I just wrote a check to pay off one of our student loans. Yippee! My husband and I prioritized a list of bills to pay off. We determined which to pay off first by the amount owed and the interest rate. We put a couple smaller bills first in order to have a few successes and get the hang of it before we really buckled down and hit some of the larger debt. What a feeling! I seriously think him and I will have to have a mini celebration tonight. Not including the house we only have three more to go. We will focus on our mortgage as soon as all our other debt is taken care of. My husband and I are really blessed to be where we are today. It’s hard not to compare yourselves to others driving the nice cars and wearing the nice clothes, but we know (now) those things aren’t what’s most important to the two of us. We want to be good stewards of the earth, practice good husbandry, and take care of those who are dear to us. We value time more than money. We want to live a life that will keep us (both of us) home more and at work less. We are now one step closer to home due to some sacrifice! Life is good. ~Smile
Here are some budget templates (I use the first one “Personal Budget”) to keep an eye on where our money goes. I know not everyone likes these, but I found them tremendously helpful. My husband loves that I keep track of this, and at the end of every month I print it off to show him the areas we did poorly and the areas we succeeded in following our plan. Good luck!
A Simple Prairie Life 