Everything But the Kitchen Sink

Since starting the Dave Ramsey financial peace university we've been working on baby step one. ($1000 in a beginner savings account).

 This process has started long before the class has started for us however. As most of you know we live what I call a modern minimalist lifestyle. We don't buy, or live with unnecessary "things". I already have a "For Sale" photo album on my Facebook page of various items we no longer need, or use. In an effort to accelerate that baby step one completion I have decided to list some of the bigger items on Craigslist and hold a yard sale for the smaller items. I'm hoping to get this step completed before the end of the year. To some of you $1000 may not seem like much to have to come up with for savings but with what we've been living off of lately it might as well be a million dollars. We are determined however, so I'm getting started tomorrow on organizing the Craigslist ads and the yard sale. Wish us luck with this first major step toward financial security. 

Financial Peace University

Sunday night me and the hubby took the first step to a better life, we started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University.

We are both very hopeful for this class and our financial future and family life. With the money struggles we've had lately I feel this is where we need to start. We don't have many arguments but the ones we do have usual stem around money, as with most marriages these days. The lack of it, the way it's spent, and what our money priorities are in life are the most common topics that come up. 

We have just been to the intro class so far but we've been through the material and I'm about half way through the book in one day. The methods seem so practical and yet you think "why didn't I do it that way the first time?" I'm so ready to dig in and get this debt knocked out and start living life the way it's meant to be lived. 

We officially start week one on Sunday and I'm excited for class and what we will learn. 

I know I told you I was going to be totally honest in this blog and I will, but until we get farther into the debt elimination process I won't be giving any actual numbers. I will however keep everyone updated as we work through the program and make progress. 

Financial Peace University

Sunday night me and the hubby took the first step to a better life, we started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University.

We are both very hopeful for this class and our financial future and family life. With the money struggles we've had lately I feel this is where we need to start. We don't have many arguments but the ones we do have usual stem around money, as with most marriages these days. The lack of it, the way it's spent, and what our money priorities are in life are the most common topics that come up. 

We have just been to the intro class so far but we've been through the material and I'm about half way through the book in one day. The methods seem so practical and yet you think "why didn't I do it that way the first time?" I'm so ready to dig in and get this debt knocked out and start living life the way it's meant to be lived. 

We officially start week one on Sunday and I'm excited for class and what we will learn. 

I know I told you I was going to be totally honest in this blog and I will, but until we get farther into the debt elimination process I won't be giving any actual numbers. I will however keep everyone updated as we work through the program and make progress. 

My Health Journey (The Beginning)

For my first official Wellness Wednesday post I'm going to let y'all in on some of my deepest secrets. My weight, body image, and emotional health. 

First off I'm going to put it all out there so please don't judge but by being completely honest I need my readers to hold me accountable. 

To help me somewhat justify this I'm going to start off by saying I'm 27 years old, 5'7", and I just had a baby about three months ago. This would be my second child. My first child is 2 and nothing toward weight loss or getting healthy was really done in the time in between the two so I'm doubly catching up. 

My weight: 250 lbs 

There I said it. 

It's out there. 

Now you know. 

That number is already about 50 lbs lower than my pre-pregnancy weight from this last child. No weight gain during the pregnancy and i actually lost about 25lbs, the average GAIN for a pregnancy. I had really let myself go before getting pregnant, good thing I have an amazing hubby that loves me anyway. 

I don't really have a weight loss goal in mind just a weight loss period. 

I do have what I consider an ideal size for me but once I get there ill decide if that's really where I wanna be since everyone's body is different and looks and carries weight differently at different sizes. Not to mention I'm not even sure how my body will react after birthing two children. 

I'm not having any body image issues or anything it's just more about being healthy for myself, and my family. I've had body image issues in the past so I'm quite proud of being okay with myself now, but I do want to be healthy, have more energy, and be able to play with my girls for a long time to come. 

So far I've cut back on my portions, and we've been doing our evening walks you've already read about in a previous post. I don't own a scale at home so I'm not sure about actual numbers but I do feel a little better about my health from doing that for a little bit now.

As far as my emotional health I'm sure you all know by reading previous post it's not doing to hot. I have good days and bad days, things look up and then we get knocked right back down. When I put myself out of the situation it's actually pretty balanced as far as the good and bad, but when deep in the mist of it there is no way out, at least that I can see.

 I know most people say money isn't everything, but it is when you don't have any. It's a source to shelter, food, electricity, means of transportation, and even a stress relieve now and then in the form of a night out. 

I'm not in denial, I'm aware the not all my problems stem from financial problems, but I feel like those are the most prominent problems as of late. Now that hubby has started working part time for the company he will soon, hopefully, be full time with the money has started flowing back in little by little. Now it's the catchup game we play for the next few months. Catching up on bills we owe, people we owe for help with bills, and then working on the past debt again and start savings. 

So I guess all of that sums up to... Today is a good day. The light is getting slightly brighter, and I'm just trying to not get my hopes up about anything right now. 

I hope all of you, my readers, are well and happy in your lives right now. God Bless. 

Fresh Start

In ode to my most recent post "Rain" I've decided to start fresh. 
I owe a lot of that to my husband for taking the family to see an evangelist that he's seen before when he was younger. We checked his schedule and saw he would be somewhat local to us on Sunday so we decided to go see him. Being raised Baptist it was DIFFERENT to say the least. The evangelist was what I would consider a modern Pentecostal preacher. But I did learn a ton from his sermon, not just spiritually but historically as well. Some things I've read for years in the bible one way I realized meant something totally different due to the translation for the time period it was written in. I'm going to have to transition in baby steps because of the great radical differences, but I'm open to a new set of teachings. I've never seen my husband so into a church service or so "on fire" for The Lord as I saw during that sermon. 

In addition to a fresh start of our families spiritual life I've decided to have several fresh starts in our home life as well.  These fresh starts have prompted us to start looking into moving. Not necessarily moving "away" but moving somewhere better for our family. We've been too dependent on our extended family, not that there is anything wrong with that, but for where we are in our family we need some separation from them. If we lived just far enough away to not have them there for every beck and call we could learn how to depend on each other more. 
Our apartment lease is up in October and we will start looking then. Won't be able to buy anything just yet but looking to rent something for a year or so. 

Even though its August it's almost as if we've started a new year in our family. We've launched into several new beginnings for our family and I can't wait to see where we will be this time next year. 

Struggles (originally written July18)

I want to start off by telling you I’m going to be completely honest in this blog. what you read is what you get with me and my family.
It’s been a struggle lately to say the least. New baby, stepson visiting for the summer, husband lost his job, finances, faith, marriage. Sometimes it feels like my whole world is unraveling around me.
I’ve been struggling with my faith lately most of all. When your world is falling apart it’s hard to have faith that God will get you through it. I feel like God has finally broken me to the point he needed me at to remold me into something better.
Though we are still struggling things are looking up. We have an amazing support system behind us in the form or family and friends. Husband went on a job interview today that went quite well. Keeping fingers crossed about that.

Although we are struggling I know we’ll make it through. We are a family and we have love. After all “all you need is love.”