Monday, March 9, 2009

Saving.

Jason and I have definitely had our ups and downs with savings. When we first got married, we financed quite a few things. Our couches, TV…TV Stand, kitchen table and bar stools…contact, dinner….blah blah blah…
We had ourselves in a lot of debt and we were ignorant to do that to ourselves. We put our future in danger of happiness and freedom. Well, you live you learn. We are ALMOST (not quite) out of debt and on our way to financial freedom (as Dave Ramsey would say!) Since we have started on the road to “financial freedom” we no longer use credit cards OF ANY KIND. We pay cash for EVERYTHING, and if we do nt have the cash, then we do not BUY the item.
Example…
I saved for over a year and used part of my tax return money to pay for my Lasik surgery last year.
We only buy cash cars now.
And the most recent case, which is the cause for this post is this:
We are in major need of a new mattress. A soft, pillow-top, beautiful King size mattress. I CAN’T WAIT! We went mattress shopping this past weekend and visited a few stores. The first one we came to, the prices were OUTRAGEOUS. (Mattress Firm) I mean the salesman did not even offer to budge off the price, and he wasn’t really that nice either.
Well, we were walking around the store and there was a young couple sitting at a desk talking with a salesman. He was telling them how their “financing” (“that really isn’t financing”) works. At only 14.5%, your lovely $1500.00 mattress suddenly comes to cost only $1900.00. As low as $49.00 a month! WHOA, no kidding!?!?!? All I wanted to do was tell them that they didn’t NEED a mattress that bad…and if they DID, they can have my old one while they save up cash to buy a new one. I felt so bad for them, because I was once in that place. Do you REALLY need to finance $1500.00???? REALLY? It is going to take them 3 or 4 years to pay that off, and an extra $300 or $400. Gees!

I am so happy that we are where we are, and are able and educated on finances enough to know better on what to do.
It feels so good to tell that salesman we will be back with CASH in hand to buy THAT super soft mattress! (It’s AMAZING!) – Of course we wheeled and dealed with them, and even still are working in the price a little bit! We’ll see who really EARNS our business.
I like James at Sleep Experts. He has a 9 month old, and is so excited to be a new dad!!!! :-) That just me though. Yeah!!!

4 comments:

Misty said...

Good job Katy and Jason!!! you inspire me! miss you lots!

Anonymous said...

Yay! I am thankful that by the time B and I got married we both shared the same view on credit. We pay cash or get a card for the discount then pay it off as soon as it posts to the account. This has worked for me, and he now appreciates this way of life. We do have to be disciplined. We can't have the brand new boats, cars, furniture that a lot of the people that live by us here have. But, so what??! We feel much better not having debt in our lives!

Proud of you! Oh--and keep wheeling with them. It's ridiculous in this economy for a mattress store to think they shouldn't budge off of their price.

Stacy Ann said...

So hows the mattress working out for y'all?

Lauren said...

Oh, Katy....I wish I chose to have the lacross players on our flight....I am just that lucky. Actually, God knew how terrible my flight to DFW was,s o he made sure the flight back to Denver was more enjoyable. If the return flight was horrible to, I would have had to swear off flying all together.

I love that you are doing so well with Dave Ramsey! It is exciting to be free!