It's been a while

Hello friends,

It has been a while, I know things have been confusing!! your moving? what? why? where? hahaha! yeah it was a surprise to everyone including us because we made a decision and carried it out and it was all rather quick, I would like to explain what we did and why.

We are living in a world where the latest fashion and biggest house has defined us! where we plunge deeper into debt as a country/state as well as personally. Where spending has replaced Saving and consumption has reigned supreme. Look all around you. People are loosing their houses, their jobs, the Earth is in a critical state of deterioration. And Personally, well personally I have to be honest with you. We spent the first years of our marriage Poor, very poor and working hard to get somewhere to have something. To us having more meant we were doing well, being able to spend that hard earned money was "well deserved" living. We went from making hardly anything to making more than we ever imagined and STILL feeling poor and living to the end of our pay check each week. With no savings but a bit of debt, and no home to put down roots. Do not laugh it is no laughing matter. For those of you who are fabulously smart with your money..go ahead and scoff... but for anyone in our shoes you know how disheartening it is.

The leaders of our church have been telling us to get out of debt for years, to get our food storage blah blah blah, we have all heard it before. But look all around us. How many people do you know who could use that during layoff time? and they have turned it up lately..."get out of debt is what they are saying!" and I think it is for a reason! It all started after we had to short sell our house. After that I was determined to find a nice place to live, and instead of downsizing like we should have then, I wanted that big house still and all that I "deserve" Well we moved into that big house and even bought some more furniture for it. With a bigger house comes more responsibility, more cleaning, more stuff to take care of etc. etc. I was even to the point where I was looking at getting a housekeeper to help out once a week. Our expenses for utilities through the roof. Well you get the point. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed. I started to think, how am I ever going to save for my OWN house before the market goes up? Then I took a trip to see my family and realized that a lot of my family members are in the same boat, job losses, retirement, all things that have hit and are not prepared for.
My Mother in law gave us a book called " The millionaire next door" After reading half of it in the car on a day trip, Corey and I were convinced that we have been fools! WE have been thinking time is on our side, that not being financially responsible was O.K. cause maybe one day our "ship would come in" Well news flash everyone, lots of those people in those big houses and nice cars are not millionaires! how can they be when they are spending all that they have? When they are falling into that consumption attitude!!?? How much {stuff} do we buy and never use but once every few years or not at all.
I was standing in the kitchen looking around, looking at my kids, thinking about my life and what is really important to me. Thinking about the future. In 10 short years, my kids will start graduating, getting married, going on missions,going to college...and I want to pay cash I want to be ready. And I have only a little while to teach them to be responsible. So I said, lets downsize! Lets move!!

We started looking around. We have so much "stuff" and I will be honest. It was hard to let my beautiful baby furniture go. but the price of interest on credit cards is far more depressing then letting go. We have already paid off 1/2 of a credit card and will pay of the rest this month! I am so excited.

So yes we moved to the next town over (Rocklin) and we have squeezed all 3 kids into a 2 bedroom apartment. It is tight, but our family is close and we have realized that where our family is...so is our home. We are teaching our kids the value of money and that ~Things~ do not define our worth. I know that it is against the grain and most people would disagree.... Even I like nice things...but I want to be more careful about how much and only buying things if we can afford it. Try to be better about being frugal and "SMART" and teaching my kids that they can have that Abercombie sweatshirt, I pod, and seven jeans..if they have saved first and found the best deal on each item!!!
my goal for this year is.....

* pay off 3 credit cards
* raise our credit score
* Save 10-20% down on a house
* get a home that we can afford
and do a 15 year fixed loan
* start saving for retirement
as well as future expenses
* Learn to live on less than
we earn.

So maybe we are doing this 12 years late. But better now then NEVER! I have felt prompted to do this, and I strongly feel the spirit of our decision. And I hope to inspire others as well.