The 10 Year Plan

We'll is it official... we are hooked on a new financial plan. Thru the years we've tried to go no debt.. the minivan & A/C system busted that.... we've tried to follow the teaching of the Bible... Larry Burket and Austin Prior... and other Godly teachers.

Only now have we started heading in the direction to pay debts and save.

Here's what's changed our direction:

• Spend EVERY dollar before the month begins
• Absolutely no credit
• Now we're looking at 10 years to be free & clear.

I've listened to the CDs. Then I bought the books and read them.... The Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace Revisited, and I'm listening to the podcast of Dave Ramsey.

We started this journey in March thanks to our Small Group with FBC. Relunctly, I spent the money for the materials for the study. I had the hope that maybe this would get Hubbie and I on the same page. He'd been frustrated for quite some time. I'd only kept the checkbook yearly or so. I'd decided my time with homeschooling did not give me time to account for us. Our quicken program needed an upgrade and I'd refused to do the quicken thing. We'd done quicken since 1993 and it had not helped yet!!!

It has totally changed our direction!! Now we've been spending every dollar before the month since March.

This week we've had the break thru. I've been running numbers like crazy...

EVERY available dollar to an Emergency Fund of 3-6 months of expenses. That's till sometime next year.
Then we're debating a car fund. That's till 2011.
Next is the 15% to retirement & college funds for the girls.
Pay off the mortgage.

As I ran those numbers there was just not enough at the end to attack our mortgage.

Refiguring over and over... I've tried to find how can I add about 400 a month... what can I do to help... just $100 a week. The numbers have been running and running in my head. How can we do this!??? The pieces just did not fit.

In the late night hours I found the key.

To pay off the house as well as the retirement & college fund... we have to pay early NOW and not wait till these others are done. Then it will all fit. Praise Praise Praise!!!!
Really, we are treating our 30 year mortgage like a 15 year. This is what puts us on the 10 year plan!!!

10 years to be debt free!!! 120 months or so! I hear the grass feels different then... :)

Only God can bless our plan and make it happen!!! It's all HIS!!! I do feel like we are on a better stewardship plan than we've ever been.

Grace!!! ss

Followup: In review we just cannot make it fit!! Alas, we need a car fund for we cannot drive the house. Soooo we are working on ways to cut expenses like the phone bill to pay off the house!! Snip!