So as most of you know, our family has been trying to get ourselves out of debt. It's been quite a slow and painful process. We've read Mary Hunt's Debt-Proof Your Marriage and attended Dave Ramsey classes and so we're now making drastic measures to get out of debt...
To give you a brief history, after our son was born, I decided to stop teaching. Travis then needed to make enough money to support us and thus came to Orange County. He began doing Home Loans for a few companies out here. At that time we were living in Yucaipa and the commute of about 4 hours round trip was just about killing us. So we moved our small family of 3 out to OC to be together. But then the tsunami of foreclosures and bankruptcies was in the very near future and he knew home loans was not going to be the industry to work in, so Travis quickly went back to Web Design for a company in Newport.
It's been 4 short, yet long years in OC and our quest to be completely debt free has been a challenge to say the least. It's become a mountain of questions, unending phone calls, stress and at times, depression. We're the first to admit our past decisions have cost us a lot (literally and figuratively). Looking back, I don't think our decisions were bad or wrong, I think they were made in haste and not in proper timing. Had we been a bit more patient we might not be in this situation today. However, it's been this difficult season in our life that has taught us the most unforgettable life lessons on money, marriage, family, and faith - funny how that works.
Has it been hard? Yes. Have I cried many a nights to Travis out of stress and frustration? Yes. Would I change it? No. I can't change my past, no one can. But I can (we can) change our future.
So as we prayed and prayed some more, we talked to our families and before we knew it we were getting boxes off Craigslist. We have been given an amazing opportunity (to say the least) to move back to the place our family began, we will be renting a place for an amazing price!
As a result, we will be saving an incredible amount of money, not to mention our families are there. With our new financial savings we will be paying off our debt at lightening speed! Our plan is to have 3 - 6 months worth of savings in an Emergency Fund, along with paying down our van and ultimately, simplifying our life.
I'm sad to be leaving Orange County and the friends I've made out here, but thankfully it's only 30-45 minute drive. As I stated earlier, desperate times call for desperate mesures.
So we are entering a new season of life and yes, we are all very excited about it!
1 comment:
It sounds like a huge chance, it is amazing how sometimes the choices we would never think of end up being the best! Congrats, I hope everything works out great! We have been doing the same thing and trying to get debt free, it seems like something is always making it so hard and stressful.
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