On Sunday, the Rhines and I just completed Dave Ramsey's 13-week Financial Peace University course at my church. Marcus couldn't join me because he was working his second job... an excuse I'm sure Dave Ramsey would approve.
I have to admit, before I first started I was skeptical. Here was this mega-rich, scissor-wielding, snake-oil salesman who was going to give me the magical cure to the financial mess student loans have made in our lives. (I was just wondering how many "easy payments" it would take before I got to the final incantation to solve my money woes...)
From the first class, however, I was impressed. He started off by saying that it would NOT be easy... it is NOT a quick fix... and that I probably won't get it all right the first, second or third time I tried. ...Aaaaand... he was right!
After month one, I thought I was a rock star! I had scrounged up $1,000 for Step #1, (our beginning emergency fund), got rid of our credit cards AND stuck to the budget that I had outlined! Second month, well, not so much. We are now in the third month, and so far, so good... and now we're hacking away at the debt!
It's amazing what a plan and a little motivation can do! There is no secret to his program; I've always known I need to do a budget and pay down the loans, but it has always seemed like an insurmountable feat to me. And while I've never been a huge spender (I'm driving the ghetto van and we still have hand-me-down furniture, etc.), I'd buy a bunch of little things without thinking of the overall impact. That is beginning to change.
It's been completely smothering being under the weight of so much debt, and with Marcus working so much, it makes it all the more difficult to handle sometimes. But the program has given me a point to look toward with purpose (a "laser focus" as we say around my office), and the encouragement that it IS possible... with hard work.
I'll probably be sharing successes on my blog as a motivational tool for myself, so stay tuned... hopefully you won't have to wait too long!
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