Happy belated anniversary

2/2/08 was a VERY monumental day for Mr. Producer and I.

It was B.I.G.

Bigger than Christmas big.

Bigger than Disney world big.

Bigger than wedding day or baby big (well almost)

2/2/08 was the last day of guilt in our lives.

2/2/08 was the last day of panic, the last day of frivolousness, the last day of paying 1800x more for anything than it is worth.

2/2/08 was the LAST TIME WE USED A CREDIT CARD FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES!!!!

Yes, you heard me (or rather, you read me) correctly.

F.O.R.E.V.E.R.

E.N.D. O.F. T.I.M.E

D.O.N.E

Not even a back-up. No emergency card, no gas card, no hidden ones tucked away for there-is-a-major-diaper-sale-going-on-and-I-have-to-stock-up -NOW-sale.

N.A.D.A.

Now, to make this more understandable to some of you who either have never had a credit card (stay away, far, far, away) or who have one and constantly pay it off (they are still a bad idea even then) or who have become debt free, we were credit card addicts!!!

Yes, ADDICTS!!!!

That seems kinda harsh you say. Well, when we 1st meet, Mr. Producer had 2 credit cards and I had 2 credit cards. Not so bad, maybe even manageable. The 4 become 6 and 6 became 8 and our credit cards multiplied faster than our children did until we ran into real problems. We decided that we needed help. We signed up for credit counseling and in just 5 long, err, short years, they were paid off!!!!! YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! And we swore we would never get another credit card AGAIN!

B.U.T..........................................................................................................

The house needed a new roof. Mr. Producer was a SAHD+I was a teacher+we had NOTHING in savings+Home Depot/6 months same as cash=BUMBUMBUM...............

It always starts out innocent. I will pay it off before the 6 months (we had furniture we were going to do this with and sold it after 5 years of owning it before we even paid it off:( I will pay the balance due every month, I will double the minimum payment.

Then life happens and you don't, or rather we didn't.

1 child became 2, then 3 and 4 arrived along with a whole lot of grocery bills, medical bills, clothes bills, diapers, you get the idea.

Before we knew it we had 1 gas card, 2 dept store cards, 3 visa's, a mastercard, a platinum mastercard and a TA-DAH Discover card (man we thought we were IT)! Now not all of them were maxed (actually on 3 were and a couple did not have a balance) but I could see where we were headed!

Enter Stage left: DAVE RAMSEY!!!!!!!

I do not think God had ever picked a more opportune man to walk into my life. Dave did for me what no other man could (sorry babe)! Dave, oh Dave!

If you have never read or heard of Dave Ramsey, you need to immediately call 911 and have them check your pulse, then ask them to deposit you at the library so you can check out a book by him!! Dave Ramsey, envelopes, baby steps and all things cash rock! If this makes sense to you then you get it, if it doesn't then you need to get it!

Anyway, this wonderful short little message was just my opportunity to say happy belated anniversary to myself, Mr. Producer and Dave Ramsey!!

Here is to living like no one else so later we can live like no one else!!!!!