Fit and Frugal

I have a love for personal finance! I love to teach it and read about and help others with it. I have co-instructed money management classes at ISU and even helped open a Financial Wellness Center on ISU's campus. Someday I hope to work in a financial counseling office, helping others with their personal finances. I have a library of great reading and have taken several seminars and college courses. However, applying the principles that I know can be so darn difficult! Dane and I are really big savers--we currently live off of one income and save the other one. We are working hard to pay off our car and a little bit of student loans. We are serious about paying our tithing and have faith that things work out financially for us because of this! I know that we could do much better!

Today was a bit difficult for me. I have been wanting some shelves from IKEA for about a year now. Just this weekend I found out that my mom and sisters are planning a girls trip down to SLC for some home decor shopping in April. Oh, I can hardly wait to go--and I have a jar full of money I have been saving for an occasion such as this.

Today was hard because I decided to put that in savings instead. I have really learned to have patience and to postpone that instant gratification by saving for things. Dane and I have some pretty bright financial goals to fulfill before the little babe arrives, so I am doing my very best to stay on target. If I can just work really hard for the next few months, we will have so much peace of mind when our tiny man arrives.

You know, Dane and I just measured--and those bookshelves of my dreams are actually a bit too large for our room anyway. It is a purchase that would naturally have to wait for a little house in the future. I am feeling much better about that silly savings decision earlier.

I spent a while today also rebuilding our budget for the next few months, and it was wonderful. We definitely have some cushion and will meet our goals if we can stay on track for a little bit longer. Right now I am thankful for two parents who taught me that value of saving and being careful with money. They were able to pay cash for everything but their home, and they are wise and finance with 15-year mortgages, paying them off early as well. We lived comfortable, good lifestyles, and I hope to imitate what I have seen for so many years.

Dane and I did splurge this weekend and purchased a little bbq grill with money from the savings jar--nothing fancy by any means, but it is enough to encourage us to keep managing these apartments for another year or two. We are getting a bit stir-crazy, so having a useable space outdoors for the summer will make a huge difference for us! Onward and upward.

Poor Dane--once I am hooked on something finance-related, I just go crazy. I am an all-or-nothing kind of girl. My recent financial inspiration came from good old Dave Ramsey himself. I have been putting off his literature for a while because I have clashed a bit with a few of his ideas--however, after a good read of one book, I am pretty hooked. Of course, 95% of the book is really consistent with all financial authors I have found.

I was wondering if this idea is silly: I want to start a financial blog, where I chronicle (anonymously) my financial practices for better fitness and tie in statistics, tips and tricks, and sound money management advice all in one place. Is that a silly idea? I think I would take more time to make posts worth reading than I do here (of course). I could even have little guest-posters with their frugal ideas (couponing, furniture refinishing, cheap dates, etc.). If you made it all the way to the end of this, I would love to hear from you!