Category: debt-free

  • Save America

    Is anyone else disturbed and embarrassed by our national debt? America’s way of doing business is expensive. The current national debt is a staggering  $ 1 6 , 1 7 8 , 3 1 4 , 5 3 1 , 7 5 3 . 2 4 . It’s hard to quantify such a number. I think it would be accurate to describe it as irresponsible and disheartening. It didn’t happen overnight. It wasn’t run-up by one administration, or one party. If America truly is a democratic republic, then we all have a part in this number. If the government works for us, we have a responsibility – an obligation – to see this number go down. But how?

    I certainly don’t know the answers, but I do know what our household does when we forecast a shortfall in our budget. I don’t demand more money from my employer or go out looking for a higher-paying job. We reduce spending. We look seriously at what is a ‘want’ and what is a ‘need’. We make do. We scrimp. We pinch. We save. We survive. It’s simple math. Spend less than you make. Live within your means.

    At some point we as a country stopped making fiscal responsibility a priority. We treat debt as a way of life – a necessity to live the ‘American Dream’. It isn’t. True, the politicians all know how to pay lip-service as to how they plan to lower that number, but it will take each one of us to adopt financial accountability as a priority in our own lives. Isn’t it hypocritical to expect the government to be debt-free if we’re not? I think if we want to save America, we need to save, America.

  • Recipe for Saving

    It’s no secret that dining out too often will help your wallet lose weight. This familiar mantra is one of the many ‘battle cries’ of Dave Ramsey, financial author, radio talk-show host and motivational speaker. If you’re one of the millions who tunes in to the Dave Ramsey Show you know all too well how often the rice and beans ‘diet’ is prescribed to financially-strapped callers as a means to a wealthier, healthier lifestyle. Dave recommends a simple, six-stage “baby steps” formula (based in part on the debt snowball method), which includes avoiding all debt (except for certain types of home mortgages) and investing conservatively —  advice he more affectionately refers to as ‘grandma’s common-sense’.

    If you’re new to Dave Ramsey, or even a long-time listener of his radio show, you can attend a Dave Ramsey Show Simulcast on Saturday, October 6th. Visit this link for more details.