In my short married life I've been out of debt twice, only to find myself back in debt before the end of the year. WHY?WHY ME? I didn't learn about the most misunderstood tool we all use on a daily basis, MONEY! I was a consumer.
I had a job that paid pretty good. I was literally getting credit cards and calls from banks offering me $10,000.00+ limits. HECK YEAH! I'll take that money! I can buy new appliances, build a garage, redo things in the house, etc. etc. I was keeping up with the payments, everything was going great. I WAS LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM! or so I thought.
Things changed in a split second, on January 1st 2012 I was hurt in a work related accident and spent 2 months healing up at home. Our income was slashed by 40%, workman compensation only paid out 60% of our monthly income. WE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO SAVINGS AT ALL! DUMB, DUMB, DUMB! I was so consumed by spending that I didn't care enough about myself or my family to live on less than we made, and my debt to income ratio was too high to save any money for the inevitable or a rainy day!
After I was healed up and back to work, we were already behind on bills and the calls started coming in, and I was becoming depressed, severely depressed. The bill collectors wanted money, but I didn't have any! My ecclesiastical leader met with my wife and I, he was willing to pay for us to go to counseling through church donations. I would have went but didn't have money to put in my gas tank to get me there. I even changed jobs and made more money but still was just barely treading water.
Thankfully through this period in my life, my sweet wife and a phenomenal friend whom I'll refer to as Cowboy, (because by all definitions he is a stellar example of what a man should be to his family and a true Cowboy friend.) helped me out and stuck by my side. I remember Cowboy always saying things about this Dave Ramsey guy, who I listened to off and on through the years but couldn't bring myself to adhere to his teachings and studies. Cowboy would always say "CASH IS KING!". I just blew it off, because deep inside I knew, but thought I was too far gone and could crumble at any moment.
One night my sweet wife, came into the living room and said your oldest daughter is in the bedroom crying wanting to know why your always so sad. That pierced my soul and saddened my heart! After my wife went to put the kids to bed, I went into the bedroom and knelt down and pleaded with my Father in Heaven to help me through this dark depressing spot in my life. I had not lost faith in God and knew through my faith that I could get an answer to my prayer. I just hoped it would be a quick answer!
As I was driving down the road the next morning, it was as if I was hit by a 2x4 across the head, a voice as clear as day said "The reason your so depressed is because your buried in debt, you cant breathe, you can hardly sleep. Get out of debt and you will know true happiness and peace by adhering to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ!" I picked up the phone and called Cowboy and asked if he had that Dave Ramsey book. He said it was at his shop! Perfect I would be driving by his shop in a few hours! When I stopped by Cowboy's shop, we spent the next three hours talking about debt, the bondage it has on people and the destruction it can do to a person and their families! I took that book home read it in two nights and then my wife read it in a week (she likes all the fiction mystery love tales).
I then took the step and started selling as much as I could, I sold our camper, our broke down truck and anything I could think to sell. NOW UNDERSTAND, GETTING INTO DEBT DOESN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, IT TAKES TIME TO GET OUT OF THE DEBT HOLE!
So we are still climbing out, but we are not stopping, we are learning how money works, and how CASH IS KING, about ourselves and what successful people do and becoming successful ourselves.
IF YOUR SICK OF THE WEIGHT DEBT WEIGHS YOU DOWN WITH, IF YOU ARE TIRED OF THE PAIN THEN FOLLOW ME, AND LETS FIRE YOUR DEBT!
Lets do this journey together!
We are going to learn what over 80% of successful self-made millionaires do, we are going to learn about credit card companies, loans, the history behind them, and why our grandparents and great grandparents never lived off of these things! If they didn't, why do we have to?
WE DON'T AND WE WON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD ANYMORE!
We'll learn how to live off of a BUDGET!
Banks, and loan companies and credit card companies are in business to make money! Your not their friend, your their next paycheck!
Along this journey you will also learn about yourself and your relationships will get better and stronger than ever before.
TUNE IN WEEKLY FOR NEW POSTS!
TOGETHER WE WILL COWBOY UP AND FIRE YOUR DEBT!
