Goodbye Student Loans!!!!

It's time to celebrate!!!  We paid off my student loans on Monday and we're so excited!  I'm so grateful for my husband encouraging me to pay them off.  As weird as it sounds, I finally feel like I "own" my degrees!

Just a little background if you don't know me -  I got my BBA in accounting from Baylor University and my MS in accounting at the University of Texas at Dallas.  Thankfully I had scholarships help me pay for my first two years at Baylor and worked to pay my bills, but I took out student loans to help me with the rest of Baylor and graduate school at UTD.  And Baylor isn't cheap...had I known how much it was going to cost me, I probably wouldn't have gone there.  BUT the Lord has others plans so I don't regret going.  I really did love it!

The full amount of time that it would have taken to pay off my student loans was 15 years.  I've been out of college for 8 years and was only able to make the minimum payment for most of those years.  At times, the minimum payment was the same amount as most people's rent so I'm sure glad to be done with that.

I didn't do everything right when it came to paying them off, but here are some tips that helped us pay them off sooner:

1) Anytime you receive money that is not a part of your normal budget to pay bills, put it towards the loans!  Examples - income tax refund, work bonus, selling stuff on Craigslist/Ebay, gifts, commission

2) If you can afford even just small amount more than the minimum payment each month, do it!  It makes a big difference in the long run!

3) Cut back your food/entertainment budget so you can pay more on the student loans.

4) Do NOT get yourself into more debt.  Only purchase what you can afford.  I could argue either way on a mortgage, but I won't go there now.

5) Keep driving the car you have rather than buying a new one if it gets you from A to B.  Don't get a car loan.

I hope those are helpful!  Just remember that student loan debt will not be forgiven!  They can garnish your wages if you don't pay, so don't think you can get away with forgetting about them.  The longer it takes to pay them off, the more of that pesky little interest you will pay.

Now we're onto attacking the mortgage!!  Woo hoo!!

Here's to 2014!

I know I'm a little late on this post but hey, better late than never, right?!

Honestly, I don't make new years resolutions because I usually fail at them.  After hearing my pastor's sermon a couple Sundays ago, I was motivated to make some goals.  You can listen to Pastor Andy's sermon here.  I also like what Jodie, our pastor to women, said about it here.

My goal in 2014 is to be more like my master, Jesus Christ.  While this is a daunting task, it is a realistic one if I break it down into smaller tasks...perhaps, more tangible tasks. 

I've also made some health-related goals that are unique for me. 

So I share my more specific goals with you, asking you to help keep me accountable:

1) Wake up earlier - I am a huge fan of sleep!  I think that getting 8 hours of sleep a night is healthy and just puts me in a better mood.  But I also am very productive when I wake up early and get things done in the morning.  It also will help me achieve #2 and #3!  So I'm attempting to get to bed early so I can wake up early every day.  Plus...Jesus did it and I'm striving to be more like Him!



 

2) Spend time with God daily - Even if it's just a short amount of time, I want to make a habit of this.  Sometimes I get down on myself for not doing it, but even 10 minutes is better than nothing!  Baby steps, Kelli, baby steps.  What a perfect way to enrich my relationship with my Best Friend and Father!  Shouldn't we want to spend time with our best friend to deepen our relationship?!  I'm finding this book to be an awesome way to do this!  Each day is short and full of wisdom.  Thank you for this book, IBC women's ministry!

Jesus Today by Sarah Young

 

 

3) Work out 2-3 times a week - I used to work out more often and probably should now, but I need to start with something realistic.  Even as a woman with no kids, I am SO busy and it's hard to find time to work out.  You know how most girls exercise like crazy before their wedding??  Yeah, I was the opposite.  I worked out much less because I was so busy!  Then we had the holidays!  Thankfully, my building at work just put in a new gym that I can use for free!  And I can watch Heroes on Netflix on their awesome iPhone hookup on each monitor!  That's motivation! Ha!  I also do my Advocare workout DVD at home when I can't make it to the gym.

 



 

Ok, let's pretend that this is me now, not my freshman year in high school...



 

4)  Eat "out" less often - Eating out costs so much money and you don't know what they put in your "healthy" meal, should you choose one.  We're aiming to eat at home more often - plus, I love cooking!  However, meeting friends for dinner is a huge part of our social life.  Relationships with others is a high priority for me so I'll still do this every now and then.  I'll just find a healthy balance!

 



 

5) Eat fewer tomatoes and fried food - fun fact about Kelli: I have acid reflux. Not so fun, right?!  It's actually pretty difficult to manage seeing as how I LOVE tomatoes.  The following foods are highly acidic and are bad for my stomach: tomatoes, pineapple, oranges, lemons, limes, red wine, coffee, spicy food, garlic, onion, vinegar, grapefruit, etc.  The following flares it up for other reasons: fried food (french fries!), alcohol, fatty foods.  Many of my favorite things to eat are on that list!  My obsession with tomatoes and french fries is probably what caused it.  Try to find a crockpot meal that doesn't include one of these...it's hard!  I'd like to get off of my medicine though so I'm aiming to be good.

 



 

6) Pray for my husband intentionally - there is nothing more powerful than prayer.  I want to be more intentional about praying for every aspect of Kevin's life.  It'll also help me to see him as God does.  I'm praying through this book currently:

 

"A Wife's Prayer" by Pamela Hines



 

7) Learn how to say "no" (and not feel bad about it) - I really struggle with this.  I'm working on not saying "yes" to all things and all people and I think I'm making progress.  Now that I have a husband, he's a priority, but I still value friendships very much so I'm learning how to balance that.  I've also limited my weekly commitments to only two things - where I volunteer as a budget counselor (New Friends New Life) and our young-marrieds small group at church (starting this Sunday!)  Here is a great post from Mix and Match Mama this week on this topic:

 



 

Don't be afraid to ask me how I'm doing on all of these!  I need accountability!





30 Things To Do Before You're 30

I recently clicked on a link that was shared by 4 of my Facebook friends thinking, "this should be a great article!"  It was entitled "23 Things To Do Instead of Getting Engaged Before You're 23".

As you probably know, I got married at 30 and though being single in my 20's was hard at times, especially when Facebook constantly reminded me that I was not married and didn't have children, I don't regret it.  In fact, I am very grateful for it.  I loved my 20's!  The Lord is perfect in His timing and I couldn't imagine my life without my amazing husband now.  I am so blessed.

I believe that God has a different story for each and every person.  For some, that's getting married at 19.  For some, that's getting married at 45.  For some, that's never getting married.  It doesn't matter.  I believe that getting married is NOT our goal in life...loving God and loving others is.  But whatever God's story is for you, you are called to do it the best that you can.

Ok, back to this blog about not getting engaged before you're 23...  I think the idea of the post is great!  The actual 23 things, I don't quite agree with.  I have a bone to pick with one (well, many but I'll just mention this one) - "#7 Get a tattoo.  It's more permanent than a marriage"....Not that I'm against tattoos at all, it's the second part.  It's sad that our society views marriage as being not permanent.  Say what you want...I know I've only been married for 2.5 months, but I do know what the Bible says.  If we go into marriage with that mindset, we're doomed to fail.

If God has called you to be single for longer than you thought you would be, why not enjoy it?!  Why not make the most of it?!  I decided to make my own list since I didn't agree with the other one.  I can't say that I achieved all of these in my 20's, but I'm so glad that I did achieve the ones that I did!

So here you go...30 things to do before you're 30 (especially if you're not married):

1) Figure out who you are - this is your transition from childhood to adulthood.  Figure out what you believe in, what you like, what you want out of life before you bring others into the mix.

2) Think about your future - Do you want to go to school? Do you want to work your way up in a company?  Do you want to start your own business? Do you want to be a stay-at-home-mom/dad? Do you want to travel?

3) Start saving money!  Figure out how you're NOT going to be in debt the rest of your life like the rest of America.  And I'll tack this one on - start saving for your retirement.

4) Pick a state in the US you've never been to and GO!  This may require saving up some money, but do it while you're healthy and don't have children depending on you.  You can totally do this once you have kids, but from what I hear, it's a heck of a lot harder.  I plan to do it more when I do have kids!

5) If you can save up a little more money, visit a country that is out of your comfort-zone.  The USA is a wonderful country and I'm so grateful to have been raised here, but going to another country opens your eyes like nothing else can.  No matter where you live, you start to subconsciously think that the world revolves around you.  That is wrong.  Way wrong.  God has created SO many cultures, SO many people groups, SO many different environments.  I can't explain how it opens your eyes, but it really does.  I wish everyone could do this before they die.  It gives you perspective on the world and God's immense love.

6) Date around.  Date different types of people.  Find out what you like, what kinds of personalities you work with and clash with.  Honestly, this will get you hurt at times.  But getting hurt is what makes you stronger and helps you to figure out what you will work with successfully.  It can help you be wiser in your choice of a mate.

7) Go to a counselor.  I can't tell you how much counseling has done for me.  I don't care who you are, where you come from, how healthy you think you are.  You can benefit from counseling.  We all have stuff that we need to talk through.  NOTE: There are good and bad counselors.  Do your research.  Ask your friends.  Find a good one!!!

8) Be artistic -  Paint a painting.  Copy something on Pinterest.  Bake a cake.  Make a wallet out of duct tape (wink, wink Penny).  No, we're not all artsy people...myself included.  But there's something therapeutic about being creative.

9) Figure out who your true friends are.  A wedding most certainly shows you this, but if you keep your eyes open and observe who cares about your friendships as much as you do, you'll save yourself a lot of time.

10) Try all types of foods - perhaps you'll like something you didn't think you'd like.  Try Thai, Greek, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Ethiopian, Vietnamese, American, German, Chinese, Cambodian, Korean, Belgian, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Brazilian, etc.

11) Learn how to do something new - Maybe you were never taught how to swim...why not learn how to as an adult? Learn how to sew.  Learn how to fix a car.  Learn how to invest.

12) Make at least one big decision on your own that most people do as a married couple - You will learn how to be independent and strong on your own.  Making these decisions as a couple is huge, but if you're one that defers to another person most of the time, it will help you to be more decisive and independent.  Purchasing my condo as a single woman definitely shaped who I am today.

13) Visit your family often - I hope you're from a family that is loving, because I know that not all are.  But if you are, spend time with them.  They are some of the only people that will still be there for you years down the line.  And remember...family isn't always the one that you were born into.

14) Learn some jokes from your grandpa.

15) Put up a Christmas tree in your home at Christmas, even if you live alone and think that no one will ever see it.  Do it for yourself.

16) Join a social group - through a church, through your apartment complex, on Meetup.com, with some common goal like rock climbing or running.

17) Become friends with many different types of people - get to know your neighbors, invite new friends to coffee just to learn from them, listen to views that are different from your own.

18) Scan your Facebook newsfeed less often - it leads to comparing our own lives to others and jealousy often stems from it.

19) Brush your teeth every night - I know it's basic, but I know most people don't.  That's a lot of money you'll be spending down the line on dental work so why not prevent it starting now?

20) Get a pet (or at least "pet-sit" for a friend) - animals have a way of showing love that most humans cannot.

21) Learn to be content with your present circumstances -  "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." - Paul in Philippians 4:11

22) Volunteer your time - "An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs - how he can please the Lord." -1 Corinthians 7:32  Don't worry...I'm not saying that as a single person, you have all the time in the world.  I know that's not true!  It used to frustrate me when people acted like I had all the time in the world because I wasn't married and wasn't a mother.  No matter if you're married or single, I believe that we're called to help others in need.  Use your time to give to others while receiving nothing in return.

23) Go to New Zealand - I know this is expensive and doesn't quite jive with #3, but don't miss out on this beautiful country.  You will experience the most majestic mountains, huge glaciers, stunning wine country, massive whales, safest hostels, adrenaline-pumping adventure activities, intriguing history, and Frodo-spotting tours...not really.  Seriously, words cannot explain how amazing this country is.

24) Exercise - Don't let the people who are obsessed with it intimidate you.  Do it for you.  Do it to keep your heart healthy.  You don't want to be the person at 65 saying "I wish I had...."

25) Pay off debt - Work as hard as you can to obtain financial freedom from debt.  Live minimally so you can pay off your student loans, credit cards, car loans.  You can even work aggressively to pay off your mortgage at a young age.

26) Get checked out by a dermatologist.  Remember all that time you spent in the sun in college?  Skin cancer doesn't only choose those over 40.  Start wearing sunblock regularly.

27) Find a mentor.  Everyone can benefit from learning from someone who is older and wiser than he or she is.  They may help you avoid some major pain and provide insight you never would have fathomed.

28) Move out of your parents house at some point.  Be independent.  Learn how to navigate on your own.

29) Take at least one year to be single.  Some people come out of one relationship and dive right into another.  #6 is still true - date around.  But commit at least one full year to being single.  It'll help you accomplish #1!

30) Open your heart to seeing God's love for you.  Whether you believe in God or not, give Him a chance, just to see if He does it.  Let Him reveal Himself to you.  Put your faith in Him.  It's the most important decision you'll make in your entire life.


You don't have to be unmarried or under 30 to do these things.  I'm still working on some!  But I would encourage you to take advantage of them if you are.  You only live once...as much as I make fun of people who say YOLO, there's some truth to it.  But do it wisely.  For our true rewards are in Heaven for eternity.

Thanksgiving and Money!

Happy Thanksgiving week!!!!

This will be my first Thanksgiving to ever host and I'm excited!  We're having my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and super cute nephew over on Thursday and I'm cooking us a delicious meal!

But first things first...the only recipe I have to share with you this week is this awesome pasta bake from Mix and Match Mama Blog.

Spinach Pesto Pasta Bake

 

Kevin and I really enjoyed it!  The recipe made a large amount so with just two people to feed, we ended up with a lot of leftovers!  So needless to say, we've been eating leftovers since then.  I prepared it exactly like she says.  The only things I'd do differently next time is maybe add some more cooking liquid and mix mozzarella into the pasta to make it a bit more moist.

 

I have a few recipes I plan on trying this week so check back later for the results.  For Thanksgiving, I'm going to keep it simple for my first one and make the traditional dishes...turkey, ham, greenbean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes and crescent rolls...oh and a chocolate chip pie from Mix and Match Mama again.  My sister-in-law is bringing the mac n cheese!  I'll be honest, I normally like to cook with fresh ingredients, cut out the unhealthy stuff and put my own twist to it, but I'm not doing that this year.  I know my audience and I know they want the traditional stuff.  And it's once a year, so why not?!  I'll get more healthy at future Thanksgivings!

 

 

Money!!!!

 

On a different note, I want to share about something non-food related!  Something I'm passionate about (hold on...don't get too excited) is budgeting money.  I know...make fun of me...I'm an accountant!  But I don't think it matters if you're an accountant or not.  Money is something EVERY person handles and depends on to live in this economy.  It can make or break you.  The love of it can hurt you, the lack of it can stress you out.  It can be used as a blessing, it can be used as a weapon.  Whether you're single, married, white, black, young, old, tall or short, this topic affects YOU!  Financial freedom is so important and in fact, it's Biblical.  We are to be good stewards of our money (1 Peter 5:2-3), be cheerful givers (2 Corinthians 9:7), honor the Lord with it (Proverbs 3:9), work hard for it (Proverbs 10:4), but not put our hope in it (1 Timothy 6:17).

 

For the past 5.5 years, I have volunteered as a budget counselor for New Friends New Life, a non-profit organization that helps women leave the sex industry and lead them to a life of self-sufficiency.

 



 

In our budget counseling program, we teach women how to track their expenses, budget their money, and about spending tips that can help them be able to become financial independent.  My main goal in this program has been to teach others how important tracking your expenses is.  Before I did this myself, I never knew where my money went.  I didn't know if I was overspending on food or entertainment.  I believe that you have to know where your money is going or you won't be wise with it.

 

I used an Excel spreadsheet to do this for years and it worked very well for me.  And then I got married.  I've only been married for 5.5 weeks and I can already see how hard dealing with finances can be.  I have always heard that the majority of marital arguments involve money and I believe it.  My husband and I have been trying to figure out the expense tracking part first...baby steps!  We have both been using Excel as single people, but that doesn't work very well for us together.  So here's what we're trying...

 



 

Goodbudget is a smartphone app where we can each enter our daily expenses/bills/income in one place.  I know there are many out there such as YNAB and Mint.  In fact, one of my friend's husbands (computer guy) has created his own app for them to use.  We're not "techies" so we're using one that the Apple Store has to offer.  We're liking this one so far!  We don't like how it allocates income to certain categories so we just leave it uncategorized, but that doesn't matter.  It's just nice to see how much we spend, as a couple, on a monthly basis.  We know when we're getting close to the monthly budgeted amount for a category and can appropriately plan how much to put in savings or pay extra on the mortgage each month.  Our goal is to be debt-free (including the mortgage) in just a few years.  We'll have a better timeline once we get the hang of this...again, it's only been 5.5 weeks.

 

I encourage you to start tracking your expenses if you don't already.  Download an app or sign up with a website like mint.com.  I'm also happy to send you my Excel spreadsheets if you'd like to try one of those.  If you already do track expenses, I'd love to hear what you are using and how you like it! 

 

There are so many budget-related topics that I'd love to write about (saving, investing, how it affects your marriage, debt, spending tips, etc), but I'll save those for another post so this one doesn't get too long! 

 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!  Be safe, have fun with your friends and family, Sic 'em Bears and most of all, remember...

 

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for those who belong to Christ Jesus."

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18