My Debate Night

I did not spend last night watching the Presidential debate. Instead I opted to spend some quality time with my wife by cooking us dinner and catching up on our work day, doing some prep work for another round of facilitating Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University and adding my two cents for an upcoming church cleaning project that my wife has in the pipeline. One of my favorite aspects of the evening was that we went out for a free cup of coffee. Seriously, even when I splurge I still manage to find ways to frugal it up.

I am excited about another round of hosting FPU. In the spring small group we hosted, each household had an average change in financial position of $7,700 during the duration of the course. For me the entire experience was rejuvenating and inspiring. During that session my wife and I were witnesses to seeing a marriage strengthen and singles become empowered. This fall FPU has great potential as well since we will have about twice as many households going through.

I find the timing of this fall session to be quite intriguing. I am definitely in a different place and state of mind than the 1^st FPU we facilitated. Then, we were in the final months of paying off our last debt (my wife’s student loan) and were at the end of a three year battle that saw us strengthen our financial footing. Now, we are in the midst of celebrating our debt free marriage with planning and saving for a missions trip, a trip back to Hawaii and a trip to Europe.

To me the interesting aspect is that for the next few months our monthly savings will be restricted to retirement (15% of my gross income and 12% of my wife’s) and our future kids’ college savings. The bulk of it is planning to be spent for travel. So I am anticipating a below average growth in net worth over the current quarter. This puts me in an uncomfortable space and my wife into an ecstatic one. Being gazelle intense for so long imbedded into me the lifestyle of continual savings. Now I think twice about saving for travel. But the flip side of me says it is time to celebrate and take my foot off the gas pedal for just a short time.

So it is almost like two sides are about to collide. One side being our new FPU group that will be where my wife and I were almost 4 years ago: introduced to everything Dave Ramsey and seeing who gets gazelle intense and takes hold of their personal finances. And the other side being my wife and I on the latter end of the quote, “live like no one else so that later you can live and give like no one else.” This should be an exciting and soul stirring fall!