Here We Go Now

Yesterday, I implemented my first small change toward financial freedom. Most people out there are probably familiar with Dave Ramsey's envelope system. I'd read about it and even attempted various versions of it in the past, but never very consistently. But after a somewhat major panic attack this past Sunday night, I realized that it was now or never. It was finally time to get serious about our family's finances. You see, we have enormous debt. The good news is, we don't use credit at all and haven't for awhile now. But...the debt we have left over from our early married days is overwhelming. It seeps into every crevice of our otherwise happy life. We need to do something about it and we are going to do something about it. That's for sure.
I decided Step 1 would be to start paying cash for things....placing money in various envelopes for things like food, clothing, haircuts, entertainment, etc. Gasoline, we decided, would remain pay-at-the-pump, due to the impracticality of unbuckling children to venture into the gas station. Bills, as well, tend to be paid online, over the phone, or with a check. For everything else, though, envelopes. So, it being grocery day, I drove to the bank, walked inside the bank, went up to the teller, wrote my check, and received my cash. It felt kind of like the 50's...or what I imagine the 50's felt like. This might be the norm for you...but I can probably count on one hand how many times I've done this in my adult life. The ATM or the drive-through window would've worked just as well, but I decided if I was going to do it, I was going to go whole hog. I must also admit, on this occasion, I didn't actually put the money into a bona fide envelope, but I did pay cash for my groceries, and I couldn't believe how much more careful I was about what went into my cart. Every dollar was accounted for, using a simple tally on my grocery list. I knew near the last aisle that I would go a little bit over, but since I had started out with a budget much lower than usual, I still came out under what we would've normally spent. Next week, I will be more realistic with how much $ I withdraw and I hope to report that I stayed within my limit.