Financial Peace Testimonial

So I have been hitting the "Inspirational" reading/podcast really hard.  It started In January when  Penny and I started Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University".  We are working on becoming "Debt Free" Baby Step #2 on Dave Ramsey 7 Baby Steps to Financial Peace .  We have a Home Equity Loan left to pay off for baby step #2. Once we get that paid off we are going to work on saving a 6 month emergency fund for Baby step #3.

Sadly we had this money.  We were debt free except for our mortgage.  But then we started spending the money we had without a plan.  We bought our dream house (that needed a lot of work) in our dream neighborhood.  I don't feel we were ready for the work.  We didn't have a set plan we followed and when problems arose we financed them and moved on.  We got to the point we were living paycheck to paycheck and didn't have any more financing we wanted to get.  We could have increased the spending limits on our credit cards but we knew that was just going to continue the spiral.  In 4 months after starting Financial Peace University we paid off the credit card debt, and have budgeted our money well enough that we are not waiting for the next paycheck to be deposited so we can pay our bills, or buy food.

We had been told about Financial Peace by my Cousin and Her Husband many year before we actually attended.  One thing they warned us about was not to be trying to diet or starting an exercise program while we were going through the course.  I understand where that advice had come from, but it could not have been more wrong.  Amazingly I have also lost 30 lbs since January with out being on a diet.  I am eating smaller portions but I am not limiting what type of food I eat.  I am exercising the same that I have been for the last 3 years.  2 nights of basketball a week and soccer on Sunday's (spring and fall).  Setting a budget has helped my weight loss as we are eating out less and not over eating.  I have tipped the scales under 230lbs for the first time since college, I can't be more excited about this.  I attribute it to the principle set forth by Dan Miller that winning in one area of life leads to winning in other area's of life. 

At my Brother's wedding Nov 2011

At the pool July 4th (See I am still eating and I am thinner)

So my life has been better than I deserve since starting this process in January.  I am truly inspired by "Life's a Happy Song" from the movie "The Muppets".  As I have my family by my side and we are moving in the same direction.