alms for the poor

Bryan and I have been attending the Dave Ramsey class “Financial Peace University” at our church on Sunday nights. Anyone familiar with that? We’ve heard about it so many times and heard so many people say how good it is. (This is sounding like an advertisement and it is NOT. Unless Dave Ramsey would like to throw a little cash my way…) So when our church decided to offer it, we signed up. After almost five years of marriage and two kids, we decided it was time to have more of a plan about what to do with our money than, “Um, let’s spend it.”

So we went the first week, not knowing what to expect. I went with a bad attitude because I figured no matter what, this class was probably going to mean a bit of a financial diet for our family. A little tightening of the financial belt, if you will. And I was right. Old Dave Ramsey gave me a couple of hard punches in the stomach – how dare he suggest we eat at home more?!? Doesn’t he know that just means more grocery shopping and dishes to clean and more hard labor in the kitchen? And he suggests that we start saving so we won’t have to sell one of the kids if the car breaks down. I mean, it’s not so much that we don’t have a budget - I’ve made a budget for our family lots of times. It’s that we’ve never actually followed one. It’s hard to stick to a budget as we all know. My personal weakness is the internet - there are just so many shiny and exciting things to buy on the internet. Things that I need. Like a couple of Sham-Wows and a blanket with arms and some thing that helps me hear what people are saying about me from across the street and…things that will change my life!

I’m sure when it’s all said and done, I will want to thank Dave Ramsey for all his expert advice. But right now, as I’m doing extra dishes from our eating at home more, and cutting out scads of coupons, and sewing a hole in Bryan’s pants instead of just throwing them away, I want to give Dave Ramsey a knuckle sandwich.

A knuckle sandwich made with bread bought at a discount from the day old bakery outlet store, of course.