Getting the 'gazelle'

Dave Ramsey often talks about paying off debt with "gazelle like intensity." I went through his "Financial Peace University" class years ago and he said that phrase a lot. I wasn't THERE. I wasn't at the point where I was going to be all gung-ho-let's do this thing-let's get outta debt! FLASH FORWARD several years and I AM all about it.

So what does it mean to get the "gazelle"? It means to get MAD And FAST about paying off debt. It means to look at your statements every month and scream at the top of your lungs and say NO MORE! I WILL NOT DO THIS ANYMORE!!!

It means seeing that balance of what you owe and going nuts. Having a yard sale the next day, listing movies and electronics on EBAY, it means deciding that you DON'T need that nice new car. It means selling your house, taking the profits and paying off debt. It means going fast and furious at getting out of debt!

Getting out of debt with gazelle like intensity means being mad at your debt and wanting to wash it away. When you catch this "Fever", you can't stop! Once you see that first balance gone, then the second one starts dwindling away, then you realize how QUICKLY you are making progress--it's like you simply CAN'T stop!

That's what getting the gazelle means... It's a fever--have you caught it?!

The adventure of the consignment shop...

Thanks to those who emailed me, text and called… appreciate it!! So for that reason alone… I am starting off with consignment shops!

If it weren’t for consignment shops, me and Ava would be wearing the SAME clothes all the time. I’m not kiddin’…my budget doesn’t allow me to spend a ton of money on clothes. In FACT, my budget barely offers any room for clothes! So… I have done what seems like the most logical thing to do…go to consignment shops. I’m not talking about walking into a dirty store where the clothes smell like an old persons attic, I am talking about walking into a clean, crisp, nice store with lots of options for you and the kiddos. Sorry guys, for some reason mens departments at consignment shops are either 1.full of a terrible selection, or 2. non existent. (I think this is because men don’t let go of things…they spend more for them, they don’t go out of style, and they wear them til they are worn and ratty.) BUT for moms and kids consignment shops can be like Christmas EVERY single day.

Case and point…today I took a huge load of mine and Ava’s clothes to The Walk In Closet. (Perfect place here in Hot Springs). I dropped off enough clothes that when they all sell I will more than likely have about $46-50 dollars to use there. Now, you CAN get cash back, but I use this as my savings account for clothes. I always have at least a little bit of money there waiting on me, so if we need something, I go digging out at the Walk In Closet for it. Anyway, I dropped off all of these clothes today and took a gander through the kids size 5 section. HOLY COW! I bought Ava 2 pairs of jeans (1 from Gap and 1 from Childrens place which STILL had the tags on them), 2 fleece sets that included the pants, a shirt AND a jacket, a halloween shirt that was too cute, a flanel top for Ava that pretty much will make her look like a rockstar, and a pair of pj’s. So… I went to check out and I had 17 dollars left on credit. And then I paid out of pocket $20. SO… I walked out the door with $37 bucks worth of clothes for Ava but the REAL truth is that if I had gone to those places where these clothes are from, I actually walked out with $100 dollars worth of clothes that i NEVER could have bought her at regular prices.

Last month I was in there dropping off clothes of Ava’s to be consigned, and I bought her a pair of New Balance tennis shoes that looked BRAND new for $9.00. They are even a half size bigger so I already have her spring tennis shoes. And if you have a 5 year old, you understand why I am already assuming her current shoes will be SHOT by spring.

So its like this… Ava dresses adoreable, if I do say so myself. She has a closet full of clothes, but luckily I have gotten rid of the clothes that don’t fit, or she doesn’t like, or that she doesn’t ever wear. Yes, I spent money today on Ava’s clothes but she NEEDED them.

It’s crucial to remember this… it’s not a bargain if you DONT NEED IT!