With Gazelle-like Intensity

(Just a quick FYI, this post has been sitting in my drafts for at least 9 months so I am much further along in this journey now than when this post was initially started, but I still want to share this so that we can start at the beginning). 

So private college is expensive.

I obviously knew that going in, but the reality has really started to set in.

My debt totals over $65,000.  Which to some (like myself) is a jaw-dropping amount, while for others it seems fairly average.

Your probably wondering why I chose to go to this particular school if I knew it was going to cost so much.  Well honestly, had I known what I know now about the bondage of debt I never would have chosen to attend a school that would saddle me with debt equal to over an entire year's income for my job field.  However, I will never regret choosing to go to this particular school because of how much I learned and because of how much I grew as a person during my time there. 

So now it's time to clean up the mess.

And I'm choosing to dive in head first!

My loans are technically all 10 year loans, but I have decided that's far too long to have them hanging over my head and I have set the goal to pay them off in 4 years or less!

The plan I have chosen to follow is based on principles taught by Dave Ramsey.  I grew up hearing his name mentioned by my parent's friends, but I never really paid attention because I was like 14... and had like $30 to my name... and no debt.

But here we are, 8 years and $65,000 later and I have got to do something.

I love Dave Ramsey's quote, "Live like no one else, so later you can live and give like no one else."  As a Christian, I believe I have a responsibility to be a good steward of the financial resources God has given me and I've been really convicted that debt is 100% not being a good steward.

I want to have the funds available to assist those in need, but as long as my money already has someone else's name on it, I have very little if anything to give.

So gazelle-like intensity it is.  I have been doing half-hearted attempts at budgeting to the last 5 or so months but this month I am going all in.  I was seriously shocked to see how much I was spending on eating out and groceries... it was nuts... and I live in the rural midwest!

So I have decided to slash all my spending categories to the bare minimum and actually make an attempt to squeeze the wasted dollars out and throw them towards those loans.

So far it has went alright but I did forget to budget for a weekend trip to a wedding... but hey, things happen and I tried my hardest to keep spending to a reasonable amount.

Live and learn.

So follow me on my journey to being debt free!  If any of you have similar stories, please feel free to share in the comments!