about a five minute spiel on how this book is changing their lives, I thanked her and agreed to read it.
It was a quick read, I finished it by the end of the week. I was blown away. Although I didn’t have the same path as Dave Ramsey, I could completely relate to the path that led him into so much debt. I was on fire and ready to not only get rid of my debt but to change my journey so that someday I can live like no-one else.
We had modest debt and our house was on the tail-end of a fifteen year mortgage. I changed my consumption and spending habits, listed our debts from smallest to largest and was debt-free in two years. We paid off a total of $42K including the house. Our debt included two student loans, one credit card and the house. Looking back, it was actually easy to do with just a moderate paradigm shift in my relationship to stuff and money. If I was really ‘gazelle intense’ about it, the debt probably could have been handled in less time.
Our first big purchase after paying off debt was exhilarating. We paid cash. The experience was new to us and we felt free knowing that we were driving off the lot in a brand new car debt free. Please note, call your insurance agent and get the car insured before driving off the lot. We were giddy and drove home, not realizing our car wasn’t insured. Paying cash means the dealer doesn’t really care if your car is insured or not. I laugh about it now but it could have turned out very bad. I still have that car. It’s still fun to drive, gets amazing mileage and runs great.
Ever since then, I have been curious as to how others are achieving their personal financial dreams and always enjoy a good article. Below are some personal essays as well as advice on how to achieve your dreams. Enjoy!
- The Publicist Who Dreads Getting Caught for Her AirBNB –
- The Ultimate List of Financial Goals to Crush It in 2019 –
- Taxes From A to Z 2019: B is for Bracket Creep –
- These Banks Have Surprisingly High Rates for Savings Accounts –
- 3 Tips for Planning Your Retirement During Uncertain Times –
- How Much Money Means You Don’t Have to Worry? –
- 3 Specific Ways I Wish I’d Fixed My Money Fears and Issues Sooner –
Leave a Reply