Why I Want To Be Debt-Free

When I met Mr. Awesome three years ago and our relationship became serious, we talked about what a future would look like for us. Our priorities have been similar-- advancing careers by obtaining Masters degrees, buying a home, traveling together, and eventually starting a family.

We married, he graduated with his Masters, we've bought our home, and have enjoyed traveling to Mexico, the Caribbean, Colorado and Pittsburgh. That last item, starting a family, has begun to come up in conversation: is the timing right for us? What needs to happen first? Are we ready? 

To be honest, I still feel young (after all, I'm turning 26 next month) and not quite mentally ready to share Mr. Awesome with a baby. But that desire to be a mom is there, and it's not as easily ignored as it used to be. 

But last week, as I sat down to review our monthly bills, I realized that there was a big list of 9 reasons that we shouldn't start a family yet--even if we wanted to. That big list includes 4 credit accounts, 1 car loan and 4 student loans for a total of over $84,000 in debt, not including our mortgage. Each month we pay over $1,100 to these creditors. As I separated the usual living expenses from the actual debts and created a separate column for it, that list stared me in the face. It weighed me down. I realized that if I am really serious about being a responsible parent someday, I needed to act like a responsible adult now and tackle the debts we owe. 

This is not the first time Mr. Awesome and I have talked about debt. In fact, when we first started this discussion two years ago, Mr. Awesome honestly had no idea what the total sum of his debts were. We were relatively irresponsible then compared to what we are now. Since 2010 we have paid down multiple accounts (like our wedding rings) and have cut up credit cards. We've researched insurance policies, cell phone plans (we only pay $70/month for both of our Virgin Mobile plans!) and internet packages to make sure we've got the best rates possible. I switched jobs to have a shorter, toll-free commute, and was able to sell my car. We use RedBox instead of movie subscriptions, and I've learned to cut coupons and shop the sales. But despite all that, there's that ominous cloud of student loan debt that continues to discourage.

So, with the new school year around the corner (we're both teachers), we've decided to revamp our strategy for attacking the debt, with primarily using Dave Ramsey's debt snowball method.

We're going to try living on his income and use mine for debt payoff-- I'm hoping this will help keep our finances more focused and have a larger lump amount to put towards debt each month.

We also opened a CapitalOne 360 Savings account, which allows us to have up to 25 free nicknamed accounts (with no minimums or fees!) to automatically transfer funds to. I'm awful about putting money in a regular savings account--I need clear goals, and the 360 Savings accounts make those goals extremely tangible! Being able to see exactly what I'm saving towards really helps. They also make it easy to set goals and create automatic deposits. All this for a better interest rate than other banks, which is just icing on the cake for me. If you're interested in learning more about this, click here!

There are a ton of resources out there for debt elimination, and so far I've managed by paying for only an e-book of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace Planner (this is well worth it for people who are just starting out). Most of the resources I've found are 100% free, or have free demos to get an idea of how to set up a method for yourself.

My favorite *free* resources include:

• Following pages on Facebook--reading articles and little reminders on almost a daily basis help me keep a healthy mindset. These are all available as websites, but I like having the impact on my newsfeed. My favorites are Benjamin Bankes (feedthepig.org), And Then We Saved (also a blog by the same name) YNAB (youneedabudget.com -- try their free demo) Wise Bread, Dave Ramsey, Budgets Are Sexy, $5 Dinners, and Centsational Girl (also a blog by the same name). 
• Reading blogs and success stories-- there's a bunch out there with people just like us who are paying off debt and finding financial freedom! If they can do it, so can I! When we were just starting out, this couple was so inspiring to me. 
• A $aving Money themed board on Pinterest--For all those good ideas for cutting costs. When I need a fresh bout of motivation, I try to find something there that helps me feel like I'm making progress. Pinning those success stories is also a good idea for when you get discouraged or off track, like we've done... multiple times. 
• Make a debt payoff chart--I made a simple one similar to the one below and printed it on bright yellow cardstock to put on our fridge, but I know people have gotten creative with these, like Spencer the Rhino (from beans & rice, rice & beans) 

So, all that to say, we are making progress. Our spending habits are healthier than they were before, but in the next few months we are really going to push ourselves to pay off those expenses. (And by "few months," I hope I mean "few years"...!)

Ultimately, there's the goal of parenthood that keeps me going and motivated. I know that if we became parents now, we could make it, but it would be extremely stressful for us financially and most likely put us into even more debt than we owe now. Right now is an ideal time for us to work on these debts. If we really work on this for a few years, I will be ready to be a momma and so will our budget.

Also, in four years Mr. Awesome wants to take me on a Mediterranean cruise for my birthday, which we've begun to save for now. I'm hoping that not only will our cruise be fully funded from our savings, but that we will also be celebrating the achievement of being debt-free! 

This is a long post, and it was more for me to articulate so much that I've been thinking about and processing some of the reasons for why I want to pursue these goals. Mr. Awesome is on board, too, and he's so much better at some of this than I am. Together (with God's help!) we will be able to grow through this process!

What are some of your recommendations for paying off debt?

If you've been able to live debt-free, what was your motivation?

What tips do you have to keep life "interesting" even while cutting back? 

Laundry Room Transformation

I hate doing the laundry. 

It inevitably piles up (despite my attempt with four laundry baskets for pre-sorting) and Mr. Awesome gets on my case about not getting it done. For those of you who would like to point out that if it bothers him, he should do it himself--unfortunately, we have a bargain that he does all the yard work, so naturally I should do my less-than-favorite task: the laundry.

But if your laundry room looked like this, wouldn't you hate it too?

Have you ever noticed that the standard wire shelving is always at the most inconvenient height? It's too low to properly hang clothes from it, and everything on the wall (and on the shelf) is in plain sight: including the water hookups and outlet. Since this room is also the entry to the garage, we walk through it several times a day. It's a strange little space with a high ceiling and a tight corner between the garage and kitchen.

What I really wanted to do was make the room less of an eyesore and junkyard so that we could remove the door to the kitchen (our dogs are notorious for getting trapped in there, and don't get me started on what a pain it is to get through there with your hands full of groceries). We will have a bit more noise without the door, but it just means that we'll shop around for a quieter set once we need new units.

I also wanted to take advantage of the dead space and add a few cabinets, so we would have closed storage for all the stuff  that no one wants to see (cleaning supplies, detergent, etc.). As my design progressed, I did envision open shelving for the prettier items, like basket storage.

Thanks to Mr. Awesome's handyman skills, we were able to bring my vision to life! 

The first order of business was to change the paint color. As you can see, the previous owners had not one, not two, but THREE colors: light tan, brown, and "Hulk Green" on alternating walls. 

In. Every. Single. Room. 

The laundry room was the last room of the house to paint. Mr. Awesome picked the color out himself after he saw this picture:

It's called "Rainwashed" by Sherwin-Williams. (If you've read my other posts about paint, you know that I love SW as much as I hate doing laundry!) It's not quite green, not quite blue. It matches with the other light colors in the house and is very refreshing!

Here is the before and after with the paint: 

 

Ahhhhhh....... It's like a breath of fresh air in there! (But without the paint fumes!) Since it's a "minty" color, I decided to go with white cabinets, and dark, chocolaty shelves with silver brackets. I thought that doing all white shelving would wash out the color too much, and the dark wood looks much more inviting. (Also, not all whites from IKEA match, and I knew it would bug me if the shelves were a different shade then the cabinets!) 

My plan involved two 24x30" Akurum cabinets (one with two doors, the other with one door. Usually I like symmetry, but in this case it was for sheer convenience) as well as two open shelves between the cabinets. I also wanted a long shelf running along the top of the washer and dryer to hide, but not cover up, the water hookups and outlet. 

Yup. Pretty standard. This pretty hardware (allen+roth) from Lowe's helps dress up this very clean, sleek cabinet: 

I created the long shelf (7 1/2" deep) with these brackets. Because my long shelf is actually two shelves, we bought a connecting bracket as well and it's very sturdy. The shelves between the cabinets have the regular brackets. 

 

After painting, installing the cabinets and shelving, the room was pretty much done! The cabinets are higher up than standard cabinets, so we did get me a little fold-up step stool from Lowe's to tuck next to the dryer. I wanted the cabinets and shelving higher up to utilize that dead space! Also, it's nice that I can still hang the broom and Swiffer on hooks below the cabinet. (These hooks are re-used from when they were in my husband's apartment!)

We did get new hoses for the water hookup, and gave the washer and dryer a good clean-up. We were due for a new trash can, so I bought this simplehuman 50 liter trash can based on its fantastic reviews. It has a "pet-proof" lock (with our two dogs I figured that would be a safe route, since we removed the door to the laundry room) and a "quiet-close" lid that closes slowly when you walk away. Pretty nice. It was pricey but hopefully it will last longer than our last cheap can! It also looks way better in the space than the old white one.  

Our laundry room does not have a place to hang clothes (yet) but I think this Versatile Valet rod from Bed Bath and Beyond will do the trick, since it can install behind the door to the garage, and extends for more space. It will be right within reach of the dryer, too. The guy who works at Lowe's actually recommended it when we asked about swinging laundry rods, and says his wife loves theirs! 

I also bought wood face plates for the light switches and painted them to match the walls. It's a small detail, but I like the way it looks. I'm thinking about switching out the others in the house with wood (painted white to match the trim), eventually, to add "character." 

I found these oversized clothespins on clearance at Kirkland's last week, and they were perfect for this space! The "Laundry" definition is a free printable found through Pinterest!

All I have left to do is find a rug, pretty glass canisters and some woven baskets for storage! I've seen some great options at TJ Maxx and HomeGoods. I'm hoping that Mr. Awesome will change out the light fixture in the laundry room eventually, too.  

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm sure I can find something to wash...! 

Owning A Home: What I've Learned (About Myself!)

Confession: 

I love home DIY blogs. 

I suppose I owe it all to Pinterest. I stumbled across the directions for building a set of Billy Bookcase Built-Ins by Censtational Girl, and have been following her ever since. I also have Pinterest to thank for hundreds of links to other blogs, and the occasional inspiration from Houzz (when the houses aren't extravagant). 

I suppose I always liked moving furniture around when I was growing up, and in college my roommate, Debbi, and I created combinations with our furniture to use every square inch of our tiny dorm room. When I met my husband, I reorganized and decorated his apartment. But nothing compares to actually owning a home. Owning a home changes everything. 

I have now learned that I much prefer interior design "transformation" over actual home renovation.

Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint is the only kind of paint I will put on my walls. (And ProClassic is my trim paint.) It's that simple. 

I love color. We bought 12 gallons of paint before we even moved in to the house. My home has 3 shades of blue (light, medium and dark), light grayish purple, dark green and light green, gray, turquoise with a dark stripe, and a shade of not-quite-green-or-blue. Oh, and the Pittsburgh bathroom is black and gold with a white stripe (Go Steelers!). Having rooms in different colors gives me so much more space to experiment with and try different looks. 

I love black, white, and silver accents. They're everywhere in my home.  

My English major background makes me a sucker for decor that includes words, definitions, and/or ampersands (&). If Mr. Awesome would let me, I would have a collection of ampersands. (I'm currently getting away with a small collection of owls, so I'm not going to push my luck.)

IKEA is the Do-It-Yourselfer's dream. If you can design it, IKEA has what you need. A wall of custom bookcases? They've got endless combinations with Billy bookcases. Want cabinets in your laundry room? Get a couple of Akurum cabinets and hang them yourself. And everything is so darn affordable! I didn't like IKEA until we bought a house. Now it's my favorite store. 

Speaking of stores, Lowe's is better than Home Depot. 

Hobby Lobby is hit-or-miss. You can find a lot of great stuff there, but if it's not currently on a 50% off sale, it's too expensive. JoAnns and Michaels are also ideal for seasonal decor. 

If you can't find just what you're looking for, be patient. You'll find it when you least expect it, whether it's a vase, furniture, or a paint color.

And last, but not least, there is always another project.