WE ARE DONE!

We did it! We had to take that little break in their for the Christmas holiday - and to buy our loved one's all the great things we could - with cash of course!

But, as of 1/12/2011 - WE ARE DEBT FREE!

We paid off nearly $60,000 in 2+ years. It can be done! We are no one special...but today we feel like a million dollars!

We give all thanks to our Lord who provided for us, caused us to multiply and who has shown us grace above what we could have expected.

We have lived like no one else....and NOW we get to LIVE and GIVE like no one else!

November 30 - Check in

A little late for checking in for November. But we are basically and the SEVERE down-hill side of this thing. With 1850.79 remaining..the end is in site...and if we look at how far we have come...all we have to say is CASH FOR CHRISTMAS! There is no way we are going backwards :)

Happy Holidays to all!

Checking in for October...$7400 and dropping fast!

...and it cannot go fast enough! As of Oct 20, we have paid off just over $51,000 in 2 years and 2 months...it can be done and you got to want to win! I say that, in hind-sight like it is easy..it is not. There are so many trade-off's along the way...and it's weird to think like that - I can't have it all at once!

Trade-off's include:
Go out to dinner or buy the kids school clothes!
Buy pumpkins at .40cents a pound from cool place..or buy at WinCo for .17cents and have money left for costumes!

I have to say, that in all this, my wife continues to amaze, impress and astound me. The woman - with her handy Dave Ramsey cash envelope system - can pull money out of nowhere! Case in point, our oldest is having a birthday this week...It is 3 days until payday (usually the time we run out of food and money). She gets home with all these great gifts for him...and shoes for our daughter...and I go to where we "hid" his birthday set-aside money and it is still there...and she says "Oh, that's great...but I had money in my envelopes..we might have creative dinners this week...but let's just hang on to that". That's hot!!

You can win too...we are happy to share any advice...but much like exercise...it's a good program and shear determination! Go get 'em!

We have another $5300 payment to be made next Monday..we will post new results then...something like $2k owed.

Mid September Update! We hit the 10k mark

We are now officially just above the 10K mark. In the next couple of days..we will be at $9k..very cool!

Can we mark this thing done already.

New totals coming in as we end July. $13,323,19 to go. On track to finish by the end of October. We will be so glad! Hope you are all doing well on your journey.

So close..the end is in sight!

We are just under $16,000 from removing this crap from our lives! It feels so good. We sent off a big check yesterday...they all seem like they are big checks..but this one put one of two 401k loans to bed. We only have one to go...and, man, does it feel good. We will check in at the end of the month...but life just gets better every day...can't think of the last time I ever used a credit card!

June 25 - Checking in...

Just checking in to update our blog and our balances. We have survived the move to Oregon and have just noticed that we have paid off $40,304.73 of our debt in 22 months. We are tracking to be fully paid off on Jan 1, 2011. We really wanted to be paid by Aug 2010 - but hey..what's 4 months in comparison to a wealthy life!

This stuff is hard...if you are looking at this and it seems easy...it's because you are looking at the compressed time...every day is a choice...every day is a choice to live like no one else...so later we can LIVE LIKE NO ONE ELSE!

Stay safe..we'll check in soon!

We just keep on going...

We have drawn the line in the sand. We will be debt free on Feb 28, 2011. No exceptions. If we have to sell blood, an organ or a car in January 2011...we are sufficiently done with this debt thing. Is anybody else feel like that? You can be gazelle intense for just so long...and then you have to take a break and just live a little...go to McDonald's...breath....and then you get back at it!

I think Melissa and I are just done with this. We have a solid game plan. We are fired up. We will succeed. Hope you are all finding success too!

Tax Day...and whoosh..it's gone

In reflecting on tax day yesterday, I have to ask myself "Where does the money go?". I mean..we pay this money every paycheck, and where does it end up? The states are all broke, no services and yet Congress keeps writing the programs and spending the checks. Where does it stop? Election time.

I don't know how many of you are invovled in the new Tea Party movement, but it seems like a good idea...something has to change.

We are changing our lives...and I don't want the rewards to go to the Goverment. Whew!

Bang bang, we're beautiful and dirty rich

"Bang bang, we're beautiful and dirty rich" Man, how I want to sing that song over and over! For now, we'll have to leave it with Lady Gaga!

I can't believe we have been walking out of this for 19months. I know to some that may seem fast...but when you are in it...it seems like eternity!

We are still over 1/2 way done. I am grateful