tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92011191289660347592024-02-19T12:11:20.596-05:00The Adler Debt ProjectTwo teachers that paid off $92,645 of debt in 2.5 years. We are passionate about helping others get out of debt and change their circumstances.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-13421718272677382582016-06-02T10:37:00.001-04:002016-06-02T10:37:20.941-04:00What Does Life Look Like After 1.5 Years Debt Free?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, we've been gone for awhile on the blog. Where have we been? Living life. We thought it might be a good time to start back up and update on what our life is like now post debt free. The first thing to share is that we accomplished our dream vacation of going to Maui over last summer. It was two of the most incredible weeks of our marriage and was definitely the most fitting way for us to celebrate being debt free. This was our light at the end of the tunnel. Best of all, we paid for the trip up front with cash and did not go back into debt!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much warmer climate in Maui, so I didn't have to pack my grey Under Armour sweater! This pic was taken at the Old Lahaina Luau. It's not the cheapest luau in town, but it's definitely worth the value if you're looking to do one of these while in Hawaii. <a href="https://www.oldlahainaluau.com/" target="_blank">https://www.oldlahainaluau.com/</a> </td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'll be honest, even though we had already paid off all of our debt by Christmas last year, it didn't truly feel like we were done until after we got back from the Hawaii trip. When we got back home, Emily looked at me and said, "Well, what's next?" I don't think either of us had the answer at that time.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first and most exciting is that we are expecting a baby boy this October. We also bought a house! It has been a b</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ig 2016</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> so far for the Adler’s.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> How does our life look now that we paid off our debt? </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Well, we are still living on a budget. We still use the most unimpressive spreadsheet that you may have seen in one of our older posts. Emily, still looks at the budget notebook (handwritten, yeah we’re old school) every morning. You may think that it would be easy for us with all that we've accomplished. However, we have found that, by adding a house, we have to stick to the principles that got us here. Honestly, that’s not been quite so easy for us. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are actually not debt free anymore. We now have house debt. While this is not bad debt, it has changed our budget. We are also preparing for the arrival of our son. As the parents out there could probably tell us, there is no way to prepare for the awesome experience of having children. However, we do know that there will now be new bills to pay with a growing family. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have found that, in order to continue the life we want, there needs to be structure. We cannot simply say "yes" to everything. We do still eat out, shop, travel, . . but we also still budget for those things. Being debt-free is a way of life and not a short-term class. If we did not hit this reality check we could very easily fall back into pitfalls of overspending.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-82640140157660053142015-05-28T16:11:00.000-04:002015-05-28T16:11:22.334-04:00His and Her Money ShowOne of our favorite things about this journey is all the amazing people we have gotten to meet through our story. We were recently blessed with the opportunity to do a podcast about our story with the His and Her Money Show. It is run by an amazing couple who offer great financial advice. You can check out their website and our podcast here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.hisandhermoney.com/hnh-058-how-bryant-emily-adler-paid-off-92000-of-debt-in-just-2-5-years/">http://www.hisandhermoney.com/hnh-058-how-bryant-emily-adler-paid-off-92000-of-debt-in-just-2-5-years/</a></div>
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We hope you are all doing well with your financial goals, whatever they may be. Thanks for taking time to be a part of our journey. We hope it helps you in some way. You can do this.</div>
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In Christ, </div>
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Bryant and Emily Adler</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515796632379831371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-32487192739470498162015-03-28T14:18:00.000-04:002015-03-28T14:18:35.857-04:00Dave Ramsey Show VideoWe had the most incredible time spending our day at The Dave Ramsey Show. Everyone there was incredibly kind. They went out of their way to make us feel welcomed and special.<br />
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There is an incredible cafe there, Martha's Place, where all the coffee and treats are free. We enjoyed meeting a lot of people in the lobby and sharing our story. The highlight of the day had to be meeting Dave Ramsey. It was a great accomplishment to hear him say that he was proud of us.<br />
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My favorite moment of the show is when Dave said, "As a couple, you guys have learned to set goals and team up on something. That means you can do anything."<br />
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We have said from the beginning that we would be like minded in this. It has been incredible for our marriage. We can't wait to tackle the next chapter of our lives, whatever that may hold.<br />
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Thanks for the support throughout this journey. It's been a blessing.<br />
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You can find our debt free scream here:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkeZIsEcGCc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkeZIsEcGCc</a><br />
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In Christ,<br />
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Bryant and Emily Adler<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515796632379831371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-11550297571612760992015-03-12T19:46:00.003-04:002015-03-12T19:46:31.863-04:00Big Weekend for the Adler Debt ProjectWe have some exciting events coming up this weekend that we would like to share with you:<br />
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1) Tomorrow, March 13, we will be featured on the radio on 620am Joy 62 - WRJZ Knoxville! We will be on between 7:15-8:00 AM on the Bob Bell Show. You can catch us if you're up in the morning.<br />
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<a href="http://www.wrjz.com/">http://www.wrjz.com/</a><br />
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2) We will also be featured tomorrow evening on a podcast for the His and Her Money Show! We will tape the podcast tomorrow evening, but we are not sure when it will be posted. We will let you know more details as we receive them. In the meantime, you can check out their website at:<br />
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<a href="http://www.hisandhermoney.com/">http://www.hisandhermoney.com/</a><br />
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3) Finally, to wrap up our spring media tour (sarcasm), we will be guests on the Dave Ramsey Show on Monday, March 16th, between 3-4pm CST. You can check local listings for the radio show at:<br />
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We are very excited for all of the opportunities to share our story!<br />
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In Christ,<br />
Bryant and EmilyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-73219691048455475812015-03-09T14:22:00.000-04:002015-03-09T14:22:54.304-04:00Adler Debt Project on Dave Ramsey ShowOne week from today, we will be live on the air with the Dave Ramsey Show! We're very excited about this opportunity. Even though we've been debt free for a couple months, it feels like this will make it official.<br />
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To be on the Dave Ramsey show was one of our goals when we started this whole debt thing. Emily and I actually talked about it two and half years ago when we started. While we didn't take the Financial Peace class, we did use several of Dave's books. We definitely used the debt snowball method. You can find out more information on that on his website or throughout our blog.<br />
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We were filled with hope and knew we could be debt free, but I'm not sure that we seriously thought we would actually get on the show. This is another awesome accomplishment for us in our young marriage. However, it is also that tells us that we were on right the track from the beginning. <br />
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We are now working on how to fulfill this blessing by passing it on to others. This blog is one of the ways we do that. However, each day we become more aware of how we can pay it forward with our life lessons through debt. You can catch us on the Dave Ramsey Show on Monday, March 16th, between 3-4 pm CST. You can check local listings for the radio show at:<br />
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<a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/show/stations/?snid=show.finder">http://www.daveramsey.com/show/stations/?snid=show.finder</a><br />
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Hope you have a blessed week!<br />
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In Christ,<br />
Bryant and Emily AdlerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-18839684753138036052015-02-27T10:25:00.001-05:002015-02-27T10:25:27.773-05:00Building An Emergency Fund?As we all debate the color of #thedress (BTW: I said blue and brown, Em said blue and black), it's time for a Friday blog post! We thought we would take a look at one of the more important aspects, for us, of saving and paying down debt:<br />
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The Emergency Fund.</div>
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You have to have it. I don't think this is something that many people are opposed to. We all like the idea of having the "rainy day" fund. However, how many of us actually have one? When we started our debt journey back in 2012, we certainly didn't. However, It was one of the first steps we took. Why? Because life happens.</div>
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If you're not familiar with the term, an emergency fund is money you tuck away in savings. You do not touch it. It is there when you need a life line. No matter how careful you are, there is going to be a doctor bill... especially if you have kids. You can be up to date on your oil changes, but the car will need new brakes. It's Sunday afternoon and your washing machine breaks?!?! You cannot predict life's circumstances, but you can be ready for that proverbial "life" curve ball.</div>
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We kept, and still keep, an emergency fund of at least $1,000.00 in the bank for such occurrences as the ones listed above. That doesn't mean $1,000.00 is the end all saving point for this fund. It is a good place to start though. Once you have that figure in place, it's probably a good idea to keep adding based on your income and household numbers.</div>
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So how do you build this fund? Check these 4 quick ways to build an emergency fund from Dave Ramsey:<br />
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<a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/blog/4-quick-ways-to-build-your-emergency-fund/?ictid=btxt?atid=davesays">http://www.daveramsey.com/blog/4-quick-ways-to-build-your-emergency-fund/?ictid=btxt?atid=davesays</a><br />
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Hope you have a great Friday!<br />
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In Christ,<br />
Bryant and Emily</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-13958384949882553312015-02-24T09:18:00.000-05:002015-02-24T09:18:44.261-05:00Are we still living on a budget?It's funny now that we're out of debt, not much has changed. Many people ask us if we've gone on a wild spending spree. In full disclosure, we have raised some of our personal categories like discretionary money and shopping. We also go out to Panera Bread a little more frequently than we used to:)<br />
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However, we are still on a budget. This choice we made several years earlier wasn't just a quick fix. It was a life style choice. There was always going to be the next step after paying down the last debt. Now we are going to take that awesome vacation to Hawaii as we wrote about in the last post, and we even celebrated last weekend with a big dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Check out the celebratory pic:<br />
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But we still live on a budget. We still meal plan and still live on a grocery budget. Bryant has dental bill from a procedure last month. We are now saving for a house. And then there is this little thing called retirement. Yes, friends the world still turns. However, ours turns with more options. That is what being debt free does. It gives you a choice rather than someone telling you have to pay them. Hopefully you're debt free. If you're just starting or on your way, know that it is awesome. Also, know that you have to think about the next step and where you want to go. This is not just a five year plan. It is a life plan.<br />
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It doesn't matter how much money you have. You need to know where it goes. If you're a millionaire and spend all your money, you're still broke. I guarantee if you ask anyone who is well off financially, they know where every cent goes. That's the way this works. You know where your money goes and you make it work for you. <br />
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So here's to making your money work for you! <br />
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In Christ,<br />
Bryant and Emily AdlerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-82017347667000612252015-02-20T10:48:00.002-05:002015-02-20T11:30:04.379-05:00Is this the condition that I feared?Well, here in Tennessee, it seems we're slowly escaping the great ice storm of 2015! Not sure if any more winter is in store for us, but I'm about over it! It makes me feel for all of those people up in Boston and greater New England who are forever trapped in snow and ice right now (on a serious note prayers/thoughts to all of those who have been without and have lost during this time). We just got a small taste of this weather . . . and you can have it back! <br />
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On the other hand, as we sit this morning in our tiny apartment, it makes me feel very thankful. We've been out of school all week and had a ton of unexpected free time. It's given me a lot of time to think (I should note this can be very productive, but also very dangerous!) My father used to tell me, "There will always be someone better off than you, but there will always be someone off worse."<br />
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This week we have been trapped inside the house and had to live off the basics (you can laugh)! We've done everything from puzzles to Harry Potter movies. We've never once lost power. We've eaten delicious snacks and cooked great homemade dinners. We're sitting in comfortable clothes, drinking hot coffee, and watching the Today Show. Is this really that bad? It reminds me of this quote: <br />
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"Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with course and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: " Is this the condition that I feared?"<br />
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-Seneca<br />
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You may be reluctant to give "things" up to save money and pay down your debt. I know it's not easy. It wasn't for me or Emily either, at first. Try it for a week, or dare I say month, and see how you do. I bet you will come out on the other side saving more money than you expected. You will also not be any worse off. However, I bet there will still be a ton of people in the world not doing well at all. Maybe you will say, "Is the condition that I feared?"<br />
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Start your debt journey. It's worth it. Just some random thoughts for a cold Friday! <br />
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"Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great."<br />
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John D. Rockefeller<br />
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Stay safe and warm,<br />
Bryant and Emily Adler<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-36159511101313442082015-02-17T15:28:00.003-05:002015-02-17T15:28:58.216-05:00"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt DisneySo Dream Big.<br />
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When we started the debt journey, we knew we had big dreams. To quote one of Bryant's favorite musicians, "If you're not going to make your dreams epic, why bother to dream anything at all?" - Scott Miller.<br />
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We set a huge goal of debt freedom in under 3 years. To follow that goal, we also said we would go to Hawaii the summer after we obtained debt freedom. We wanted to reward ourselves for two years of extreme sacrifice.<br />
<br />
Today, we can happily say we have reached both goals. We are debt free, and we bought two tickets to Hawaii today....using cash.<br />
<br />
So our advice is this....Dream big. Set big goals. However, know that in order to reach them, you have to make a plan to get there. You also have to stick to it. Dreams don't come true without hard work and determination. Get after the things you want in life today. Don't wait for someone else to make them happen for you.<br />
<br />
We will say it until we are blue in the face, you can do this. ANYTHING is possible with hard work, sacrifice, and determination. Live life to the fullest. Change your circumstances. Do what makes you happy. Work hard for what you want. Go after it with everything you have. Enjoy life with the people you love. It is all worth it.<br />
<br />
Take time to make a plan to reach your goals. Dream big. Life is short. Have hope and be happy.<br />
<br />
See you in June, Hawaii.<br />
<br />
In Christ,<br />
Bryant and Emily Adler<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515796632379831371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-17715566672537721062015-02-11T09:15:00.001-05:002015-02-11T19:33:52.890-05:00A Personal NoteSorry we missed you on Monday if you're a regular follower of the blog!! To quote Emily, "Our life is in chaos." We're doing ok, just crazy busy! If you saw our kitchen sink this morning, then you would understand.<br />
<br />
Ok, so money saving tip for today. Valentine's Day is coming up. Seriously who really just hates this holiday? Hallmark execs salivate in their offices at this time of year. We don't like it, but nobody wants to be left out either. Now, this tip is more for the guys out there, but it could work for anybody.<br />
<br />
Are you looking for a low budget Valentine's Day gift that still means something special? This one can be a little challenging, but it doesn't have to cost you a fortune if you think outside the box. This is a great low cost idea that I have to credit my buddy AP with. <br />
<br />
Try writing a personal note or letter on stationary or a blank 99 cent card. In day of emails, iPhones, Hulu, Facebook, and Twitter, how often do you write or receive hand written notes? Almost never. I bet if you do get one it's from someone 65 and up. This is a lost art, but can be very meaningful. Sometimes the perfect gift isn't a rose, earrings, or an over priced piece of chocolate! If you really want to tell someone (your special guy or gal) you love them try doing it with your own words. You may be an awful writer like me, but count on the fact that nothing beats the honest heart. <br />
<br />
<br />
In Christ,<br />
Bryant and Emily AdlerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-9105278754883179472015-02-06T08:59:00.001-05:002015-02-07T09:36:36.695-05:00WBIR News FeatureWe're so blessed to have so much coverage for our story! We really appreciate WBIR, and especially Steve Butera, for taking the time to not only share our journey, but to also highlight our profession as teachers. You can find the link to the feature here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wbir.com/story/money/2015/02/05/alcoa-couple-offers-advice-after-paying-92000-in-debt-in-25-years/22779643/">http://www.wbir.com/story/money/2015/02/05/alcoa-couple-offers-advice-after-paying-92000-in-debt-in-25-years/22779643/</a><br />
<br />
I'm not your where you stand on education, but I think we can all agree that it is important. Whether you're a teacher or a CEO, we all have to live within a budget. Don't let a salary number define who you are. No matter what your income level is, you can make a positive change in your life. That may not always lead to big gains, but progress is progress. There is always hope.<br />
<br />
In Christ,<br />
Bryant and Emily AdlerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-29197396200391440932015-02-04T09:14:00.000-05:002015-02-04T09:14:03.132-05:00Free Coffee (cont.)Ok, we were going to post on a different topic today, but in light of our recent coffee post I thought I would pass along this news.<br />
<br />
Chick-Fil-A is giving away free coffee the entire month of February!<br />
<br />
They're giving customers a free 12-ounce small hot coffee or a 16-ounce medium iced coffee anytime during restaurant hours. <b>No purchase necessary.</b> It is important to make sure your local area restaurant is participating before you head out.<br />
<br />
I just went by our local store and picked up a 12-ounce hot coffee to check it out. Not bad coffee. <br />
<br />
Peace,<br />
Bryant and EmilyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-13298265599230898002015-02-02T06:45:00.002-05:002015-02-02T06:45:27.767-05:00How To Give Up Starbucks . . .Many of you have asked us about different things we had to give up during our debt pay down. Here is one of the lighter but serious sides of that struggle. Okay, it is really not that serious. However, it is still near and dear to my heart. I don''t know what kind of coffee you drink, but I'm a coffee snob. I love Starbucks. I know some of you consider them to be a member of the evil empire along with Wal-Mart and others. However, whether you like them or not, buying premium coffee out is expensive.<br />
<br />
Just a tall (small size at Starbucks) black coffee at Starbucks is around $1.84 in our area. If you got one every morning of the work week (Mon.-Fri.), here is how that would breakdown:<br />
<br />
$9.20 a week<br />
$36.80 a month<br />
$441.60 a year<br />
<br />
That's almost $500 a year on coffee! I hate these type of stats . . . I mean I hate them, but they're always very sobering when it comes to money for me. Did I mention that is just a black coffee. How many of you out there get one of those carmel macchiato things? Yeah those go for like $3-5 a pop. Do the math and then give it up.<br />
<br />
This was very hard for me to give up! Again, I'm a self admitted coffee snob. We currently have in our home kitchen repertoire:<br />
<br />
Coffee Grinder (yes, we buy whole bean . . it's the only way to go . . try it . . you won't go back)*<br />
French Press*<br />
Expresso Machine*<br />
Standard Coffee Machine*<br />
<br />
*I should note here that we got these units as wedding gifts. We did not purchase them during the debt pay down.<br />
<br />
Now once we locked down our budget, there was not much room for Starbucks runs. How did I deal with this? The same way I got through a lot of this. I got <u><b>resourceful</b></u>. <br />
<br />
Side tract:<br />
<br />
<i>It's amazing how resourceful you can get when you're faced with no extra money options. Whether its coffee or a weekend trip, look for the deals, coupons, friends, family, and freebies that can help you get from Point A to Point B while still paying down your debt! i.e. coffee: I found that I could get a free cup of coffee at work, at the bank, at the grocery store, my apartment complex, and even the oil change place?!?! Basically, where ever my day took me, I could stop in for a coffee. Now some were better than others in taste, but the price was always right. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Now, I'm not saying be a cheapskate! There is a difference in being cheap and frugal. Don't just walk in and rip people off for the heck of it. However, if you are going to work, a place of business, or errand for a real reason, then I don't think it's wrong to grab a cup of joe on the house.</i><br />
<br />
Okay, we're back from my free coffee tangent! Back to making coffee at home. First, I had to buy whole bean coffee and make all of my coffee drinks at home. This proved to be a trial and error system. The easiest was regular morning coffee. I bargain shopped Kroger, Wal-Mart, . . for the cheapest whole bean bag of coffee I could find that would give me the closest coffee house experience. Living on a tight grocery budget we could not always just buy Starbucks in store. It usually came out to like $8.00 a pound at the grocery. It is amazing to me what high end coffee goes for. We had to suffer through several bags of cheap generic coffee.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure what your coffee tastes are, but, for us, the best deal/taste was at Trader Joe's where we could get over a pound of their bottom shelf medium roast for about $4.00. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6107urJ0EQ7VN8fyYbYB418fuLrlq2P_rSiOAkX1tmKOQkQr2H1GdMdAugkIi8pXmvZMNGkXtIxJ8SY46cuW88hV8gm7OLT8PEN_xPFuleU1Tu6rtqyMI5ZeAEtjYK7iaHQRC54N9eDzd/s1600/Coffee+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6107urJ0EQ7VN8fyYbYB418fuLrlq2P_rSiOAkX1tmKOQkQr2H1GdMdAugkIi8pXmvZMNGkXtIxJ8SY46cuW88hV8gm7OLT8PEN_xPFuleU1Tu6rtqyMI5ZeAEtjYK7iaHQRC54N9eDzd/s1600/Coffee+Pic.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
We basically gave up the other specialty drinks. You can make them, but it takes practice and is very time consuming!! The ones we would keep in the rotation:<br />
<br />
espresso<br />
cappuccino<br />
hot chocolate*<br />
<br />
*Since we're teachers, we usually got lots of homemade mix from students! This usually lasts us for a while and has a sentimental value.<br />
<br />
<br />
That sure beats the heck out of instant-just-add-water while your paying down debt!! Tastes great too. Be sure to check back in with us later this week for a cool local feature on our debt journey. <br />
<br />
In Christ,<br />
Bryant and Emily Adler<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-12495558550883543962015-01-30T06:22:00.004-05:002015-01-30T06:23:09.690-05:00How Do I Make A Budget? Part 2<div class="MsoNormal">
How Do I Make a Budget???? Here’s What Ours Looked Like<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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One of the biggest questions we receive is, “How do I make a
budget?” We felt this way too when we first started our journey. Neither one of
us had EVER made a budget before. It can be overwhelming at first. The great
news is that we now really enjoy the budget and can’t go without it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So where do you start? Here are our suggestions:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">1. </span><!--[endif]-->Know what you make each month. Take the budget a
month at a time. That way it’s not overwhelming. Add up EXACTLY what you make
in a month. That’s step 1.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> 2. </span><!--[endif]-->Figure out what comes out in bills. For example,
our bills category had the following:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Phone<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Car Insurance<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Utilities<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Internet<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Rent<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Compassion Child<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Minimum Payments on Loans<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> 3. </span>After we figured out what our bills were, we moved
on to monthly expenses. So take the number you are at after subtracting bills
and start subtracting monthly expenses. Ours included:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Tithe – 10% of our income<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Gas - $400 a month (We could usually save on this one)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Groceries - $400 a month (This is the one we
STRUGGLED with. We won’t tell you how many times we went over budget on this
one. Show yourself grace)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Fun Money (Money we could spend on what we
wanted) $50 each<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Date Night - $50 <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Miscellaneous - $50<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Vacation - $80<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Birthdays/Gifts – Varied depending on the month<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> 4. </span><!--[endif]-->After you have subtracted your monthly expenses,
see what you have left. Take that and, if your emergency fund is complete,
throw it at debt. EVERY penny counts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">5. </span><!--[endif]-->Take a good look at your budget and see what you
can cut out. We cut out cable and downsized our apartment to save on rent. Debt
freedom doesn’t come without sacrifice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> 6. </span><!--[endif]-->SHOW YOURSELF GRACE – The first month of the
budget was HARD. We went over, we spent too much, we fell off track, etc. This
process is hard. Don’t beat yourself up if it takes you a few months to get the
hang of a budget. It takes time to learn new habits. You CAN do this.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> 7. </span><!--[endif]-->Have monthly money meetings to look at the
budget. Decide what’s going well and what you can change.</div>
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</div>
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We did our budget each month by
hand. We didn’t keep a spreadsheet on this, but simply kept a notebook. We hand
wrote it each month, and we checked the boxes throughout the month as a payment
came out. This was the way that worked
for us. Find the way that works for you. We still keep our budget this way even
being out of debt. This is what it looks like:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9uJe54Ud59DiWhyTnW7jh2F0PxTeHD6tgM2q-MzgIoQtqSKhn1fogFOsgseX2P-lz_QyZWVeaHIae2pHu1H1sc_4FfM7jeuGz7TOGPT3VjPgM9z0j-15ifMqUJEFlw8dJ98GD_SNtSjx/s1600/photo-11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9uJe54Ud59DiWhyTnW7jh2F0PxTeHD6tgM2q-MzgIoQtqSKhn1fogFOsgseX2P-lz_QyZWVeaHIae2pHu1H1sc_4FfM7jeuGz7TOGPT3VjPgM9z0j-15ifMqUJEFlw8dJ98GD_SNtSjx/s1600/photo-11.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
This is what it looked like the first month. Notice all of the boxes . . .<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimI_1eQkYen7yZwLzUubXW0Y4wTWv49HcvnK5brlLYFCwOABSk3FTj6HzYbiri8JVGMC60E7z32ERsg0t0BIuzvhzRDf7MwgHkldEa9KV4JxevFcpEEaVG20LllxACrYLYTUXgTwbhYbGB/s1600/photo-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimI_1eQkYen7yZwLzUubXW0Y4wTWv49HcvnK5brlLYFCwOABSk3FTj6HzYbiri8JVGMC60E7z32ERsg0t0BIuzvhzRDf7MwgHkldEa9KV4JxevFcpEEaVG20LllxACrYLYTUXgTwbhYbGB/s1600/photo-12.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is what it looks like now. Much smaller. I believe this is what the kids call: "Winning!"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwT-6vJDLcaBQnShCxvCUf5jxJ0kSp6ZUwbKsB0D1zAvwWVtQmLJj2MHTfgxZWPw3kRRc8n2BArq0j5EaBCfXbm7c9FMhMEMHw5hyex9VD3TcnWiGQgXb_zFIWSQBoERrJJFKrnGB3xd_/s1600/photo-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwT-6vJDLcaBQnShCxvCUf5jxJ0kSp6ZUwbKsB0D1zAvwWVtQmLJj2MHTfgxZWPw3kRRc8n2BArq0j5EaBCfXbm7c9FMhMEMHw5hyex9VD3TcnWiGQgXb_zFIWSQBoERrJJFKrnGB3xd_/s1600/photo-14.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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This was our template, but we encourage you to get on the web and look around. There are a million budget templates out there! Also, if you're teach savy unlike us (just look at the blog:) you can even keep this more organized on your computer. Find one that works for you.<br />
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You can do this. It is hard. It
takes time and effort to learn. Your budget will be hard this first month.
However, it is SO worth it. You will be amazed at how much money you have in a
month when you know where it all goes.
Take control of your money and take control of your life.</div>
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In Christ,</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
Bryant and Emily Adler<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515796632379831371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-77261951164467167402015-01-28T06:12:00.002-05:002015-01-28T06:12:54.991-05:00Well Kept Wallet FeatureWe recently did an interview for Well Kept Wallet. We appreciate them reaching out to us and for posting our story. You can catch the interview at the link below:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wellkeptwallet.com/2015/01/how-two-teachers-paid-off-92000-in-debt/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter">http://www.wellkeptwallet.com/2015/01/how-two-teachers-paid-off-92000-in-debt/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter</a><br />
<br />
<br />
This website is another resource that's out there if you're looking to start your own debt journey!<br />
<br />
Bryant and Emily Adler<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-24779591254339373452015-01-27T06:19:00.002-05:002015-01-27T06:19:26.845-05:00WATE News FeatureWe were very thankful to WATE @6news for getting our story out to our local area. Thanks to Cameron Taylor for coming out on a cold Tennessee winter night to talk to us about paying down debt! You can watch/read the link at:<br />
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<a href="http://wate.com/2015/01/26/maryville-couple-pays-off-100000-of-debt-in-almost-three-years/">http://wate.com/2015/01/26/maryville-couple-pays-off-100000-of-debt-in-almost-three-years/</a><br />
<br />
Keep working on debt no matter what. Hope you have great day!<br />
<br />
Bryant and Emily AdlerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-73238862310823651482015-01-25T15:00:00.002-05:002015-01-25T15:00:25.658-05:00How We Got Started...Part 1We have really enjoyed reading all the emails we have received. Our heart in all of this was to give others hope. We continue to hope our story does that for people.<br />
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We have received a lot of wonderful questions over the last week. One of the top questions we have received is, "How do I get started?" We plan to do a really in depth post about that this week. In it, we will talk about how we built an emergency fund and structured our budget. Keep in mind, our budget structure won't work for everyone. The way this journey works is to tailor it to what works for you. </div>
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We will talk more about that later this week. In the mean time, we wanted to share with you what we read when we got started. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5co3f5_QSk3mEWrKtIQEHGfFfFdVzi7ItD0q1WZvpRRYVgHk1x7SprlaMz8xcxWNaDH-UZF3msBkjcTBi6n3y6gD5KjxpAiFgFuLqEFm-DQP6j1Z-rq2YL6L6iHRBqo373tIGS9Cg2R-Z/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5co3f5_QSk3mEWrKtIQEHGfFfFdVzi7ItD0q1WZvpRRYVgHk1x7SprlaMz8xcxWNaDH-UZF3msBkjcTBi6n3y6gD5KjxpAiFgFuLqEFm-DQP6j1Z-rq2YL6L6iHRBqo373tIGS9Cg2R-Z/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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This is The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. This is the book that changed our lives. We did not take the Financial Peace course. While the course is important, we felt this book was enough to get us going and sustain us throughout the journey. If you are looking for accountability in the journey, we would recommend taking the course and connecting with people. However, this book also outlines the process is detail. </div>
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You can find this book almost anywhere. We got ours for about $4 on eBay. If money is tight, we would recommend looking at used book stores. </div>
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We will share about our budget later this week. We hope you have a blessed rest of your Sunday. Keep paying down debt.</div>
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In Christ,</div>
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Bryant and Emily</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515796632379831371noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-1793273537330608252015-01-22T19:31:00.001-05:002015-01-22T19:31:53.400-05:00The Most Unimpressive Spreadsheet That Guided Paying Off $92,645 of DebtOver the last few days, we have been overwhelmed in wonderful way with the amount of questions we have received about our debt payoff. Due to the high volume of questions, we decided to break the process down in a few posts. We are going to start today with Step 1 and go from there. We hope this will help people starting the process to know where to begin.<br />
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Step 1 for us - Know what you owe<br />
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When we started this journey, we knew one thing had to happen. We had to organize our debts and write them down. We needed to know EXACTLY what we owed...down to the penny. We needed to know the minmum payments, when they were due, and how much interest was adding up as we went.<br />
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We had originially sat down with a piece of paper and pencil and totaled our debt by hand. Once we saw what we were facing, we knew we needed to keep track of it daily. Therefore, we decided to put our debts in a spreadsheet.<br />
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Here's the great news, anyone can do this. We are Excel stupid. We looked at multiple spreadsheets on other blogs and got totally overwhelmed. Therefore, we decided to create something BASIC and that we could understand. Honestly, looking back, ours isn't even organized well. We just wanted to get our debts down and start attacking them. We didn't categorize it or put it in any order. However, it worked for us. We hope it helps you.<br />
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<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #ccc; font-family: arial,sans,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; table-layout: fixed;"><colgroup><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Loan Type"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Loan Type</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Minumum Payment"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Minumum Payment</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Interest Rate"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Interest Rate</td><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Total Left to Pay"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Total Left to Pay</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Paying per month"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Paying per month</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Car Loan"]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Car Loan</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,321.96]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">321.96</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,3,"0.00%",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.068]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">6.80%</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,2,"#,###.00",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,8645.07]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">8,645.07</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,321.96]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">321.96</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Credit Card 1"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Credit Card 1</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,80]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">80</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,3,"0.00%",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.12]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">12.00%</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,4400]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">4400</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,80]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">80</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Credit Card 2"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Credit Card 2</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,50]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">50</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,3,"0.00%",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.15]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">15.00%</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,488.18]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">488.18</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,50]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">50</td><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"*Attack First"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="color: red;">*Attack First</span></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Student Loan 1"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Student Loan 1</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,150.45]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">150.45</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,3,"0.00%",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.048]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">4.80%</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,2,"#,###.00",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,19798.09]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">19,798.09</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,150.45]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">150.45</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Personal Loan 1"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Personal Loan 1</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,97.9]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">97.9</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,3,"0%",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.05]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">5%</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,5100]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">5100</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,97.9]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">97.9</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Personal Loan 2"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Personal Loan 2</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,100]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">100</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,3,"0%",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.15]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">15%</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,2,"#,###.00",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2000]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">2,000.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,100]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">100</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Student Loan 2"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Student Loan 2</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,114.83]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">114.83</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,3,"0.00%",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.05]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">5.00%</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,2,"#,###.00",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,18982]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">18,982.00</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,114.83]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">114.83</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Student Loan 3"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Student Loan 3</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,151.27]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">151.27</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,3,"0.00%",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.048]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">4.80%</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,2,"#,###.00",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,21547.18]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">21,547.18</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,151.27]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">151.27</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Student Loan 4"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Student Loan 4</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,211.36]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">211.36</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,3,"0.00%",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.048]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">4.80%</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,2,"#,###.00",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,8732.54]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">8,732.54</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,211.36]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">211.36</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Bank Loan"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Bank Loan</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,100]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">100</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,3,"0.00%",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.05]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">5.00%</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,2,"#,###",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2000]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">2,000</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,100]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">100</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Medical Loan"]" rowspan="1" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">Medical Loan</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,50]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">50</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,3,"0.00%",1]" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">0.00%</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,952.85]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">952.85</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,50]" style="font-size: 110%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;">50</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We used this to constantly guide our progress. We looked at this EVERY DAY as a source of motivation and guidance. Every time we made a payment, we updated out numbers. We tracked our debt snowball this way as well. We started with "Credit Card 2" and paid that one off quickly. Then we took that $50 minimum payment and added it on to the minimum payment for "Personal Loan 2". That was not our next smallest loan, however, the interest rate was huge and the balance wasn't. We took that one out second and then moved on from there.<br />
<br />
When we paid off a loan, we would change the color of that loan from black to red. Our finished spreadsheet is completely red and says "0" everywhere. Now for most people, being in the black is positive and being in the red is negative. For the Adlers, we were debt stupid as well as Excel stupid. Therefore, we did it backwards. Again, do what works for you.<br />
<br />
If you want to pay off debt, you have got to start by knowing what you owe. Know it down to every penny. From there, track your progress. It will keep you going to see those numbers decrease, even if it is by small amounts. You can do this.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515796632379831371noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-10489045372998049042015-01-20T17:27:00.002-05:002015-01-20T17:27:53.279-05:00Stay Tuned<b><span style="color: orange;">What a few days it has been. We recently had our story published on Business Insider and Yahoo Finance. We are thankful for the opportunity to reach people and talk to them about our financial journey. </span></b><br />
<div>
<b><span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="color: orange;">In our last post, we stated we would not be updating the blog much. However, we were overwhelmed with emails, messages, and comments from people who connected to our story. Our mission in this the entire time was to help people who are in similar circumstances. So we plan to do that.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: orange;">We will be making a post this week going more in to depth with the main questions we have been asked. We will also provide a sample spreadsheet like the one we used.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: orange;">If you have contacted us with a question, we will be back in touch. Just be patient with us!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: orange;">Keep paying debt down and having hope. You've got this.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: orange;">In Christ,</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: orange;">Bryant and Emily Adler</span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07515796632379831371noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-69727430198999977822014-12-24T11:05:00.003-05:002015-01-25T18:38:02.931-05:00Merry Christmas and a Debt Free New Year!Seasons Greetings,<br />
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<b>Debt as of 06/09/2012:</b> $92,645.00<br />
<br />
<b>Debt as of 12/24/2014:</b> $0.00<br />
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<b>Total Debt Paid Down:</b> All of it baby!<br />
<br />
Well, in the words of the Grateful Dead, "What a long, strange trip it's been." We started this journey two and half years ago the day we got married. I wish we could tell you that we had this planned to be done the day before Christmas, but we didn't. There was actually a time not too long ago that we weren't even sure that we could make it by January 1st (which was our goal). Check out this picture Em took on the student loan website after our last payment!<br />
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This has undoubtedly been an incredible experience for both us. It has taught lessons of money, savings, wealth, what success really looks like, humility, and faith. Looking back on this two plus year long lesson, this was the right step. No matter where life takes us. The lessons don't end here. We have new goals and challenges we are working on now.<br />
<br />
We hope that, if nothing else, our story gives you hope. We understand the despair of debt and finances. However, we also understand that you can achieve anything you put your mind to. Two teachers paid off almost 100,000 dollars of debt in two and a half years. Anything is possible with hard work, determination, sacrifice, and faith. Know that you can do this. Know that there is always hope.<br />
<br />
We also hope sharing our story publicly with you will help you and your family with your own money goals. In the meantime, if you have a question or just need some support, please don't hesitate to contact us through this email:<br />
<br />
badler26.2@gmail.com<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">"God must have loved ordinary
people, because he made so many of us...but everyday ordinary people do extraordinary
things." - Coach Jim Valvano</span></div>
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<br />
In Christ,<br />
Bryant and Emily<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br /></span>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-75983267618194243992014-12-11T18:27:00.000-05:002015-01-23T08:41:11.523-05:00Back to Basics<div class="MsoNormal">
Season's Greetings,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Debt as of 06/09/12:</b> $92,645.00</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b>Debt as of 12/12/14:</b> $1,981.19</div>
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<br /></div>
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Total Debt Paid Down: <b>$90,663.81!!</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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When Bryant and I were about to get married in the summer of 2012, we decided it would be a good idea to total our debt and see what our financial future would be shaping into. I can clearly remember the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness when we sat in my parent's basement and came up with the number $92,645 as our total. I can also remember this small glimmer of excitement in what a challenge it would be to pay it off as quickly as possible. Call us crazy, but we like a challenge.</div>
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Yesterday morning, as we made a debt payment, I can't quite explain the amount of HOPE we had in reversing our numbers. We no longer were facing over $90,000 dollars in debt...we had now paid that much off. I also cannot tell you the amount of joy and excitement shared between us as we realized we are almost done. We have almost finished this. </div>
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<br /></div>
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While this has all been hard, it has been a blessing in our marriage to accomplish this together. If nothing else, it has helped develop us into a solid team. We have so much hope and joy about what our future holds. We also are filled with excitement because, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will have this done by the end of 2014. </div>
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So many people ask us how we did it. It all started with prayer, Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, and a budget. While we think the Financial Peace course is beneficial, we have never completed it. We purchased Total Money Makeover for $3.99 off eBay and we went from there. So today's post is a simple back to basics. We are giving you the steps of how we paid off our debt and how you can do it too. </div>
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1. Hard Work, Sacrifice, and Determination – You could put a
lot of other things in this one as well. Team work, commitment, setting goals,
etc. The purpose of putting this one first is that in order to pay off large
amounts of debt, you have to be committed to working hard. There is no quick
fix to debt. If you are going to pay it off quickly, you have to be willing to
sacrifice things you want and say no a lot of times. You also have to be
focused and committed to following through.<br />
<br />
"You must plan your work and then work your plan."<br />
<br />
--Dave Ramsey<br />
<br />
2. Make a TIGHT budget and STICK to it – The greatest payments
we made on our debt came from the budget. Once your snowball gets rolling, you
can really tackle your debts. However, that requires saying no to a lot of
other things in the budget. We don’t eat out and we don’t buy new clothes. That
works for us, but wouldn’t work for people with growing children. You have to
make the budget that works for you and your family. We also do a new budget
each month to account for that month’s expenses.<br />
<br />
3. Pay with Cash and Use the Envelope System – It is much
harder to give your cash away than to swipe your debit card. That emotional
attachment to your cash will make you less likely to spend it. The envelope
system also allows you to really control your spending. Once an envelope is
empty, that line in the budget is done for the month.<br />
<br />
4. Sell ANYTHING you don’t need - We have sold a lot of things.
Ebay, Craigslist, and Amazon are excellent resources for selling things.
Between big things like furniture to small things like CDs and DVDs, we have
made hundreds of dollars selling things. It has all gone towards debt.<br />
<br />
<br />
5. Find extra ways to make money – We have both found ways to
make extra money on the side. There are so many options out there. One great
way to do this is to pick up any extra jobs on the side. Look into extra income
opportunities and use that money towards debt. It can be exhausting to work
after you get home for a full time job, but it is worth it in the end.<br />
<br />
6. Roll Change – If you pay with everything in cash, you will
have a lot of change leftover. Save it in a jar and deposit it once it
accumulates. Put that towards debt.<br />
<br />
7. Use EVERYTHING extra towards debt – If you really want to
pay debt off quickly, use everything towards it. Tax refunds, birthday money,
Christmas money, etc. It all goes towards debt.<br />
<br />
<br />
8. Pick Up Extra Jobs – Bryant is the music minister at our
church on top of his full time job as a teacher. That is a part time job plus a
full time job. His teaching job could be
two full time jobs! He has done whatever
he needs to do to accomplish our goal. It takes hard work and determination
every day.<br />
<br />
9. Find out if you qualify for federal debt forgiveness
programs - $5,000 of our debt was taken away because of a government loan
forgiveness program. If you are a teacher, check to see if you work in a Title
1 school. They will forgive up $5,000 or more of debt if you work in certain
jobs.<br />
<br />
10. Accountability – For us, we had that in each other. We held
each other accountable and did this as a team. Find people to hold you
accountable. You will need it. This isn’t easy.<br />
<br />
11. Know this isn’t easy, but you CAN do it – So many people
have said to us, “I could never do that.” Yes, you can. You may not do it as
quickly as we did, but it is possible for anyone who puts their mind to it. It
just takes commitment and hard work. If you aren’t satisfied with where things
are in your life, do something about it.<br />
<br />
12. Prayer –For us, we couldn’t have done this without praying
through it over the last two and a half years. Hear us when we say that this is
hard. However, also hear us when we say that this is ABSOLUTELY worth it. It
has strengthened our marriage and taught us great lessons in goals, discipline,
ambition, and hard work. Praying through this process and leaning on the Lord
is what has ultimately sustained us through this journey.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In Christ,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bryant and Emily</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-50024106774718234692014-12-06T17:28:00.000-05:002015-01-23T08:41:28.988-05:00Rockin Around The Christmas Debt Tree<div>
Season's Greetings,</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Debt as of 06/09/2012:</b> $92,645.00</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Debt as of 12/06/2014: </b> $4,469.77</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Total Debt Paid Down:</b> $88,175.23!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We haven't posted in awhile, so we wanted to give you a quick update on our progress in the debt journey. Not much longer in 2014, so we're cracking down as we get into the holiday season. We have a big push to get to our New Year's Day goal of $0.00!! <br />
<br />
"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence."<br />
<br />
Vince Lombardi<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Merry Christmas,</div>
<div>
Bryant & Emily</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-68980384856197917152014-11-02T19:15:00.001-05:002015-01-23T08:41:43.987-05:00Don't Quit.<div>
Hello November,</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<b>Debt as of 06/09/2012: </b> $92,645.00<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Debt as of 11/02/2014: </b> $7,931.17</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Total Debt Paid Down:</b> $84,713.83!!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Just Win Baby." "Just Do It." You've probably heard all of these sports mantras before and so have we. I mean they're great on t-shirts. However, in the real world, is it really that easy? Maybe it is, but it's also just as easy to give in.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I heard today's title from a colleague the other evening who was instructing a small group of students to do just that: don't quit. In a test driven educational society, that might have been the best advice I've heard from a teacher in a while. Emily and I are so close to ending this two and a half year journey that it hurts. We basically have wanted to to quit and just say, "Well, we got pretty close." We are so ready to buy clothes, go out for dinner downtown, plan trips for us and with friends. On top of that, we would love to be able to give back more to the things and people we love. There is even the next step of planning for our future, although it's really hard to even see that right now. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Currently, we are not even on track to hit $0.00 by January 1st, 2015. So what is even the point . . . at this point?!?!? It's funny and even harder to explain, but the closer we get to the end the harder it becomes! Tom Petty's words once again ring true:<br />
<br />
"God, its so painful<br />
something that's so close<br />
is still so far our of reach."<br />
<br />
The best answer we actually heard in a message this morning. No matter what happens in our life or how long this takes, <u>it has purpose.</u> It has changed our lives and definitely helped and strengthened our marriage. However, we really have no idea how far that purpose stretches. It is cool to see small glimpses of it though. Whether it's a friend sharing a small change they made in their life to combat their debt, or even an in depth email from someone saying they weren't sure they could ever change their lives with money. We are no Dave Ramsey's and don't claim to be. However, we have slowly come to realize how sharing this witness has personalized this story for so many people in our lives (many we don't even know, but they are important just the same). To flip the story, you are keeping us going. <br />
<br />
In the meantime we are going to keep budget cutting where we can. We are going to keep saying "No" to things we want. <br />
<br />
We are also taking on new opportunities. If you follow our blog, you know we are healthy people who eat Paleo most of the time. However, eating clean alone was not getting us to our health goals. We recently got introduced to Advocare and had an outstanding experience with their 24 Day Challenge. Therefore, we are now promoting the products ourselves. If you ever want more information on how to take control of your finances and your health, please ask us about it. The first person we coached through the challenge lost 12 pounds and changed their lifestyle.<br />
<br />
We are at mile 20 of the marathon and our legs hurt (a marathon is 26.2 miles if you're not a runner). We're just going to keep our heads up, smile, and take it one step at a time until we finish. We hope you do the same.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In Christ,</div>
<div>
Bryant and Emily</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-32731988165175549562014-10-12T13:51:00.001-04:002015-01-23T08:42:01.002-05:00Home StretchDebt as of 06/09/2012: $92,645.00<br />
<br />
Debt as of 10/12/2014: $9,673.55<br />
<br />
Total Debt Paid Down: $82,971.45<br />
<br />
<br />
When Bryant and I sat down and totaled our debt about two and a half years ago, we dreamed of the day we would have a single digit in front of the number that we owe. Today is that day.<br />
<br />
While we still have a ways to go, $9,000 feels like nothing in comparison to $92,000. This is our home stretch.<br />
<br />
Our tip today is this. You can do anything you set your mind too. We know what it feels like to be suffocated by money. We know what it feels like to be weighed down by debt. We get the feeling of wanting a house, shopping, eating out, traveling, a future family, but also to be feeling hopeless because of money.<br />
<br />
We don't know where you are at in your life or what stage you may be in. However, we do know this...you have the ability to change your circumstances if you're not happy or content. There is hope for your future. It requires a lot of hard work, sacrifice, a tight budget, saying no to things you REALLY want to say yes to, and accountability. For us, it also required a LOT of prayer.<br />
<br />
If you feel suffocated by money or hopeless, reach out to someone. You're more than welcome to email us if you have questions or just need someone to listen. We've been there. We get it. We don't judge anyone. Whatever you do, take action. We all have debt or baggage. It doesn't help anyone to hide it.<br />
<br />
We know we couldn't have done this without encouragement from people along the way. We are hoping to finish by the end of 2014. It will be a push, but we like a challenge.<br />
<br />
In Christ,<br />
Bryant and EmilyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201119128966034759.post-58689875898195624132014-09-30T16:51:00.003-04:002015-01-23T08:44:09.283-05:00Taking Small Breaks to Break Free from DebtGrace and Peace to You,<br />
<br />
<b>Debt as of 06/09/2012:</b> $92,645.00<br />
<br />
<b>Debt as of 09/30/2014:</b> $11,063.76<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Total Debt Paid Down: </b>$81,581.24<br />
<b><br /></b>
We've been needing to get a post up for sometime now! Since our annual fall break is upon us, Emily and I decided to get something down this week. In the spirit of breaks, this post is about that very subject.<br />
<br />
We are always working hard at our debt goal at every turn. We look to save money in every budgeted category from gas to groceries. We look for ways to increase our revenue or extra income. We do our job. Come on now, can we take a break? The answer is yes, but it depends on what your debt goals are.<br />
<br />
Of course, no matter what debt goals or budget you have, we promote just that very fact: have them. Our goal and pay down system is very aggressive. It's probably more aggressive than most. However, it is worth noting that we have met people along they way who are more aggressive than us (try going on a complete Ramen noodle/vitamin diet)!<br />
<br />
OK, so you have a budget. You can build in breaks. We are currently on a fall break with our education jobs. Now are we taking a trip to Key West or Destin, FL? Well, no, but we did set aside some money to go out to eat, take in a movie, and go hiking. Now could this money help reach our debt goal just a little bit faster? It is true that it would, but this small amount is worth the sacrifice to be able to reward ourselves with some albeit small, but important experiences together. <br />
<br />
Back in August, Emily surprised me with tickets to a concert of one my favorite music artists who is playing out of town in November (btw: she bought those tickets with online earnings). After looking at the destination and time involved to get there, we decided to make a long weekend out of it. Again, are we slowing our progress a little? Yes. I maintain that it is because we have a budget that we are able to plan for these breaks. We know where our money is going and therefore can direct it where we want.<br />
<br />
Now you can't spend whenever you want or do whatever you want. If you did that you wouldn't make any progress. You can look at what we've paid down and decipher for yourself that we've said no to a lot of things in the past two and half years. There is a famous quote from 20th century music giant Nadia Boulanger that goes like this:<br />
<br />
<br />
"To study music, we must learn the rules. To create music, we must break them."<br />
<br />
For me, you can apply this to your budget and life. There are times when you can take a break. Maybe your favorite music artist is in town and they don't come through that often. Maybe your favorite sports team, pro or college, has reached the championship for the first time in awhile. By all means go, but if you're going to take a break in your budget you must first have one and learn it's rules. Have a plan and follow it. Then when your life presents one of those "once in a lifetime opportunities" you can free the money to make it happen. Keep paying and saving!<br />
<br />
"Wake me up when September ends."<br />
<br />
--Green Day<br />
<br />
In Christ,<br />
Bryant & Emily<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01992885210884719709noreply@blogger.com0