4 Nov

A Year of Financial Changes – From the Bottom to the Top

Posted by the Dad in Climbing Out.

[T]oday I offer my list of things changed since that time of financial ruin…

It was one year ago last week that I was laid off and our financial tail-spin began in earnest. We came financially unraveled so quickly my memories of last November are more vague feelings of swimming in a fog than actual images.

One year ago I was tearing down Halloween, pretending to care about Christmas and sinking into a sense of hopelessness about money and finances.

We had no emergency fund, did not budget our income, had nearly $50,000 of unsecured debt, owed $30k more on our house than it was worth, had a small fortune in medical bills from The Wife’s fight with 400 pounds of falling building materials, and were in a leased 2008 Mazda CX-7. …continue reading

11 Oct

Lesson #2: Remember to Talk to Your Spouse About the Little Things

Posted by The Wife in Climbing Out.

I need to remember that we are in this together; that I am not doing this on my own.

I need to remember to talk to my husband. He knows stuff. He is super focused on getting us out of debt and listens to Dave Ramsey almost every day. Yet old habits die hard. I try so hard to be strong and independent and handle things on my own. I need to remember that part of this process of getting debt-free is the new communication that it has brought to our marriage. I need to remember that even the little things are worth sharing because Husband may have some insight that I don’t have that could save us a couple bucks. And right now, that means something.

Here’s the story. …continue reading

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