Bu-by!

[errantember]

I just torched my last credit card after paying its outstanding balance of $15. I'm currently reading Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover on the recommendation of my mother, who's sound financial advice is one of the reasons my house, which has appreciated 75k in the four years I've owned it, is my only outstanding debt.

As practice, I've successfully kept myself on a food and entertainment budget for the past 2 years. I just pull out the cash at the beginning of the week, and that's it for the week. A comprehensive budget is a little more challenging, but totally necessary for any degree of sane financial planning.

I might be time to practice guitar...

Comments

[gailmom.livejournal.com]

*yeah!!!*
Good for you!!!

[errantember.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[errantember.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[greendreams.livejournal.com]

I like the book Your Money or Your Life.

[errantember.livejournal.com]

I do, too, but I've never been able to make it past the "inventory everything you own" phase. This has motivated me to sell a lot of what I own, since it's clearly worthless crap, at least to me, which is probably largely the point. Still, I haven't finished that process yet, and until I do, I'm stuck.

[greendreams.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow, I certainly have not inventoried what I own. Maybe you could take pictures of what's in each room?

Occasionally we go through our house with a laundry basket and I throw anything which seems pointless/ useless/ broken into it and all of its contents have to leave the house.

When I shop, I save the receipts and ultimately end up returning about 1/3 of the "stuff" I buy. There's something about stores which is so compelling... but, I get home and I'm kind of like, "did I buy that because it's green? Huh."

Your story is inspirational. You go, guy!

[bouncyone.livejournal.com]

You have earned this. You did the work.
Congratulations!

[greendreams.livejournal.com]

Our finances were so much simpler before "we" became a 'we.' I.e., marriage and a child have made things different.

When I was a kid, I scrimped and scrimped. Anytime my folks gave me cash for a field trip or event I put it in my ceramic pig. (But, then they raided it. Banks are so much more reliable than parents.)

[austingoddess.livejournal.com]

Congrats on saying good riddance to the credit game. I dumped all of mine a few years ago, figuring that if I couldn't do it with cash, I didn't really need it. Fortunately ended up renting a house that was sold to me owner-financed so that was actually possible. :)