Finding Your Own Hope in this Economy

I'm on a Dave Ramsey roll right now. Last summer when I told Doug I had enrolled us in FPU I know he was skeptical. He had skimmed through The Total Money Makeover and had plenty to say about what was wrong with it. But, good husband that he is, he joined me and- to his surprise, I think- enjoyed it and got on board with the plan.

It's been almost a year since I found out about Dave and the difference in our lives is pretty amazing. We've paid off our vehicles (ok, one was totaled in an accident, but it is still paid off!), paid off over 18,000 in debt (loans & credit cards), cut unnecessary expenses and moved to a cash only system for most expenses. To say our lives have changed is an understatement. To try to explain how nice it feels to have money left at the end of the month (instead of the opposite) is impossible unless you've experienced it.

During our time in Massachusetts we fell off the wagon a bit, though. Being away from our credit union made it costly and difficult to withdraw cash for our expenses. Living on an expense account makes it easier to forget about cost. And being away from home made life feel more like a vacation. We need a kick in the pants.

I registered us for Dave Ramsey Live in Kansas City this weekend. It won't be anything new but it will give us back the intensity we lost the past 3 months. It will also be a welcome weekend away for me from the girls- I was with them 24/7 for 10 weeks. I need a break!

Last Thursday we got a bit of Dave intensity at the Town Hall for Hope. It wasn't anything we hadn't heard before but I was a good refresher. Here are a few notes I took:

Failure- if it's chasing you- will run you towards excellence.

Success is merely a pile of failure you are standing on.

Embrace personal responsibility!

Three things to do if you're struggling with hope:

1. Get up and take action! Get off the couch! Do something! Your best chance at success is you!
2. Don't participate in loser talk! If you surround yourself with losers, well, you must be a loser, too! Feed your brain with good stuff! Surround yourself with people you want to emulate!
3. Learn to give again! Give your time if you don't have the money. Giving not only makes you feel good but volunteering may make you realize just how good you have it!
   

Get informed and choose not to participate in the recession! And, if you haven't yet, now is a great time to locate an FPU class near you!