Call for Future Generations... Our Total Money Makeover Journey

Perhaps you've seen these faces before...


Benjamin, Hannah, Jack Henry, Emma, Gabriel

Or really their faces usually look a little bit more like this:

Oh, these Turkey Bottoms keep a mama on her feet I tell ya!  I could post far more "silly" pictures than I could ever come up with pictures of all five of them looking at the camera, smiling without cheesing, all eyes opened and no one crying.  You'd think it was torture?!    Speaking of torture (and trying to get back on subject) you know what I am really very fearful of?  I'm fearful that my bad habits will pass from me to these adorable Turkey Bottoms.  It's one of the reasons that I keep running even though I hate it... because when I come home from a run every.single.one.of.them will ask me how far I ran and if I ran fast.  I want them to be healthy and I feel it's important to model that for them... and if I end up looking like a model in the process then woot woot Mama! ;)

 

 

I belive that God has called us to run another race that will require more perseverence and more mental strength then a 5k or even a marathon will ever require of us.  It's the race to get out of debt.  It's the race to redeem the time and blaze a trail for our Turkeys that will teach them that God has a plan for all parts of our lives, including our checkbooks.  I also believe that the way a person chooses to spend (or not spend) their money reveals the state of their heart.  For instance, if I make a choice to go to McDonalds or even HuHots (how I love you) instead of paying off debt I have made a choice that reflects what's important in my heart...                                                                                                                      

 

 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8

 

I want my children to know that God intends for us to be free of debt.  That we don't have to live a life of slavery to our debtors.  And even more than that we want to use money to bless others.  We want to be able to give to those in need, we want to support our church in ways that we can't with debt, we want to be prepared for emergencies, invested in our future and we want to have lots and lots and lots of fun and do things that we currently can't do! 

 

I'm sure we all know that statistically the number one thing that married couples fight over is money and finances.  It's also one of the major contributors to people getting a divorce.  And while divorce is NOT AN OPTION (Hotsauce is stuck with me and I with him) we have had a minor tiff once or twice about money. ;)  Actually this isn't something that we fight with each other over much, but there is stress because of it and there is definiately a weight that Hotsauce carries because of it.  Imagine a home free of financial stress?  Imagine a lighter Hotsauce! Whew-wee that would be a great environment to raise kiddos in!!  And so we strive in our Total Money Makeover not just for our own freedom, but to pass this legacy on to future generations of Turkey Bottoms.

Call for Freedom... Our Total Money Makeover Journey

Debt enslaves so many Americans from living the life God intends us to live... a life of Freedom! According to www.americandebtadvisor.com 80% of Americans carry debt with them.  Hotsauce and I have been burdened by debt for 10 years now and it.is.not.fun.

I honestly didn't know that you could go to college without getting a loan or having rich parents.  Hotsauce worked his way through college (thankfully we never had to worry about paying off his student loans, while mine never seem to go away).  And when I landed on the UNI campus I was offered a "free" UNI T-shirt if I would sign up for a "UNI" Mastercard!  I was the first sucker in line!  And so I began my debt path...

Hotsauce and his friend had a great money making idea when they found out that they were being deployed to Saudi Arabia ... they would buy a cheap home and fix it up.  While they were deployed the Army would pay the mortgage and they would save money for the repairs.  When they returned state side they would finish the house and sell it for more then they bought it for... it would be the perfect flip.  Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans!  And so Hotsauce began his debt path...

When two soulmates meet on the debt path it's always a recipe for success disaster!  I'm not even going to mention the timeshare that we were literally suckered into buying on our honeymoon... boy did they see us coming a mile away... and before I go further into details that would utterly embarass both of us, I will simply say that you can see where this story is going.  Now, factor in five kids and one income and you can see where we are living a life of slavery of our own making.  Oh, if I could go back and tell us as young people what we were getting ourselves into...

A few years ago, my good friend, Angie, went to Financial Peace University.  And she talked about it All.The.Time.  She used his envelope system and would constantly say things like, "Dave Ramsey would be proud."  Ugh!  It's hard to be drowning when your friend is succeeding.  Not that she was bragging or prideful, I just knew my own heart and my own situation and thought that we could never experience the freedom she found.

Other friends and family have either gone throw FPU or have done the Total Money Makeover and when finances came up they would mention that we needed to go to the class or read the book. Well, during a Driscoll family reunion (where it comes up every year) our debt slavery was discussed. Later Katie told Ben that she reads The Total Money Makeover every.single.year.  Ben jokes that while some people are reading through the Bible in a year, Katie's pouring over TMM!  Katie and Jes promised to mail the book to us when they returned home.  True to their promise it arrived about a week later.  Hotsauce was the first to crack it open and we decided that he would read at night while I read during the day when he was at work.  We may have fought over it at times when I didn't keep my end of the bargain and would read it when he was at home...

We have both completed the book and Ben has started to reread it... wonder if he's still making fun of Katie??  We finished our first budget that we have ever both agreed on in 10 years, 6 months, 1 week and 3 days, no exaggeration.  We are on the same page and we have the eye of the tiger!  I am hands down the most competitive person I know and I am looking forward to defeating this thing called debt!  I would also say that for the first time in 10 years, 6 months, 1 week and 3 days we have a real sense of hope.  We've had the desire for a long time to get out of debt, but we never had a plan and now that we do there is a call of freedom that rings deep in our souls.

My hope is to keep you posted as a form of my own accountability.  I know I will have no problem celebrating with all of you... hopefully I will be able to share struggles too.  Please ask us how it's going from time to time!  Below is a list of ways that you can pray for us if you choose to do so.

Prayers:
1. We put that house that Hotsauce and his friend bought (11 years ago) on the market yesterday.  This will be our 3rd time trying to sell it.  The realtor seemed very positive that we have it priced well and that we should be able to sell it this time! Please pray that we do sell it and for a fair price.  Pray that we will be patient.

2. We have offered to let Julayne move back in with us in October.  The situation will be mutually benefical financially, but will come with its challenges.  Please pray that as the 8 of us make adjustments that God will be glorified and that we will act in love.  Pray that each of us get the privacy that we need.

3. I have been planning on selling a few items that I have worked on for awhile... a small online shop called Turkey Bottom Haven.  Please pray that it will be well received and that it will be a benefit our family.

4. We are also praying about whether Hotsauce or I should get a part-time job to help get the snowball rolling a little faster.

Well, that's about it for now!  If you haven't read Dave Ramsey's book I would highly recommend it.  We hope to watch the Financial Peace University dvds soon!