A wish to win the Lottery

Sometimes, in our journey to get out of debt, I have those moments where I truly wish I could just in the lottery. Do you know what I would do if I won the lottery? I would pay of my debt!! I swear! I would! I sometimes get so discouraged with paying our "stupid tax". Our past bad choices and mistakes often get in the way of what we want to do and be today. I have not blogged about our journey, although I did post a note on facebook that I should transfer over here just so it's all in one place.

Our "out-of-consumer-debt" date was set for June 1st. Then it had to be moved to July 1st (in March). Now it's August first and I am trying my VERY hardest not to move it again! We are using the Dave Ramsey method of getting out of debt. We are living on a WRITTEN budget using mostly cash (harder to overspend the budget that way). We have paid off 4 consumer debts including my car and 3 credit cards and have accumulated a very large snowball to throw at our debt and are making fast head-way. However, summer is here and the remodel on our house has begun. Our budget for the remodel is still looking on-target and like things will be fine, but we've taken a few spontaneous trips to tri-cities and spent money that was supposed to be "extra to debt" (on top of the snowball amount) on fun things. I should clarify that this is where Dave and I split ways. I am very intent on getting out of debt and I have my eye on it at all times and it's never far from my mind. However...I also feel that this is the prime of our lives. So, sometimes when I'm working on my budget and I have surplus income over our expenses for the money, I add more to our "blow-it" money instead of the "extra to debt" column. Here's the funny part. I feel a little guilty about that. Had we not "blown" that money, we could have stuck to our June 1st date of out-of-debt. Then I remember that I'm still paying A LOT OF MONEY to our debt each month!

A short back story is that Sam and I had "somehow" acquired about $20,000 in consumer debt. In March of 2009, my mom helped me with my taxes and we owed the government a lot of money. We had about $300 in our checking account and no savings. I was a wreck of tears and fears. We lived paycheck to paycheck and at the end of the month I would lose sleep hoping that the check I wrote at the store didn't go through before the check I deposited in the back to cover it. I would walk into Walmart and I could NEVER walk out for under $50. I hated living like that! My mom said that I should try living on a zero-balance budget. I argued that with a fluctuating income (sometimes as much as $1200 from month to month) any kind of budget was impossible! She helped me set up a month to month zero balance budget using Excel. Income here. Expenses here. The numbers have to match. Once I figured it out, I got really good at it. On August 1st 2010 (and not a DAY later) Sam and I will have paid off our $20,000 in consumer debt. Between mom's zero balance budget plan and Dave Ramsey's debt snowball, we've come a LONG way!! Just about all of our "extra" money and a lot of our not-so-extra money has gone to debt INCLUDING our huge tax refund!

So...I want to win the lottery. I want to be totally out of debt and have a fully funded emergency fund (3-6 mo. expenses) in my savings account. I want to be able to take my family on trips and buy some new furniture. I'm a simple girl who loves living a simple life. But there are things I would like to have. I don't want to be rich...I just want a nice living room set, a laptop, and a new bed. :)

Our journey out of debt has taught me a lot of things and I am ultimately grateful for it. However, I can't wait for the day when all that money is actually mine and I don't have to give it to someone else! Thanks mom. Thanks Dave Ramsey. Thanks to family and friends who are supportive and encouraging.

Now that I have processed my feelings, I'm going to make one of the last payments I have to my credit card. They are just such painful payments. :( It'll be worth it in the end.