Paying off debt. This has been one of the hardest but most rewarding parts of our marriage. Chris and I started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class the week after our honeymoon. We were the youngest couple (by at least 10 years!) in the class, and we were also the only couple to attend every session (14 weeks!) haha...we were desperately trying to have perfect attendance so our class fee would be refunded. Hey...$100 was a lot to us! "Living like no one else, so that we can live like no one else" is SO worth it! If you haven't taken the class, do it! Who cares if we don't drive the newest cars, go on fancy shmancy vacations, or live in a new house, if we can do it later with no debt! Living in downtown Dallas definitely amplifies the fact that we are "living like no one else" for the moment, but I've also come to realize how much it has opened my eyes to the meaningless things in this world vs. what really matters. To know that soon we'll have a good down payment on a house, a decent savings account, a car replacement fund, and no debt, makes it all worth it! Now.... I can't say I've done a perfect job at "living like no one else." My weakness is going to the mall and getting just that "one" thing I've been eyeing for months. But I think it keeps life fun and it doesn't exactly break the bank. :) I know I've written about FPU and debt before, but it's such a huge thing and writing about it helps keep me grounded and looking forward to reaching our goal.
On a lighter note, Asher slept for 5 hours, then another 4 last night! Saturday's sleepless night must have caught up with him. I actually woke up before he did this morning and had time to cook breakfast!
To-do today:
1) Put away mountain of clothes and organize closet and dresser.
2) Shopping. Yes...after that whole debt-free talk it sounds crazy, but I need some stuff that I can wear while I'm waiting for this baby weight to go away! I'm working at it, but having to wait 6 weeks to exercise hasn't helped. My maternity clothes are all too big and stretched out, and my pre-maternity clothes aren't exactly fitting. :( I plan to take the baby and my strange new body to Buffalo Exchange, my favorite store! At least I'll save money on "slightly-used clothes!"
3) Plan out the rest of my spring break/last week of maternity leave. redbox here we come!
Carol,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the sweet little baby. Such a fun time in life...and, don't worry, it eventually becomes like second nature to lug around heavy carseats, strollers, and whatnot. Also, I did not fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes at all after giving birth and I bought some cute "in-between" clothes. I am so happy that I did, because now that I am pregnant with number 2, I am able to wear some of those things before I start wearing maternity. Your body will continue to change as you nurse, quit nursing, start exercising, etc... It is sometimes frustrating, but the reward of having such a wonderful new life around makes it worth it. Enjoy this time!
Krista
It's a balance. Save A LOT. Spend a little. :) Makes it more special. Keep it up!
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