As I was doing the dishes tonight and cleaning up a tabletop full of dropped pizza and was thinking about all the bad financial decisions I (and my honey) have made over the years. I'm writing in green because that is what we are in right now, the green (not meaning lots of money, not even close, but a positive balance in the checking account). I won't begin to sicken you with the amount of money that has passed through my fingers with nothing to account for it except, my first car, braces, and a pair of Doc Martens that I still have (good investment). Anyway I say all that to say this... I found out that one of the downsides of having ADhD is POOR MONEY MANAGEMENT AND DECISIONS (red is for guess what? in the red...) Well that would have been nice to know. BUT the add is not all to blame... no training in the realm of finances and learned bad money behavior (on both sides)
Well, now I know and as a famous American once said "Now you know and knowing is half the battle." -GI Joe (a real American Hero!) A year ago this month Ron and I enrolled in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. Over a period of 12 weeks, we had our spiritual but kicked. We learned a lot, like for instance this novel idea...If you don't have the money for it, DON'T buy it. Pay cash for everything, and make sure it's yours! What?! How UN American Mr. Ramsey! Don't you know that this country was built on the idea that we deserve what we want, when we want it and we don't need to do any work for it? That is not what the Bible says- Neither a borrower or lender be. Because the borrower is always servant to the lender.
Who would have thought that the Bible was right? Like I said, we learned a lot and are taking the "baby steps" approach to everything. Over the last year, even with Ron's work being very sporadic, we have managed to pay down our debt to now only to outstanding debts, we have saved an emergency fund (twice) and have had to use it (twice) and just last week we were approved for a New House. a little history...Remember I said we made poor choices, well those poor choices have haunted us for the last 12 years and have hindered us from purchasing a home. Honestly I thought we would never have a house. So now on to the good news. :) Since we have been working very hard at keeping a balanced budget over the last year, making all our payments on time, being faithful in tithing (no matter how small) All our hard work paid off...On a spur of the moment thing Sunday after church, we decided to take Ron Clark up on his offer to look at some homes. We loved them, then reluctantly filled out the paperwork...I felt really bad, like I was wasting their time and getting their hopes up for nothing... an hour after we left the lender called us and said we had been approved!! Oh my gosh!! Immediately (after I asked Ron a couple times if he was kidding) the scripture came to mind "If you are faithful with little, you will be entrusted with much". You can't image the awe that came over me. I didn't know whether to jump up and down or cry for joy. So now we are in the waiting game...waiting to sell the mobile home we are living in right now...and this is where my ADhD is driving me nuts because I am chopping at the bit! I am asking the Holy Spirit to let me rest and take it one day at a time (it is so dang hard)... But we have someone coming to look at the house tomorrow... we'll see what happens. The answer to the question can I post date that check, is NO! Learn from our mistakes." Live like no one else so that one day you can live like no one else"-Dave Ramsey
Here is a link to Dave's site and the Total Money Makeover if you want to check it out... It literally changed our life. www.daveramsey.com
Friday, March 25, 2011
So last night inspired me this morning to start a blog. It won't be fancy, (I gave up trying to make it nice like other peoples blogs (who will remain nameless) But it will I think get to the point, however random it may be. From time to time I'll jot down thoughts, things that I think are important to know about living through the ups and downs of ADhD. It'll be fun! I'm hopeful that it will be helpful to all of us!
So talk to you later... There's something I'm supposed to go do....
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