Many years ago, I met someone online through a Christian Mom’s Forum. It was at the time I was especially lonely and that I had very young children. She was also in the same season of life. We ended up beginning to do a lot of chatting through email. We haven’t communicated in years now, other than through Facebook once in a while, but I really believe that it was a God appointment during that time. Through her, I learned about Dave Ramsey and The Total Money Makeover. Bernd and I ended up buying this book and reading it. Let’s just say, it has completely changed our lives. We learned about how to budget, and emergency funds, and not being in debt. It hasn’t been a smooth road for us by any means. In fact, we got out of debt and got back in during these years. In order to stay out of debt, we had to learn to walk in contentment. This was a lesson that I especially hard to learn.
These days, we are debt-free except for our house. We are working on paying off our house now. This is a big goal, as we still have a long way to go, but one that will most certainly pay off in the end.
Now why live debt free?
Dave Ramsey says “Live like no one else, so that later you can live (and give) like no one else.”
I say temporary discomfort is worth long-term gain. These days it is the social norm to have exactly what our parents have had after being married 30-35 years, as soon as we get married. I’ve certainly lived like that. We expect that instant gratification in all areas of life, whether it be a new tv, clothes, eating out, going on vacation, or having a beautiful home. This is not contentment with what we have and it doesn’t buy happiness. This keeping up with and competing with everyone
This is contentment.
This keeping up with and competing with everyone else only creates unhappiness and a whole lot of debt in the long run.
I know that mine is not a popular stance.
I know that our culture is built very much on the fact that we “deserve” something for all our hard work.
I say we don’t deserve anything except what Christ paid for on the cross which is our freedom from sin, healing, and a life in heaven with him. And that isn’t deserved by us at all, he gave that to us as a free gift. I don’t say all that to say that we shouldn’t enjoy what we’ve been blessed with, but I say that to say it’s important to budget for things and pay for them, with cash. There is such freedom in doing that.
The payoff for doing things this way is being able to buy a new garage door with cash.
It’s being able to buy a new washing machine and dryer with cash.
It’s exciting to drive up to my house and see that garage door and now that I don’t have to pay the bill.
It’s doing laundry in a washing machine that’s paid for.
No, it doesn’t mean we have everything we want, but we are certainly incredibly blessed.
The peace of mind that we live in, is absolutely and completely an absolute blessing.
How about you? Have you considered trying to live debt free? I’d love to hear your story!
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