Proverbs 21:5

"The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste lead to poverty" NIV

"Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty" NLT

About 2 1/2 years ago Lee and I sat down and realized we were in debt up to our eyeballs. One mortgage, 2 car payments, 2 student loans, 2 credit cards, medical bills, etc, etc, etc. We also realized that we were sick and tired of being sick and tired (or in debt). We were sick of watching the money that Lee worked so hard for every month come in and go out just as fast to pay for stuff we either didnt use anymore (all those credit card purchases) or to pay for 2 huge car payments.

So we decided then and there to make a change. We were going to get out of debt. We were going to quit borrowing money, scale down on our vehicles, sell a whole lot of our stuff and pay off our debt.

We looked at our bank statements over a 2 month period and realized that we needlessly spent a ton of $$ on stuff that we didn't need. One month we spent $700!!! just at Target. And this wasnt a Super TArget where we could be getting groceries - this was just on junk! We made a plan - we made a budget and we stuck to that budget. We realized that we didn't need all the stuff that we thought we needed. We also did a lot of praying.

And, now, only by the grace of God can we say that we have no debt!!! And we are starting to save!! Thank you, God!!

While the process was hard - we have learned so much in the process. We learned that we didn't need all that stuff. We learned that we could get by with so much less than we thought. I learned the very valuable art of couponing and comparison shopping.

And here's the crazy thing - we were blessed with this wonderful opportunity here in Raleigh where Lee is able to run his own company and financially we are blessed beyond measure. BUT - we still live on a budget!! Call me crazy - but it makes me insane when we go over our budget. I know exactly how much we can spend on groceries, gas, haircuts, car repairs, going out to eat, etc. I update it every month and I keep track of the spending throughout the month. It is a ton of work, especially with two kids but that is why I love to read Proverbs 21:5. It motivates me to keep going.

One othe huge blessing from being out of debt is how we are able to now give freely to our church beyond our tithe and to other missions.