Heading to Nashville...

I got accepted to become a "Certified Financial Counselor" with the Dave Ramsey group. I am so excited! I head out to Nashville in January for 5 days of intense training. It is going to be such an amazing experience. I am so ready to help people and get going on this new adventure in my life. I am in the process of deciding on a business name right now, then will begin building the website, business cards etc...

The future is looking bright...I'll keep you posted!

Moving along....

Things are moving along right on track. I have everything but my house pais off and I am only the owner of one home....yippee! I also took steps this week to have the PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) removed from my home, this is a $56.00 a month cost that I can now add to the principal to get it paid off quicker. I am also trying to find a new job. MY main goal right now is to get my appliation for the counseling program submitted and start moving my life in that direction. So finding a job that is less stressful is totally part of that. I feel good about where I am at. I am very excited aboutthe counseling program and am hoping to get into the january 2009 course. The dates would work out well for me. I am thrilled to get this started. I know I can help people and I know there are millions of people that could use my help.

I have arrived!

I did it! I have paid off all my debt except my home mortgage and thats the next step for me. It feels so good to have simplified this part of my life. I am getting ready to apply for the Dave Ramsey counsiling program and am really excited about that. I hope I get approved to get in. I truly feel that this is my calling and I am so excited about that. I really feel that my life will be so much more meaningful without the stress of living paycheck to paycheck. Thanks for walking this journey with me...

The journey feels good

Today is week 10 of Financial peace university. I am getting there. I am totally loving these classes and the things I am learning in them. It helps keep the goal in mind and motivates me to keep going. I think the most surprising thing to me has been how easy it is to NOT spend money. When I do my budget I spend every dollar on paper before the month begins, this allows me to plan what my income will be spent on for that month. It takes away the ability to walk in a store and spontaneously buy something. I love being more disciplined. I had a garage sale yesterday, although I did not make as much as I thought I would it still helped earn a little money and get rid of more stuff that I didn't need anyway. My townhouse is still scheduled to close at the end of this month and that will allow me to pay off a huge majority of my debt only leaving me with a little left on my HELOC and then my primary mortgage on this house. I hope to have that all taken care of and paid off in 4 years. It is a very aggressive goal but one I believe to be completely attainable.

Of course the frustration of my job just motivates me more to keep chugging along and paying things off faster. Dave talks about being "gazelle intense" and boy do I have that covered. I know that with no debt I can quit the job I hate and start doing something that I am truly passionate about, something that speaks to my heart, something that will help others. I am have very excited goals for my life...I can't wait to share them all with you....stay tuned.

Why blog about it???

Well I have chosen to blog about it in the hopes that my struggles and successes help others. I can't remember the exact day I decided to strive for this goal, I do know that it was in March of 2007. So a little over a year ago. Since then it has went from a goal, to a mission! It started with reading a simple book....The Total Money Makeover....humm that sounds like something I could use. I first read it a year before and liked what I read but did not beleive it could work for me. So I went on with my life and didn't really think much of it. Then the Real Estate market turned and so did my income. That downward turn in the market causes some severe financial stress for me and caused me to look a little closer...to dig a little deeeper, and so I did. I re-read the book and have been working very hard ever since. A very large step for me in reaching this goal was to come to terms with the fact that my sweet little cabin just did not "fit" in my life and to put it up for sale. I did sell it this past month and although I am sad and will miss it the reward of being debt free will be much more fulfilling than having it. To be debt free....I know it is going to happen I can even tell you within a 6 month window of when it is going to happen. It is my main focus right now. With every passing month and every payment made to my debts I know I am getting closer. It has not been an easy road and the road ahead is rocky too, but I know it will be worth it. Stay tuned...there is much more to come!