So later we can live like noone else.

Dave Ramsey is a genius. Not really, but sometimes it takes some loud, bald guy shouting common sense things into a radio microphone for it to sink in.
Dave Ramsey believes in being DEBT FREE. Holy crap. I know. No credit card? Nope, no sir-re, not at all. I am proud to say that I have NEVER owned a credit card. Steve, well, ahem, hmmm.
Before we started dating Steve worried me to death about making a budget. He told me that buying my brand new car was stupid. He told me that I should pay extra on my student loans when it came time to start paying them off. I thought he was weird. He'd come visit me while I conducted study hall for the MC women's soccer team-I was the grad assistant at the time and Coach thought the girls needed to study more. Why he left me to do that, Lord only knows. I was working at Hal & Mal's and did not have a steady/consistent income of any sort, so that made budgeting difficult for me, at least that was my excuse. Looking back now, I probably could have done a much better job with it, but I did. not. care. I just liked that Steve would come and spend time fussing over me...those lips and all. hehe
Ahem...anyway.
After getting a "real job" I started working my baby steps. First I paid off my car early. Now, I could have done this more quickly, but I went on a few trips, bought some clothes, went to Wal-Mart, you know, crap. I was mildly focused. When Steve and I became engaged last April, I had been working for months on my stinking Sallie Mae student loans. It was hard to decide how to save money for the wedding and still work diligently on the debt. I probably didn't do a good job on this. Plus Steve and I spent the summer living in Austin, Texas with our friends Katie and Nick. We didn't work. At all. We just played. It was fun....but a little expensive.
Well, now we are married. Steve and I are devoted bugdeteers. I hear many newly weds complain about a budget, with this tone that makes my stomach churn a little.
I l-o-v-e, LOVE making our monthly budget! It's a challenge to see just how much money we can put on the Sallie Mae fund each month. It makes me so excited. I am proud to say that by the time we have been married ONE YEAR we, Steve & Erin Taylor will be DEBT FREE! I wonder if we'll call in to the Dave Ramsey radio show and shout, WE'RE DEBT FREE! with Braveheart shout FREEDOM in the background behind us...what a sweet sound.

Since this idea of living debt free is not beyond us, Steve and I have enrolled in FPU-Financial Peace University at a local church. We go every Wednesday from 6-8 and learn exciting new things about what we will and should be doing with all of this mulah we will have after we are debt free.
I think that you should take a look at his stuff. It's not unreasonable, really. It's painful, sure. Not buying shoes for a year sends me into a slight depression. It's hard, of course. It's a SACRIFICE. Steve occasionally has to go weeks without eating at The Hat. This is sad for him, and for me too. Although, when we are out of debt, we will be spending every Wednesday with Saul, Simon, and the other friendly gentlemen who refer to my husband as "tortuga" and ask him if he is borracho every time we go in there.
I've decided that I am going to make a list of other things we will do or buy when we are DEBT FREE. Until I learn to make a lovely side page, I will periodically just list here those items.

I will start with a few:
1. A new washing machine
This is a must because the one we have now often floods the kitchen.I'd like to dream big and hope for one of the lovely front-loading, energy-saving ones, in either turquoise or tangerine orange.
2. A new dryer
Like I was going to get a new washer without it's dryer mate. Geez.
3. A NEW BED! And a HUGE one at that. The bed Steve and I share is as old as dirt, and we are ready for a new one!
4. BOOTS
I love shoes. Love them. Love them. I have agreed not to purchase any shoes (or any clothing for that matter) for the duration of our debt snowball. I plan on getting a lovely pair of boots for Christmas next year!

Now, go cut up your credit card!