Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #16

Happy Friday everyone! Right now I am enjoying myself on a fishing trip with my father-in-law, so I hope I catch some yummy fish! Have a great weekend, but before you do, I hope you enjoy this wonderful and inspiring debt free story. I love these kinds of stories!!

I checked out Our Debt Free Path and knew immediately that these were my kind of folks. They are passionate, and best of all, they too, are doing the Total Money Makeover! Whether you like Dave Ramsey or not, you have to admit the guy has an awesome game plan for getting out of debt!

Like most people, life happened to them while they were trying to pay off their debt. Did it stop them? Absolutely not! They handled the situation and continued on instead of going back to their old ways. Just being on a debt free plan helped them through it, which only proves that it’s not just becoming debt free that changes lives, it’s what happens during the process that really sticks with you. Becoming debt free is simply a result of the changes that were made.

One of the questions that I enjoy seeing the answers to (even more so than the debt free questions), is the last question when people explain what’s next for them. The reason is because the answer to that question alone indicates that there is a long term plan in place. The plan doesn’t stop with eliminating your debt. The debt part is only the beginning. If you become debt free but do not actively pursue the benefits of becoming debt free then what’s the point?

I don’t say that to take away from becoming debt free because doing so is an ultimate achievement for most people. I simply want to highlight the importance of continuing to take advantage of what that debt freedom can do for you and your family.

Enough babbling from me, go check out this amazing debt free story!! Congratulations to the Freebirds!

The Enemy of Debt Questionnaire – The Freebirds

Check out the blog! www.ourdebtfreepath.blogspot.com

How much debt did you have and how long did it take you to pay it off?

We started with 65K in debt in January of 2008 and it took us 33 months to pay it off.

How does becoming debt free actually feel? Does it feel better than you imagined it would?

I don’t know that it has really sunk in with either of us yet. Don’t get me wrong it’s a pretty freakin amazing feeling and we’re wearing big goofy perma-grins right now but it doesn’t quite feel “real” yet…course its only been 3 days so maybe when we get paid next week and don’t have anyone to send it to it’ll feel real.

What were some of the struggles that you had to deal with along the way? Was there ever a time where you almost gave up?

We got sued by my parents so we faced a grandparents rights case in the middle of getting out of debt…long story. Anyway if we hadn’t been doing Dave’s plan we wouldn’t have had the $500.00 we needed for the retainer for our lawyer. We won but that whole nightmare just solidified our desire to get out of debt.

What would you consider to be the most important key to becoming debt free? What helped you the most?

Prayer, faith and hard work.

It seems a lot of people have bought into the idea that debt is essential in order to prosper, what do you have to say to those people?

We did stupid, huge amounts of stupid when we first got married. We had the big house, the rental properties, new vehicles, fancy cloths, biggest of tvs, all of it…and we realized none of it made us happy. An overall simple life that lets us focus on what you really love (each other, our kids, our dogs, homeschooling, reading, hunting, and fishing)is so amazingly wonderful. We live in a 700 Sq ft house with no TV, drive older vehicles, wear Wal-mart specials, and bake our foods from scratch and we have NEVER in all our lives been as happy as we are now.

What was the biggest sacrifice you would say you made in order to become debt free? What about you changed the most?

We didn’t mind giving up the “stuff” but when we tightened the grocery budget that was hard. Giving up the good beer, good chew (Mr.Freebird) and good coffee was a killer. I enjoy baking from scratch and we’ve always eaten healthy but we chose to give up the expensive organic foods and baking supplies and stick with all natural.

Did your friends and family give you a hard time about your new mission to eliminate the debt from your life? If so how did you deal with it? Do you think you inspired others by your journey?

Yeah, we tend to be pretty redneck and not too tightly wrapped which worked our great cuz no one in our small town made fun of us (well within ear shot anyway;). I hadn’t thought about us inspiring others until we started getting comments on our blog from people trying to get out of debt. It blew us away to hear what we were doing was inspiring others on their journeys..Very Cool!

What is next for you? What financial goals do you plan to accomplish?

Next is Baby Step 3 on Dave’s plan. 3-6 months living expenses which will also cover if my parents decide to sue us again. We should be done by the end of January then we get to the fun part. We saving up to buy land, a trailer, well and sewer. (None that expensive up here) Once we have the trailer set up we’re selling this house (debt free including the mortgage!) and moving into the trailer, which could be as early as a year from now. Very cool! Then my carpenter husband and me and our kids are going to build our home on the land while we live in the trailer paying cash as we go. We’ve built our own home before but this time it will done with cash. It may take more time but it will be ours from the foundation to the roof. When we’re done we’ll sell of the trailer and homestead…living on as little of our income as possible and investing the rest. Sweet!! It may sound crazy but it’s nothing compared to what we’ve done over the past 33 months!

photo credit

Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader Series

Debt Free News: The Kick Off yours truly
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #1
Kelsalynn
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #2
Nick
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #3Paul
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #4Peter
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #5J Money
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #6Dustin
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #7 Fabian
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #8 Don
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Rreader #9Deacon Bradley
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #10
Golda
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #11 – Clair Schwan
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #12Jackie Beck
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #13 – Steven Williams
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #14 – Fabulously Broke
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #15 – Chuck
Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #16 – Freebirds

More to come…but only if I get some new submissions! ๐Ÿ˜€

About Brad Chaffee

7 Responses to “Debt Free News From A Debt Free Reader #16”

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  1. I love this story and am adding this blog to the ones I follow. We are also trying to get out of debt and save money to build from the ground up! It will be great reading someone elses story actually doing it!

    Thanks!

    • Brad Chaffee says:

      Welcome to Enemy of Debt Sandy! I am so glad you liked this series! This series was inspired by the debt free calls on Dave Ramsey\’s radio show The Dave Ramsey Show. Sometimes I would tear up listening to these people calling in and screaming \”I\’m Debt Free!\” You hear the emotional impact of that accomplishment in their voices.

      Perhaps one day I will have people call in and scream they\’re debt freedom on my Enemy of Debt hot line!

  2. FreeBird says:

    Very cool! Thanks Brad!!

  3. I felt the same way when I got out of debt. I didn’t feel like it was real either.

    It will though, once you start saving for your EF, you will realize how fast that savings is growing without debt to hold you back

  4. Steve @ The Debt Solution says:

    I would like to extend my congratulations to the Freebirds. Keep up the good work. Thank you for sharing your story and Brad thank you from providing great inspirational content enjoy fishing!

    As for Dave Ramsey I listen to him on my XM Radio sometimes and I think he is a great man! Probably the most important thing I learned from Dave was that ‘interest rates’ don’t matter when getting out of debt. Progress does…the baby steps that turn into bigger steps.

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