I can always find something to complain about

I hate banks. Why is it when you make a deposit at 2:04 on Friday you can't touch that money until Tuesday morning after 9:00 am? Of course, any checks I write in those 5 days may or may not clear, it's anyone's guess. And the bank lady's explanation is "ma'am, we present each item in the order we receive it". Good, because you received my deposit on Friday BEFORE I wrote the check on Sunday, right? Apparently, I'm an idiot.

In other money news....

Those of you who know us and our crazy lives over the past 2 years know a little of our financial situation. For those that don't, I hate to tell a long, drawn out, depressing but encouraging 30 page story so, I won't. But, my darling husband sold his thriving business a few years ago. Through a series of unfortunate events we ended up 18 months later with a new failing business, and a big bad boy amount of business debt that was six figures long. This was after we sold both our home and a used BMW that we had paid cash for {cash for the car, not the house, we weren't that rich} {we weren't rich at all but we had $$ to pay all the bills and then some and buy plants and pay for private school so that is rich to me} {hate me}. We even had to give away our dog, Siler.

I still miss my old house like mad. We did SO much work to it and I loved it and the yard. Most of all, it was about 14 houses away from my sister whom I miss horribly. I'm such a dork who's in love with petty material things like houses that I am now going to post a before and after photo of my beloved....
Need I say more? Love, I tell you! My husband MADE those shutters -- with his bare hands! What a man. I drew out the plans for the porch and the paint? Well, I thought I would have to kidnap a painter and blindfold him to find one willing to paint my brick. Don't get me started on the doors. Three months after we ordered them, they were delivered with what else but broken glass. It was worth every ding dong minute. I loved this house, I could almost marry it. It was me, it was us, it was our home.

We decided to sell it when the business was not growing like we hoped. By the grace of God it sold FAST. The people who bought it unfortunately had their own health scare and at this very moment my house is on the market again. This will always be my house.

PRAISE be to the God who created everything I love and even things I tend to complain about, my honey was able to secure a territory with his original business in a new city in North Carolina.

I have to admit, the house that we live in now is a GREAT house. We are renting. Probably 99% of people would say that this is a better house. It has high, smooth ceilings, some heavy crown molding and is quite large. But, it's just a generic house to me and not OUR house. Does anyone understand this?


So, back to our financial update. We are big believers in the Dave Ramsey plan. We actually got pretty far on the baby steps a few years ago. So, in July, we stared all over again. We wrote down all of our debt in order from smallest to largest (that took about 4 years). Next, we got caught up on any bills we were behind on (that took 15 years). Then we saved $1000 (that's taking an eternity). Meanwhile, we are paying minimum payments and any extra money we find is applied to our smallest debt. The way we find extra money is to break into our neighbors' homes and raid their sofa cushions. Also, we don't spend much. We hardly ever eat out, I cut coupons, I don't buy many clothes and I try not to buy lamps, chairs and pillows. That is where the rubber meets the road if you know what I mean.

By the end of this month we will have paid off......$30,000!!!!!

That number is from July until the end of this year. We were shocked!! Yippie! We still have LOTS of debt. So many people helped us too and we, stupidly tried to help ourselves by using debt to fund a start up business. Slowly, slowly we are seeing results and beginning to pay back our debts. If you are reading this and we owe you money, thank you.

My honey works hard like a dirty dog and I am so proud of him. He hardly even complains. We are so thankful for a job. And a house. Even if the house doesn't have a tree on the property that is taller than me.