The Plan

So I read the book, Queen of the Road (Doreen Orion) and decide - in five years we are going to do this!  Sell everything we have, work and travel across the US . . .

Do we have ANY resources built up to do this?  Heck, no.  In fact, Mark and I are just coming up on the end of a five-year Chapter 13 that we were forced to go into after having three major hospitalizations over three years that had left us more than a little in debt.  AND have just gotten the news that we are not on track with aforementioned bankruptcy and must come up with over $10,000 in three months!  Oh, and did I mention that I had had a major attack of "cabin fever" in record-setting cold temeperatures in Alaska over the Christmas holiday and very spontaneously (a probably irresponsibly) planned a Hawaiian vacation for April that we could not afford?  What to do, what to do . . .

Since we were coming to end of our "BK" that had been sucking out $1500 a month that I knew would come available soon, I had made an appointment with a financial planner so that we would be set up to have that extra money immediately commited when the BK was done.  The planner was extremely busy, but after about a month of phone tag and changed appointments, we were able to connect.  She explained her services, and I explained our goals and abysmal financial state.  She suggested we might need a couple of extra years to achieve our goals, as well as the fact that to begin her services would require $800.  She sent me away with some homework, and a "why don't we plan on getting together again when you're really at the end of your bankruptcy?"

About a week later, Mark had promised a friend from church's son that we would listen to a presentation he needed practice giving for a business opportunity he had joined (keyword in my book - MLM scam) - no strings attached.  I was less than enthusiastic.  Enter Jeff Smith (the mentor) and Chris Smith (mentee) (and no relation), representatives with Primerica.  As they began making their presentation (again telling us that they really WERE here just for Chris's practice), I was hearing about the same key features of the other financial planner - but that they would do it for FREE.  We also really hit it off, and although it was probably a record-setting, long appointment on their part, felt really comfortable putting our money in their hands.  Jeff was a wealth of financial information (pun totally intended), and he would work WITH us on achieving this five year, crazy plan that we had (okay, crazy was my term, he never said that). 

That was about a month ago.  Fast forward to today, where Mark and I have made a week-by-week spending budget to cover us through the end of our bankruptcy so that it can successfully be discharged (Did you know that only 25% of Chapter 13s are successfully completed?!?), have gotten enrolled in a reasonable long-term care plan (Another fun fact - one in two people WILL require some type of long-term care, with women typically needing six years' worth!), have unenrolled in unnecessary optional health plans (i.e., cancer specific and extra disability), and made specfic plans to build up our emergency fund and long-term savings.  Wow!  Busy month! 

Also during this time, Mark and I opened up a box that has been sitting under our coffee table for over a year:  Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University.  Our oldest daughter bought us the program after we had to borrow money from her while she was in Afghanistan in order to keep the roof over our heads (literally).  When your children are seeing a pattern in your month-to-month financial struggles, it really should be a red flag!  We are on DVD #5 (to be watched this evening), and have set up the financial management software on my computer.  Between Jeff, Chris, and our new "friend" Dave, Mark and I have discovered that even after the close of the bankruptcy, we are $68,531 in debt, not including our house. 

SO - our goal in working with Jeff, Chris, and Dave is to get ourselves totally debt free, have $150,000 in a retirement fund, PLUS have the cash to buy a new truck and fifth-wheel to live in in the next five years!  Can we do it?  When anyone ever tells me no, it just gives me more impetus to prove them wrong!