Financial Peace.

About a week and a half ago, Shawn and I started attending a weekly Dave Ramsey "Financial Peace" class at a local church. Some good friends (hi Erica & John!) had encouraged us about how beneficial the class is - especially at our age - when it comes to being a good steward of your finances. And I have to say that even just a week and a half in, I agree with them. My whole thinking about money is being turned upside down.

Since we've been married, we've been very frugal for the most part. We aren't big spenders and we don't go shopping much at all, but there are those multi-weekly Chipotle dates, Pinkberry, Starbucks, etc. (Can you tell our financial downfall is food?) Yes, I have food allergies. And yes, we eat really healthy which costs more. Oh, and we're super busy - so eating out is often much more convenient. But it's still no excuse - and I kind of couldn't believe that we were spending just as much on food every month as we were spending on rent! No joke.

Dave teaches from a Biblical point of view (and is a fellow Franklinite! Yeah!) and he means business. He instructs you in little baby steps to take to be able to live debt-free, invest, and give. Ultimately, it's a lot about freedom. A lot of people who seem financially free really aren't at all... swiping the credit card when there's no money to back it up, buying cars and houses that they really can't afford. What Dave teaches is definitely countercultural, but I really see it as bringing true freedom - and that makes me so excited.

So in the first week, our progress is pretty miraculous: we've saved just about $1,000 for the first baby step, the "emergency fund." Money goes a lot longer when you have a new perspective on its stewardship, you pick up a couple extra photography jobs, and you eat at home. This may sound so simple, and you may be saying, "Well, of course it's going to save you money if you eat at home" but it's more than that. It's a way of thinking that I hadn't adopted until now. Money is not just there for my pleasure - it's ultimately God's and He has given us a big job in managing it well.

I encourage you to look into taking a class!