Live like no one else, so one day you can live like no one else.

We’ve recently started thinking very seriously about our retirement and Jack’s college education.  Truth is, we’ve lived well (not too well) but well enough and at the end of the month the bills are paid but there’s practically no saving going on.

We’ve enjoyed a couple nice vacations, purchased some things we needed for the house and haven’t deprived ourselves of much.  Now we’ve realized that we really aren’t getting anywhere and we need to make some changes so that we can leave a financial legacy to be proud of.

That’s where Dave Ramsey comes in.

He’s that crazy southern guy on Fox Business Channel who talks about not using credit cards, paying off your debt, and saving money.  Who does that?  That doesn’t sound like much fun.

Well…who does that are people who are at peace with their financial situation.  They have no debt, they have 3-6 months of expenses saved, and they fund their 401k’s and Education IRA’s like crazy every month.  When they want to buy something, they save for it instead of buying in on credit.  They also give, but not until it hurts.  It doesn’t hurt because their giving is budgeted, just like everything else.

The most amazing thing about these folks is that they come from all kinds of educational and social backgrounds.  Some of them make $30,000 a year and some of them make $130,000 a year.  They all made the same decision, though.  They decided enough was enough.

They all decided that it was time to start living within their means, paying off their debts and saving money for emergencies and the future.  That’s the beauty, or the simplicity of it all.  These folks applied principles straight from God and your grandmother to do a Total Money Makeover.

Now we’ve begun that journey.  Tonight Todd attended the first class of 13 at Financial Peace University.  This class is sponsored by First United Methodist Church in Wichita.

We’re cutting up the credit cards.   We’re making a Gazelle Budget.  We’re saving for our emergency fund.  Instead of feeling beaten and defeated, we’re choosing to feel empowered and in control.  Feels great so far.

We’re going to chronicle our journey right here.  Hopefully you’ll all see how our success changes us, for the better.  Hopefully our success will inspire you to look for a Financial Peace University class near you.

If you’re not ready for a 13 week commitment, but you want to learn more about Financial Peace and the Total Money Makeover, buy one of Dave’s books.  We bring you Dave Ramsey, courtesy of Barnes and Noble.

Stay tuned…