I actually find the title of today's blog amusing. 1- it relates to how I feel about starting this blog, 2- it relates to how I feel about our journey to become debt free (holy crap, we're working on becoming debt free).
Here's a little history on the hubs and I and how we found ourselves needing a "clue". Hubs and I met in high school. We were friends for a long time and then took a break (that's right Ross, we were "on a break"). Some how, as fate would have it, we found our way back to each other and started dating. In the mean time hubs racked up debt going to a private college, a local college and was, yes you guessed it, working on a Masters degree from a private college. All the while I was off trying to save the world while living in Chicago, way above my means, and I too, took on a wonderful school loan prior to that phase of my career and life. Fast forward close to four years add on a house, 2 cars, 2 AMAZING children, furniture, healthy appetites for food and fun and you find yourselves drowning and hoping someone will rescue you.
Although I just told you how we got here, I often still look at the bills and the pennies left in our bank account and wonder how the hell we got here. Really I don't have to wonder, I know, I just don't like the answer. I know we have to know why and how we got here to get out of here, but in this day and age, don't we all just want the quick fix? I know I do....oh wait that's what got me in this trouble. So often, I want it now. I want to have fun now. I want a new outfit for that special day. I want my kids to have the things they need and want. I want to go out to dinner, because I don't feel like cooking. I want to go out and celebrate because it is our anniversary or birthday, or Thursday. I don't want to have to think about is there money in our account, can we afford it or consider waiting until next pay day. Damn it I work hard. I spend my days away from my children to put food on the table and a roof over their head. My husband works two jobs so we can pay for child care, cars and clothes. We both have Masters Degrees, this shouldn't be so hard. But it is!
So we find ourselves in a pickle. We can keep going like we have been, with reckless abandon, worrying about money but not changing behaviors. OR we can do something different. Take the road less traveled. We can stick to a budget, pay off our debt and begin to think about our children's future and our own. We can just maybe stop worrying about money and begin to think about money. The first option definitely sounds more fun but the second option, the one where we become adults and take ownership of our story is the path we are headed on. I am hoping that this path leads us to the day where I can sit on a beach in Ireland and say "thank God we took this path, I thought we'd never get here".
About a month ago I was talking with a co-worker about the fact that we were having a hard time making ends meet and how frustrating it was. The truth was hubs and I just didn't talk much about money until there wasn't any there. Anyway, my co-worker suggested that we go to Financial Peace University(FPU). I had heard others talk about this before, and well I was just skeptical. I didn't want anyone to tell me to cut my credit cards and to be honest I still don't! But that same day on the radio I heard a couple guys talking about FPU and how they were going to be starting a class at their car dealership. Not only that but the first 10 people to sign up would get the class materials free, oooooo FREE! I felt like someone had hit me over the head and said "here's your clue". So I emailed hubs, he said sign up and with some hesitancy in my typing I signed us up. (What in the hell have I done?) GULP! ITs a 13 week class. Every Sunday night with the same people talking about money. You aren't supposed to talk about money, especially not with strangers, right. How is this going to work?
As the weeks went by leading up to the first class, I kept trying to think of ways to get us out of this. But I knew we needed it. The night arrived and it almost felt like we were heading off to marriage counseling, in a way I guess we were.
Over the next 13 weeks I plan to share our journey. OF course that will be just the beginning, the time when we go to class, have homework and need some heavy drinks to commit to what we started. The really hard work will come every day for the rest of our lives (holy cow we sound like addicts). Feel free to comment, share money saving tips or stories.
P.S. I don't claim to be a financial advisor and I don't play one on TV.
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