Party for Freedom

I have mentioned to a few of you about a small gathering I will be holding on Saturday, August 11.  That my friends, is my birthday.  I will be a quarter-century old.  However, for those that aren't aware, the party serves two purposes.

One, my birthday.  Two, I will be debt free.  That's right, I kicked Sallie Mae out of the guest bedroom.  Everyone is welcome to attend, there will be free beverages and food.  I don't ask that anyone bring anything, including gifts...unless you really want to, in which I can't stop you anyway.  If you feel so inclined to bring sustenance, please let me know.  Also, please RSVP so I don't go overkill on food stuffs.  I will begin the gathering around 3pm.  We will have a variety of lawn games and top 40 hits from the 60s to the 2000s.  A good time had by all.  Regrets only.

I'm finishing up lunch break, but I'd like to share my journey quickly toward being debt free.  In February of 2011, I began to have a serious itch that just needed a good scratch.  I started reading about personal finance and looking into budget calculators, mutual funds, the whole bit.  It was an area of my life that I felt needed some attention.  I knew very little about investing, saving, and giving.  I just knew how to pay my bills and feel ok because I had a few thousand dollars in the bank.  

In my quest for knowledge I found a man by the name of Dave Ramsey.  He hosts a radio show (in this area it is on AM, but I forget the frequency) and his basic plan outlines that after saving up a $1000 emergency fund, that you work with all intentions of being debt free.  Attacking debt with vengeance.  I was seriously sick of looking at my Sallie Mae account and seeing the needle going nowhere.  I was staring at nearly $30K for months, and I was sick and tired of feeling like I'd have this ball and chain well into my 30s.  I paid more than the minimum payment from the get-go, but it wasn't enough.  There was nothing I could do to feel better about my situation.  Until...

I got pissed off and I decided to begin the journey to set myself free.  I already had $1000 saved and then some.  And I thought, "for what?"  To feel some sort of false security?  To feel like I had something?  I had $30K hanging in the clouds, what in the heck does $7000 do for me in the bank?  Nothing.  It does nothing.  It hung there, and kept hanging there, doing absolutely nothing.

Boom, first payment was $6000.  I had another account that I let my mom manage for another security blanket.  For what?  Nothing.  It made no difference whether I had that money or not.  It didn't make me feel any better.  I had her transfer the funds to my account and...

Boom, $3500 second payment.  When you take nearly 10K away from 30K, you are left with 20K.  Duh, but I still didn't feel all that great.  Now I was living on nothing.  I was broke, but not poor.  I had a paycheck coming in every two weeks that I counted on and looked forward to every two weeks.  I worked hard and put myself on a serious budget.  Trying to make money where ever and however I could was all I could think about.  Knowing approximately what my bills were and what things I had to pay for really put things into perspective.  I had more money than I thought, just by doing a little math.  Add, subtract, simple.  I had the answer, all it was going to take was time.

For a year and a half I was so intentional on where my money went.  Every dollar had a name, and it wasn't George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, or even Benjamin Franklin.  Naming my money before I spent it is what kept me focused - its called a budget.  I told a few of you that you will never hear me talk about money again.  And it's true unless you seek advice or some sort of refuge.  I'd love to encourage everyone to be free from debt forever.  I'm not a CFP or counselor but I can certainly offer advice and encouragement.  I caught a lot of flack from Jacob in particular, but he made me more driven to knock this thing out.  I encourage everyone to listen to Dave Ramsey - you can get his podcasts for free.  They are motivating, and I believe in what he teaches.  

I certainly did enjoy myself along the way - I still enjoyed myself and purchased some toys.  But it was a big sacrifice.  One that is totally worth it.  I'm going to call Dave Ramsey tomorrow to scream that I'M DEBT FREE!!!!  See everyone on the 11th of August!