When I started this blog way back in 2009, I was in debt and wanted out. I think I had just learned about Dave Ramsey and was inspired to be debt free for the first time ever in my life and his cash-only lifestyle really struck a chord with me. So began this blog and some major changes in my life.
Since then we were able to become totally debt free, we sold our house and nearly everything in it to travel for a while, then randomly ended up starting our retired life in Las Vegas. A year or so after settling down again I pretty much wrapped up this blog as I had got to where I wanted to be--debt free and living cash only--and that would be the end of that. So I thought.
Fast forward to a couple of years ago. Our car was getting old (about 16 years old at the time), it was breaking down pretty often (we were on a first name basis with every mechanic at our local car repair shop), and I figured I needed a new car. So I bought one on credit, not with cash as Dave Ramsey always preaches. After all, my freelance income had been pretty steady for some years and I figured it would be better to buy a car at 50 years old (with the ability to get an actual job if my freelance income should dry up than at, say, 60 when it may be harder to work). And thus I was back in debt. Then I felt like I needed to get my credit score up (it wasn't terrible, I was able to by a car after all, but it wasn't very high either) so I got a credit card after more than five years without one. I also got 50,000 bonus miles! But then I used the credit card. And then I got another card and another. Now I have six credit cards, four of which I never use but two of which I do use and often carry a balance on.
Fortunately hubby is wiser than me and never carries any debt but my crappy spending habits from years ago are slowly creeping back into my life. Even though I always pay my bills on time, I don't want to have bills. I want to go back to where I had zero debt and never used credit. I am hopping back on the cash-only living train starting now.
This is a good post about how you were able to use Dave Ramsey's process. I used it too and hopefully will continue. I paid off all the credit card debt, reduced our mortgage, and was able to pay off a hefty portion of my student loan. We actually sold our house and were able to use the equity to put a nice size down payment on a new build and we are moved in as of December 8th.
ReplyDeleteI do think about getting a credit card. I have an emergency savings account. I don't access it unless I have no other altervative. Some months the bills are larger than the income coming in and I am thankful then that I do not owe any thing other than my mortgage and my student loan. We do have house bills that a very common, but I pay cash for everything. I am driving a 2008 KIA that I bought new in 2008 and hope that it continue to keep running as it gets the required maintenance which is a pretty hefty cost that the budget has to absorb.