Financial Peace University

I started Financial Peace University (FPU) again tonight. I had started taking it a couple of months ago, but I had so much going on that I didn’t go more than the first week. I am so glad that I can go again for a refreshed, especially with my cut hours at work. It is more important than ever for me to get my budget down and be responsible.

The class seems like it is a good group of people and it is being held in a church within a mile from my house. I am not too excited about the small group sessions after the videos, but I think they will be good for me to stay for that part too.

The first class is called Super Saving [Common Sense for Your Dollars and Cents].

The first thing Dave Ramsey [DR] covers is the Baby Steps.

Step 1: $1,000 in an Emergency Fund
Step 2: Pay off all debt except for the house, using the debt snowball.
Step 3: Three to six months expenses in savings
Step 4: Invest 15% of your household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement plans.
Step 5: College funding
Step 6: Pay off your home early.
Step 7: Build wealth and give!

I love that DR really incorporates God’s word into his beliefs on money. In just the first week he covers these verses.

I Timothy 6:10 (NIV)
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”

Proverbs 21:30 (NIV)
“In the house of a wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.”

Genesis 41:35-36 (NKJV)
“And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.”

Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)
“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.”

Proverbs 28:20 (NKJV)
“A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.”

Psalms 62:10 (NKJV)

“If riches increase, do not set your heart on them.”

I am really excited about going through FPU again. I think it is just what I need, especially right now.

Reunited

I am a total sucker for news bites like this. I still remember waiting for my brother to arrive after being in Iraq. There is no way to really describe seeing someone for the first time, after they have been in a truly dangerous situation like war. The relief and other emotions are overwhelming. I will warn you now...grab a tissue!!!

Who Says Chivalry is Dead?

Steve Harvey’s words of wisdom…”chivalry is not dead, it is just no longer required”. I have seen him on Oprah twice now promoting his book Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man. After laughing so hard I almost hurt myself watching him on Oprah last night, I decided to order his book.

It should get here in the next day or two. I am sure it will have some stuff that doesn’t apply, like waiting 90 days to be intimate. Unless I am getting married in 90 days (which in my family is not unheard of!), I think I can disregard that bit. :)

I am really looking forward to reading it. He is an extremely funny man, and seems to have a lot of common sense advice for women. Can't hurt. :)

Dark Day

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

On Saturday that was a terrible tragedy in our area. Four Oakland Police Officers were gunned down by a man (I use that term lightly) that was on parole (which he had already violated), had been arrested a month before on suspicion of murder (he was released, due to lack of evidence) and who just happened to have an AK47 in his sister’s apartment where he was living.

It was the worst police death toll in the history of the State of California. I don’t personally know any of the men or their families, but I do know people that were friends of the killed officers and it makes it even more tragic, if that is even possible. Maybe it is not more tragic, but more personal.

Police officers risk their lives every day for the community, many of them are ex-military who risked their lives defending this country, before ever joining the police force.

As we all know, not all police officer are good guys. But some people brush a whole group of people with the brush of corruption, but this is unjust, just as other generalizations are completely unjust. There are many “armchair quarterbacks” if you will, that will judge the actions of others, as though they have any idea of what a situation calls for.

In my book these four are certainly heroes. They made the ultimate sacrifice to serve and protect.

Please pray for the families of officers Romans, Sakai, Dunakin and Hege. They were all sons, brothers, fathers, and husband to people that are now grieving and need comfort. And please pray for the shooters family. No matter what this bad man did, he too had a family that will be grieving.

So sad.

Silver Lining

The staff at my work got called into an impromptu meeting on Thursday of last week. From past experience impromptu meetings are never a good sign. We had several lay offs in the last year and a half, so we were bracing ourselves.

What is has come down to, is that in an effort to keep the firm going, the shareholders have decided to cut our hours by 20% (which means our pay as well). So, in effect I now have Fridays off.

The first thing I thought was…I can do this. I think my survivor mode kicked in. I started to think of all the things I could do to make money, all the things I could sell in my house, all the ways I could cut back. I wasn’t panicking, but more of a take action overload. I had to make myself chill out.

That night I went home and did my budget and I should be fine even if I don’t take a second job. I will have less wiggle room, but it’s more of an incentive to stay on budget. The other thing it slows down is my debt snowball. :(

On one hand that makes me sad, but on the other hand…I can still pay my bills!

So, after looking at all this I have realized I need to start saving as much money as possible to put into a bigger emergency fund. I have a baby emergency fund now, but I may need more in the coming months, since we just don’t know what is going to happen.

And as I am trying to look on the bright side, here is a list of good things having Friday’s off means…

I have Preparation Day off!
I have no excuse not to have my house Sabbath ready.
I can volunteer again at the Crisis Nursery, or some other organization.
I can offer my time to help some of the people at church that might need help with babysitting or cleaning.
I can get a second job if I need to.
More time with Baby.
I can sleep in!

I never doubted that God would and will take care of me. I have felt completely comforted through this whole situation, and for all that I am so thankful!

Matthew 7:9-11

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

James 1:2-4
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

Bigger is Not Always Better

I was channel surfing last night and I just happened to catch Kids By The Dozen on TLC. I have enjoyed watching the Duggars, so I was excited. But it didn’t last for long. Is it just me or is TLC going out of its way to portray large families in a negative light?

Well, it just might be me that thinks they are negative. Some people may like the way the wives treat their husbands on shows like, Jon & Kate Plus 8 and now Kids by the Dozen. I for one, find no enjoyment in seeing these wives running roughshod all over their husbands making them look weak and useless. I know that their lives must be seriously high stress, but it just looks terrible.

Now, I am sure some of the editing on these shows it slanted and/or exaggerated, but I just get frustrated when large families are portrayed poorly. I am going to watch the Kids By the Dozen and see if it improves. :)

I am so glad there are shows like the one showing the Duggar family, showing a functioning large family.

Men of Virtue

Every once in awhile I come across an article that is too good not to share. I am a definite romantic and this article from Ladies Against Feminism is excellent! This article called “Literary Romance: Great Husbands Are Men of Virtue” by Mrs. Eva B. is a great perspective on men of virtue

The article is another side of a topic that Jasmine brought up here. I don’t think one is more right than the other, but they are both great perspective on such a deep topic.

A Yen

It is common knowledge that I have a huge yen for all things domestic. Don’t ask me where it came from, because I definitely didn’t feel this way when I was younger running around like a tomboy. Some of my loves are cooking (including baking) and sewing, especially aprons. So you can imagine how happy I was to find Marie-Madeline Studio ! Which I have mentioned before here.

I absolutely LOVE this blog and their shop. I am saving up for one of their aprons. And I LOVE what they did here in the bathroom! I figure I can get away with this now while I am still single. I may have to go with something a little less girly when I am married. :)

I am going to stop at the grocery store tonight so I can pick up the ingredients for this soup!

You can find their store here.

Okay, okay…I am easily entertained, but I can’t help it! :)

Quoting Churchill

Since the term “socialism” has been bandied about in last year or so I found these quotes very interesting, and from none other than Winston Churchill.

“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”

“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”

Quotes that make you go…”hmmmmm”.