Dave Ramsey Live

Jon and I got the amazing opportunity yesterday to go see Dave Ramsey Live at the Gwinett Center. It was a 5hr seminar and absolutely wonderful. Full of humor, insight, great information and hope.
Last yr, we started working on the Ramsey baby steps.
Step #1 is to set aside $1000 in an emergency fund. Not a savings account or investing it but an account just for emergencies. We did that and let me tell you... it saved our butts not once but twice!! The first time was when Jon got his car wrecked and we were faced with the reality that we needed to get another car. So we had to use that fund to help with a fininshing paying off one car so we didn't have to deal with another car payment. The second time we had to use it (after replenishing it) was partly when we got back from a trip and realized we were going to be going over on our bills if we didn't "borrow" a little out of the account. The rest we had to pull out the other week when our transmission went out. So I tell you there's a reason that is set #1. Very important!!
Step #2 is debt snowball which is pretty much what the church teaches to get out of debt. Pay minimum payments on all debts except the smallest one and tackle that one as hard as you can. Then when it's paid off, take that money you were paying on it and hit the next smallest... and on and on until they are ALL paid! And that's what we did.. we were able to pay off all our credit cards by following that method and what a relief that was.
We still are on step #2 however.. it includes ALL debts except the mortgage so we now need to focus on paying off the van.
Funny thing about Dave... I hated him. I hated hearing his name and how he became the head of our household and how he became suddenly in charge of our money. Dave Dave Dave... But I am humbling myself and telling you the Dave has change my way of thinking. I now LOVE Dave! His methods and his plan makes total sense! And it makes it so easy! And I'm gonna be totally broke for awhile with every dollar having a name but it's going to be worth it!

The rest of his steps are as follows (Jons having to tell me because he's read the books and listens to him regularly)

Step #3- finishing emergency fund with 3-6months of expenses
Step #4- 15% of income into retirement
Step #5- College Fund
a little about this one. Forever I have been totally against paying for my kids schools. I paid mine, Jon paid his and we had to do it ourselves. Now days there's scholarships, student loans, grants, etc. But do I really want my kids to start off their adult life in debt??? No way! They'll have so many other issues in life-- having debt so early on isn't one I think they should have to mess with.
Step #6- Pay off house early (hahahah that's a DREAM)
Step #7- Build wealth and give

So family and friends..... please understand if we don't come visit often, or if we're not able to go out often or able to send gifts or heck if we are wearing clothes with holes in them and smell bad or whatever, it's because we're really focusing right now on our finances and getting ourselves in a secure place. Like Dave says "live like no one else so later you can live like no one else".