I am taking the first steps in reaching financial independance and freedom.  It is called a budget.  Until recently I have never given any real credit to the concept behind a budget.  I make pretty decent salary, and for the most part have always been able to buy what I want, when I want it.  If I didn’t have the cash for it (most of the time) I simply took out the old credit card and bought it (naughty, naughty).  No I am reaping what I have sown (debt, debt, and more debt).  I have only my foolishness and need for instant gratification to blame.  But I am not without hope.  A few months ago I stumbled upon a great blog.  I no longer really remember how I found it.  I am unsure if it was a link from lifehacker or some other website I was reading at the time, or if it was from a google search, but it is on of the few sites I read on a regular basis.  And I have found a hero.  Trent Hamm is my hero.  His website is called The Simple Dollar. 

  Trent details his story about “Financial Armageddon”, and how he is working to overcome it and take control of his financial life.  His story resonated with me and I was drawn in.  I have read parts of his site many, many times, and am currently working through his 31 Days to fix your finances series.  This is one of his series that I have read and read multiple times, and have worked partially through it a few times.  I am doing it now, but don’t intend to take 31 days to do it.  He strongly recommends that you do indeed take the time, and he is the master, but I have been giving it alot of thought lately, and am ready to go.

  I have downloaded a few budget spreadsheets from different sites, and will post up the details of the one I finally decide on.  I figure I will take advantage of the personal finance blogosphere and not reinvent the wheel, at least in the begining.  Trent provides great advice on lots of different things, that can help reduce expenses and generally get your act together.  He also provides links to other great bloggers that provide valuable lessons and tools to help get things straight.  As time goes on I will discuss more and more of these tools and people, but for now I have to get busy making the budget.

Side note

  As I am writing this post, my wife walks by me and starts laughing.  “You have been talking about doing a budget for months.  I have been tracking our money and paying our bills and holding down the finances for a long time and you have to admit I have been doing a good job”.  And she is absolutely right.  She has been doing all the finances and making the decisions and I have been talking about doing a budget for months.  We then had the first of what will be many talks about our plans to be debt free (minus or mortgage) in the next four years, when I retire from the military.  It’s time now to roll up the sleeves and get down and dirty with this budget.

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