Financial Peace University

So Grayson and I start Financial Peace University at our church this Wednesday. We've been registered for two weeks, but have known about this class all summer long. We are very excited to start learning then applying Biblical principles to the way we manage our finances. We are walkinig in faith that Lord will use this class to humble us, sharpen us and free us up to bless others for His purposes!

Since we've known about this class all summer and have a fairly good idea of what we are getting ourselves into (the much dreaded envelope system, hello!?!), it has been my running joke for most of the summer that I need to go ahead and get all of my spending out of my system. A sort of binge before the purge, you know?

Well, I think this plan has backfired because somewhere along the way I've gone crazy! I bought myself a watch on our cruise that I normally wouldn't have even thought about buying all because of our FPU class. I went a little nuts at one of my favorite stores in town purchasing jewelry for the fall, all necessities of course. I then decided (admittedly on impulse) to go purchase some vital running paraphanalia today at lunch simple b/c I know I have only two more days to do this! It's crazy! If you could get into my mind I'm confident you would duck from all the pinging "needs" I have shooting around in there. Suddenly I find myself realizing that I NEED an either real or faux black leather purse, I NEED some black compression running shorts, I NEED to go get my toes painted ... ahh, the list goes on. While my brain is constantly racked with what I'm afraid I'm going to have to give up for a little bit, my husband on the other hand has reigned back in his inner saver. We now get to hear the phrase, "Ashley, do you really NEED that?" at our house much more frequently these days. So much for thinking he forgot!

All in all, I know this budget thing will be for a better cause. We are both very excited to apply these basic financial principles in order to improve our self-discipline and hopefully honor the Lord. It will be humours no doubt to get us back to that place. More stories will follow, I'm sure.