I see the finish line. This race has been the ultimate ultra marathon. My confidence is growing. The eyes of my debt monster that once glared at me with the intensity of General Patton have become droopy and near lifeless. The blame for my financial woes falls squarely on my shoulders. I was the one who caved into temptation to spend beyond my means long before I met my future wife. This debt monster seemed so lovable when he first entered my home, like a new puppy that you can't part with. He took over the household and I lost my way. Thank God my wife checked out a library book by Dave Ramsey when we relocated to Iowa ten years ago.
Financial independence, according to Dave Ramsey, means you must live like no one else in order to live like no one else. Ten years ago we both decided to try living like no one else. That meant we had to stop feeding our debt monster. It meant setting up a plan to retire all of our debts before reaching retirement age. Three years ago I came up with something I call "Par for the Course." It's similar to what golfers use to track scores. Even though the first year of the game was pathetic, I stayed on the course and continued making adjustments. The second year was mostly pars. The third year made up for most of my rounds of bogeys. The 18th hole will be completed on St. Patrick's Day, thirty days from today. We are pulling the plug on our debt monster's life support system and celebrating his demise with an Irish wake. Be careful, he may be knocking on your door. Whatever you do, don't let him in. The last thing you want to do is live like everyone else. Living with a debt monster deprives you of the life you could have should you be willing to just say no. Have a great day.
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