371 and counting

So today will be the 372nd day we've gone without using a credit card.  I really am not keeping track I just know that we stopped using them December 31, 2009 so having it the first week of the new year it's easy to figure out how long it has been.

At first I was really concerned about doing this but I knew it was a thing Brian and I both wanted to do.  It's amazing how easy it has been.  I really don't believe we've gone without anything - especially anything TRULY important.  We may have put off a couple purchases a few days but I really don't think it has made that huge of an impact on what we have or need.  With that being said I will say it has made a HUGE impact on how we look at things.  It's amazing how easily we would purchase NON essentials or extras which is didn't not truly need just because if we didn't have the cash we would charge it.

Ten years ago my brother-in-law and his wife (she's more like a sister to me than an in-law) introduced Brian and I to Dave Ramsey and his book Financial Peace.  We read it and loved it.  We started using his envelope system for our weekly regular purchase such as gas, groceries, clothing, etc.  But unfortunately we weren't 100% faithful to it and although we always seemed to do it slowly but surely we found ourselves away from the true principles of the book.  Enter listening more and more to his radio show on WMT-600am Mon-Fri from 7pm-9pm and it brought us back in to his principles of not having to have a credit card or any debt.  SO NOT the American way but we decided we like not going with the norm :-)  So I got his book Total Money Makeover and read it....and decided to start the plan at the beginning of the new year...so that brought is to January 1, 2010.  That was my one main goal for last year....NO CREDIT CARD use....and it was AMAZING simple to keep....especially when we destroyed all of our cards!

So this brings us to today.  We are paying down the one credit card that we have a balance on and then my student loans are the only thing left (besides our mortgage) and I am looking forward to the day that we can call the Dave Ramsey Radio show and scream "WE'RE DEBT FREE!!!"  We're hoping to make it from the lobby of his office building in Nashville, TN.  And hey will be able to get the TN capital visited that trip also!

For anyone not familiar with Dave Ramsey and his books, radio show, etc....you can find info at www.daveramsey.com.   People around me her "Dave says...." alot and I am more than willing to share my story or his ideas with anyone interested. 

I can't wait to see what day 372 brings and beyond.  I'll let you know when we're making the call....with Student Loans our plan is to have it done NO LATER than December 2012!