There are a lot of different kinds of freedom - the freedom we find in Christ, the freedoms we enjoy in the U.S., the freedom of going grocery shopping without Little Girl. But Daniel and I are in the middle of another fight for freedom - financial freedom.
Daniel and I came from very different financial backgrounds. Basically, he grew up with money, and I didn't. So, the first four years of our marriage, leading up to now, have been filled with a few discussions, arguments, and disagreements about our finances. But, God has been so good to mold and shape each of our opinions and outlooks on money, thus drawing us closer to God's will for how we use finance. And, that in turn, that has also drawn Daniel and I closer together and united us in our battle for financial freedom.
Our game plan
If you've read or listened to Dave Ramsey, then you'll already know what our game plan is. For those who haven't, here it is in a nut shell:
1 - Save a $1000
2 - Pay off your debt, except your house
3 - Save 3-6 months worth of expenses
4 - Invest 15% of income in retirement
5 - Build college savings funds for your children
6 - Pay off your house early
The hole premise behind this is that we, as Christians, are called to be good stewards of the money God has blessed us with. It's also based on Proverbs 22:7b - "The borrower is slave to the lender", as well as Jesus' teachings in Matthew 6:24 - "No one can serve two masters." Therefore, as followers of Christ, we want to wisely shape our financial future so that we are not slave to the credit card, car loan, or mortgage, and have the freedom to be able to spend our money in a way that helps us accomplish God's plan for our family.
So, where are we at? We're on Step 2, and it's HARD! I guess no fight for freedom has ever been easy, and this one is no exception! We've stripped our budget as far as we can - eliminating entertainment and eating out, and reducing our home internet plan. I've taken on a freelancing job that I do in the evenings. And, we've committed to NEVER GOING IN DEBT AGAIN! The good news is that everything, but the car, will be paid off by the end of August. And then, any extra dollar that enters our household will get thrown at the car.
The bad news is that now we have to take the time and energy to cook dinner, pack lunches, and fix breakfast every day. We have to be responsible adults that say "no" when coworkers ask us to go out for lunch. The freelancing job is taking its toll as well - I'm tired, Daniel is learning how to be "mommy" a few evenings a week, and my house is not getting cleaned.
Our goals
The only thing that's helping us stay on track, beside the Lord and accountability with each other, is daily reminding ourselves of why we're doing this. If I'm going to stay home and homeschool, then we've got be debt free, have our savings in place, paid down our house, and increased our overall income by 2016. If we want to be able to travel with our children, fund their college education, give to the church and missions, and retire without burdening anyone else, we have to stick with our game plan from here on out.
Finances might seem like a pretty personal topic to blog about, but I'm hoping by writing and expressing our situation and plan it will be another level of accountability. And, maybe, just maybe, someone else out there who's trying to reach their own financial freedom will be encouraged and feel less alone.
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