Making Peace

Well....I'm starting a new personal journey that is going to require me to do A LOT OF WORK! While I haven't been staying on-task with my running (wow, big surprise), I think finding Financial Peace is going to be so much harder than any half or whole marathon. However ironically, a quote that Dave Ramsey uses is "Saving is a marathon, not a sprint."

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Hope House is offering a 13 week class to better educate our staff and families about finances. We're using Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and the teachers of Hope House are the "guinea pigs" before presenting to the clients. There are several steps that are used, in the correct order, that will bring financial freedom for anyone no matter what income level.

I already know that my biggest obstacle is going to be...wait for it...its gonna shock you... DISCIPLINE. Yeah buddy. The first step of the program (seriously, there should be 12!!) is to save $1000 for an emergency fund as quickly as possible. Did I mention THAT I'M BROKE?!?! (hence the program, of course.) Did I mention this was going to take discipline? Did I mention this was going to take some serious work? I did? Well then I must be trying to convince myself. I know the sacrifices I will have to make and I know that I am gonna have to be truly and brutally honest with myself and only I am accountable for my failure or my success.

I also wanted to point out that our first class was on "Fat Tuesday" and as a non-practicing Catholic, I can't help but wonder if I just created my Lent project. The class is 91 days and Lent is 40, so I think I will look at it as giving up spending for the first 40 days of Lent, I mean class. So my goal will be any money intended to spend on eating out will go into my emergency fund. There...I said it out loud!
~No, Libilibis I cannot go to lunch. No Libilibis I cannot go to lunch. Well, Libilibis...(Dear Lord, please give me strength!) =)

I have a very long road ahead of me with a few tough truths and owning of mistakes that I need to take care of to clear my path to a road to financial/personal peace and freedom. I also believe that this will be a task that will reconnect my spirituality as well, a part of me I lost thru my adult years.

Dave Ramsey refers to his steps as Baby Steps...and so I begin, one small step at a time. Now, to work on that running schedule again. (Dear Lord, please give me strength!)

By the way, for more info about Dave Ramsey's FPU, click on his name. I will also add it to my link list.