Dave Ramsey and Donkey Basketball

Hello everyone!


Well, I knew this week would finally come. I have been preparing myself for it, psyching myself up for it and doing mental push-ups in anticipation of it. We have begun work on the impossible task of  ( insert "Psycho" music here ): THE FAMILY BUDGET!!
We are taking the Financial Peace University course by Dave Ramsey in hopes that we can one day have... ....umm....financial peace. Seriously, it really is great. We are doing it through our church and we have been having so much fun with the group, especially knowing that we are pretty much all in the same dollar-hemorraghing boat of  having never saved a penny! Well, week 3 is upon us and it is the week for the more "lengthy" budget plan to be put in place. Dave says that most couples have a "nerd" and a "free spirit"...I discovered yesterday which categories that Jeff and I fit into when I compared my 12 month ( with 3 months of extras in case of mistakes ) colated, divider wielding, 3 ring binder-full of FPU Budget Forms, with a nifty cover that reads: SELF FAMILY BUDGET,  to Jeff's bent legal pad with 3 pages of illegible scribbles. ( Guess which we will be using??..Oh, the nerd is usually also very controlling! ) We have been diligently working, working to get our plan in place to start February out on the right track next week. So THIS week I have bought new shoes, new clothes, and today got a new $50 cut and color.( Jeff doesn't know about the coloring part yet )...AND Donkey Basketball tickets for tonight.


Donkey basketball is a fund-raising event wherein unsuspecting school personnel and parents mount trusty burros and attempt to fall off the beast less than the opposing team while scoring baskets if possible. It is really quite a spectacle! There was much falling, pulling, pushing, and sliding off the front ends of heads-down donkeys who had put on the brakes. There was even an ever-watchful crew of pooper-picker-uppers ready at a moment's notice with broom and bucket. At intermission it was announced that there would be donkey rides for $1. ( Jonah informed me that it was FREE donkey rides for $1 ). He started out the night with $5 and I thought, "What a great opportunity to teach Jonah how to BUDGET his spending cash!" Well, after a snowcone, sour straws, and a bag of Goldfish, and a Panther Pride bracelet, his $5 was no more. My lesson plan was going into action!  I was visiting with a couple from our Dave Ramsey class who was also attending, explaining to Jonah as they listened,  "That means you don't get a donkey ride. You have spent all your money. Once the money is gone, it is gone." When I went back to my seat Jonah came up to me waving a dollar bill that the other "Dave Ramsey" couple had given him. I looked over his shoulder and saw them laughing at me and my "lesson"!! How did it end? Jonah got a donkey ride.


So I guess before class Monday we have to finish up the budgeting process and figure up how much debt we have so we can add it to everyone else's in a collective lump sum to see how dumb we have all been with our money...
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Wait..I knew I had left something out of the budget...We forgot the Bath and Body Works category!!!