1 step at a time.

It's hot again today. We're staying at a Red Roof Inn this visit to Chicago for Grandpa K's 100th b-day tomorrow. As I walked outside to get ice from the office on the opposite end of the motel, I am struck by the memory of our trip last year. July 2011: We traveled to Chicago from KC only to get to Iowa City with a very upset 8 month old. He had a double ear infection. We stayed in an uncomfortable Motel 6 and then a Hilton... This year as we try to get back on our budget and coupon methods, we are in the Red Roof Inn that was discount through NEA. We're staying for about half what we spent last year. As we unloaded the van in the hot Chicago-metro, baked asphalt, July heat, I remembered the Dave Ramsey quote, "Live like no else, so you can LIVE! like no else." A motto designed to motivate the debt-downtrouden to know that this too will pass and rich rewards await them after their efforts of sacrifice. Another life-coaching typing Dave suggests is to journal. This will hopefully be my journal. I get visions of grandeur as Justin and Dad would say. When we started the Financial Peace course I immediately wanted to try to document the climb out since we never nearly mapped the way into debt. 1.5 years into to getting out of debt and this is the first narrative made. I feel we're living like no one else, but I am often wrong. After grad school and a year in Missouri teaching, I decided I miss my family and friends of south-central Kansas. We moved into the newly built garage that was to be temporary housing as my Dad built his new house. Temporary is going on its third year. We plan to spend 4-6 more years getting out of debt and redirecting the way we handle money. Living in the garage along with other discounts have allowed us to "catch up". Hopefully the next 6 months will start to push the snowball. Professionally, I'm very blessed. I was able to return to a position I left and continue building a better small school music program. Taking a sidestep on the debt cycle, we invested in starting a newspaper to provide a proper service to my hometown community. It is going well. When September comes, we will assess the value it has accrued. My first principal was not overly confident in the ability to turn around the program that was in 2004 "in shambles." I told him I would climb that mountain one step at a time. I desire to do the same with debt. My greatest goal is the WP and his future sibling(s) will not know the financial struggles we are facing. I truly I can change our family financial tree for the good. One step after the next.