The numbers are in. Not 100% accurate, but in none the less.
Through 6 weeks the class has paid $18,276 in debt and saved $31,060
Not bad since we have yet to even complete our first full month of "living like no one else."
These numbers will grow dramatically as you grow dramatically. I told the class this last night but I think it is worth repeating.
If you are embarassed by the numbers you wrote down, or you left your card blank, (there were several of you), then I challenge you to do something about it. It's time to start living like no one else so you can start winning. Don't quit. Don't lose hope and become Practice the goat. If it bothers you that you are not saving and paying off like you want, then get mad and do something. Have a yard sale. Start eating beans and rice for dinner. Cancel your cable. Sell something. Feeling sorry for yourself won't get it done. If you need help or encouragement, then call me. Go Get Gazelle Intense!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Class Debt Totals are in...
$2,973,208.20
That number represents about 60 of the 65 people in our class, and the 37 households that responded. If you take the number above and divide it by the number of responses, we are left with an average debt (not including personal residence mortgages) of $80,356.98 per household!
This is where the rubber meets the road in this class. This is where you either become "practice the goat", and quit, or you are Gazelle Intense and you run for your life. It sucks to be in debt! No one knows that better that Stacie and I do. Our total debt (mortgage included) just about equals that giant number above. Giving up will not help. Filing for bankruptcy is not the answer.
You wandered into debt but you cannot wander out. Run! Run from the Cheetah! Do whatever it takes to get your life back. Isn't it worth it in the end? If it took you 5 years but you were debt free, how would that change the rest of your life? The time is now.
No one has quit yet, don't be the first. See you next week.
That number represents about 60 of the 65 people in our class, and the 37 households that responded. If you take the number above and divide it by the number of responses, we are left with an average debt (not including personal residence mortgages) of $80,356.98 per household!
This is where the rubber meets the road in this class. This is where you either become "practice the goat", and quit, or you are Gazelle Intense and you run for your life. It sucks to be in debt! No one knows that better that Stacie and I do. Our total debt (mortgage included) just about equals that giant number above. Giving up will not help. Filing for bankruptcy is not the answer.
You wandered into debt but you cannot wander out. Run! Run from the Cheetah! Do whatever it takes to get your life back. Isn't it worth it in the end? If it took you 5 years but you were debt free, how would that change the rest of your life? The time is now.
No one has quit yet, don't be the first. See you next week.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Cutting Coupons
Act of Kindness relating to Coupons:
Okay, so what do I do with all those coupons I don't end up using? If you are like me, I don't use all those coupons that I get in my paper and I end up throwing them away, not to mention I end up not using some of the ones I have already clipped. Want to do something great? I found this website that linked me to something great - a way to give. Our service families that are stationed overseas need our help. We can send our coupons that we don't use, that are expired up to 2 months and it will help them save money. We adopt a base and follow a few simple rules, and send the coupons overseas. The families get to use them up to 6 months expired and it helps a ton.
I have already started saving my coupons. I wanted to do this through our church, but do to recent changes, we will post-pone adopting a base for now. So, I am still choosing to adopt a base and send what I have already collected. Want to help me? If you do, send me an email and I will explain it. I think a side benefit we can all gain besides helping someone else, is we can even trade / swap coupons together and what we don't use, we can send off to them.
If you want some help at the grocery store and a way to get more coupons:
http://www.couponmom.com/ - this was mentioned on the Oprah show today, it looks like a ton of resources for you!
http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.smartsource.com/
http://www.smartspendingresources.com/resources.html ( a ton of resources on ways to save money - coupons, family freebies, etc. I would recommend going to the articles tab as well, for other things to ponder)
If you want to start your own Act of Kindness and adopt your own base withing your church:
http://www.ocpnet.org/
If you want to help the cause and pool our resources, I would love it! Let me know.
Melanie
Okay, so what do I do with all those coupons I don't end up using? If you are like me, I don't use all those coupons that I get in my paper and I end up throwing them away, not to mention I end up not using some of the ones I have already clipped. Want to do something great? I found this website that linked me to something great - a way to give. Our service families that are stationed overseas need our help. We can send our coupons that we don't use, that are expired up to 2 months and it will help them save money. We adopt a base and follow a few simple rules, and send the coupons overseas. The families get to use them up to 6 months expired and it helps a ton.
I have already started saving my coupons. I wanted to do this through our church, but do to recent changes, we will post-pone adopting a base for now. So, I am still choosing to adopt a base and send what I have already collected. Want to help me? If you do, send me an email and I will explain it. I think a side benefit we can all gain besides helping someone else, is we can even trade / swap coupons together and what we don't use, we can send off to them.
If you want some help at the grocery store and a way to get more coupons:
http://www.couponmom.com/ - this was mentioned on the Oprah show today, it looks like a ton of resources for you!
http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.smartsource.com/
http://www.smartspendingresources.com/resources.html ( a ton of resources on ways to save money - coupons, family freebies, etc. I would recommend going to the articles tab as well, for other things to ponder)
If you want to start your own Act of Kindness and adopt your own base withing your church:
http://www.ocpnet.org/
If you want to help the cause and pool our resources, I would love it! Let me know.
Melanie
Money Saving Tips on the Oprah Show Today 10/8
Okay, the chatter on the news and on the Internet is all money-minded. Over and over again, we are hearing that America has been living beyond its means and the credit market is stretched too thin. Wow, I am so thankful I am taking FPU at this time! I feel ahead of the cheetah (even just a 1/2 step is enough at this point). I tuned in on the Oprah show today because it had something I was interested in - the Thriftiest Family in America. What are they doing to save a buck, I wondered?
I wanted to pass on the link from the show to help my fellow Gazelles. What can you do to live within your means? If you go to the above link there is help on cutting costs at the Grocery Store, as well as other ways to save. The gist of the show today was making a mind-shift and being aware of where you are spending your money. I think many of us are worried that our quality of life may change, however as they kept pointing out its quality time you spend with family and friends, not the things. The Thriftiest Family also stated to do a lot of research in taking advantage of local resources to have fun, i.e. renting a DVD or Video from your Local Library for free, eating at restaurants where children eat for free, or using coupons. I think we can all learn a bit here, but its the follow through - its the mind shift we need to make to be and do better.
Hope this helps a bit.
I wanted to pass on the link from the show to help my fellow Gazelles. What can you do to live within your means? If you go to the above link there is help on cutting costs at the Grocery Store, as well as other ways to save. The gist of the show today was making a mind-shift and being aware of where you are spending your money. I think many of us are worried that our quality of life may change, however as they kept pointing out its quality time you spend with family and friends, not the things. The Thriftiest Family also stated to do a lot of research in taking advantage of local resources to have fun, i.e. renting a DVD or Video from your Local Library for free, eating at restaurants where children eat for free, or using coupons. I think we can all learn a bit here, but its the follow through - its the mind shift we need to make to be and do better.
Hope this helps a bit.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
700 Billion in new Debt, I mean Bailout
If you think the decision by Congress stinks, then now is your chance to vote all those who voted for the bail out out of office. Click on the link above or go to:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll674.xml to see how your Congressman voted last week.
By the looks of the Market this week the bailout is a flop and we can kiss our 700 billion goodbye! Although things could turn around . . .
If you like the bailout plan, then I cannot help you.
Here's what 700 billion looks like:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll674.xml to see how your Congressman voted last week.
By the looks of the Market this week the bailout is a flop and we can kiss our 700 billion goodbye! Although things could turn around . . .
If you like the bailout plan, then I cannot help you.
Here's what 700 billion looks like:
Laid end to end, 700 billion dollar bills (66 million miles worth) would stretch from the Earth to Mars and almost all the way back, when the planets are at their closest. Stacking dollar coins would produce a pile 435,000 miles high, well beyond the distance to the Moon. And still no one would want them.
700 billion M&Ms (at 2 grams per chocolatey orb) would be enough to fill 10 one-pound bags for every one of the 300 million Americans. That would be a popular bailout!
700 billion dollars could buy 2009 Lincoln Town Cars for every person in Vermont, North Dakota, Alaska, South Dakota, Delaware, Montana, Rhode Island, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Maine, and Idaho.
The combined weight of every human male in the world is considerably less than 700 billion pounds, even including the players in the NFL.
700 billion dollars could buy 87 McDonald's combo meals for every person on Earth, with change left over for antacids.
My heart has beaten approximately 2,196,917, 208 times since I was born 58 years ago. At this rate, I'd have to live to live to be 20,300 years of age to reach 700 billion heartbeats. I'm willing to go for it, for the sake of research.
posted from: http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2008/09/25/grasping-700-billion/
Monday, October 6, 2008
Cash Envelopes for the Computer Minded Nerd
If you are like my husband, and well, like myself, then the thought of carrying cash may scare you. Now hold on, I know Dave Ramsey said that we will feel it more, if we have the cash in our hands - and I know he is right. However, I saw this on a blog today and thought it was interesting. If you are one of those nerds who likes to use Money, Quicken or any other online or computer program and are trying to bridge the gap between using the computer software and using Dave Ramsey's envelope system, this COULD help you.
If you click on the above link, and look at the product overview and quick tour, you may find that this system could be right for you. It does allow you to make virtual envelopes and it helps keep track of your money and spending and it even has a feature to use with your cell phone, so you can check your balances before you buy (no ooops on the budget). There are some cons though, it costs money. Another con: it may be hard to learn a new program in a hurry. Another con: it doesn't follow Dave Ramsey's complete plan... so you may find it counter productive. You can try a free trial for a month and see if this works for you, but if you are looking at the bottom line like me, this may be too much for your budget. If you are a nerd that must make their budget on the computer and wants everything nice and neat, this may help.
As for our family, I think I am going to try the traditional cash envelopes. We really need to make this budgeting thing work. Remember, its a marathon.... not a sprint. WE CAN DO IT!
Peace,
Melanie
If you click on the above link, and look at the product overview and quick tour, you may find that this system could be right for you. It does allow you to make virtual envelopes and it helps keep track of your money and spending and it even has a feature to use with your cell phone, so you can check your balances before you buy (no ooops on the budget). There are some cons though, it costs money. Another con: it may be hard to learn a new program in a hurry. Another con: it doesn't follow Dave Ramsey's complete plan... so you may find it counter productive. You can try a free trial for a month and see if this works for you, but if you are looking at the bottom line like me, this may be too much for your budget. If you are a nerd that must make their budget on the computer and wants everything nice and neat, this may help.
As for our family, I think I am going to try the traditional cash envelopes. We really need to make this budgeting thing work. Remember, its a marathon.... not a sprint. WE CAN DO IT!
Peace,
Melanie
Thursday, October 2, 2008
A Ban On Credit Cards? Hmmmm?
This post submitted by Chris Breese. I thought you might find it interesting.
A modest proposal: Ban credit cards...
Julie TilsnerSep 29th 2008 at 6:00PM
Well why not? What if they outlawed credit cards? Would the world end? Would it be financial Armageddon? Would we shuffle from food line to water queue in our now-tattered $250 blue jeans? It's never gonna happen, we know. So play along with me here. I'm not talking about business credit. That's an altogether different animal (currently in hibernation). I'm talking consumer debt. This idea that we can have the McMansion AND the boat AND the trips AND the kitchen remodel because we could, up until just a bit ago, borrow all that money to do so.And look where we are today. What if we *had* to live within our means again? What if we couldn't buy whatever we wanted because we didn't have credit cards? Would it suck? Heck yeah. But only because we've gotten so used to having credit, and being able to buy those cute shoes or fund our student film or buy that iPhone because it's so cool and you just gotta have it.In other words, what would happen if we couldn't have all that...stuff...unless we actually had the cash for it? We'd have to get used to saving again. Saving actual dollars (while they're still worth anything at all, I mean). What if you had to do the now unimaginable and save a 20% cash downpayment before buying a new house? Wouldn't that kind of thinking actually help our economy down the road? A nation of savers is a good thing, isn't it? We wouldn't be so in debt. We wouldn't have so much superfluous stuff. We might work less and live more. Thrift might come back into style.Being truly forced to live within our means would really foul up our carefully-crafted consumer society, true. But as I'm told, many generations of people have managed to do so. My dad tells me that in the '60s you went to the bank on a Friday with your paycheck, and took out enough cash to get through until the next week. If you ran out...well...tough luck. So set me straight please. Why couldn't we just ban credit cards forever? It's just a thought, given today's financial meltdown...caused by the credit crisis.
A modest proposal: Ban credit cards...
Julie TilsnerSep 29th 2008 at 6:00PM
Well why not? What if they outlawed credit cards? Would the world end? Would it be financial Armageddon? Would we shuffle from food line to water queue in our now-tattered $250 blue jeans? It's never gonna happen, we know. So play along with me here. I'm not talking about business credit. That's an altogether different animal (currently in hibernation). I'm talking consumer debt. This idea that we can have the McMansion AND the boat AND the trips AND the kitchen remodel because we could, up until just a bit ago, borrow all that money to do so.And look where we are today. What if we *had* to live within our means again? What if we couldn't buy whatever we wanted because we didn't have credit cards? Would it suck? Heck yeah. But only because we've gotten so used to having credit, and being able to buy those cute shoes or fund our student film or buy that iPhone because it's so cool and you just gotta have it.In other words, what would happen if we couldn't have all that...stuff...unless we actually had the cash for it? We'd have to get used to saving again. Saving actual dollars (while they're still worth anything at all, I mean). What if you had to do the now unimaginable and save a 20% cash downpayment before buying a new house? Wouldn't that kind of thinking actually help our economy down the road? A nation of savers is a good thing, isn't it? We wouldn't be so in debt. We wouldn't have so much superfluous stuff. We might work less and live more. Thrift might come back into style.Being truly forced to live within our means would really foul up our carefully-crafted consumer society, true. But as I'm told, many generations of people have managed to do so. My dad tells me that in the '60s you went to the bank on a Friday with your paycheck, and took out enough cash to get through until the next week. If you ran out...well...tough luck. So set me straight please. Why couldn't we just ban credit cards forever? It's just a thought, given today's financial meltdown...caused by the credit crisis.
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