“Complexity is the enemy of execution”

~ Tony Robbins

There is nothing new under the sun! I have chosen to use Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University Baby Steps (Are you familiar with Dave Ramsey?) and the Dream Manager Program to help people achieve financial and emotional freedom. I have always worked with money, beginning with my first grown-up job as a bank teller and ending with my last role as director of operations in a financial planning firm. Debt is such a culprit to financial freedom. The key to financial freedom is easy but difficult to execute – pay off debt and build wealth. That’s it.

I didn’t do everything when taking my Financial Peace University course. Still, I did two things to begin: I funded an emergency account with $1,000 and continued with recurring monthly deposits, building the emergency fund to four months of essential expenses. My other decision was to keep making the monthly car payment of $387, even though I’ve paid off the car. It was my future car account.

One of my favorite stories is the purchasing experience of my car today, a 2023 Camry XSE V6. It’s an upgrade to what I had in mind: the power, sunroof, and leather. I LOVE IT. I had test-drove a Camry near my home, but there was a car inventory shortage. Do you remember that season? Post-COVID supply chain issue we experienced? There was no negotiation power and, worse, a $4,000.00 premium to add to that because of the high demand for new and used cars. I don’t like to pay full price for anything. Let alone a hefty premium. Can you relate? It’s funny how our mind works. I didn’t do it, yet I regretted it when a vehicle became available and someone put a deposit on it. UGH! A few months later, when we were visiting family in Tampa, FL, for Christmas, unbeknownst to me, my curious husband looked online at a FL dealer and found a Camry that may interest me. I didn’t take it too seriously. After all, what is the chance of buying a car while you are on vacation? It’s not like buying shoes or souvenirs, right? Before you know it – I was negotiating with the dealer while my husband and his dad watched the whole thing. By the way, I hate negotiation – but I also know numbers. It was more like a game because what is the chance of walking out with a car? After 3 hours of going back and forth, I was shocked and in awe when I signed for the car purchase. I paid the car in full at a price I named, not a penny more – LIEN FREE. I drove the new car on an almost 1,000-mile trip home to Virginia while my husband flew back the next day. It was freeing and memorable.

I hope this can be your story too.

This is the first of a three-part series, outlining the path to financial freedom:

· Keep it Simple

· Stick to the Program

· Stay the Course

Dare to Dream Again