The Great Debt Payoff

This blog is my attempt to keep myself on track as I work toward getting our family debt free. But it's not just about that. My hope is that you will also benefit from the process by gleaning useful information along the way which can be applied to your own situation.

I am no expert. I have no degrees in finance, accounting or anything of the sort. I do, however, enjoy researching things, particularly on the internet, and have already wasted spent a whole lotta time compiling a lot of helpful information regarding personal finance.

But again, I am no expert. I hope you'll be able to pick up helpful hints here, but I do not claim that all of the information on this site will be free from error. Also, what may be right for me, might not be right for you. But you're smart. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out. Just don't sue me.

There are a lot of personal finance blogs on the internet (just look at the "Blogs I Read" in the sidebar). I'm amazed at how creative people are when it comes to saving and making money. As with all blogs, this one will have it's own unique slant. When it comes to personal finance, these are the things I will focus on:

• We will comfortably survive & pay off debt with one income. I have absolutely nothing against dual-income families, but I value the flexibility that comes from not being dependent on a second income to make ends meet.


• We will comfortably survive & pay off debt with one modest income. I realize The Great Debt Payoff will take longer to complete if we're not bringing in 6 figures (or anything more than we're making now), but I'm convinced that once we get the debt paid off, we will have nothing to lose but everything to gain by being in the habit of living on a modest amount of money. Currently, it's my husband who's the main breadwinner. He happens to be a pastor. I won't reveal exactly how much he makes, but I will refer you to this article at CNN Money.com which lists annual earnings for clergy at $39,900. I will tell you that his annual income is somewhere around there.


• I will find ways to save money as well as ways to make our money work harder. You know what they say: A penny saved is a penny earned. I think we already operate on a pretty lean budget, but I'm sure there are ways to shave off even more...without making drastic lifestyle changes.


• I will explore and employ creative ways to make supplemental income online in order to pay off debt faster. Another priority of mine is to be home with my family as much as possible. And I don't want to have to leave my house to make extra money. Lots of people make money online, so why can't I? I'll share what I learn.

Speaking of making money online, I feel compelled to tell you that this blog itself is one of my sources of supplemental income. Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link, you'll be taken to a separate website selling a particular product or service. Depending on what kind of affiliate link it is, there is a possibility that I might be paid a little something by that particular company as a thank you for referring a customer or potential customer to them. I ONLY PARTICIPATE IN AFFILIATE PROGRAMS SELLING PRODUCTS/SERVICES I HAVE USED MYSELF OR FOR WHICH I HAVE SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE ARE HIGH QUALITY. And of course, I will also explain how you too can make money as an affiliate.

As I said before, I am no expert in the area of personal finance. I know that a lot of you are very wise and insightful when it comes to money. I am eager to learn and eager to hear various viewpoints on the subject. Therefore, I welcome any and all input you might have to help me and others make better financial decisions. Please make good use of the comments feature on this blog! I will not be able to respond to each comment or email individually, but know that your comments are not made in vain as I read them and as others read them too.

To being debt free!

Amy,

I think that this comic strip might give you another idea about how to raise some $$$ in the near future... ;^)

-ghp

ghp,

I like this idea. But my baby is so cute, I think I'll charge $10.

Hi Amy
I'm a pastor in the Uk, on far less than you guys, sorry jealousy creeping in there, I'm thinking of sending my children up chimneys to clean them. It used to be profitable in the 19th century, perhaps there is a gap in the market waiting to be exploited over there... keep blogging

Hey rowhedgepastor, good to "meet" ya. I'll have to pass your blogger profile link on to my husband...another one who loves Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology book! :)