Let’s face it; I get by with a little help from my credit cards. There are more in my wallet than I care to admit, and at least half of them have a balance on them. It’s not ideal, and I get stressed out at times, but for me, it’s the lesser of two evils.
Full disclosure: My husband and I both took the entire Financial Peace University course several years ago. I’m not saying Dave Ramsey is wrong; in fact, I agree with many of his points (the debt snowball, an emergency fund, etc.). But to his “live like no one else so later you can live like no else” point, I say poo poo.
My husband and I both work full-time jobs, with one child in daycare, one in aftercare, a mortgage, two car payments, and nearly $100k in student loans between us. We don’t make an obscene amount of money, but if really wanted to get buckle down, we could probably pay off all of our debt in a matter of years.
Truthfully though, I have zero desire to give up eating out, our entire social life, and splurging on our kids for birthdays and holidays. While I think it’s incredible that people have the discipline and dedication to dig their way out of debt (and am admittedly jealous), it’s just not something my husband or I aspire to do. I’m certainly not saying it’s the right way, and I wouldn’t even be offended if you judged me for it.
No one is guaranteed a later, and I’d rather enjoy the present, even if it means putting a $1000 on a credit card to go to the beach after three years of no vacations. Even if it means splurging on an extravagant (to us) birthday present, like a Little Tikes bounce house or a trip to a local water park. Even if it means paying for a summer pool membership to make sure my kids still have memories of a lifetime.
On the flipside, we go out of our way to be frugal where it counts. My husband and I rarely pay for a baby sitter, and we’ve only been on two one-night trips away from our kids (in hotels less than $100/night I might add). I’ve still never been to a big name concert because of sheer sticker shock. We’ve never dined out on a date night at a place that cost more than $100 for two. My kids know the meaning of the word no and enjoy shopping at KARM, Amvets, and kids consignment sales with us.
Our kids come first, and we just do what we can to make sure they are happy kids without worries. I’ve got the credit card statement to prove it.
