The Twelve in 2022

It started when I saw a post from Jules at Pancakes & French Fries, about her goal of writing 12 blog posts this year. As soon as I read it I thought, "That's just one post a month. That's totally doable. I'm in." But what started as the number of posts I was willing to commit to writing in 2022, soon morphed into a monthly self-challenge plan, with various ideas coming in rapid succession. I don't know about you, but I need deadlines and bite-sized goals to motivate myself. 

Photo by Thor Alvis on Unsplash

WINTER 2022

January: Removing 12 items a day from our house in the Great Whole-House Purge of 2022. The twelve would not include trash, because I think that's cheating...I could throw away twelve items of junk mail in a day and call it good, but that wouldn't actually get me where I want to be! So we're talking actual removal of gently used/unused items (to a box, bag, or sack) for donation, with trips to our local Goodwill on the calendar once a week (look for updates throughout the month on the Facebook page). 

February: I will move $12 from our checking to our savings every day for a month. Two drinks at Starbucks is almost $12, depending on the size you get, so if I cut out Starbucks and various treats and unplanned stops in a month, that should be completely doable. 

March: I will dedicate 12 minutes each day to cleaning out and organizing our pantry and additional food storage area. Timer in hand, trash bags at the ready, I would love to think that I'll be done with this in a week, but I've seen my pantry. Photos and updates will be posted to the Facebook page, for accountability. 

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

April: The number of books I'll aim to read in one month. It seems like a lot, considering the hecticness of my life, between working freelance and homeschooling, plus running kids to their various activities, but since I set a higher reading goal for myself in 2021, and exceeded it, why not aim higher still? Follow me on Goodreads for regular updates on this.

May: 12 minutes a day, five days a week, spent on lesson planning for the 22/23 school year. I have struggled with staying on top of lesson planning this year, having tried something new (which didn't work), so I'd like to get a jump start on the next school year, even as this one winds up.

June/July/August: The number of pounds I'd like to shed, healthily, this summer. I'll give myself three months for this one. That means cutting back on my snacks and finding a way to get active again. The last two years have not been good to me, or my waistline, and the time has come (the time being me turning 40 and my pants no longer fitting). 

FALL 2022 - TBD

I've yet to decide what 12-themed things I might focus on for the remaining months of the year, but I'm okay with that because if the last two years have taught us anything, it's that we have no idea what the future holds. By this time in the year, we could all be rolling around in giant plastic bubbles, or building bunkers to survive WWIII, or fighting off the next superbug that's taking over the world. After all, as James 4:13-15 reminds us...

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

If it's the Lord's will, I'll be back with my first post of the year next month. I hope to see you here, and in the meantime, I'd love to hear what your goal is for the first month of 2022 and/or for the entire year. 

Would you consider doing something like the 12-themed goals? If you're interested, I'd love the company and accountability on the journey. Join the conversation over on the Busy Nothings Facebook page, or chime in here in the comments. Are you ready?

Let's make 2022 the year that we "spur one another on" - to love, good deeds, and personal growth, 12 things at a time! 

My Simplified Why: Follow the Money

FROM THE ARCHIVES ➤➤➤ I originally wrote this post in January 2020 - before the whole world came to a screeching halt, and life as we knew it, stopped. However, as I've been attempting to blog a little more consistently this year, I decided to pull up some of the posts I had started and saved as drafts, and this is one of them. While similar to the post I shared last week, as I read through it, I was reminded of where we were a year ago, and I realized that I had, in fact, made some good financial changes over the past 12 months. For example, this year our savings accounts are much healthier than they were a year ago, and that's a good thing! But I also realized that some of my points made in this post were still valid, and good reminders of other ways I could cut corners and save, so I decided to post it anyway. Maybe you, like me, will find a little nugget to take away and dwell on and then do something with this year. May we all continue to grow and improve in 2021! 

In 2012, we paid off our house. In actual fact, we paid off the remaining 54% of our mortgage in just 7 months of 2012. It came down to focusing in on a big goal, saying "no" to a lot of other things, and a whole bunch of self discipline. And it felt great when we were all done.

Which is why when, earlier this month, I found myself stressing over looming bills and shrinking bank accounts, I was pulled up short when I realized I was right back to where I was in 2011. How did that happen? Well, I'll tell you: old habits and new kids.

Old habits like, "I don't really feel like cooking tonight," (which, even as I was typing that, reminded me that I needed to start the Crock-Pot for dinner) crept back in. Only this time there were seven of us, so Japanese takeout now costs $70, rather than $20. 🙅 The occasional stop for ice cream after a school event takes $30 when you're dishing up six bowls instead of two, and now that some of them are getting older, a stop at Starbucks is often a $15 splurge, rather than a $5 treat. It all adds up.

Although most of the time I'm pretty good about telling myself I don't need the new pair of pants or that cute sweater, it's harder when I'm out and see clothes on sale that would fit my kids. I mean, I'm saving money, right? They're so hard on clothes, and it's nice not to have to pay full-price for something when I have a stash downstairs that I got on clearance. But you know what's NOT a bargain? Hitting up so many sales that I forget what I have and when I finally dig it out...they've outgrown it. True story, I'm embarrassed to admit.

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

In 2018, I was becoming totally overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in our house. When it was just the two of us, I kept it fairly tidy, though we still had way too much, but once the kids came, I felt like I was swimming against the tide. Despite keeping Christmas to a minimum and refusing to throw extravagant birthday parties where all of their friends were invited and we were flooded with gifts, it was like a never ending stuff parade coming through the doors of our house. Even though I instigated regular purge sessions, piles continued to creep up on my desks, kitchen counters, and even on top of bedroom dressers.

Feeling thus overwhelmed, I signed up to take part in the Uncluttered course (nope, that's not an affiliate link) that minimalist Joshua Becker hosts several times a year. All participants receive a lifetime membership to participate in the course, and also maintain access to the private Facebook group. I can't say that the course itself was particularly life changing for me...but the private group has been a great source of ongoing encouragement. Seeing what others are doing, purging, changing, has been a reminder that I shouldn't give up. 

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that people were beginning to share their "why" for continuing the clean out. One woman said that her why was becoming debt free, and as soon as I read it, I knew that I needed to get back on the bandwagon. While we're not in debt - outside of a mortgage (yes, we paid it off but, long story short, we once again have a small mortgage on our home) - we're also not exactly rolling in savings. Another woman shared that whenever she thought about buying something, she transferred that same amount into her savings account, which triggered a memory of a time when I was doing the same thing (see: paid off house in 2012). It's just one of many good habits that need to be pulled from the mothballs.

This year, my WHY for minimalizing and simplifying really comes down to the money. It's not just about making multiple trips to donate excess goods, but about stemming the tide coming in as well - not just because it's stuff, but because it represents resources that could be much better spent elsewhere. As I look ahead at current and upcoming expenses, I realize that the not-so-little $40 and $70 expenditures, even if it's "saving" me money, have really added up. It's time to remember that every time I'm saying "yes" to something with my money, I'm saying "no" to something else...something that's probably way more important.

My why for #minimalismsimplified in 2020 is about financial freedom. Or, as Becker put in on a post he shared last week, "Just because it's on sale, doesn't mean I need it." 😏  

$27.40

Strange title for a blog post, right? It comes from a graphic that Joshua Becker shared on Facebook last year, and again not that long ago. That's the daily spend amount that it takes to waste (or save) $10,000 in a year. Let that sink in for a minute.

Photo by Michael Longmire on Unsplash

Now, I'm sure some of you would argue that you don't have $27.40 to throw away on miscellaneous spending every day, and I get that. I don't typically spend that in a day either, but also keep in mind that number is an average. So let's take a look at a few of the ways that this can add up, and I'll use our family as an example.

• If we take our family of seven for take-out Japanese it costs us around $75. Let's say I do that once a month—that's $900 a year. 
• If you've got kids in sports, like we do, the monthly fees can quickly add up. Let's say you spend $400 a month on lessons and gear for two or more kids—that's $4,800 a year.
• You know I like my Starbucks stops. They're like a mini-vacation in a cup on stressful days. But at an average of $5 a pop, estimating a conservative four times a month, buying for only one person—that's $240 a year.
• The kids have done really well at school, so that calls for a celebration and a stop by our local pay-by-the-ounce ice cream shop. Cha-ching! Since we don't usually take the Hubs as he's at work, and I limit the kids to three toppings each, we can typically get out of there for around $25-30. But if we go 5-6 times a year—that's $180 a year.

You can probably see where I'm going with this. Before you know it, you're well over half-way to that $10k point, and that's not counting the stops to pick up something you "need" at TJ Maxx, or the sale you hit on clothes for the kids at Old Navy, or Christmas or any of the birthday gifts required by all those classroom invitations (a definitely bonus of homeschooling - no more class parties!). You and I might not spend $27.40 a day, but I bet if we stopped and begin counting up all the big and little expenditures, we'd be surprised at how quickly they add up, just like my examples above.

Compared to many, I would consider myself a frugal person. For over two decades, I've packed lunch for the Hubs, we've cut each others hair (and now our kids), made coffee at home (most days), shopped sales and used coupons, saved and repurposed. We don't pay for cable or Netflix, we almost never go to movies - even before COVID, and we don't take vacations. If you asked some of the kids, they'd say we're downright Scroogy! 

But the fact of the matter is, when my 1099 arrived last year from my largest client, I was shocked to see the amount and spent some time wondering where it all went last year. Yes, we were paying for private school at the time, so that took a large chunk, and yes, we paid cash for a vehicle that then needed a lot of TLC (read: parts) to get it up to speed. But despite these, and other big expenditures that happened, as I thought back over the year, I knew that my $27.40 days were definitely involved. 

So in the midst of this "no spend" month, I'm calling myself out for it. It's time to tighten the belt, not just this month, but every month. And when splurges do happen—and they will—that $27.40 needs to be in cash. Not only is this more painful for me, but it's a good visual for the kids, who often have a difficult time grasping the concept that when a card comes out, so does money. The habit of splurging has definitely shown itself already, as I've had kids light up and say, "Oh, can we get 5 Guys for dinn..." and then remember, "oh, no. It's February." Maybe if they saw me whipping out four $20 bills each time we stopped for a "quick bite" it might impact them more than a square of plastic. It's something I'm considering...for March. 😉

What about YOU? Cash or card?

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What makes up your $5, $15, or $27.40 splurges?

Today's The Day

What have you been putting off doing? Procrastination is a universal habit, you know. It doesn't matter what your culture, country, political affiliation, or views on religion, because there's always something that you can put off until tomorrow...and usually do. For me, it's been dealing with our spending habits. And more specifically, my spending habits. But for the next 28 days, I'm forcing myself to focus on where the money goes and pay attention to how often I find myself on Amazon, ready to hit the "buy now" button. 

Photo by rupixen.com on Unsplash

Let me be clear, we have money in the bank, never carry a credit card balance, our cars are paid for, and we're actively paying off our home mortgage ahead of schedule, so I'm not doing this because I need to dig my way out of a financial pit. I'm doing it because I know I could do better. I know how easy that Amazon app is when something comes to mind that we need. And sometimes it is a need - most recently it was socks for one of the kids, because the ones she has are literally two sizes too small - but not always. Books are my nemesis, and the offer of free credit for Kindle purchases can be quite appealing. Come on, Bookworms, you know exactly what I'm talking about! 

I also know how easy it is to find an excuse to pick up dinner on the way home. I forgot to thaw the meat...I forgot to put something in the Crock-Pot...I don't feel like making dinner tonight...we're in town anyway, so I'm just going to pick up something from our favorite Thai spot... you get the idea. When it was just the two of us, those meals out were a little more excusable...and less expensive. But with a family of seven, most of whom are still actively growing and therefore hungry, a dinner out (even takeout) can be upwards of $80 or more. That's nothing to sneeze at! 

As I mentioned in my post last week, I made the decision not to give up my Starbucks stops this month...but I'm even reconsidering that as I think about those $5 and $10 stop-offs and how quickly they add up. My Starbucks card is on automatic reload, which makes it so easy to stop by and not think about the dollar amount racking up. For one month, couldn't I plan ahead and bring my hot tea or coffee with me from home while I'm sitting in the car, waiting on kids, reading a book from the stack? Lest you think I'm a Starbucks junkie who is there every day, we're talking maybe once a week...but once a week would add up to $20-30 a month, or more, depending on whether I was just buying for myself or if I decided to treat the kids to a hot chocolate or our oldest to her favorite beverage or grab a coffee for the Hubs, just because. 

But it's not just about money. As I said in the beginning, procrastination is universal. I have several habits that I'm trying to solidify at the moment, that really require nothing more than self-discipline and the determination not to give up. From faithfully using the lotions and potions for the rosacea that I'd given up doing anything about, to refusing to allow myself access to the computer until my quiet time with the Lord is done (and not rushed), and even to getting back into the habit of blogging, I'm finding that it's all about not allowing myself to make excuses. If I want something to happen, then I just need to do it. And so do you. 

So today's the day. It's time to start doing whatever it is that you've been putting off, whether it's related to money or weight loss or some other discipline. Come along with me for the next month and let's see what we can accomplish together!  

The "No Spend" Month

2020 changed my perspective—much like it did for many of us, I'm sure—about what matters. Stuff might make us temporarily happy, especially in a year when it felt like everything else was taken away (opportunities to go places, eat at our favorite restaurants, even the ability to see our families), but it doesn't last. And then when the high is over, you're just drowning in stuff. There's a reason why Amazon stock is soaring, and our USPS and UPS drivers are drowning in boxes. Money can't buy experiences anymore, so it's buying us the next best thing—fleeting happiness in an Amazon box, arriving tomorrow (thanks, Amazon Prime).

Photo by Blogging Guide on Unsplash

But 2021 is a new year, and I've decided that it's time to set some new goals. As I was reading through The Little Book of Lykke, I noticed that the author mentioned The No Spend Year by Michelle McGagh. I remembered watching her TEDx talk a while ago, but hadn't thought about it since then. So when I suddenly saw her name pop up in the book, it triggered a little idea in my head, which has been growing ever since. 

In addition to continuing the push to purge the house (or simply USE UP what we already have) thanks to my stint following the Uncluttered Course, and then creating a usable organization system for what remains (I'm homeschooling four kids, so I have to have a system for their school work, like it or not), I'm now planning to try out a NO SPEND month. I'm not ready to commit to a year, but I think a month is doable...and perhaps the shortest month of the year would be a good one to start on, just in case I get crazy and decided to try this again later.

With this in mind, my goal for what remains of January is to make sure we have anything we might need (because my kids never tell me they are out of any toiletry item until it's completely gone, so I always keep a stash on hand for those 9 PM panic moments), and then for the month of February, I'm publicly committing to spend nothing except for regular household bills, car-related expenses, and food/groceries. The hubs has even suggested the idea of no takeout during the month, which will be a little more challenging on those days when I don't have anything planned and there are seven hungry people to feed, but would definitely help the budget. I might even take a break from Starbucks, but then again, that might be pushing it a little too far for the first round. 😏

I want to not only own less, but I want to prove to myself that I don't need to replace it either...for myself OR for my kids. If one of the kids needs something during the month of February (clothing or shoes...I don't see either of those on the horizon, but they're growing like weeds, so you never know!), I'll put it on a list and deal with it, responsibly, in March. Here goes nothing!

Interested in joining me on this crazy venture?

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Leave a note in the comments!

Let's Talk About Compromise...

In this year of the unknown, I've set several smaller goals to focus on: personal, physical, and spiritual. In addition to reading the stack, I'm choosing to make healthier eating choices and pay closer attention to my compromises with the world, the little things that slowly erode the foundation over time. Compromise is the common denominator among these three—the choice to waste time online or make progress in my stack of books, to indulge my craving for sweets or drink another glass of water, to actively obey God's commands rather than following after what the world says is okay. It all comes down to choices.

Photo by Nathan Boadle on Unsplash

Choices. We make them every day. I've been a Christian for most of my life, and in that time I have knowingly turned a blind eye on a lot. Whether it was towards my sexual purity as a teenager or my mental purity in what films and television shows I watched as an adult, I have not always walked the paths of the Lord, or considered His counsel. I have been judgmental when I should have been introspective and contrite. I have sought to follow Christ...while keeping a foot (or feet!) firmly planted in the world. 

About a decade ago now, God started convicting me in many of these areas, and change began to take place, despite my protestations that "it wasn't really that bad!" I recall the time when I loaned our complete set of James Bond films to a young man, later regretting our choice as we thought about what he would be seeing—hardly edifying for a young, single, male with intentions of remaining sexually pure until marriage. For that matter, when the Hubs and I watched 007, we excused the language and violence, but most importantly, we excused the flagrant sex with multiple partners and Bond's self-indulgent usage of women, because as as a married couple, "it didn't bother us." Oh how blinded we were! 

Over time, I've realized that things that I enjoyed for the first 30+ years of my life—movies, music, even some books—now hold little interest, and things that I found humorous no longer make me laugh, as I consider the ways in which they contradict what God declares to be holy and good. And yet, despite the growth, including purging our extensive film and television DVD collection, the little compromises have continued. Sure, we traded in our 007 adventures for credit at a local shop, and we purged most of the movies where they misused the Lord's name, but there were still the odd few that we just couldn't bring ourselves to ditch. 

Little compromise by little compromise, the world and it's point of view sneaked into my daily life. During the holidays I noticed it in many of the Christmas songs that I've always enjoyed and sung along to, even classics like, "Baby It's Cold Outside." It first caught my attention when I heard the kids singing along, and I started thinking about the words of the song and what it was advocating. I have four girls. Do I really want them thinking, even subconsciously, that letting a man talk them into doing something they know is wrong, is actually okay, just because it's cold outside and he's a smooth talker? There will always be excuses beyond weather, but is this what I want them to listen to and accept as normal? I have a son as well. Are these the kinds of ideas I want him to go into his teenage years with, that to sweet talk a girl into compromising on her integrity is a cool thing?

You may be sitting there thinking, "Come on, Carrie. Really? It's just a song! Don't put too much focus on it!" But that's the point, and that's where God has really been leaning on me in the last few weeks - that one compromise leads to another. It's all the little things, the seemingly harmless bits, that sneak in the quickest and take root in our hearts and minds. Titus 2:12 reminds us that the grace of God, through His offer of salvation, "teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age." If we want to live and look like Christ, then we must first pay attention to the little compromises that we make without even thinking.

Food for Thought:

Do you have "little compromises" in your life that need to be squashed?

Setting Smaller Goals

If 2020 taught me anything, it's that we need to hold tightly to the lessons of James 4:13-15:

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'"

For most of my adult years, I've set goals, picked words, and dreamed big dreams. When 2020 hit, I was reminded that we're not guaranteed tomorrow, and realized that it might be prudent to spend some time enjoying the smaller accomplishments in 2021 that we would have overlooked prior to this crazy year. For example...reading through the books that are currently on my nightstand.

Yep, those are all sitting on my nightstand, waiting to be read. Some of them have been there for longer than a year...maybe even two. And the stacks keep growing. Which is why, on January 1st, while setting my 2021 Reading Goals on Goodreads, I glanced behind me and saw the stack and decided that would be a good "smaller" challenge for the year: Read through the stack. 

You may recall that back in the day, I used to do regular "What's On My Nightstand" book review posts. If all goes as planned, I'll be bringing a version of those back as I read through this stack. When I shared about this on my Busy Nothings Facebook page, someone made the comment that they wanted to know what was in the stack behind the stack. Well, so do I! So for now I'm going to focus on the front stack, and once it's done...we'll talk about what's behind. For now, here's the list (with Amazon links, in case you're interested in reading along with me)...

1. Boundaries with Teens
2. The Enchanted Hour
3. Agatha: The real life of Agatha Christie
4. Poirot and Me
5. Sugar Changed the World
6. To the Land of Long Lost Friends
7. Is God anti-gay?
8. The Girls of Atomic City
9. How to Raise an Elephant
10. Dear Mrs. Bird
11. The Feather Thief
12. SoulCare
13. Books, Baguettes & Bedbugs
14. What She Ate
15. Hank & Jim
16. Don't Overthink It
17. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (the only one I've read before, but not this version)
18. The Quotable Tozer
19. 7 Men

PLEASE NOTE: There are two rules for this list...

1. Don't judge any book by it's title. 
2. Don't assume because it's on my nightstand, I'm recommending it.

With those rules in mind, and a list a hand, are you ready to start reading along with me, bookworms? I'd love to hear what's on YOUR nightstand, and what smaller goals you're setting for yourself in 2021! Leave a comment and let's use this year to build a community that learns together.

Never Give Up

Habits - whether it's blogging regularly (oops), keeping the kitchen clean, exercising daily, or something else - are only habits as long as you do them.

Christmas knocked me off my walking game, then there were cold, snowy days, cancelled school days, and days when I just didn't feel like doing it - so I didn't. But that doesn't mean I should give up! Yesterday it was sunny and warmer, so I walked. Today it was warmer but drizzling rain, so I grabbed the umbrella and walked! I still have about 10 lbs. that I'd like to lose, but if I want that to happen, I have to be consistent in my movement and eating habits. The weight doesn't just magically melt off (just as my kitchen doesn't magically clean itself, nor do my clothes jump in the washing machine and present themselves, folded KonMari-style, in my drawer) - it all takes WORK and SELF-DISCIPLINE.

Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash

Far too often we fall into the trap of thinking that what we want should come easily. Obedient kids should happen naturally rather than requiring consistent parenting and boundaries. Money should be in the savings account without needing to work more or buy less. Pants should feel looser without giving up Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Well, bad news for us - it all takes work. It all requires us to die to self in some way, setting aside preconceived notions, assumptions, and expectations. We have to be the parent, whether we feel like the adult or not. We have to set up the automatic transfer to savings and avoid Amazon if we want to see that balance grow. And we have to make a choice in what we eat and how we spend our time because there is no magic, side-affect-free pill to make us as skinny as we were twenty years ago.

It's time we learn how to avoid the "quick fix" mentality and develop our Fruits a little bit more (you know the ones: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). When the kids get under my skin, I'm praying for more love and patience as I dive in to figure out what's going on with them that's causing them to act out. As we set financial goals for our year, I'm making the choice to avoid certain stores and shop grocery sales and leave my wants in the Amazon cart. And if I want to see that goal number on the scale, then I must choose to do more of what I did this morning, rain or shine.

To Keep or Not to Keep...That is My Question

Ever since Christmas, I've been working hard to turn our bedroom back into a sanctuary instead of a storehouse for everything that I don't know what to do with. You see, our bedroom is the one room in our house that still remains off limits to the kids. As (sometimes cranky) INTJs, we know that these two introverts need a place to run and hide when it becomes too loud or too extroverted everywhere else in the house (our extroverted children do not, of course, understand our need for this). While it's been nice to have that space, it was far from relaxing because of the clutter that had spread out over every surface and been tucked into every nook and cranny. 

As life with the five has started to mellow out, some of what we were storing has been handed over to them for their care (things like hair brushes - yes, in the beginning we even had to keep those!), while other things have found new homes in various household locations. Some of what was collecting in the room was just trash - scribbles from the kids, broken Dollar Tree toys for dad to "fix" that were long forgotten, empty boxes from items that had been brought into the room but the box never made it back out. We'd been living like that for a year and I was starting to feel like an overwhelmed hoarder. Something had to change.

When the Hubs and I exchanged tea-themed gifts at Christmas (totally unplanned), I had a vision of creating a tea center at one end of my work desk. However, standing between my dream and me was a mountain of junk that had collected over the last year and apparently had no place to call home. Over the holidays, I took every opportunity to begin purging. Trash bags went directly out of the room through our window and off to the trashcan. Items that we could use later went downstairs to the basement. Boxes of books, clothes, and more went into our laundry room, awaiting the next trip to my favorite local charity. It took several weeks, but as the room began to clear out, I felt my stress level start to drop as well. Walking into our bedroom - even though it still doubled as my office - became a peaceful part of my day. 

As I cleaned out and rearranged the room, I began to look at what I was (and am) still choosing to store, and the question that kept coming to mind was a simple one: WHY? 

One example of this is our physical music collection, including a large trunk of vinyl records, a box full of {don't judge me} cassette tapes, and an entire cabinet of CDs of all genres. For a number of reasons, I find myself loathe to part with any of them, but the irony wasn't lost on me that as I was packing up the CD collection to store it under the bed, I was doing so while listening to unlimited jazz through our Amazon Prime account. If Prime provides me with such a large offering of a variety of genres, why am I hanging on to all the physical versions that I *almost never* pull out and listen to? 

• Is there a piece of my Depression-era grandparents that I inherited through my genes? 
• Would I really be missing out if I didn't have DC Talk's Jesus Freak album close at hand? 
• If I never heard Psalty and Charity Churchmouse sing in that warbled way that only cassettes can offer, would I honestly care? 
• What am I saving all the records for...posterity? My retirement? Does anyone really want to buy "Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates" on LP? 

I don't have answers to any of those questions...I just know that I find myself weary of storing STUFF and feeling so tied down by the need for storage rooms and plastic bins and under-bed storage. There will be an answer for us, lying somewhere between overwhelmed hoarder and minimalist Jane, but the key is to figure out where that sweet spot is for us. One thing I already suspect is that Psalty and the DC Talk gang probably won't get an invitation to join us.

And So, To Clarify...

PERSONAL NOTE: Okay, look. A.W. Tozer was a human, just like you and me, and no, he wasn't perfect and no, he doesn't have all the answers, but... he sure gives one a lot of food for thought! 

Last week I shared about a God-led decision to remove films and shows that we previously considered "family friendly" from our home movie collection - sacrificing the sacred cow of entertainment, if you will. This personal upheaval in "life as usual" is more complex than I have time - or desire - to unpack in a single blog post, but the simple version is that God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, has caused us to rethink our standards. {There's another post in the works that digs a little bit deeper into that aspect. Look for it soon, if you're interested.}

And while that is the Bottom Line (obeying God by not ignoring the conviction we feel), based on some of the comments I received after the last post, I realized that I needed to clarify a few things.

For example, at this time we're not purging ALL films and shows (Andy Griffith and Fiddler on the Roof are still very much in our home DVD collection), nor are we ripping down the screen and projector to sell on eBay. In fact, you will still find us on the occasional weekend with a bowl of popcorn, snuggled down in blankets and pillows, watching one of our Pixar favorites, like The Incredibles. But even that may change in the future if God nudges - we're open to wherever He takes us on this journey.

What changed for the present was our perspective on the films that we previously accepted without batting an eye, taking a different view of them now based on the subtle undertones (premarital living arrangements, casually taking the Lord's Name in vain, or the prevalence of sexual innuendos) compared to the Biblical model of becoming more like Christ. It looks less like, "TV is a tool of the devil, right up there with drums" and more like the old cliché, "if Christ joined us on the couch, would we still be comfortable laughing at this?"

In fact, this whole change in perspective isn't really about the medium. I can already tell that this train of thought is going to end up overflowing into books {Collective Bookworm GASP!} and social media. God's working on me, reminding me to play an active role in assessing what I see and hear when I'm watching a show, listening to a song, reading for pleasure, or even what I'm passively viewing while I kill time on Facebook. Facebook. That's a whole other post. But I'm a grateful work-in-progress... so stay tuned. You never know what's next!

A.W. Tozer posed a good question for all Believers: What are we laughing at? Are we laughing at sin? Trust me... it creeps in so easily! For almost 20 years the Hubs and I have laughingly quoted a line from a well-known 90's chick-flick. It starts with a word we wouldn't say in front of our mothers, but we clean it up - of course - by substituting "beep" for the word. If you're reading this thinking, "How does that make it better?" then you now realize that we're not as smart as you might have previously thought. It seems obvious now, but for almost two decades (that's embarrassing!) it hasn't been something we've thought about when we say it, because it made us laugh. What are you laughing AT?

Moving on... I also realize that some people may have read our decision and seen it as legalistic. Make no mistake: this decision to purge various entertainment items has nothing to do with our salvation (Ephesians 2:8 & 9). Our eternal security does not rest on our entertainment choices (thank the Lord!), but our growth as Believers does. It's time for us to listen to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit as He guides us in our walk with Christ, even when He moves in previously "off limit" areas, like what we do to relax and unwind.

Finally, yes, God is working in each one of our lives in different ways, and as Believers we are each at different stages of the Christian journey. However, don't use that as an excuse. If you read about our choices last week and it made you uncomfortable (or even angry - hey, I've been there reading about the decisions of others!), maybe you should ask yourself, "why?" My point, last week and today, is this: look at the areas in your own life that are, even unknowingly, off limits to God. Ask yourself why it's off limits, and what scares you about offering it to Christ if it means growing to become more like Him.

If someone told me 6 months ago that I would eventually purge two-thirds of our DVD collection, I would have snorted. Relaxing with a movie (or two or three) was my idea of a great Friday night. To give that up would be painful, and (Heaven forbid) I would be bored. Yet here's what I've discovered in the last month: when you start opening previously closed off areas of your life to God, relinquishing ownership gives freedom rather than feeling like a sacrifice. (Romans 8:5 & 6) Gray turns to black and white.

What's in YOUR off limits area? 

Clutter, Stewardship, and The "One Touch" Rule

There's a part of my personality that absolutely abhors clutter - in all it's various forms. Curious thing though, had you walked into our home two months ago (or into our basement for any of the 15 years we've lived in this house), you might have wondered if that side of me had gone into long-term hibernation.

During the days of waiting on adoption paperwork and country decisions, there's not much that these two recovering-INTJs can control. We'd filled out the forms (in triplicate), made copies of everything, shipped it all off to be processed, and were feeling a bit out of sorts with the time we had on our hands. However, it was during this lull in activity that the blinders to the household chaos seemed to come off, and we were truly appalled by what we saw.

Stuff. Everywhere. Stuff in the closets, stuff on the counters, piles upon piles, and enough empty cardboard boxes to move an army. The switch flipped and we went into major purge mode.

For the first time since we moved in, you can walk through all areas of our basement without tripping over Styrofoam coolers, shopping bags that used to hold jar candles but were now just housing the empty paper wrapping, and a plethora of "we might be able to use this some day" mistake purchases.

The result of cleaning out the clutter was more than just peace of mind and tidy spaces, it was a very timely reminder of a large chunk of our lives when we were less frugal than we would like anyone to know.

In the weeks since our purge, we have both implemented the principle of "touch it once" - meaning that when something comes into the house, we aim for the goal of touching it one time. It comes in, and we deal with it. We file it, store it, toss it, or use it immediately. It doesn't find a home on the kitchen counter for the next month. It doesn't get tossed on the basement floor to be dealt with later. If we don't know where to put it, we find a permanent home so it doesn't get flung into a spare closet to disappear for years.

In fact, part of this purge came about when we found out we needed to turn our guest bedroom into a room for a little boy (we were set up for 4 girls, but when those girls had a little brother... bye-bye guest room!). Losing the guest bedroom meant we also lost the last remaining "spare" closet in the house, so everything in there had to either find a new storage home or disappear. It's amazing how much of it left after we realized that we hadn't pulled it out in years. Lack of storage can be a (first world) pain, but an excess of it can be just as bad when it causes you to keep stuff you don't need, don't like, don't want, and don't use. 

Over a month out, our kitchen counters are still clean, our dining table is still free of piles, our basement is actually a pleasant place to spend time, and our wallets are more securely stowed. Developing a habit - good or bad - doesn't happen overnight, but one day at a time. One day at a time, we're choosing to pick up, put away, and deal with the mess in the moment instead of putting it off for later. It makes me wonder...

...what else in my life have I been putting off until later that would free up mental space if I just did it now? 

Something to think about...

Please Pardon the Dust

I realized today that it's been a month since I last posted about our golden flatware. My, how time flies! While chatting with a new friend on Twitter, he mentioned that he'd just read my bio, and I though, "I have a bio?" Which led me back to the blog and caused a slight update to the aforementioned bio. Tastes and interests change with age and experience, so it was time for a little tweaking. 

Remember a few years back when I talked about how I'm like a mouse with a cookie? Well, it's happened again. This time, it started with wallpaper. After 13 years of blue and white stripped wallpaper in our dining room, I was sick of it. About a month ago - maybe a little longer - the hubs and I were planning to veg out on some Psych on Sunday night, but got distracted on our way downstairs by a passing comment I made while walking through the dining room. "I'm so sick of this wallpaper..." Two hours later, pieces of it were strewn around the floor and the walls were blank.

Being INTJ's, we think through and analyze all of the possibilities before making our next move. But it's also one of the reasons those who don't know us think we're flippant about these things. We're introverts, so we don't share our ideas with others while we're in the dreaming & planning phases, and the first the outside world hears of it is when they see us ripping everything apart - apparently on a random whim. What they miss is that this idea has been processed for YEARS, we just finally took action. To the outside world it looks like we once again jumped into a project haphazardly, when we actually have final plan drawing on our computer and in the filing cabinet. Trust me - we look random, but nothing could be further from the truth.

After years of talking about gutting the front half of the house (we did the back half 10+ years ago), we were preparing to paint the plaster walls, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to do it. We knew - it was finally time to make our big plans a reality. We purged closets and drawers, piled everything from the front half of the house into our guest bedroom and library, and hired friends to rip out all the 74 year old lath and plaster. To say it's dusty would be an understatement. 

As a reminder - this is where we started (nice, right?)

Phase 2 - Trim Removal

Phase 3 - Where we were earlier today (Dust City)

And now you know why blogging has been low on my priority list for the last month. We've been a little busy. One thing that my husband and I are both very good at is being able to visualize the end result, so while some folks walk in and freak out, we're quite excited about what it will look like when we are done. And yes, of course I'll show you the finished product... when we get there. 

Got any house projects of your own this spring?

My Simplified List of Dreams for #2014

I've written about goals before on the blog. If you aim for nothing, you'll hit it every time - right? So why, if I am such a fan of having goals to work towards, am I not setting any this year? Because one of the lessons that I learned in 2013 is that life gets in the way of neat plans.

Goals are there to give you focus, to help you see the bigger picture and to give you something to use as a guide for the choices you make. For example, if you set a goal to save $100 each month towards a dream trip, it might give you resolve to stick to your grocery budget or put back that $2.99 mug that you really don't need.

So even though goals are good, this year I'm not setting goals, I'm selecting dreams.

In 2014, I would like to...

Pay off a mortgage - we've done it once, so I know we can do it again, but it will take discipline.

Lose weight - we've done it before, but again, this is where self-discipline comes into play.

Read more books - I managed 58 in 2013, I'd like to read at least 60 this year, but it must be a priority.

Finding a balance of life and (more) work - it's so easy to waste time when you work from home.

Say "Yes" more often - to middle-of-the-day lunches, road trips, and God-orchestrated ideas.

These are my dreams for 2014. Whatever steps we take to meet them will be considered a success, not tied to specifics, and leaving room for whatever God brings into our lives in 2014.

How will YOU dream big this year?

When Self-Control Fails...Log Out

Remember a month or two ago when I mentioned that my self-control was out getting donuts? Well, I'm sorry to report that things haven't gotten much better since that post was written.

Not only am I still woefully out of control when it comes to what I allow to go in my mouth (a few dozen homemade gingersnap cookies might, or might not, have disappeared in our house this summer), but my ability to manage my time has slipped as well.

Until today. When I suddenly realized, "Hey, if I don't have the self control not to look when I get a Facebook notification, perhaps I should just log out of Facebook!" It seems so simple, but I never claimed to be Einstein.  

The results? Five and a half hours of work on the clock, lots of tasks checked off the list, and I still have half a day awaiting me. Which makes me wonder how much time I have wasted on Facebook over the last six years since I first signed up? I probably don't want to know.

And what could I have done instead? That's the real question, isn't it? How often do you evaluate the time you spend online? How often do you check Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter? How many hours do you spend blog hopping or browsing on Amazon? How many times have you been tempted into buying something you didn't need because you were killing time in online stores?

On no, dear reader, there is no finger pointing going on here, unless the finger is pointing back at myself. I'm guilty, guilty, guilty of each and every one of those things. But the past doesn't have to be the future, and it doesn't have to be January 1st to resolve to change.  

Over the last few months, I've complacently watched my hard-earned self-control fly the coup. Last year, we were mega stars when it came to controlling our impulses because we had a goal we were working towards. But when we reached that goal in November, we relaxed, and that's when things started to slip.

It's been a bit like giving a mouse a cookie. While not piling on the debt, we aren't saving like we could, and should, be. When we're not as tight with our monthly food budget, we end up going out to eat more often because it's easier. And when we go out to eat, it's usually carb heavy and quite often includes dessert (see paragraph 1, re: self-control). Sitting in front of a computer all day has encouraged the sedentary life, which de-motivates us from using the treadmill that was formerly used on a regular basis, which has led to the reversal of our 2010 loss.

So here's my plan: by building up self-control in one area, even if starts as simply as logging out of Facebook because I recognize it as an area of weakness, it will have a domino effect. Recognizing areas of weakness is the first step, then it's time to start taking action. My action today was logging out of social media so I could take care of business. Success #1. 

What steps do you take to set yourself up for success and not failure?

Splurge A Little (Step #5)

Today we arrive at the final step that got us to the point of paying off 54% of our 30 year mortgage in just 7 months. Step #5...

We developed selective splurging habits. I can imagine the look on your face right now. "Say what?! You've just been preaching about not shopping, being frugal, and keeping your house like an igloo, and now you're telling me to SPLURGE in order to reach a goal?" Yes I am.

One of the things that we quickly realized was that we would soon burn out if we didn't allow ourselves some wiggle room during this process. "Wiggle room" involved things like buying nicer cuts of meat, and fresh flowers to brighten up the house. Better quality ingredients allowed us to enjoy the meals we made at home (with the benefit of leftovers for lunches) rather than going out. In fact, the bottom line total showed us that even though we were "splurging" on groceries (including flowers), our food bill was lower overall!

 

Last May we spent a day at the Biltmore, making the most of it by enjoying delicious snacks and a gourmet lunch/dinner while we were there. However, being at the Biltmore was not a "rainy day", so we came prepared with cash and enjoyed our splurge, without the overhanging cloud of a future credit card bill. That day away from the norm, away from work and watching our pennies, was the respite we needed to come back and hit it again. Rather than derailing us, it energized and revitalized our resolve to stick to our goals.

By the time our 12th anniversary rolled around in June, we had both discovered a love of cooking, and we decided to invest in a new set of kitchen knives that should last us a lifetime of marriage. It was a splurge - more than I would have dreamed of spending on a kitchen tool in the past - but this time, we were mindful of the cost, and we were investing in tools that we knew we could use, instead of pasta makers that would eventually find their way to Amazon.

Spend It Wisely: In July, we checked the budget, looked at the progress that we were making on our payoff plan, and agreed that we could afford to spend a week at the beach. Like our day at the Biltmore, our time at the coast was a fantastic retreat from the daily grind - but we took our newly acquired frugality with us. Instead of shouldering the entire expense of a beach house, we invited a couple of family members and split the cost. Rather than eating out all week, we fixed hearty breakfasts to start the day, simple sandwiches made with quality ingredients for lunch, and all-out gourmet meals for supper. My family felt pampered, and Peter and I got to exercise our newly discovered cooking skills. It felt like one giant week of splurging, yet it didn't break the bank because of the choices that we made - both earlier, and during that week. 

You may be wondering what a "splurge" would look like for you. Remember I said that we were going to revisit the make-up issue? Maybe you don't like to cook or maybe you're just fine with eating a "beans and rice" diet à la Dave Ramsey, but you can't imagine leaving the house without your face paint make-up. While I might not be sympathetic to the make-up issue, I do understand the need to feel "normal" while making so many "abnormal" financial decisions. My solution: splurge within the boundaries of a budget.

Boundaries = Freedom. When you know that the money-in-hand has already been designated for "splurges", you can experience the wonder of guilt-free spending. For me, that might look like paying more for groceries at Fresh Market, while you might decide that you'll eat Ramen Noodles, but have no qualms shelling out $18 for a BareMineral's concealer. The main idea is to avoid impulse purchases, and to be purposeful in how and where you spend your money.

I mentioned earlier that now, when I go to Target for plastic bags, I come out with plastic bags and nothing unplanned. This switch in mindset has given me breathing room in the budget (and in my closets), which allows us to splurge on things that will last longer, taste better, and provide memories for years to come. In 30 years, I'm quite sure that I'll have no regrets that we "splurged" on a week at the beach with my parents, tickets to hear the Boston Pops, or a day on the grounds of the Biltmore with my husband.

It's your money...splurge wisely. 

I realize I said I would do this in 6 weeks, but I'm begging your indulgence for one additional week, and inviting you to join me next Tuesday as we tie up some loose ends in The Payoff journey.

Until then...

What do YOU consider "splurge worthy"?

Some Call Us Cheap...We Prefer Frugal (Step #4)

There are just two steps left in our Payoff Process, and this one - while hard to get started - has now become a very easy habit. In fact, just last week, I told my husband that going to Target was a completely different experience now. I go in for sandwich bags, and I leave with sandwich bags. All those pretty things that I walk past, even the dollar section, no longer tempt me. What happened? Step #4...

We had to develop a frugal mindset. It actually started long before we set the deadline for our mortgage payoff. Although we lacked self-discipline in the early years of marriage, there were certain areas where we were frugal from Day 1. For example, in almost 13 years of marriage, we have never had cable TV. It's not important to us (even though that hasn't always been the case), nor is it necessary for survival. I think the idea of paying $65/month (or more) for cable didn't sit well with the Scotch in me. Instead, we stay up on news through online radio stations and websites, and use the free services of YouTube and Hulu.

The first signs of real frugality started coming out in 2010 when Peter purchased a replacement phone off eBay. When he tried to activate it with our cellular provider, he was informed that he could not use a smart phone without paying an extra $29.95/month for data - whether he wanted it, or not. I saw the snap of his eyes, and I knew we were in for a change. It was all I could do to keep him from asking the last level of management he spoke to (right before he closed our account): "Can you hear me NOW?"

Switching from a high-end cell phone plan to a comparable (and much cheaper) pay-as-you-go deal with Page Plus Cellular (who we highly recommend, with no kickback for saying that!), was just the first of many frugal changes. Continuing to be mindful of areas where we could cut back, in 2011, we focused on our use of heat and air conditioning. That summer, we made the decision to set our A/C on 80° in the daytime, thereby lowering our electric bill. Summers here are hot and humid, but... compared to what it was like when we were living close to the equator, 80° felt great.

When cold weather arrived, the thermostat went down to save on propane: 61° in the day, 55° at night. In fact, even after the house was paid off, the thermostat stayed in the same spot because we still have financial goals we're working towards! Interestingly, we've completely adjusted to our new "normal", and are surprised when people come over and say something about our "chilly" house (we do try to remember to turn up the heat for guests!).

It's All About Perspective: While working in Lesotho, we gained a different perspective on being cold. Every morning when we would wake up, we could see our breath INSIDE the house. Most mornings, there was no water because the pipes (which ran above ground) were frozen. In fact, the only time we were warm in a 24-hour period was in the car on the way to and from work! Whenever I feel like I've got it rough, and I'm tired of being cold, I remember Lesotho, and I give thanks for my "balmy" house and warm running water. Perspective: Get Some.

The road to frugality wasn't without it's bumps, and there were some setbacks along the way - like the day I found 23 rolls of Scotch tape while cleaning out our  home office. At first, I laughed each time I pulled another box or roll out of the piles. But when they just kept coming, hidden among the Target bags and storage boxes, I started seeing dollar signs with every pack. Even though I had purchased them on sale or clearance, I felt like a hoarder, and I hated the feeling.

It was at that moment, in January 2012, that I realized I was standing in the way of my own goals and dreams. Instead of  living mortgage-free or checking "travel Europe" off my bucket list, I had made the choice to buy excessive amounts of tape, candles, toiletries, wrapping paper, and other "necessities". In a split second, my "Frugal Button" snapped into the ON position, and I haven't looked back since!

But frugal doesn't always mean going extreme. For example, I still use plastic baggies to pack snacks in Peter's lunch...and I don't wash them out and reuse them. {Frugal-holics GASP} I did when we lived overseas, but I don't in the States. I'm cheap, but I'm not that cheap - it's not worth my time. However, even the off-brand zipper bags cost a pretty penny, so I couldn't justify buying them all the time. Instead I made a simple switch... I bought a box of 300 sandwich bags (the old fold-over type) in Target's in-house Up & Up brand. I believe that my time and sanity is worth $2.54 every few months. 

Sometimes you just have to break a habit. I had been so used to buying the zipper bags, I didn't really think about it anymore. But in the process of reevaluating and downsizing, I realized that something less expensive could do the job. And while I realize that not everyone wants to "do without" their TV, there are still simple changes that could be made. Maybe you pay $65 for a basic cable package, but what if you're too busy to watch more than a few shows a month that you could also watch on Hulu or Netflix for $7.99? Those are the kind of frugal switches that can really add up.

Next Week: Splurge a Little {Say What?!}

Discipline Thyself (Step #3)

Hello again! I apologize in advance for the length of this post. There is so much to say about this topic, and so much more that I could have said, so consider yourself lucky with this "brief" version! So far, we've covered Steps 1 and 2 (setting a deadline, and differentiating between need and want), which means it's time to move on to one of the hardest (and least fun) steps in our payoff process, Step #3...

We had to practice self-discipline. There was a period of time in our early married life when we could have been the poster-children for lack of self-discipline when it came to finances. It's only by the grace of God, a few perfectly timed financial gifts, and a tiny pricking in our sub-conscious that we could do better, that we didn't end up deeply in debt.

I Can't vs. I Choose Not To: While sharing some of these steps with my unknown insurance friend, I mentioned that it really came down to developing and practicing self-discipline. "Oh yes," she gushed, "but so many people just can't do that, you know?" Knowing that this would probably the the only time that I ever spoke to her, I seized the moment and said, "I disagree. It's not that they can't do it...it's that they choose not to. Anyone can develop discipline - it just takes practice." 

Over the last four years, self-discipline has become a passion for us. Oh sure, we still struggle with it (especially in the areas of eating, exercise, and weight-loss), but overall, it's probably the number one reason why we sat in the bank last November, making the final payment on our mortgage. 

While shopping, we developed the habit of asking ourselves, "Would I rather have this [random item] now (instant gratification), or would I rather pay off the house a little bit sooner (long-term satisfaction)?" Long-term began winning out more and more - which provided the added bonus of keeping unnecessary junk out of our house! While saying "no" to unnecessary spending is a discipline that has turned into a habit, in the beginning, I really struggled. 

{Original Photo Source}

I was the "Target Queen", drawn like a moth to a flame by those red clearance stickers! In order to develop discipline, I physically had to stay away from my favorite store for a period of time. Once I jumped the mental hurdle that "I was missing deals", I went back to Target, not to buy, but to look. I would see something I liked, even put it in the cart, but quickly realize that I didn't like X as much as I would like having a paid off house - and X would go back on the shelf. Eventually, Target changed from being my "happiest place on earth", to what it always should have been: a store to buy toilet paper, toothpaste, and the occasional string of replacement Christmas lights.

In the Beginning: Peter would go to Target with me and do a funny mental exercise. As we walked around the store, he would tell me, "Remember, you can afford anything you see, but you're making the CHOICE not to buy it. It's not that you can't have it, it's that you want something better." It worked for me. 

Brick and mortar stores aren't the only danger spot. The online world makes it easy to fill your home and empty your bank account with a click of a few buttons. However, Amazon makes it easy to shop without buying. How? We would load up the online shopping cart with stuff we thought we wanted - books, DVDs, techie gadgets - and then we would close the browser. I'd say a good 95% of the time, we never came back the next day (or even the next week) to go through the check out process. You should see our "Saved for Later" cart - I think there are over 90 items in there as I write this (it's a nice online reminder list).

One of the big changes for us was eating at home 6-7 nights a week. It was not unusual to see 6 o'clock roll around with nothing planned for dinner. This was especially true when I was working at the pharmacy. After counting pills and dealing with grumpy customers all day, the last thing I wanted to do was cook. While we didn't go cold turkey on eating out, we practiced the discipline of saying "no" to ourselves far more often, and made the choice to use the groceries we already had, to prepare a meal. One unexpected bonus of cooking more: we discovered that we actually enjoy it, and with practice, we can now both whip up a tasty dinner on the fly.

Self-Discipline - The Reason We Part Company With Dear Old Dave: Dave Ramsey is a smart guy. He offers a lot of good advice for people who have struggled with managing money. He's enthusiastic about people getting out of debt - all really great things! However, we part company when it comes to mortgages. Dave says if you must get one, get a 15-year one. I could not disagree more, and here's why: First, having a bank do the work to make you pay them back in 15 years is not the same thing as developing the self-discipline to do it. By developing and practicing self-discipline, we paid our 30-year mortgage off in 11 years and 9 months. And self-discipline is something that will benefit you in many other areas of your life, long after the mortgage is gone. That takes me to the second reason we disagree with Dave: With a 30-year loan, your monthly payments are smaller. Remember what I said about rainy days happening to everyone? If your rainy day should hit, it's a lot easier to continue making a $500-a-month house payment than a $1200-a-month payment. And if you should decide that you want to pay off your 15-year mortgage early, you have to come up with $1200, just for the base payment, before you get to a principle-only payment. If you have a $500 payment and you find you can pay $1200, you've just made your regular payment, plus one and a half principle payments! My advice: save up and pay cash for the whole thing, or go with a 30-year loan and tell yourself you only have 15 years to do it.  

Next Week: Going Frugal