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Our Debt-Free Journey | How We Paid Off $29k in a Year

July 21, 2015

When we got engaged, Jacob and I decided to take a pre-marriage class to make sure we both had the tools we needed to have a good marriage. One of the lessons was about finances and featured a segment of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. We had both heard of Dave Ramsey before, but never really looked into his books or classes. What we heard in that lesson really sparked our interest and began us on a journey that really changed our lives.

We were both doing pretty well; we had good jobs, we knew how to save and we didn’t think we were in a great deal of debt. Jacob had just purchased a house that was very affordable and we planned to slowly fix it up and furnish it together. I had a car loan, a student loan, and a credit card with a small balance. Jacob also had a student loan and credit card.

After we were introduced to Dave Ramsey, we decided we wanted to live our lives free of debt and teach our children why that is so important. We recognized that if we had no debt and built up our savings, we would have more freedom to do what was really important to us. So we read all of Dave Ramsey’s books, borrowed the Financial Peace University DVDs from a friend, and started on our 7 baby steps. The first is a small emergency fund, the second is to pay off all debt but the house, and the third is to fully fund the emergency fund with 3-6 months of expenses. But we also had a wedding to pay for.

We started tackling our debt individually while saving for our wedding. We had nine months to save because we were determined to pay for all wedding expenses with cash. Jacob and I are both planners and like to use spreadsheets, so we created a budget and a plan. We started meal planning and being smarter with our grocery shopping, stopped eating out so much, and took our lunches to work every day. We had garage sales and sold things on Craigslist. We were being gazelle intense! By the time August came around, Jacob had paid off his credit card and we had saved $12,000 for our September wedding and honeymoon. It was a beautiful wedding and very relaxing honeymoon. But most importantly, we knew we were starting off our marriage on the right foot.

Now that we were married, we combined our finances and really started concentrating on our debt. Together we now had about $29,000 in debt, not counting the house. We really kicked it into gear. Jacob put in a lot of overtime at work, I got a part-time job for the holidays, and we rented out one of our rooms. We continued doing meal planning and I tried finding good deals wherever I could. Jacob kept driving his old truck, “Leaky Lou” which he owned for 11 years. He did as many repairs on his own as he could for both our vehicles.

One by one, we tackled each debt while setting money aside for car replacement/repairs and travel. Our goal was to be debt-free within a year, and then take a big vacation to celebrate our one year anniversary and being debt-free. By the time our anniversary came around, we had scheduled our last payment, we were on a fun vacation in Seoul, South Korea, and I was pregnant!

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Frugal Bride – DIY Aisle Chair Decor

September 5, 2014

Photo by: Nichol Davis

I loved making these decorations because they were so easy and very inexpensive. Since I used artificial flowers, I was able to make these ahead of time and concentrate on other details. If you really want to use fresh flowers, that will work, too.

Here is what you will need:

A container with handles (or you can drill holes in the sides)
Floral foam, trimmed to fit snuggly
Rope or ribbon to go with the look you want
Artificial flowers

I found the floral foam and the copper containers at Dollar Tree, the rope from Home Depot, and the flowers from Michael’s. I also used fall-specific pieces like stems of leaves and pine cones.

You’ll want a large area to work on. First, create your bouquets. Push the floral foam pieces into your containers, trimming if needed to fit. The artificial flowers come in bunches, so you’ll need to clip each stem off the bunch to allow you to mix lots of different flowers into each arrangement. Start by creating a bouquet in your hand and then push them into floral foam in the containers. Make sure your bouquet is nice and full so you don’t see any gaps from the top or sides.

When you’re happy with your arrangement, tie your rope or ribbon to the handles of your container. I used a rope to give more of a rustic feel, but you can use anything that will hold. Make the loops long enough so that the container will hang the way you want.

Tips:
If you’re getting married in the fall next year, gather your fall decorations at the end of this fall season when they go on sale. This is the same with other seasons/holidays if you’re weaving that into your theme.
Go to the dollar store early and often to stock up on your wedding supplies.

Check out more from my Frugal Bride series!

http://www.astronghome.com/search/label/Frugal%20Bride

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Why We Don’t Use Credit Cards

June 11, 2014

I’m sure everyone has their own reasons for using or not using credit cards. My husband and I had several conversations and did a lot of researching before finally making the very scary decision of cutting up our credit cards. We listed out all of our pros and cons, and decided that we were really just keeping them around for security; because it just made us feel secure in case we had an emergency. Yep, we had a ton of rewards points which really in the end are kind of a joke, and the backing of the credit card company, and travel insurance, and the list goes on and on.

My Safety Net

We weren’t impulse shoppers and we usually didn’t hold a huge balance on any of our cards. Paying them off and cutting them up was a pretty quick process once we decided on it. We were stuck on thinking somehow these little plastic cards were going to save us from a disaster that was just waiting around the corner. I had a Firestone credit card that I applied for as soon as my warranty and maintenance plan on my car expired. What would I do if something happened to my car? How would I survive without my car?!

The fact is, emergencies happen. Cars break down and AC units go out and the pool pump will stop working. Sometimes all at the same time, usually in the middle of summer, especially if you live in the desert. If emergencies are unexpected, how can we possibly know when they’re going to happen? Well, we don’t know WHEN, but we do know that they WILL happen, eventually. I shifted my thinking and feelings from Credit Card Safety Net to Emergency Fund Safety Net. And I found that I had a false sense of security with my credit cards. If I used a credit card to pay for something like new tires, I would have to pay that money back anyways. But what if I couldn’t for some reason? Having cash in my emergency fund instead of a credit card is real security. Just pay for the tires and be done with it. No worries and no what ifs, and no bill to keep paying on.

His Security

My husband’s reasoning for keeping our credit cards were more logical. With identity theft being such a huge problem right now, he liked having the security of using only his credit card to make purchases. If the card number was stolen, he had the backing of the credit card company. If his debit card was stolen, the money in his bank account could be taken out.

You see that VISA logo on your debit card? If you do not use your PIN to make purchases, you are backed by VISA if your card number is stolen. Now, if he uses his debit card, he only uses it as Credit at the register. Otherwise, he likes to just carry cash on him.

So why not just keep that little piece of plastic tucked away in a safe? If we don’t use it, what’s the harm? Well, we are currently on our way to financial freedom. We’re following Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps that you can read more about in his book The Total Money Makeover. We knew that this was the first crazy thing we had to do to really get our Baby Step #2 on a roll. It comes down to a change in habits and behavior. Debt free life is so close now – just a few months away!

What are some of the things that keep your credit cards in your wallet?

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Frugal Bride – DIY Wedding Signs

November 17, 2013

There are some really great ideas out there for rustic weddings. One that I just had to do myself was the weathered wooden sign. I made a few different signs from a bunch of old wooden planks that were sitting in a friend’s backyard.

Since our wedding was very informal, we didn’t have assigned seating for the ceremony or reception. It had a very backyard picnic feel, which I loved. To let our guests know that there was no assigned seating, we posted a sign at the entrance to the ceremony area. These were just three pieces of wood planks screwed to a wooden post.

We had a ring bearer and a sign holder to announce the bride’s entrance. Our “Here Comes the Bride Sign” was also just two wooden planks. My husband attached them together with two galvanized straps. He also added handles to the back to make it easier to hold.

These were really easy to make and added to the rustic feel of our wedding. Keep it simple with black painted letters or add some color and stenciled designs. Like the choice of wedding themes, the possibilities are endless!
Check out more from my Frugal Bride series!

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6 Ways to Make and Save Extra Money

November 13, 2013

These aren’t exactly get rich quick best practices, but they are ways to earn extra money. Maybe you haven’t thought of all of these before, or maybe you have and just don’t know where to start. Read on to find my favorite ways to earn extra cash. Also, when you make a few small changes to your lifestyle, you’ll start finding lots of extra money in your budget.

1. Sell your stuff. Dust off that unused elliptical or musical instrument, take pictures, and post it on Craigslist or some local Facebook Buy/Sell/Trade groups. Do a little research, especially with collectibles and jewelry if you decide to sell these types of items. Sometimes eBay is better for certain things. GoldStash.com is a great place to go for selling gold and silver jewelry that is old and not in fashion anymore. You can do a huge house clean out and have a garage sale. Make sure to put signs up on your main streets and advertise on Craigslist and Facebook a day or two before.

2. Rent out your spare room. If you’ve never had a roommate or have had a bad experience, this might be a little scary for you. Get over it! If you have a spare room that doesn’t already have a human living or working in it more than a few times a week, clean it out and put up the For Rent sign. I admit, this is a big step and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Finding the right person to live in your home is tricky business, but it doesn’t have to be a long commitment. Many people will only rent a room for 6 months at a time, so start with that. Know what kind of person you’re looking for and advertise fairly. If you live near a college, put posters around the campus. Always meet your intended roommate in person before making any decisions or exchanging any funds. Put that in your ad. There are lots of scammers out there who have an uncle they want to check out the place, or who just can’t make it out because they live in the UK but really want to put down a deposit. Don’t do it! Always go with your gut feeling – if there is something off with this person, don’t make any deals.

3. Get to work! If your company allows it, take on more overtime or get a second job. There are so many retail stores hiring right now for the seasonal rush. If you get a job at a store you shop at a lot, you might get a nice discount on top of the extra cash. If you can’t do either of these, get creative. Figure out what your talents are and use them to your advantage. Maybe you’re really good at crafts or sewing – make some quilts or fun Christmas ornaments and start selling them. Cleaning houses, tutoring (or virtual tutoring), babysitting and pet sitting are great ways to earn extra money, too.

4. Eat real food at home. Grabbing something from the value menu or heating up that microwave dinner might seem quick and cheap, but it actually costs more than real food. And it’s gross. Don’t just go wandering around the grocery store grabbing random produce and meat. Check out what’s in season, what’s on sale, and create a meal plan.

Last night I made chorizo and rice stuffed acorn squash with a side salad that fed two adults for dinner and lunch the next day and I have two more servings we’ll eat on leftover night. Squash is in season and cheap right now ($0.88) and so is yellow onion and green bell pepper. The chorizo was pretty cheap also, from the butcher section. I spent less than $10 on three meals for two adults! And it’s healthy, real food.

5. And Brown Bag the leftovers to work. I get really excited about leftovers. REALLY REALLY excited. If I make something amazing one night, I know it’s going to be even better the next day. When good food sits in a container overnight absorbing the awesome flavors even longer, it’s just that much better. Example: homemade ragu alla bolognese. Pure heaven. I think I just drooled a little.

6. Learn to DIY. Before you run out to the Home Depot, I’m not just talking about DIY projects around the house. Ladies, this is mostly for you. Do you pamper yourself with mani/pedi trips or facials? Maybe get your eyebrows waxed while at the spa? Learn to make those cute nail designs yourself. Learning to shape your own eyebrows isn’t really that difficult either. And at-home facials can actually be relaxing. There also seem to be a growing number of men that cut their own hair. If you’re comfortable with it, go for it!

There are so many other ways, but these are all my own tried and true ways to make and save extra money. What have you found that works best for you?

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