Instead of talking about how terrible it is, I'd like to share some personal family experience when it comes to finances. After years of spending into oblivion, not long ago, my husband and I committed to getting our financial "stuff" together. We focused our attention on a financial guru by the name of Dave Ramsey. Here is what we have learned...
First of all, it's easy to blow him off as just another financial guy that's out to make money. We believe that although Dave does want to make money, his heart is in the right place; he wants to help you "live like know one else so that someday you can live like no one else."
So......what's his pitch?
Now you might say that all that is just common sense and I believe that Dave would agree! We are taught that we will always have a car payment, house payment, credit cards, etc. Dave teaches that these things are just plain lies! With a little sacrifice, planning, hard work, and dedication you can be free from these anxieties. He even lives it himself; just look at his website and you'll see that he doesn't take credit cards! It's pretty powerful when you think about.Okay, so I'm listening, but how does that help me now?
If you are like many people, you might be looking for ways to save money right now. Let me tell you that nothing will help you save money like these tips; both long term and short term. Here are some ways that we have made this plan work for us:
Get out!
Setup a meeting with your spouse at a coffee shop. Don't make it so stressful; agree ahead of time to stay calm and not lay blame - just work through it together! If you are alone, talk with a friend or someone from church. You'd also be amazed at the financial planners that will help you for little or nothing. (Check out Dave's Endorsed Local Providers).
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
You will end up eating less and saving loads of time with a meal plan. Once you get the hang of it, you can keep copies of your meal plan and grocery lists. This will also help you to find deals at different stores, speed up your shopping time, make better meals, waste less, and it makes subsequent planning much easier.
Here is a website that is completely dedicated to making this process as painless as possible:
http://www.e-mealz.com/
Hooked on a feeling?
If you've never saved up a little cash for something specific over time and then felt the satisfaction of buying that thing, then you are missing out! We saved several thousand dollars over a period of a year to buy a car. When we wrote that check, our used car guy took almost an hour to verify the funds, because he so rarely sees it. It's a great feeling!
Sell everything!
Once you are ready to stop consuming and buying and spending yourself silly, you can start to focus on making money. After a while, if you both get on the same page, it starts to become a game to find deals. We've even started selling stuff in the basement. You'd be amazed at what getting rid of loads of stuff does for your stress levels! That's not to mention the money that you can gain towards your debt. Craig's list is your friend!
Whatever you do, don't just ignore the problem. That's what our culture tells us to do, and trust me you don't want your future in their hands.
Here are some other respected financial resources for your use:
http://www.suzeorman.com/
http://clarkhoward.com/
Good luck!
Patsy Champagne
