So… we’ve been plugging along on our Dave Ramsey journey. Credit Card #1 is paid in full and we are well on our way to eradicating Credit Card #2. #2 was used to finance our new roof, so it’s a bit of a doozy. So, you could argue whether we are ‘gazelle intense’ or not. I guess each person has to gauge their own progress and what you are willing to sacrifice for a time is very individual.
What we’ve done to achieve our goal thus far
- We have utilized our library. We have used the library a lot over the last several months. We have been quite fortunate that Charleston, West Virginia has such a fantastic library system. I have always loved the library. I love books and I love to read. My only problem with the library is that I usually bring way too many books and movies home- far more than I could ever read/watch. Instead of renting movies on Redbox or Amazon we peruse the library and check out movies. I also I used the Hoopla app through the library to check out audio books and digital books- you can also use it to listen to music and watch movies. In addition, the library has magazines and newspapers- you can get rid of the subscriptions and get your magazine fix at the library.
- We have cut back on our overnight trips. One of my very favorite things to do as a travel nurse is to travel. Well, we have curbed those overnight trips, for now, to use our extra money to pay off debt. Once the debt is gone I’m hoping that travel and trips will again take the front seat. We have camped a lot in the past to cut down on travel costs- and I love to camp- it’s definitely a lot less expensive than hotel stays. During the summer the weather was pretty hot and we weren’t excited about camping in the heat. We waited for cooler weather, but it seemed to go from hot to cold so we haven’t camped.
- We’ve gone on day trips in lieu of overnight trips. There is still a lot of West Virginia for us to see and plenty of it is close enough to explore on a day trip.
- We pack lunch. We have pretty much packed food on trips from the get go of our ‘traveling career’. Last year when we traveled in the RV, one of the perks of RV travel was that we could make lunch at our leisure while on the road- literally while driving down the road. We also do this on day trips and camping trips. We plan to eat out once or twice, but the majority of meals on trips are ‘homemade’. We pack sandwich fixings, chips, fun snacks, drinks, water and our trusty cooler.
- I make gifts. I have always enjoyed crafts and for birthdays and Christmas gifts I have made jewelry, tea towels, pillows, candles among other things. I enjoy making (and receiving) hand crafted gifts. I try to take special care in decided what an individual might enjoy and I can make the gift specific and personalized to the individual.
- I don’t shop. Well, I do shop- for groceries. In the past I spent a lot of time shopping. We also shopped for entertainment. I can be impulsive and if I don’t see it, I won’t but it. If I do see it, I might decide I ‘need’ it. Have a list and stick to it.
- Side hustle. This is pretty much it’s own post that I will eventually get to. I’ve made towels and jewelry to sell and have made some money selling items at a craft fair. I also have an Etsy shop.
- I’ve worked overtime. In the past, as a rule, I did not work overtime. In the beginning of our Dave Ramsey journey I worked a lot of overtime and we made pretty big strides in our debt reduction. I did take a break on the overtime, though. First of all, not too much was available and second, nursing is a high stress job and I require down time. After Christmas vacation the overtime will be a go again. Again, our choices are all individual and you have to decide your own balance. My sanity is important to me. Burn out in nursing is a real thing and I have to keep a healthy balance.
So we are getting there. I can say I don’t regret getting on a budget and beginning this debt free journey. I only regret that I did not start much, much sooner.
Any body else working on their debt free journey? How is it going? What are you doing? Please share and let me know if you have any questions about what we’re doing.
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