30 Days Of Truth: {DAY SEVENTEEN}

30 Days Of Truth

{Day Seventeen}

A book you've read that changed your view about something

Easy Peasy.

The Total Money Makeover

Everything I learned about money, I learned from watching my parents NOT have any. Yea..that totally got my mind on the right track. Pssh. I wish. My mom was the kind of mom who liked to have fun. Too bad that usually meant we spent money here and there. My step dad was a truck driver so he was gone a lot during the week and stuff, and while my mom could cook and did often, we ate out a lot. I won't rehash all the gory details of my life as a relatively poor kid [because it really wasn't that bad], but money times were tough.

When I got older and started working, I really didn't have any bills. My family was helping support me, so all the cash flow went straight to my pocket. And I remember the day I got my first credit card. HEAVEN!!!!!  Oh and then when Capitol One sent me their PLATINUM card. Yea..didn't know until the END of that activation phone call that I'd been given a $2000 limit!!! *bugeyes*

Remember the asshat of an exboyfriend I had. You know the one that treated me like ish for the three years I gave him power over me. Well him and I fought. ALOT. Especially right around this time period. And I discovered that I liked retail therapy. ALOT. I remember one time we were fighting in the movie theater and I ran out, down the stairs, out the the door, and found myself near hyperventilating and I shopped in Old Navy. I actually kept saying out loud, "I just need some jeans. I just need some jeans" over and over again. As if a new pair of jeans would suddenly make everything better. 

Needless to say, I'm horrible with money. As soon as I get it, I want to spend it. And usually in the worst way. I don't have a lot of debt, when you take a step back and look a it, but I have some any that's just too much. Dave Ramsey's TTM really put a lot of things into perspective for me. It has completely changed the way Charlie and I look at money. One beautiful thing that has happened is that we buy everything with cash [or debit cards]. We don't use credit. Not that we don't have it- it's just not smart for us. We'd rather save now, buy later than to buy now and not have the money to pay later. Make sense? We live 100% within our means. And now we're working to live 70% within our means. That's something that our church [who did a 4-part series on Dave Ramsey's TTM]inspired within us.

If you haven't read this book, I suggest high tailing it out of your seat NOW and going to get it. I regularly get coupons from bookstores...I'll even send you one so you can get it. 

The book is THAT good.

***and this post doesn't even do it justice.