The first step in My Total Money Makeover Journey is Baby Step One: $1,000 in the bank.
I did it! After working the program for over a month, I was able to “hid” $1,000 in a money market account. Its easily accessible if I have a REAL emergency yet unable to access when I have a “Savanah Emergency” (you know what I'm talking about – that I'm running late so I'm going to pick up supper or I just HAVE to get this now instead of waiting until payday) which helps me stay on track.
I'd like to challenge you to sit down with your spouse (if single, find a friend/family member that's good with money) and figure out where your money is going. Once you know, its easier to make adjustments and start saving! To get started, use the Budget Lite tool from Dave Ramsey.
If you are ready to purchase one of Dave Ramsey's books or sets, I recommend going straight for the Financial Peace University Home Study set. No matter what you order, make sure you use all three of the following codes:
- SHIP888 for free shipping
- MORE for a free copy of More Than Enough
- NOEL2011 for a free DVD
My friend Stacy over at Adventures in Coupons has a monthly challenge and shares her progress. This month, she's continuing her dollar challenge AND adding a Craigslist challenge to help pay down debt. Head over and join her in this month's challenge!
Kecia
Congrats on hitting the first step and saving $1000! My husband and I plan to start using Dave Ramsey’s methods as soon as we get his book that I won in a recent giveaway.
Savanah
Kecia,
If you don’t want to wait until you get the book, you can sign up for a free 30-day membership here. If you haven’t entered yet, I’m also giving away a 3 month subscription.
Dave Ramsey’s methods are old-fashioned and exactly what we need to take responsibility for our financial future. So many times as I’m listening to one of his CDs or reading one of the books, I just want to smack myself for not thinking about it like this sooner.
Marthalynn
Congratulations! What an important first step. Thanks for sharing those coupon codes! This will make a great gift.