I'm Heidi and I'm Weird

I have made mistakes with money .  I have made stupid decisions.  I have been in debt over my head.  I have had bill collectors call me.  I have lost sleep wondering how I'm going to pay the bills.  I have skipped meals because I couldn't afford food.  I literally have been there/done that and have said NO MORE!

After I got myself straightened out I learned how to say "no" to myself, and to others.   I skipped social events if they weren't free.  If all my friends went out to dinner I either didn't go at all or I ordered a water and a $3 side. I didn't participate in office gift exchanges. I was a flight attendant while I pulled myself out of debt and in the years following.  When my crew members went out to dinner or to a bar I ate ramen noodles I cooked in a hotel coffee pot (and yes, I know how gross anything and everything in a hotel is).

Over the years I have learned the difference between a want and a need.   I am kind of a materialistic person and have a lot of wants, but the reality is I don't have a lot of needs.   I have been on missions trips in poor parts of the world.  I have seen entire families living in shelters made up of wood pallets and calling it "home".    I have seen 5 year olds wander the street begging for money and food.  I have met an 8 year old who is routinely left at home for weeks to care for his 5 year old cousin and 2 year old cousin while their parents are on a drug binge.  In light of all this, my needs are few.

In recent years I have become a fan of Dave Ramsey.  I "met" Dave several years after I had climbed out of the financial hole I had dug for myself.  What I like about Dave is he makes sense.  Before I knew better, I was following Dave's plan to get myself out of debt.  I acted my wage.  If I couldn't afford it, I didn't buy it.  Dave tells his listeners "Debt is normal.  Be weird."  I'm weird . . . and proud of it!

I'm weird because I don't think my kids need any more stuff for Christmas or their birthdays.

I'm weird because I don't think stuff equals happiness.

I'm weird because I haven't been out to dinner in months (not even fast food).

I'm weird because I cook dinner from scratch every night.

I'm weird because I don't take my kids to the movies.

I'm weird because I use coupons and shop sales.

I'm weird because my kids have never been on vacation.

I'm weird because my kids have never been to Disneyland.

I'm weird because I haven't taken a vacation since 2006.

I'm weird because I say "no" to myself if a "want" is not in the budget.

I'm weird because, though I could've declared bankruptcy walked away from my debts, I honored my word and paid them all back.

I'm weird because I'd rather work 7 days a week at 2 jobs (working 20+ hours some days) and go 6 months without a day off than to be in debt one more minute.

I'm weird because I give myself $20 every 2 weeks for all the activities the kids and I do.

I'm weird because I think that to raise children with a giving heart they need to be actively be involved in giving.

I'm weird because my husband has an excellent job and my kids wear hand-me-downs.

I'm weird because I think a contribution to my kids' 529 is a better gift than a toy they'll forget about next year.

I'm weird because I'd rather make sacrifices now (like not taking vacations, not eating out, not going to movies, etc.) to stay home and raise my kids instead of paying for childcare.

I'm weird because 20 years from now my kids won't remember what they did or didn't get for Christmas when they were 4, but they'll know Mom & Dad were able to pay cash for their college tuition.

My husband is weird because he started maxing out his 401(k) when he was in his 20's.

My husband is weird because he bought a house at age 30 and has consistently paid extra on principle.

My husband is weird because even though he has an excellent job he comes home for lunch every day, rather than going out, in order to save money.

We're weird because we have a budget and stick to it.

We're weird because we pay cash for our purchases.

We're weird because my husband and I donate more in a year to our various charities than I have ever made in a year (Yes, even when I was working a full-time job + a part-time job and worked 7 days a week, and went 6 months without a day off)

We're weird because we will give more to food banks, rescue missions, and other charities this season than we will spend on presents.

We're weird because after 2011 we will never have a car payment again.

We're weird because we will pay off our house before our oldest child graduates high school in 2025.

We're weird because we have an emergency fund in place to take care of life's surprises.

We're weird because our house is "outdated".

We're weird because we'd rather live in a smaller "outdated" house than our friends to insure my husband only has a 5 minute commute to work, enabling him to spend time with the kids in the morning, come home for lunch every day, and spend time as a family each evening. We're weird because we think family time is more important than a large house in a cheaper suburb.

We're weird because when we bought our newest house 2.5 years ago we agreed to spend less than we could "afford".

We're weird because we think 401(k) contributions, 6 months of savings in the bank, ESA's and 529's are more important than nice "stuff" now.

We're weird because we believe that paying off our mortgage in half the time is more important than it being "upgraded".



How are you weird?