A Year (a life?) Without Credit Cards

Well, it has been well over a year since we have used a credit card. Unfortunately, I don't know the exact date we shredded the credit cards, but we freed ourself from consumer debt six months later on February 22nd, 2007, by making the last and final consumer debt payment we will ever make to payoff a chase credit card. The only debt we have left to payoff are our student loans. Tamra and I have vowed to never have consumer debt again. It's one of our "No Matter What's".

We have to thank Dave Ramsey and his book, The Total Money Makeover, for sharing the wisdom of living debt free along with a plan to become debt free that works. Living below our means has changed our life and we are planning a debt free life for us and our girls. We do plan on getting a small mortgage on a house that we can payoff in five years or less while we payoff our student loans. We hope that we will be able to help our girls start a debt free life by setting a good example, planning to help them pay for college and maybe even help them with a starter home.

Over the next few weeks, I'll share how we did it. But for now, I would recommend renting Dave Ramsey's book at the library. It's a quick read (it's motivating) and this book has the potential to change you life, too! You just have to do it!!!

The Richest Man Who Ever Lived (Book Review)

Last night I finished the book, The Richest Man Who Ever Lived, King Solomon's Secrets to Success, Wealth, and Happiness by Steven K. Scott. It's an interesting book that makes you think about some of the teachings of the past which are true today. My only 'complaint' about the book is the author seems to focus on using a few mistakes he made in the past as examples over and over again(yes, I know you lost millions of dollars a few times!!!, yes I remember the jobs you lost when you first left college, etc). Other than the repetition of the authors mistakes, which do serve his points and this is just my observation, the book is an excellent read. I really enjoyed the discussion on Diligence. There is a lot that goes into being diligent and I think the book is worthy of reading just for that discussion. It will definitely inspire you to want to study Proverbs again.

Review: "on being a photographer" by David Hurn and Bill Jay

"on being a photographer" by David Hurn and Bill Jay was an excellent book. It was different than I expected in a good way. The book has a slight focus on documentary photography, but the discussion is applicable to all types of photography. My favorite chapters were "Selecting A Subject", "Shooting the Single Picture" and "The Picture Essay", but most chapters are entertaining and educational. The discussion is very motivational and it pleasantly focuses on subjects other than trying to tell you the how to set-up your shot. The book also inspired me to think of a few photographic projects that I plan on executing in the near future. The chapters also begin with a very nice quote. My favorite from the beginning of the chapter on "Selecting A Subject" is below:

"They said, 'You have a blue guitar
You do not play things as they are.'
The man replied, 'Things as they are
Are changed upon the blue guitar.'

Wallace Stevens,
The Man with The Blue Guitar"

I'm currently reading "Letting Go of the Camera" by Brooks Jenson which is another book that is excellent so far (25% complete). I'll give a brief review once I finish it.