prologue
About a month ago, I was doing my usual internet reading, which includes the Consumerist blog. I saw this post about someone who had paid off $9,482 of debt off in five months. Having about $50,000 in personal loans, student loans (there's 80% of my debt right there), and credit loans through my former credit union, seeing someone accomplish so much in such little time really caught my attention. I read up a little about the Debt Snowball method, and decided to try it some time.
Not too long after, I was channel surfing, and I saw "The Dave Ramsey Show" was airing on Fox Business Channel (a channel I didn't even know was on my cable service). I tuned in, and I've been hooked ever since.
My SO, who is now at the Total Money Makeover forums representing us as los_angeles_couple, was a little skeptical at first, but she enjoyed the program, too. I got caught up on daveramsey.com, podcasting the radio show, and when we decided to spend a Barnes & Noble gift card left over from a late Christmas gift, we purchased the Total Money Makeover book.
I was already excited about this, but after reading the book, she was even more "gazelle intense," ready to tackle her own $15,000 in debt (about half of which is student loans). This happened to be corresponding at a time we were thinking of changing our living situation to a nicer, but smaller house, for less rent. So now, we are getting things together to sell online and for an upcoming yard sale, building our emergency fund, and taking our previously clumsy budgeting to a whole new, streamlined level.
We had both looked for debt-free and Dave Ramsey communities online, and after finding the Dave Ramsey LJ community and getting involved as a moderator, I'm ready to chronicle our journey here with fellow LJ users and Dave Ramsey devotees.
Not too long after, I was channel surfing, and I saw "The Dave Ramsey Show" was airing on Fox Business Channel (a channel I didn't even know was on my cable service). I tuned in, and I've been hooked ever since.
My SO, who is now at the Total Money Makeover forums representing us as los_angeles_couple, was a little skeptical at first, but she enjoyed the program, too. I got caught up on daveramsey.com, podcasting the radio show, and when we decided to spend a Barnes & Noble gift card left over from a late Christmas gift, we purchased the Total Money Makeover book.
I was already excited about this, but after reading the book, she was even more "gazelle intense," ready to tackle her own $15,000 in debt (about half of which is student loans). This happened to be corresponding at a time we were thinking of changing our living situation to a nicer, but smaller house, for less rent. So now, we are getting things together to sell online and for an upcoming yard sale, building our emergency fund, and taking our previously clumsy budgeting to a whole new, streamlined level.
We had both looked for debt-free and Dave Ramsey communities online, and after finding the Dave Ramsey LJ community and getting involved as a moderator, I'm ready to chronicle our journey here with fellow LJ users and Dave Ramsey devotees.