When I first started to blog... 2 years ago. I was using Blogger and started to blog to have accountability for our Debt Free Journey.

Well... we did not follow through and we are still in debt, I hate to admit that we're in MORE debt than when we started.
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Honesty isn't always easy, it really humbles you but it allows you to face what's really going on!</strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">I wanted to share the entire story about how we got where we are, but instead of focusing on the past, we're going to look forward.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">This week I took a 5 hour drive up to Connecticut to visit some family and friends. During my drive I listened to some great podcasts, which I will share more about later. Kevin and I had heard about Dave Ramsey from some good friends a while back, we heard about his Baby Steps and Radio Show. We heard all about it... but we didn't KNOW about it, we didn't have UNDERSTANDING about money, debt and financial freedom. I can say that now I UNDERSTAND what can be. I KNOW that we will be DEBT FREE!!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Once again I'm hoping to use this little corner of my blog to track our goals as we become DEBT FREE!</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">As much as I would love to explain all of Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps, I think he does it best:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Directly from <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-steps/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey's Website:</a></p>
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<div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Baby Step 1</strong></span></span>
<a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-1/"></a>
<h3><a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-1/">$1,000 to start an Emergency Fund</a></h3>
An emergency fund is for those unexpected events in life that you  can’t plan for: the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, a faulty car  transmission, and the list goes on and on. It’s not a matter of <em>if</em> these events will happen; it’s simply a matter of <em>when</em> they  will happen.
This beginning emergency fund will keep life’s little Murphies from  turning into new debt while you work off the old debt. If a real  emergency happens, you can handle it with your emergency fund. No more  borrowing. It’s time to break the cycle of debt! <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-1/">Learn more at Dave Ramsey.com</a>

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<div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Baby Step 2</strong></span></span>
<a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-2/"></a>
<h3><a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-2/">Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball</a></h3>
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<div>The point of the debt snowball  is simply this: You need some quick wins in order to stay pumped up  about getting out of debt! Paying off debt is not always about math.  It’s about motivation. Personal finance is 20% head knowledge and 80%  behavior. When you start knocking off the easier debts, you will see  results and you will stay motivated to dump your debt.

The point of the debt snowball is simply this: You need some quick wins  in order to stay pumped up about getting out of debt! Paying off debt is  not always about math. It’s about motivation. Personal finance is 20%  head knowledge and 80% behavior. When you start knocking off the easier  debts, you will see results and you will stay motivated to dump your  debt. <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-2/">Learn more at Dave Ramsey.com</a>

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<div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Baby Step 3</strong></span></span>
<a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-3/"></a>
<h3><a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-3/">3 to 6 months of expenses in savings</a></h3>
Once you complete the first two baby steps, you will have built  serious momentum. But don’t start throwing all your “extra” money into  investments quite yet. It’s time to build your full emergency fund.

Ask yourself, “What would it take for me to live for three to six months if I lost my  income?” Your answer to that question is how much you should save. <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-3/">Learn more at Dave Ramsey.com</a>

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<div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Baby Step 4</strong></span></span>
<a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-4/"></a>
<h3><a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-4/">Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement</a></h3>
When you reach this step, you’ll have no payments—except the  house—and a fully funded emergency fund. Now it’s time to get serious  about building wealth.
Dave suggests investing 15% of your household income into Roth IRAs and  pre-tax   retirement plans. Don’t invest more than that because the extra money  will help   you complete the next two steps: college savings and paying off your  home   early.

Why shouldn’t you invest less than 15%? <strong> </strong>Some people  choose to invest a small   amount, if anything, because they want to get a child through school or  pay off   the home in a hurry. But the kids’ degrees won’t feed you at retirement,  and if   you throw all your money into your mortgage at this point, you’ll end up  having   to sell the house and buy the book <em>72 Ways to Prepare Alpo and Love  It</em>.   Bad plan. <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-4/" target="_blank">Learn more at Dave Ramsey.com</a>

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<div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Baby Step 5</strong></span></span>
<a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-5/"></a>
<h3><a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-5/">College funding for children</a></h3>
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By this point, you should have already started Baby Step 4—investing  15% of your income—<em>before</em> saving for college. Whether you are  saving for you or your child to go to college, you need to start <em>now</em>. <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-5/"> Learn more at Dave Ramsey.com</a>

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<div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Baby Step 6</strong></span></span>
<a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-6/"></a>
<h3><a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-6/">Pay off home early</a></h3>
Now it’s time to begin chunking all of your extra money toward the  mortgage. You are getting closer to realizing the dream of a life with  no house payments.
As you attack this last debt, you will gain momentum much like you  did back in the second step of the debt snowball. Remember, having  absolutely no payments is totally within your reach!<a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-6/" target="_blank">Learn  more at Dave Ramsey.com</a>

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<div><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Baby Step 7</strong></span>
<a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-7/"></a>
<h3><a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-7/">Build wealth and give!</a></h3>
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It’s time to build wealth and give like never before. Leave an  inheritance for future generations, and bless others now with your  excess. It's really the only way to live!
Golda Meir says, “You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist.” Vow  to never hold your money so tightly that you never give any away.  Hoarding money is not the way to wealth. Save for yourself, save for  your family’s future, and be gracious enough to bless others. You can do  all three at the same time. <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-step-7/" target="_blank">Learn more at Dave Ramsey.com</a></blockquote>