Some Goals from Dave Ramsey

This is from Dave Ramsey's January newsletter (read the whole thing here). A little more inspiration to set some goals this year. It's not too late. :)

11 Weird Things To Do In 2011 Everyone has their own definition of what "weird" means. To us, it means having some—or actually a lot—of money, because so many people are broke! If you could keep hundreds of extra dollars a month instead of paying credit card bills, car payments and your alma mater, would you want to become weird? If you're tired of being normal (aka broke) like everyone else, here are some ways to get started on your journey to weirdness! 1. Set a solid foundation. Without a proper start, big plans will eventually crumble. We are here to help you along the way during this weird year that will carry through the rest of your life. Find out how to set a solid foundation. 2. Bring out your inner bookworm! According to The Literacy Company, 90% of learning is based on reading. You would think that Americans would read a lot, right? Well, about 27% of adults read no books at all in the past year. Set yourself apart from the majority by reading a few beneficial, nonfiction books this year! Here are somesuggestions from Dave's library. 3. Take baby steps with meal planning. Food often costs more than you think. Plan your meals ahead of time to eat healthier and avoid hitting up your favorite fast-food spot five times a week. It's not a daunting task when you get help from eMealz for just $5 a month! 4. Compare yourself to the Joneses—really! The Joneses are broke. They're in debt and don't have money for emergencies, retirement or college. Do you really want to be like them? Doubtful. So compare yourself to them and determine what you need to do so you aren't like the Joneses. 5. Practice saying no! There are so many good things to do, but you can't do it all. Learning to set limits in your life will actually allow you to do more, whether it's with your time or money. Plus, you'll be better at those things you do since you aren't rushing around trying to cram a bunch of stuff into your schedule. 6. Surprise! Who says giving to others only has to take place at Christmas? Challenge yourself to continue giving like no one else throughout 2011. You'll be amazed at how much better life is when you give to others! 7. Dream. Just because you're a responsible adult who's all grown up doesn't mean you have to stop dreaming. But don't just be a dreamer; do something about it! Determine what's stopping you from making your goal a reality, and challenge yourself to overcome it. 8. Sacrifice. Most people cringe at the "s" word. But sacrifice doesn't mean you have to live in a cave and never have fun. Maybe you need to pick up an extra job or cut out a monthly treat from your budget to get closer to achieving your goal. Think of something you can give up, and commit to following through this year. 9. Get a will for real. About 60% of Americans die without a will. So what's the big deal? That means that when you die, everything you owned is either left to the government to divvy out, or your relatives will fight over your belongings. Avoid that heartache by creating a will. Stop procrastinating and just do it!USLegalForms.com makes it easy for you to leave this legacy for under $30. 10. Quit your J-O-B. Don't love your job? Then quit it! Find your passion and do work that truly matters to you. Yes, even in this economy you can quit your job—just be smart about it. Think it through. Have a plan, and be wise about your decisions. Consider this. 11. Pass on the weirdness! It's cool to be weird! Tell others about your journey to weirdness and how you're changing your life for the best. Send them our weekly email challenges, pass along your budgeting knowledge, or invite them to a free Financial Peace University class. Dave has so many resources available for you and your friends that there's definitely something for everyone. How are you going to change your life in 2011? Let us know by leaving a comment here. Taken from: DAVE'S eNEWSLETTER January 2010 | DAVERAMSEY.COM

I Tried, Dave Ramsey, I Tried

This week began what feels like 4 weeks straight of travel. Really, there are a few breaks, but not many. Travel is never easy on the budget, but the fact that I have 5 different trips in 4 weeks makes it even harder. Combine that with the fact that my June budget is already shot (June/July is like the perfect storm of weddings, showers, travel, etc.), and you can see why I’d try to cut corners wherever I could.

I have a conference this week in Philadelphia. My cousin has to be there for work, so they are paying for her hotel room…so they are paying for my hotel room. Score. But I still had flights, the conference fee, and food to pay for. I decided I’d bring breakfast with me to save money there, so I bought the breakfast of champions – granola bars and peanut butter. I figured it got me through the village in China; it’ll get me through this week.

I get to the airport and go through security, which is always fun. Oh, and I also decided not to check my luggage. I’ll mooch off of my cousin and buy a razor there. I’m not paying $50 to bring my face moisturizer and razor. The end. So they rescan my suitcase, which typically happens because I shove it full of crap and they can’t tell what the heck is in there.

Well then they decide they need to open it. Sure, whatever, take a better look. So the lady starts looking through it and pulls out my peanut butter…my unopened peanut butter. She tells me that it is not allowed.

“Oh,” I said, “I didn’t realize peanut butter was a liquid.” (I was totally respectful, I promise.)

She replied with something like, “Yeah, it’s liquids, creams, pastes, etc.”

In my head, I’m thinking, “It’s peanut butter. It’s peanuts, salt, and oil. It’s not even hydrogenated – all natural. What am I going to do, get on the plane and make some sort of peanut butter napalm?” But I refrained from saying that.

Instead, I gave a simple explanation, “Oh, I didn’t know that. I was just trying to save money on breakfast.”

Then, as serious as she could possibly be, she replied, “Well, if you want you can go back out and eat as much of it as you can now. I’m sure you could find a knife or spoon at a restaurant.”

Yes, that is exactly what I want to do. Shove my face full of peanut butter and then get on a plane.

And that would really help serve the purpose of saving money on meals…because I’d probably not want to eat for at least a couple days, with all the puking I’d be doing.

“No,” I replied, “That’s ok. You can have it.”