Yes.... it is official, baseball season has now started for us. The pure craziness and fun, and long evenings and weekends are here for the next several months now!!! We started things off over this past weekend, with Evan's team playing back to back practice games at Bender Fields...... we arrived at 10:30am, and didn't finish up until after 4pm!!! And this was simply a couple of practice games.....
Last night, Sierra started off her season with her first game, played in Deming at 6pm. The weather held off from the rain, but stayed cold and miserable for parents. The game went on, and Sierra played great, and had fun. It would appear that her team won, although they don't actually keep score officially at this age level.
Tonight starts Evan's season officially, with his first game at 6pm, over at NW Fields. So far, the weather appears to be cooperating once again. It will be fun to be spending about 5 days a week with baseball games and practices, all over the county!!! And then, there will be games on the weekend for Sierra, and more than likely some full weekend tournaments coming up for Evan's team as well. Let the craziness begin!!! :-)
In addition to baseball..... I have taken on the Advocare 24 day challenge, along with my brother, Brad. We are just on day 2, so nothing to report as of yet. I weighed in yesterday morning, and will do weekly weigh-ins on Monday mornings..... it will be interesting to see what happens. Brad and I are both hoping to see impressive results.
On the Dave Ramsey class front..... we have complete Baby Step #1, which is fantastic. That is a huge relief. However, the next step is even harder it seems..... we have to come up with a cash flow plan and full on monthly budget for us, along with several other forms to complete, all before next Sunday. This should be fun and interesting, as it takes both Tracie and myself to do them together... and we will be fighting around my work schedule, her schedule at the kids' school, and baseball all week. But, we are committed, and we want to get ourselves financially in am much better place......so, we will do this!!!
The new money plan we are using, consisting of a budget and using the envelope method for keeping money in separate categories.... it is working really great so far. I am hopeful that we will be able to expand on this as our finances get better, and as we find ways to get additional income in the future.
OK, time to get back to busy again. Things to do........
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Baby Step #1 Complete..... Progress!!!
Two weeks ago, Tracie and I began a new adventure together..... one we should have taken a very long time ago. We signed up for, and began taking the Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course, in an effort try and get our financial mess straightened out and put on the right track once and for all. Simply put, we didn't handle our finances well at all, together or individually, and we have spent the past six years digging ourselves a deeper and deeper and deeper hole. I am not happy or proud to say this, but am ready to admit that we are unable to "fix" our situation without some form of help.
And so, we began Dave Ramsey's class two Sunday's ago. Prior to the class, I actually took the time to read through his book, Complete Guide to Money. After reading the book, without having attended a single class yet, I already felt better, realizing that there is a way out! I came to realize that this guy was in our situation at one time himself, and actually much worse off than we are now. And today, he is debt free and worth a whole lot of money! If he figured it out and made it work, then I was confident that we can do the same.... and so our adventure began.
The key to making money work, and for finding financial peace, according to Dave Ramsey, is to follow the seven baby steps that he has designed for us to follow. Baby step #1 is to put $1000 into an emergency fund as soon as possible!!! In addition to getting this emergency fund in place, we are also to create a zero-based budget. I am very happy to say that, as of today, we have our $1000 emergency fund in place, money in the bank, in it's very own account!!! We also have come up with our first draft of a zero-based budget, which was actually more difficult than getting the emergency fund in place!!! I know that our budget will get changed a fair amount over the next several months, until we have it fully dialed in......but, we have one, and we are starting to live by it as of today as well.
So, Baby Step #1 is complete!!! Now we start working on the really tough one next. Baby Step #2 is for us to pay off all debt, using the debt snowball technique. This one is going to take us a lot more time and effort, as we have, quite sadly, accumulated well over $100k of debt over the past six years!!! The good news is that we are now ready to start working to get rid of it, using Dave's approach, and hard work..... it may take us two years to get it done, but it took us six years to dig the hole!!!
It isn't going to be easy, and things are going to change pretty drastically for us for quite some time now....but, I really like how Dave Ramsey puts it into perspective in the big picture.......
If we will live like no one else, later we we be able to LIVE like no one else!!!
I am actually really looking forward to this next weeks class, as we will be learning more about cash flow planning, and then more about dumping debt...... both things we really need to get a grasp on!!!
Time to head to work......on this Friday the 13th..... yikes!!!
And so, we began Dave Ramsey's class two Sunday's ago. Prior to the class, I actually took the time to read through his book, Complete Guide to Money. After reading the book, without having attended a single class yet, I already felt better, realizing that there is a way out! I came to realize that this guy was in our situation at one time himself, and actually much worse off than we are now. And today, he is debt free and worth a whole lot of money! If he figured it out and made it work, then I was confident that we can do the same.... and so our adventure began.
The key to making money work, and for finding financial peace, according to Dave Ramsey, is to follow the seven baby steps that he has designed for us to follow. Baby step #1 is to put $1000 into an emergency fund as soon as possible!!! In addition to getting this emergency fund in place, we are also to create a zero-based budget. I am very happy to say that, as of today, we have our $1000 emergency fund in place, money in the bank, in it's very own account!!! We also have come up with our first draft of a zero-based budget, which was actually more difficult than getting the emergency fund in place!!! I know that our budget will get changed a fair amount over the next several months, until we have it fully dialed in......but, we have one, and we are starting to live by it as of today as well.
So, Baby Step #1 is complete!!! Now we start working on the really tough one next. Baby Step #2 is for us to pay off all debt, using the debt snowball technique. This one is going to take us a lot more time and effort, as we have, quite sadly, accumulated well over $100k of debt over the past six years!!! The good news is that we are now ready to start working to get rid of it, using Dave's approach, and hard work..... it may take us two years to get it done, but it took us six years to dig the hole!!!
It isn't going to be easy, and things are going to change pretty drastically for us for quite some time now....but, I really like how Dave Ramsey puts it into perspective in the big picture.......
If we will live like no one else, later we we be able to LIVE like no one else!!!
I am actually really looking forward to this next weeks class, as we will be learning more about cash flow planning, and then more about dumping debt...... both things we really need to get a grasp on!!!
Time to head to work......on this Friday the 13th..... yikes!!!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
HE IS RISEN!!!!!
HAPPY EASTER SUNDAY!!! Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior and King..... He is risen today!!!
As a Christian, today is the day of all days worth celebrating. Today marks the day that absolutely EVERYTHING changed.... when the grave was found to be empty, and Jesus Christ had risen from the dead..... absolutely awesome, wonderful, fantastic, life-changing and life-giving news for the world!!!
THANK YOU, Jesus...... THANK YOU, Jesus..... THANK YOU, Jesus
Today I pray that we will all live, laugh and love as if there will be no tomorrow. I pray that we will all live our lives for Jesus, with Jesus and because of Jesus. And I pray that we will stand tall and strong and proud of the fact that we live different lives.......and that we will stand out as most positive examples for others to see.
Amen!
As a Christian, today is the day of all days worth celebrating. Today marks the day that absolutely EVERYTHING changed.... when the grave was found to be empty, and Jesus Christ had risen from the dead..... absolutely awesome, wonderful, fantastic, life-changing and life-giving news for the world!!!
THANK YOU, Jesus...... THANK YOU, Jesus..... THANK YOU, Jesus
Today I pray that we will all live, laugh and love as if there will be no tomorrow. I pray that we will all live our lives for Jesus, with Jesus and because of Jesus. And I pray that we will stand tall and strong and proud of the fact that we live different lives.......and that we will stand out as most positive examples for others to see.
Amen!
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