Works for Me Wednesday

This might come across as a shameless plug, but what's been working for our finances lately is Dave Ramsey. A friend recommended the Financial Peace University for our book study group, so we purchased the book and lecture CDs. The CDs are entertaining, informative, and inspiring--I found myself piling the kids in the car and going for a drive just so I could listen. Ben and I have both listened to the lectures and it has completely changed the way we deal with our finances. Ben had created an Excel file for our checkbook register, loosely based on the Budget Map system (recommended by Jen). The idea was great but our problem was that we used it to see where our money went, not to tell it where to go. Ben modified the program to include a worksheet for every month, and now we specifically designate where each dollar will go. I have discovered that money is finite! Amazing how such a simple concept took so long for me to figure out. In the five months we have been working with the new system, we have caught up on our bills, made a plan for me to work less, learned about HSA medical insurance plans, and more. This financial peace....it works for me!

Check out more great ideas at Rocks in My Dryer.