9 Jul
Getting Teased for Being Weird — Finally!
The huge spot of missing hair you chopped off with kitchen shears in kindergarten, a pimple on the end of your nose as a teenager, the dent along the side of the car in college… some days we all plod-on hoping against, but nonetheless awaiting, the inevitable: someone to notice and say it out loud.
Living like no one else, paying off debt, spending less than one makes, all of it is supposed to garner a certain amount of ridicule and contempt. Yet thus far I found it almost easy to live with a plan, cut up the cards and look forward to a day of freedom from debt.
Today I finally got made fun of!
Not just a little criticism like the first friend faux pas, but genuine, point-your-finger-and-laugh, made fun of. I was starting to think I wasn’t doing this debt-free thing right.
To be fair I should note that a percentage-we-shall-not-name of our credit card debt came from work lunches taken in the past few years. I work in the kind of business where going out to lunch everyday (and taking clients with you) is not uncommon. Many a lunch was put on a credit card with a generous tip to be enjoyed by all.
When we started our Total Money Makeover
Until today.
Bill filled his coffee cup and walked by my table in the employee kitchen. “Nice peanut butter and jelly sandwich!” he smirked loudly and kept on walking.
If only he had looked back. A huge smile burst across my face like a badge of honor as I turned to the colleague next to me, peanut butter and jelly in-hand, and said, “Finally!”
Way better than a pimple.
the Dad
Posted by Coffeenut on 07/09/09 at 2:27 pm
Congratulations! I bet PB&J never tasted so sweet! Did you drink your kool-aid with it? bwahahaha
Posted by The Wife on 07/09/09 at 2:36 pm
Just made fantastic sourdough bread for those pb & j’s! Let them smirk.
Posted by Tutu on 07/09/09 at 4:08 pm
It’s possible, the colleague was jealous! I know I always am when I see someone eating a PB&J.
And if it was on Wife’s sourdough bread, I’d probably steal for it! You guys are AWESOME!
Posted by Erin on 07/09/09 at 5:05 pm
Wow, I just discovered your blog and I’m so inspired by it. My husband and I just started MTMMO in January of this year. After some near-misses with his job, and some good friends that shared this with us, we have officially drunk the cool-aid. I just read this post (and 20 previous ones-seriously), I feel a kindred spirit with you and your wife. We’ve had a similar paradigm shift in the last year. We are around the same age, income, and have 2 kids, with a similar debt-load, too. Anyway, you have some new fans and we wish your family continued success. You are a fabulous writer. Keep them coming! I love the PBJ story because we are now enjoying many a PBJ lunch as well.
Posted by Andrea on 07/10/09 at 10:05 am
Nice! This sounds a lot like my DH and I. I returned to work in February from maternity leave. I used to go out to lunch all the time with my co-workers. I’m the nerd and had been tracking our spending in Access. I went through and tallied up how much I spent in a given month on lunches. It was anywhere between $200 – $250!!! I couldn’t believe it. We started our TMM after my maternity leave. From then till now, I have had only 2 outings for lunch and that was only because I had blow money for it. In the beginning I had so many comments about how I never go out anymore. But I know in the end it is for the best!!!
I look forward to my PB&Js every day! 
Posted by Sandi on 07/10/09 at 3:28 pm
You’re makng a difference, keep it up.
Posted by Bam-Bam85 on 07/14/09 at 9:01 am
Wow you are truly weird! Congrats! We are constantly getting made fun of by DH’s family and even my family although I have pulled a few over to the darkside! BWAHAHAHA! I am so excited though my SIL finally agreed to let me do a budget for her!! YEAH! As you can tell i am the nerd in the family! Keep it up!!!
Posted by Tam on 07/26/09 at 11:02 am
You forget how totally delicious PB & J really is!! Good for you!
Posted by Stacie on 09/30/09 at 3:37 pm
Hey, weirdo! I just found your blog and am totally inspired. There was a link from the Dave Ramsey forums. DH and I took FPU in January of this year and are facilitating the class now at our church. I am so inspired by others who have worked this plan and made huge progress to live like no one else. I wish I were younger and had drank the coolaid then! We have paid off over $28,000 in debt so far this year and are on target to be debt free by this time next year. Our plan is to sell the house when the kids are in college and pay cash for the next (smaller) home. Debt free, baby!
Keep up the good work, I will be dropping by occasionally now that I know your site is here!
Posted by Climbing Out » Blog Archive » A Year of Financial Changes – From the Bottom to the Top on 11/05/09 at 10:04 am
[...] I bring lunch from home nearly every day [...]