Tag Archives: Dave Ramsey

Just Checking In!

Good morning!

I am running behind this morning, as it seems I am most mornings nowadays!! So, this is going to be a quick post!

This morning, I am being fiscally responsible, paying bills, getting organized, etc. etc. Last night I filed our taxes and found out that we are getting a nice refund back – enough to finally push us completely out of debt!!

YEAH!!

My husband and I have been actively working on getting out of debt (non-mortgage debt) since September 2012, and we are SOOOOO CLOSE that I can almost taste it!!! πŸ™‚

We have been following Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, and it has literally changed the way we deal with money and credit!!!

Being debt free is not something we are going to take lightly.

It is going to change the way we do everything!!!

I really can’t wait!!

I do not ever want to be in debt EVER again!!!! Dave Ramsey says, “You become a slave to the lender.” and man, do I believe him!!

I will keep you posted! Now back to getting on with my morning!

Here is to a FABULOUS day! πŸ™‚

Signature Line

If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

 

Goodbye to 38 by 38 Hello to 39 by 39!

CrownGood afternoon!

Yep! You have heard correctly, yesterday was my birthday so I am officially 38!! WHOO! HOO!! πŸ˜‰

As some of you may already know, I every year I put together a X by X list. A # of objects by number of years I will have been alive by the time I finish this goal list! Two years ago was my 37 by 37 list, this past year was my 38 by 38 list, and starting today, I will be actively working on my 39 by 39 list. This is the list where I take 39 things from my master Life List and schedule the 39 things that I want to do before my birthday this next year!

Before I show you my 39 by 39 list, I thought I would start out by showing you how my 38 by 38 turned out!! πŸ™‚

Here is my 38 by 38 list:

  1. Put $1,000 into a mini emergency fund – DONE!
  2. Pay off all of my non-mortgage debt – Almost there, almost about $4000 to go!! WHEW!!!
  3. Regularly tithe 10% of our household income – I did better on this one that I expected, but I wasn’t as consistent as I wanted to be.
  4. Downsize our belongings so that everything we own fit into our 2-bedroom, 1 car garage condo – DONE!
  5. Jog a mile – DONE!
  6. Take the train
  7. Go camping – DONE!
  8. Blow bubbles out of the car window while on a road trip – DONE!
  9. Clean out the garage – DONE!
  10. Hike the longest trail at Silver Creek Falls – DONE!
  11. Go on a walking tour of downtown Salem – I get a great deal on this from Groupon! I just have to schedule this before it expires and it will be done!!
  12. Take a cooking class
  13. Host a slumber party – DONE!
  14. Create a new line of inspiring art pieces of at least 12 designs
  15. Start my own company – DONE!
  16. Redesign my blog to make it a reflection of my personal style – DONE!
  17. Invest in blog/career business cards – DONE!
  18. Launch an interview series on my blog
  19. Send fifty handwritten handwritten notes (1 of 50)
  20. Lose an accumulative 100 pounds (105 of 100) – DONE!
  21. Volunteer in a cause that is near and dear to my heart
  22. Ride my bike for an hour straight
  23. Have a weekend vacation at the coast – DONE!
  24. Sell my entire collection of Pink Paisley Boutique jewelry (LET IT GO!)
  25. Host a movie-themed party
  26. Inspire someone to write a list of their own – DONE!
  27. Be featured in a creative publication
  28. Try at least 12 new recipes (12 of 12) – DONE!
  29. Prepare a meal using fresh ingredients from the Farmer’s Market
  30. Use re-usable shopping bags for all grocery shopping for an entire month
  31. Read every Jane Austen novel (1 of 5) – I read Pride and Prejudice
  32. Get a facial
  33. Revitalize 5 old pieces of furniture
  34. Teach an online class
  35. Read my Flying Lessons class book
  36. Wear bright red lipstick out in public for a day – DONE!
  37. Have at least 48 artist dates (35 of 48) – I did WAAAAAY better on this than I thought I would! So, I am going to consider this a win!!! πŸ˜‰
  38. Have fresh flowers in the house every week for at least 10 weeks (6 of 10) – This was harder and more expensive than I thought, but I may try this one again!! πŸ˜‰

As usual, I got a lot more accomplished than I thought I was going to, but there were actually a few things I was able to mark off of my master Life List that I wasn’t planning on. Here are those things:

  1. Fly first class – I did this on the spur of the moment on my last business trip!! First class was soooo worth the extra moola spent!!! πŸ˜‰
  2. Learn to hula hoop – My friend, Jamie, inspired me to give this a try. I went out and bought a hula hoop, much to the chagrin of my sweetie, and I did, right there in my living room – almost breaking a lamp, but having a BLAST just the same!!! πŸ˜‰
  3. Run a mile – I thought I would NEVER be able to do this!!
  4. Run a 5k – I thought either I was going to die doing this, or I was going to kill my sweetie for making me! But, in the end I was soooo happy I did this!!!
  5. Cross my legs – Who knew???? One day, I looked down, and realized, ‘Hey! I’m crossing my legs!!!’ It might as well have been free tickets to Paris! Yes, I was truly THAT excited!!! πŸ˜‰
  6. Touch my toes with knees unbent – this was another one that I thought I would never be able to, but my sweetie insisted that I tried it. When I realized I could actually touch my toes, I wanted to sit in that position FOREVER!!
  7. Be able to do a complete Sun Salutation – Another shocker!! I am sure I don’t do it as gracefully as the ladies online do, but who cares???? I CAN DO THIS!!! Good morning, Sun!!! πŸ˜‰
  8. Buy Jason a truck – Yep! I was VERY happy to be able to do this for my sweetie!!
  9. Create & post a video on YouTube – I am not sure why I thought this was such a scary thing!?? Easy peasy!!
  10. Do an entire cross stitch pattern – Another easy peasy goal!!
  11. Draw a piece of art that I am happy with – After I finished this particular piece I was surprised that it actually came out of me!!
  12. Go to a counselor – this was a requirement of the bariatric surgery, but it was still on my list so I am counting it!!
  13. Hire a nutritionist – same as 12!
  14. Hike the longest trail at Silver Creek Falls (10.4 miles) – This might have been the hardest 4 hours of my life!! UGH!!!
  15. Learn how to manage money – Thank you, Mr. Dave Ramsey!!!
  16. Learn how to purl – I did this, hated it, crossed it off of my list anyways!!
  17. Learn how to walk in heels – YEAH!! I’m a girl! I’m a girl!!
  18. Live without eating out for one month – bariatric surgery made this one easy!
  19. Live without junk food for one week – Same for this one!!
  20. Love my entire wardrobe – This is easy to do when you are down to two pairs of pants, a blazer, denim jacket, 3 dresses, and a few miscellaneous tops!
  21. Weigh less than 300 pounds – I will NEVER GO BACK!!
  22. Weigh less than 275 pounds – This was a little less than what I weighed when my mom died!
  23. Weigh less than 250 pounds – My goal is getting so close, I can almost feel it!!
  24. Weigh less than 225 pounds – This is so much harder than I expected!!! Keep going!!! πŸ˜‰
  25. Eat at doughnut at Voodoo Donuts in Portland, OR – Such a LOOOOONG wait in a LOOOOOOON line, for an ok donut, but so much fun spending some silly time with my sweetie!!

WHEW!! I have been busy!! πŸ˜‰

NOW, what do I want to see on my 39 by 39 list????

  1. Go to Brave Girls’ Camp
  2. Weigh less than 220 pounds
  3. Weigh less than 215 pounds
  4. Weigh less than 210 pounds
  5. Weigh less than 205 pounds
  6. Weigh less than 200 pounds
  7. Publish my own e-book
  8. Start my creative business’ website
  9. Start my creative business’ blog
  10. Watch a baby being born (my nephew – Liam)
  11. Become a life coach
  12. Be a mentor to someone else
  13. Be a spokesperson for something positive
  14. Beat Jason at a game of chess
  15. Read all of Jane Austen’s novels (1 of 5)
  16. Become a motivational speaker
  17. Become a plus-sized model for a day
  18. Build a loom
  19. Learn how to use a loom
  20. Grow a vegetable garden
  21. Carve a piece of art
  22. Build a piΓ±ata from scratch
  23. Climb a rock wall
  24. Cook an entire meal for Jason’s family
  25. Contact a distant family member & start communicating
  26. Share my art-making-process via a YouTube channel
  27. Purchase a professional camera
  28. Learn how to use it
  29. Create a time capsule
  30. Take a road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway
  31. Do a backbend
  32. Do a cartwheel
  33. Do a flip off a diving board
  34. Do a handstand
  35. Gather a group of people to blow bubbles in a public space
  36. Get a life coach
  37. Get a passport
  38. Get a pen-pal from a different country
  39. Get paid to do what you love
  40. Go kayaking
  41. Grocery shop using only reusable bags for an entire month
  42. Hang laundry in the sun to dry
  43. Pay off all non-mortgage debt
  44. Have 3 – 6 months expenses in an emergency savings account
  45. Have a prayer alter in my home with stair-stepped candles
  46. Knit a scarf
  47. Learn French
  48. Learn HTML
  49. Learn the basic ballet steps
  50. Learn the proper way to open a coconut
  51. Learn to can food
  52. Learn to create a frame to stretch canvas over
  53. Learn to make a book from scratch
  54. Learn to make ambrosia
  55. Learn to make doughnuts
  56. Leave $100 for a haggard waitress
  57. Make & send my own Christmas cards
  58. Make a loan to an entrepreneur in a developing country through http://www.kiva.com
  59. Milk a cow
  60. Organize a large family picture
  61. Own a pair of fabulous fitting walking knee-high boots
  62. Own an income producing blog
  63. Perform 100 sit-ups in one sitting
  64. Sell all of my jewelry from my old jewelry business
  65. Start a book club
  66. Take a cooking class
  67. Take a nature walk & press the wild flowers you collect
  68. Take a painting class
  69. Take a photography class
  70. Take a weekend vacation by myself
  71. Teach an online art class
  72. Type up great-great grandma’s recipe book for the family
  73. Volunteer in a homeless shelter
  74. Wear a size 14 pant

 

Ok, so I can TOTALLY see that there are WAAAAAAY more than 39 things on this list!! I think, at least for right this moment, I am going to keep the list extra long like this, and shoot to complete at least 39 items off of this list!! It is my perogative to change my mind at any moment in time to completely rehash this list or to completely start it over. As it stands right now, this list really makes me happy, and the idea of removing anything from it, honestly, really makes me sad! SO, to heck with it!! THIS WILL BE MY NEW 39 by 39 List!!

Here is to a FABULOUSLY productive, artsy, and memorable year!!! πŸ˜‰

Signature Line

If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

A Day of Movement!

CrownGood evening!
Today has been almost a picture perfect, albeit a bit chilly Spring day here in Oregon!!!

I have been in a go-go-go-I’m-on-a-roll-crossing-off-all-sorts-of-stuff-off-my-to-do-list-kind-of-mode all day!! and even though I have a tendency to be a bit manic while I am in this mode, just ask my sweetie, it is really awesome to get to the end of the day and realize that because of all the work you did today, your life may be just a little bit better tomorrow!!

Tonight, my sweetie and I, and our three four-legged girls are hanging out, watching the tele, and just enjoying being quiet while hanging out at our little bitty home!! Ok, so truth be told, my sweetie and I are watching the tele and the girls are actually sleeping, one of them is even snoring!! Nice, right??? That is how we roll!!! πŸ™‚

I tried something new dinner-wise tonight, and let’s just say, it didn’t turn out exactly as I had planned! It was a breakfast skillet kind of concoction that may have been a bit of a let down! I was sure that it would be fool-proof, I mean seriously??? Eggs, bacon, peppers, onion, hash browns, salsa, cheese???? There is no way that could possibly fail, right??? Yeah, well, that is what I was thinking BEFORE I tasted it!! LOL!! πŸ˜‰ God bless my sweetie, he ate it like a trooper and never said a peep, but I am telling you – that recipe is not gonna be written down for posterity sake!! Matter of fact, I am sure that humanity will thank me for letting that one go out into the ether!! πŸ˜‰ Oh well, no one ever said that having an Artsy Life was going to be an easy thing!!!

I am still working on my Β The Right Brain Business Plan, and I have made some process, and will be happy to show you some pictures tomorrow of how that is going!! The hard part now is trying to decide where I want to start. There are so many baby steps that I can take right now, from where I stand, utilizing what I have on hand, and that it is almost paralyzing me with fear in making a decision and just taking action!!! As the lovely Melody Ross says, ” She was __________ but she did it anyway!” For me, this sentence might look like one of these:

  • She was overwhelmed, but she did it anyway!
  • She was scared, but she did it anyway!
  • She was unsure, but she did it anyway!
  • There were people out there who do it better than she does, but she did it anyway!

But, that is the clincher, ins’t it??? “She did it anyway!!!” I will be able to say the same thing about myself too – hopefully VERY soon!! πŸ˜‰

What else??? Oh, gosh!! My sweetie and I have been following Dave Ramsey‘s Financial Peace University plan to take control of our finances and get out of debt. We have been actively working on this goal since September 2012, and since then we have managed to pay off about $7000 in debt so far!! YEAH!!! We have a little more than $11000 to go – WHEW!!! πŸ˜‰ I know we can do it, it has just been a lot of hard work so far, and I know we have a lot more hard work to do in the near future!!! I will keep you posted on our progress!!

I realize that what I thought was going to be a short and sweet kind of post has actually just become a brain-dump of all sorts of my random thoughts as they are falling out of my brain, but that is alright with me! Sometimes us girls just need to let it all out, and then get back to the business of breathing again!! πŸ˜‰

Life is good – my weeds are being dealt with – life is good!!!
(I will explain the “weeds” thing tomorrow!!!)

In the meantime…

Here is to a FABULOUSLY ARTSY evening!! ;-)

Signature Line

If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

Financial Peace University!

Good evening!

ok, maybe “good” is too strong of a word!!

In all honesty it has been a “meh” kind of an evening!

No, what it has really been has been a O-M-G-I-JUST-CUT-UP-ALL-MY-BELOVED-CREDIT-CARDS-THIS-HAD-BETTER-BE-WORTH-IT kind of night!

Hee-hee-hoo-hoo-hee-hee-hooooo!!!

OK, so maybe I had better start at the beginning…

God has really been convicting me to get my financial house in order! Now that I have seriously dealt with my marriage, then my church home/spirituality, and have taken HUGE LEAPS in my health, I know that He is telling me that it is time to stop being a dang fool, always living for today, dreaming about tomorrow but never doing anything about it! So tonight, Jason and I attended our first night of Dave Ramsey’s 9-week Financial Peace University class at one of our local churches, that I just happen to drive by on the way to work every day!!

There has been a large banner posted at this church, advertising that this class would be coming, and I had seen this add the few times the class had been offered before. I kept trying to get up the courage to go take this class, and for the life of me, I just could NEVER seem to make myself do it before!! I know, I am SUCH A CHICKEN!!! πŸ˜‰

Anyway, I had finally decided that because I have gotten so many other things that had been flailing around in my life back in God’s hands, it was time to do the same for my finances!! The other things were:

  1. My Marriage DONE!
  2. My Spiritual Life DONE!
  3. My physical health WELL ON IT’S WAY TO BEING DONE!!
  4. My finances

and eventually my list will also include:

  1. My Home
  2. My Career
  3. and My Free Time/Fun

Soooooo, like I said, after driving by the Financial Peace University class notification sign every day for the past few weeksΒ  – I knew it was NOW OR NEVER!! So, to the chagrin of my sweetie, I signed us up (at the very last minute, mind you, because I was trying all week to figure out a way to rationalize my way out of going), and thankfully, this evening, he came along with me – even though he was a-whining, a-kickin’, and a-screaming the whole way there!! Nevertheless, we both showed up, and on time, but just barely!! πŸ˜‰

I am not sure if you have ever heard of Dave Ramsey or of Financial Peace University, but those of you who have followed my blog for a while know that I had gone through Dave’s Total Money Makeover a few months prior. I KNOW what I should be doing, but the step that is even before step 1 is to cut up your credit cards, and for some reason I just COULD NOT DO IT!! The whole plan had to be stupid, because didn’t Dave KNOW THAT I NEED MY CREDIT CARDS???

Ok, I realize that is the same pathetic attitude that got me into the crazy kind of debt that I have gotten myself into in the first place, and I know that if I want to live a different life then I have to LIVE DIFFERENTLY!! So tonight, I did the unthinkable – more than just going to the class.

I have made a commitment.

A commitment to what I know God has been telling me to do.

A commitment to the process.

and a commitment to just putting my big girl panties on and cutting up my credit cards!!

I had 6 credit cards to cut up, well, 8 if you count the 2 practice cards that I added to the stack just to “practice” the cutting of the cards motion (I had two cards that had expired that I had never done anything with, and cut those up for practice!) Sad, I realize!! πŸ˜‰ but, anyone who has had a love love relationship with credit cards know that they can be deceivingly fun!!!! Or at least that is what I have been telling myself!! Foolish me!! By the time I got to card number 5 (of the now 8 credit cards), I had to call in reinforcements because my hand was cramping, and Jason came in to help me finish the job!! He is kind of like my plastic hit man!! Thanks, Babe!! I really needed that!!!

Photographic Evidence of my Plastic Homicide!

The hardest card of all of them was my Nordstrom card, which I had saved for last and I have to tell you, I seriously had to have a “come to Jesus meeting” when I finally did get to that card. I have put so much value in these cards. Ever since I was a little girl I remember thinking that rich people did or have a list of certain things, and one of them was having a Nordstrom card. (a couple of others were, rich people drank tea, and rich people had clean houses – who knew???) Anyway, I digress! For some insane reason, I had made it ok to spend on my credit cards because somehow I had earned the right to be in crazy insane debt! Isn’t that really what the American dream is??? I know all my friends are doing it!! Even so, I know it is time to jump off of the band wagon, and just like Dave Ramsey says, it is time for us to live like no one now, so that we can live like no one later!!

Scary steps being made tonight, but you know what? I feel a cool sense of peace about it, like I have made the right decision, and that everything is going to be alright!! My tomorrow will be so much richer, both figuratively and literally, and I know that God will be able to do so much more with us and our lives if we are able to give back in a more substantial way. Now, I know that cutting up our credit cards was only the beginning, and it may take us years to actually make through the next 4 of the 7 step process, but I know that THIS TIME I am not trying to do it alone; and isn’t that all that really matters??

Here is to a PEACEFUL-NEW-BEGINNING kind of evening!!

Β If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!