Don’t tell Dave Ramsey, but, we just got back from an awesome Black Hills South Dakota vacation.
Actually, you can tell him that. While your gossiping, tell him since we don’t have credit cards, we paid cash for the whole thing AND had $150 left over.
What you can’t tell him is, most of our emergency fund was depleted after we threw that party, and we went on vacation anyway. That breaks his precious Baby Step laws. Tragic isn’t it? I hope he doesn’t send the money police.
If your not familar with his Seven Baby Steps for getting out of debt, here they are…
1. Baby Emergency Fund. One-thousand dollars in the bank for true emergencies.
2. Debt Snowball. Pay off your debts (except for the house) smallest to largest rolling payments together as you pay off debts, until you are debt free except the house.
3. Fully Funded Emergency Fund. Three to six months of expenses in the bank, for true emergencies.
4. Retirement Fund. Fifteen percent of gross income saved in a retirement fund.
5. College Fund.
6. Pay Off The House Early.
7. Build Wealth.
We were on Baby Step 6 until it rained. When it rains and you spend some of your emergency fund, you are supposed to stop everything and replenish what you spent. We didn’t. We already had our cabin reserved and it would have cost us $500 to cancel. (Cabins are different than motel rooms in this regard.)
So what do you do? Tell Dave Ramsey to pound sand and take your vacation anyway…If you’re a sinner like me.
If your not, then you probably aren’t reading this anyway, so never mind.
I’m glad there are only seven baby steps and not twelve.
Stand by for some more money tips and budget-friendly vacation tips.
Simply,
Sis
Tags: baby steps, dave ramsey, emergency fund, financial planning, personal finance, spending an emergency fund, true emergencies
Did you happen to go to Wall Drug? I went there as a kid and still remember it. I hope you’re going to be sharing a few vacation photos with us so those of us who are staying home this summer can sit at our computers and be green with envy:)
Wall Drug is still there, bigger and better than when we were kids. Our kids just loved it. It was a great break after the badlands loop.
Oh, yeah, stand by for pictures…
Blessings. Sis
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