Dave Ramsey Live

So yesterday I went against what I should have done (stayed in bed) and ventured out with Jon to see Dave Ramsey Live.  I LOVE Dave Ramsey. I've been a faithful listener for three years now... and this is the first event he has held in his native Nashville in... 3 years! Jon got us tickets long ago so of course I risked it and went.

So most of the stuff he said we already knew, but it was fun and inspiring. I caught myself crying in the middle of the Nashville Municipal Auditorium- twice.

Tear up #1 was when I realized that I was probably no longer going to purchase my new-to-me bright red Jeep Liberty mom-mobile I so badly wanted (with cash of course- yes we saved up that much! Because Dave's system really works!) because I still have a stack of student loans to pay off. (They've been deferred so long I kind of forget about them at times.) I started to cry because it's my fault that I took out loans to go to school out of state.  It's 'our' last debt to pay off and is HUGE. Then I really started to tear up when I did a quick mental calculation that made me realize what my monthly payment would be over the next FIVE years.  And how I realized there is no way I could stay at home and still be able to afford that payment.

Tear up #2 happened when Dave was talking about his wife, Sharon, at home, broke, with two babies, no car, and a shotty air unit in the middle of a Nashville summer heat wave.  Then I realized this was probably going to be my life as soon as I spent all my savings paying off half my student loans in one fail swoop. I haven't made that payment yet. I'm sure as soon as I do something shitty will happen, because that's just how things work, right?

Dave encourages families to skimp by so the mother can stay at home. I only plan to stay home a year. We could easily make it a year without that pesky student loan payment. But can we make it with it?  If we go ahead and pay off 1/3 of it with my new car fund I think we can.

My parents never pushed the importance of driving a new car.  I remember the 1988 Mercury Grand Marquis {fondly dubbed as the 'Ghetto Cruiser'} with the red velvet seats. It floated down the road and dad even stuffed me AND 8 of my best friends in that cruiser to take us downtown for a concert in middle school. Thanks, Dad :) I also remember when it was wrecked for a long period of time it had headlights that dangled down at the ground. Result: it could only be legally driven in the daylight. And it was our only car.  When dad was ready to sell it he told me 'watch this!' as he went and parked it in our neighbor's backyard facing the main road we lived on. Sure enough, some Mexicans came by the next day and drove off to their home in the real ghetto.  I also recall a very small hatchback with a caved in cloth ceiling. It had no AC so when my mom drove us around with the windows down the droopy cloth turned into a massive car-sized bubble. I liked to poke at it with my finger.

I've toyed with the idea of not having a car... I could sell my truck and put that toward my student loan debt, too. Really the only reason I need one is to get to the Y and back during the day. This fall Jon and I only had one car for several months and it was no big deal since we worked next door to one another.

Today mom and dad offered me the '95 teal green Honda accord as a temporary swap for my truck until we get ready to buy a child-friendly car. I think I'll take it! :)

In addition to not buying a beautiful, new, Jeep Liberty, we will also be saving in other ways:
1) We have plenty of cloths diapers. No diaper costs.
2) Breastfeeding. Pending it works.
3) Couponing. I started my coupon notebook today. Some of my friends are those crazy people that go to Publix, buy $200 worth of stuff and pay $20 bucks. They are teaching me.
4) Joining the CSA again. SO much cheaper than the grocery store, it's organic, and prepaid. I can freeze/can/make baby food out of what we don't immediately use each week. I recommend you find a CSA in your area and buy a share :)  Support local farmers!
5) We're canceling our magazine subscriptions.
6) We are going down to basic cable. I'm talking channels 2, 9, and 12. It's $13.00 and month as compared to $190 dollars a month. I can watch my MTV shows on hulu.com for that kind of savings.
7) We're having another yard sale when it warms up. Our last was a big success!
8) Halting home projects :( Sadly, it will be another year or so until we actually have a usable master bath. I think EdFinancial is getting our bathroom money, too.  And our privacy fence money.  Trust me, I'm sick over it.
9) We already shop at Goodwill. Babies grow fast, so she will, too.  Plus, she wont remember it.
10) Oh! This is a fun one. Jon is building me some raised beds so I can start a vegetable garden of my own. I suppose I will be pulling weeds instead of watching TV.
11) I wont be driving more than 8 miles a day (to the Y and back) so I wont need much gas money.
.... any other suggestions?? Getting rid of our Y membership is not an option! It includes 10 hours of free childcare and I plan to take them up on that while I get my body back :) Or lay out by the pool :)