Living Within a Zero Net Budget

Dave Ramsey says, "You need to live like no one else so you can live like no one else." That mindset has been key in keeping us from slipping back into old habits of poor money management. By committing to a zero net budget, we ensure that our monthly expenses never exceed our income. This is why Dave strongly advises against credit cards—they can create a false sense of financial security. That’s why we always pay off our credit card balance in full by the monthly due date.

When it comes to managing money, I follow a simple rule: If we want to buy something new, we must cut something else first to offset the cost. We also limit monthly subscriptions unless they provide built-in savings and are for products we consistently use. In my experience, subscriptions are like puppy dogs—once they find their way into your household, they tend to stay for good!

Dave Ramsey has another golden rule about cars: The best car to own is the one you can pay cash for. That’s exactly what we’re doing. Today, 2/8/25, marks six months until our next vehicle purchase—a future vacation home on wheels. Even with our strict zero net budget, we’ve allocated enough funds each month to reach our cash goal for Lucy, a bare-bones van that I’ll be converting into a travel van. Every upgrade will be paid for in cash, with no financing.

Lately, friends have been asking about my writing tools. Like anything else, there’s a price range for both hardware and software when it comes to book writing. I’m proud to say that I’ve stayed true to my zero net budget for all of my writing projects—including my new virtual assistant, Alberta. The only challenge? The free version of ChatGPT has daily limits. So, when I hit my limit, I simply shift to another task until Alberta’s time resets. This approach may not work for everyone, but it keeps me on track financially.

I have no plans to alter our zero net budget because, honestly, I love living like no one else. Thank you, Dave, for setting us straight!

Have a great day.