Cole Speaks (Writes)

So, people have been reading this and I bet they are wondering, how is the wife REALLY going along with all this? So, I thought I would add my two cents. Yes, this is Nicole posting this time! Kinda scary. Dan is definitely the writer in this family.

Some people may think only a crazy person would do such things like cut up your credit cards or put yourself on a $10 a week budget. Well, I never said I was normal. Like Dave Ramsey says, “If you live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.” I have really learned to love that quote.

It is true, at one point, we put our selves on a $10 a week budget. This was not for the necessities. We did have a budget for household items that we needed to live, but our $10 was if we wanted to go out for lunch or buy something that we really did not need. After some time had passed, I had a big fat envelope and I thought, this is stupid. I am not spending this money so why do I keep taking it out of the bank when I can keep it in the bank to make interest. See, this is how I think. I am the saver, Dan is the spender. Until now!

For years I have wanted to do this. I was never a typical woman who loved to shop. Don’t get me wrong, I do like nice things and I would not turn down a new outfit, but I need my security first. As I was growing up I saw many people struggle with money. Everyone had “too much month at the end of the money.” I said I never want to be like that. I always saved for those “what ifs.” There were many times Dan called me a money hoarder. So after meeting Barry Cameron, and listening to Dave Ramsey I feel like I have brought Dan over to my side! No, he is not a money hoarder with me, but we have found a good balance and are on our way to being financially free.

I admit there are some hard things, like the credit card. I did not think this would be hard for me, but it is. We have always had two credit cards. One was a Discover card. This is what I used all the time, and the other was a Master Card because every now and then I would go somewhere that would not accept Discover. We always paid them off every month. I don’t understand why, if I had the money, I needed to charge it instead of just paying cash. But like everyone does in our culture, I’d charge it. Canceling the Master Card was easy because I didn’t use it. But the Discover is a hard one. It goes back to that security thing I mentioned before. Oh, and did I mention I don’t like change. But I am not using that card now. I am using cash or my debit card. I think I need to reassure myself that this is ok before I can cut that card.

So to sum up on how I really feel about all this. To all the wives out there, you really can change your husbands! With a little help from God of course:).