I will post more pics from vacation - I promise - but I wanted to share what my kids were doing today.
It snowed last night. Quite a bit (about 5 or 6 inches I think!). The kids started with our neighbors driveway and moved onto ours and another neighbors and made some cash today! From what I can tell, Austin made $11 and Ash made $13! Three driveways! All on their own motivation! And they were outside for almost 4 hours! Wow!
I baked some whole wheat apple cranberry bread this morning. Although that sounds like a quickbread, it is actually a yeast dough and it is FABULOUS! We ate the small loaf (I call it the "runt") today for lunch! I just love the recipe (thanks, Christina!). I should say that the original recipe called for raisins, but we don't care for raisins too much, so I use dried cranberries. I found a Wal Mart brand "Craisens" that is only about $1.50, so it is pretty inexpensive to substitute the cranberries.
My thoughts are jumbled today. I have so much running through my head. House. Kids. School. Friends. Dave Ramsey.
No. I am not thinking ABOUT Dave Ramsey as much as I am trying to wrap my mind around the book I just read. "Your Total Money Makeover" It's a great book and so many of the things he says align with what we learned in the Crown Financial Ministries course we took three years ago (I think it was three). I really do think he has a LOT of valid points, but one I can't really "get" is his not allowing credit cards. At all. (Time out: I know we are adults and don't HAVE to follow some guys direction, but like I said, he has a lot of valid points) He says don't even use them if you pay them off every month. Why? I don't get it.
For now we have put the cards away. Although I ordered Chris's birthday present yesterday and used the Discover. :) We have "worked" this way for so long that I don't know how to do it otherwise!
If anyone has an answer to the "no credit card" question, post or email and let me know.
(By the way - Crown says that as long as you are paying the balance IN FULL every month, credit cards are ok.)
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3 comments:
I don't have a definitive answer to the credit card question but just finished reading Maxed Out, which might give you some insight into problems surrounding the credit card INDUSTRY (not just individuals with credit cards). There's also a documentary film out if you can't spare the time to read a whole book :)
Ramsey's take on credit cards is, "If you play with snakes, you're going to get bit." In his Financial Peace University seminar, he used Steve Irwin as an example (before the tragic accident). He said, "One day that guy is going to get it!" That comment was edited out of the course for obvious reasons, but point made... If you follow his plan, you simply don't NEED a card. On-line purchases, rental cars, etc. can all be done with a check card, and "emergencies" should be handled with your emergency fund. So, why deal with the credit card companies if you don't have to? Lots of people claim to pay off their cards every month, but then Christmas hits, or an unplanned expense, and, "Oh well, we'll just pay the minimum this month and catch up later..."
That being said, I'm a big fan of Ramsey's simplicity, and I'll admit that I still have one credit card. :)
P.S. I saw Austin's pics, and I want no more grief from you about the length of Nolan's hair! :D
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