5 years ago last April I was pregnant and we finally got the van I had been saving and saving for. Well we had $6100 to put down on that van, which took us 2 years to save. I was so happy to get that van because the one kid stroller didn't fit in my Ford Escort, I knew that a double stroller was not going to work.
Our payments were lots for us, (about twice as much as my last car loan) but we were going to make it work. We had a 5 year loan at $491.91 per month. I don't think I will ever forget that amount. About 2 weeks after we purchased the van our church handed out a book called "The Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey. I read the book and actually started thinking, I REALLY want to become financially free. In the book Dave talks about car loans, he says that if you cannot pay the car loan in 18 months you can't afford that car. How do say this.... I was SO MAD! "Are you kidding me Dave, do you know how long it took for me to save for this van!!!" I decided then that we were going to follow the baby steps of the Total Money Makeover and get ALL of our debt paid off and start saving for Financial FREEDOM!
We did everything that book said, we put a "name to all of our money". We know where every penny is going. We took this money makeover head on.
Every extra dime we had went to pay off the van, if I used a coupon then the value of the coupon went to toward that van. If my husband worked extra hours, it went toward that van.
Every extra dime we had went to pay off the van, if I used a coupon then the value of the coupon went to toward that van. If my husband worked extra hours, it went toward that van.
Photo credit mine hasn't been this clean and shiny since the day I bought it.
With the "gazelle intensity" we were able to pay off that van ($29,000) in 12 months. Did you read that right? YEP 12 months $29,000 and that van is MINE!!!! I am hooked. I can't tell you the happiness we feel every month now that we don't have a car loan. We would STILL be paying that car loan right now if I didn't follow Dave's steps. I know that this works and we are now on a CASH ONLY budget. We are not using Credit Cards or Debit Cards.
At this point in our lives we only have the mortgage as our debt. I want to have that paid off and be truly financially free! (I mean really.... can you imagine having NO MORTGAGE? I can't wait)
Join me as we save money everywhere we can to be completely DEBT FREE!
Join me as we save money everywhere we can to be completely DEBT FREE!
