My Total Money Make Over

Beginning today my finances are changing. I am having a Total Money Makeover and it is starting with my heart. I am going to "live like no one else, so later I can live like no one else." That's the motto in Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover book.

If you aren't familiar with him, Dave Ramsey is a nationally known financial guy who is also a Christian. He has a national radio show, and several books and seminars on getting and keeping your finances straight.

Using his plan, I have mapped out how I will be DEBT FREE in less than 4 years. That is my car, my credit cards, and, even, hold your breath please, MY STUDENT LOANS! I might even pull it off a little sooner as all that I wrote out I was VERY conservative with.

God has really been convicting me lately of how I manage my finances...which, as well all know, aren't really mine to begin with. Everything I have is the Lord's and He has seen fit to give it to me to steward. So far I am FAILING the stewardship test. Yeah, I tithe and even give a little more in offering and to missions....but what I do with the other 90% is NOT pleasing to God. With HIS help though and some serious self-discipline by August 2010 I will be financially solid - not only debt free but with an emergency fund on it's way to being fully funded.

As an aside about the Bible and finances 2 very interesting facts I learned in the last 2 weeks from 2 separate sources: 1) if you add up all the things Jesus said...just the red letter words in the Bible...the one's He actually spoke, 15% of all that he talked about dealt with money. 2) more than 800 verses in the Bible total speak to our finances. AMAZING! God knows that finances show the condition of our hearts and is trying desperately to get us to pay attention as well.

I STRONGLY recommend this book to EVERYONE. If you want to be normal (by American standards) then don't worry about reading it because normal is BROKE and you might as well not waste your time. But if you want to be able to break free and stop treading water pick it up today. You can get it on Amazon for $13.

Keep me accountable. Ask me how I'm doing. If you hear about me going out to dinner or spending $4 for coffee at Starbucks, gently or not so gently ask how that fits into my Total Money Makeover. I'll keep you all updated.

Oh, and if you think that this is going to be easy, or I just must not have that much debt to be rid of it in 3.5 years shoot me a message and I'll tell you what kind of money we are talking about. This is going to be anything but easy....but it IS DOABLE!!!!