Financial Peace University

About a year ago my sister and I took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class at her church. It was such a good experience. I learned a lot and Julie has been really good about keeping me accountable. I got a lot out of the class, but I am most definitely a work in progress.

Before Christmas my church announced that they were going to offer the same class on Sunday evenings. I knew right away that I needed to take it again. One of the huge benefits to this class is that once you have paid for it you can take it as many times as you want. That totally benefits people like me. You know, the people who have to hear something at least 3 times to actually understand it.

Tonight was the first class and already I am feeling motivated to do well financially. There were things in tonight's lesson which I had written down in my book last year that I most definitely did not follow through with and I am kicking myself for that. I could have been way ahead of where I am now.

Here are some of the things I took out of tonight's lesson on Super Saving:

• Saving must become a priority - saving money will help me to feel content more than spending it will. 
• Use Pre-Authorized Checking withdrawals to transfer money to my savings account before I even know it is there. (and maybe don't even have that money written in my budget to begin with) 
• Discipline is the key ingredient to do well financially. 
• I MUST START NOW!!!

I was talking to a friend after the class about how Dave Ramsey really encourages us to get a $1000 emergency fund as fast as we can. This stresses her out (as it does me), but I reminded her that it is just a baby step. It isn't going to happen overnight. We have to take it one day at a time.
Sure there are people who could put $500 into an emergency fund every month, but there are others (myself included) who will only be able to put a little bit in at a time. I think the key is to make a very detailed budget and find things to cut out of your regular spending. For me, I am going to cut out Starbucks and fast food. For one thing it isn't healthy to be eating out like that on a regular basis, and it also adds up very quickly. Dave Ramsey also stresses that it takes a lot of discipline. And I think the discipline we need comes from God. We really need to be seeking God's strength in this area. It is easy to slip back into old spending habits, but God can and will give us the strength that we need. 

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 

- Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)