Recently found an article on Dave Ramsey's site called "6 People You Need While Getting Out of Debt".
It made me think about who those people are in my life.
1. The Supportive Spouse
I could see this being important, if one of you aren't ready to make the commitment to make changes those changes are never going to happen or stick. I am grateful that my husband sees this as important and we are working together.
2. The Jerk
We expected to meet more of these then we have. Maybe my husband has met more then I have. As we told people we were cutting back and making changes we though we'd have more resistance. In fact, I can't think of one person we are friends with or personally acquainted with that has even scoffed at us. I did have one person on the phone, one of the people at the credit card company. I called them to get info from them that I needed from the card. When I said we didn't have cards anymore, he wanted to send new cards out and was quite rude when I said 'no! we don't want any cards'.
3. The Friend Who Understands
Every one of our friends that we have spoke to about it has been very understanding. Some have gone out of their way to help us out. Our families have been really understanding too. We have been blessed.
4. The Joneses
Everyone has that neighbor or friend who seem to spend so carefree and have all the latest toys. The church ward we belong to has a lot of families that are really well off. Over the past years I have had to remind myself that we can't live like some of them do. We can't take as many or as extravagant vacations. We have lots of friends that are dentists and doctors. They choose to live out where we do because there is lots of land to build dream houses. This summer has been harder than normal in watching because they are all doing their summer activities and vacations.
One particular family any time I mention something they did this summer my husband responds "it must be nice to be on the hospital board of directors". This set of friends has are the Joneses that I wish the most we could keep up with. They are always taking big trips and doing lots of activities. For example for Spring Break this year they spend it in England, and their boys have been to summer camps almost every week this summer. In the past, I would compare and in a way try to keep up with them. They go on a Disney Cruise almost every year, when we decided to do a family cruise we in the end decided we would do a more affordable cruise line. Besides that the husband is a doctor and on the hospital board, I also have to remember that we are at different stages of life. Their oldest child is 12 and their youngest is 6. While my oldest is 6 and our youngest is 15 months. They have been working professionally longer, and I know when they were first married and out of school they lived really humbly. My husband reminds me that they lived like no one else already, and now they probably can live like no one else. We just aren't at the same place in our lives. I can't keep up with "Joneses" they are in a different place in life and the dad is a doctor.
Another family I have a little harder time in the day to day is a family who our children are all about the same age. We have been friends with them since moving here. In the mean time, she now works full time in a well paying job along with her husband. Whenever we hang out with them she has picked up some sort of fast food for snack food, lunch, or dinner. Since Arizona summers are so hot she always wants to meet at the McDonalds play area- I am not against theses, in fact we love them, it is just when we aren't buying food, my kids whine and cry so much I can't do it. Many times I have fallen into the comfort zone of just buying fast food with them. This summer has been hard, but I have come prepared with snacks from home and sandwiches in a bag for lunch. I have to remind myself that we can't keep up with the "Joneses" they are a two income family and we are only a one income family.
5. The Co-Worker Who "Gets It"
I remember back to when I worked full time. It is hard to not be part of the "group" at lunch as they head somewhere to pick it up and eat. My husband has mentioned that at least some of them have been understanding on why he isn't going out anymore. To make this easier on my husband I try to give his lunches some variety and something special. Even when you have a co-worker who "gets it" I'm sure it doesn't make it any easier to be left out.
6. Dave Ramsey
I rolled my eyes at this one on the list but then I started to think- I liked his facebook page. Now every once in a while I see an article in my news fed. Seeing some of these articles have helped me to start thinking about different things and has helped a little bit to stay motivated.
It made me think about who those people are in my life.
1. The Supportive Spouse
I could see this being important, if one of you aren't ready to make the commitment to make changes those changes are never going to happen or stick. I am grateful that my husband sees this as important and we are working together.
2. The Jerk
We expected to meet more of these then we have. Maybe my husband has met more then I have. As we told people we were cutting back and making changes we though we'd have more resistance. In fact, I can't think of one person we are friends with or personally acquainted with that has even scoffed at us. I did have one person on the phone, one of the people at the credit card company. I called them to get info from them that I needed from the card. When I said we didn't have cards anymore, he wanted to send new cards out and was quite rude when I said 'no! we don't want any cards'.
3. The Friend Who Understands
Every one of our friends that we have spoke to about it has been very understanding. Some have gone out of their way to help us out. Our families have been really understanding too. We have been blessed.
4. The Joneses
Everyone has that neighbor or friend who seem to spend so carefree and have all the latest toys. The church ward we belong to has a lot of families that are really well off. Over the past years I have had to remind myself that we can't live like some of them do. We can't take as many or as extravagant vacations. We have lots of friends that are dentists and doctors. They choose to live out where we do because there is lots of land to build dream houses. This summer has been harder than normal in watching because they are all doing their summer activities and vacations.
One particular family any time I mention something they did this summer my husband responds "it must be nice to be on the hospital board of directors". This set of friends has are the Joneses that I wish the most we could keep up with. They are always taking big trips and doing lots of activities. For example for Spring Break this year they spend it in England, and their boys have been to summer camps almost every week this summer. In the past, I would compare and in a way try to keep up with them. They go on a Disney Cruise almost every year, when we decided to do a family cruise we in the end decided we would do a more affordable cruise line. Besides that the husband is a doctor and on the hospital board, I also have to remember that we are at different stages of life. Their oldest child is 12 and their youngest is 6. While my oldest is 6 and our youngest is 15 months. They have been working professionally longer, and I know when they were first married and out of school they lived really humbly. My husband reminds me that they lived like no one else already, and now they probably can live like no one else. We just aren't at the same place in our lives. I can't keep up with "Joneses" they are in a different place in life and the dad is a doctor.
Another family I have a little harder time in the day to day is a family who our children are all about the same age. We have been friends with them since moving here. In the mean time, she now works full time in a well paying job along with her husband. Whenever we hang out with them she has picked up some sort of fast food for snack food, lunch, or dinner. Since Arizona summers are so hot she always wants to meet at the McDonalds play area- I am not against theses, in fact we love them, it is just when we aren't buying food, my kids whine and cry so much I can't do it. Many times I have fallen into the comfort zone of just buying fast food with them. This summer has been hard, but I have come prepared with snacks from home and sandwiches in a bag for lunch. I have to remind myself that we can't keep up with the "Joneses" they are a two income family and we are only a one income family.
5. The Co-Worker Who "Gets It"
I remember back to when I worked full time. It is hard to not be part of the "group" at lunch as they head somewhere to pick it up and eat. My husband has mentioned that at least some of them have been understanding on why he isn't going out anymore. To make this easier on my husband I try to give his lunches some variety and something special. Even when you have a co-worker who "gets it" I'm sure it doesn't make it any easier to be left out.
6. Dave Ramsey
I rolled my eyes at this one on the list but then I started to think- I liked his facebook page. Now every once in a while I see an article in my news fed. Seeing some of these articles have helped me to start thinking about different things and has helped a little bit to stay motivated.
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