Sunday, January 23, 2011

I've been converted

For our anniversary, Jason gave me a Kindle. I l-o-v-e my Kindle. The instantaneous books and portability won me over in less than 10 minutes of use. But this post is not about my conversion from a hardcopy book lover to a Kindle believer. Stay with me here...

My best friend Kirstin gave me an Amazon gift card for my birthday. Knowing that I was a Kindle addict (and being one herself) this was a wonderful gift. The first book I purchased was called Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. (It was great, and I highly recommend it.) But it was my 2nd digital purchase that may have changed my life forever.

I purchased Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. I'm 51% of the way through it (I know this because my handy Kindle told me so) and already applying the principles to our life (Jason is roped in even though he hasn't read it...yet!)

We are ready. We are going to navigate our debt with gazelle intensity. I've started evaluating how much I could get for everything in my house that's not nailed down... including the wondrous blue curio cabinet from a few posts down (any offers?). Just keep your hands off my Kindle. I need that for the Baby Steps.

You may be wondering, how much debt could they possibly have? Well, we don't have as much as the "average American" but we have enough that I feel held back. I'm tired of giving my paycheck to other people.

My biggest financial downfall is something that I confessed to being obsessed with in my last post. My purchases tend to be small, like less than $20 at a time, but I make many of them. They add up fast and before I know it, I've spent $300 and have a bunch of small "things" to show for it. Well not anymore!

If I start pulling out seemingly weird phrases like, "I can't get coffee with you because I want to live like no one else," you'll know where it's coming from. This process is not going to be easy or anywhere near it. But it will be worth it. Your support and encouragement will go a long way.

So you see, Kirstin didn't just give me a gift card, she has single handedly impacted our future. Thanks, K.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

This is too crazy. Dave Ramsey?? My dad is his #1 fan. I grew up on the Ramsey rhetoric. Papa Engelby even TEACHES Dave's "Financial Peace" class every year or so. I sat through it (somewhat begrudgingly) in high school, but highly recommend it now. This is so perfect that my gift card bought you his book. We should talk money sometime soon!