financial peace university

Money

The October Budget Breakdown

September 30, 2015

Welcome back to the budget breakdown here at True Good and Beautiful!

We’ve recently started coordinating another Financial Peace University course and it’s gotten us fired up about budgeting all over again. Nothing like a shot in the arm from Dave Ramsey to get jazzed about the fundamental principles of financial freedom.

That’s what budgeting is, my friends. It’s fundamental to your winning or losing with money.

Your life will hinge on your ability to create and stick to a budget or your lack of ability to do so. Plain and simple. That’s why we DO these budget reminders every month because we want y’all thriving!

With that, let’s dive into October’s budget post.

In these posts we will write-up typical expenses that may get overlooked for the particular month.

So, what expenses might you expect in the month of October:

ALL THE FALL THINGS!!!!
- Pumpkin Spice Lattes
- Cider
- Food Festivals
- Oktoberfest
- Pumpkin Patch
- Hayrides
- Horseback riding
- Corn Maze
- Apple Picking
- Decorating
- Pumpkin Carving
- I could go on for days…you get the idea!
Halloween/All Saints Day
- Secular costume
- Saint costume
- Candy or other treats
- Party supplies
- Decorations
Holidays Travel
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
Other Fall Activities
- Football games
- Baseball games
- Football parties
- Fantasy Football fees
Christmas (good idea to start saving a few months ahead!)
- Gifts
- Decorations
Birthdays
Conference Fees
- We’re attending the Dave Ramsey SMART Conference this month!
Anniversaries
- We celebrate 4 years of marriage on October 22nd! 🙂
Annual Family Photo Shoot
- Photography Fees
- Props
- Outfits/Accessories
- Photo printing costs
Car Maintenance
- Transmission Overhaul (blog post comin about that one!)

Again, these are some expenses we’ve found ourselves budgeting for this month, so they might be applicable to you or not. Some of these expenses are best budgeted for as a sinking fund...like car maintenance or Christmas.

Happy budgeting y’all!

Money

How to Attend Financial Peace University for FREE

September 1, 2015

It’s THAT time of year again!

It’s time for a giveaway around the True Good and Beautiful blog!

What are we giving away? (Like you don’t have us figured out here yet…) 😉

1 FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY MEMBERSHIP!!!!

To say that Dave Ramsey has a huge influence on how we choose to live in the understatement of the year.

Using his materials and methods are the sole reasons we are debt-free and living on a budget today. His message has literally changed our lives.

And we can’t help but pass along this opportunity to others.

Nope, this opportunity was not sponsored by Dave Ramsey.

We simply believe so powerfully in the freedom that comes in handling money God’s way that we want to pay it forward to someone else. We want to bless an individual or family who would benefit from going through this class.

In fact, we did this giveaway last year and this is what one winner had to say:

“Since then (attending FPU), I’ve felt much more financial freedom in the knowledge that this is something God and I are doing together, and at the end of the day, He’s calling the shots.”

What is Financial Peace University (FPU)?

“Financial Peace University is a nine-week class on money taught by America’s most trusted financial guru, Dave Ramsey. Dave and his teaching team will walk you through the basics of budgeting, dumping debt, planning for the future, and much more!”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDW3HEgh_w8
You can see a sample of all nine lessons here.

Most classes start in a couple of weeks, hence the giveaway. You can see a list of locations, dates, and times at the FPU website. If you’re in the Denver area, consider joining the class we’re coordinating (starts Thursday, Sept 24, 2015).

Jonathan and I have attended and facilitated Financial Peace University and it’s been a huge blessing in our life and parish. If you could benefit from sprucing up your finances or demolishing old habits and starting over, then sign up to win one of these classes we are giving away.

It literally can change your life and the lives of those around you.

Lastly – I shouldn’t have to say this but…if you know you will not complete all nine classes and take the class seriously, DO NOT ENTER THIS CONTEST! If you are ready to dive in and apply yourself in class, ENTER ALL YOU CAN! We want to make sure the people with the right attitudes are the ones who win this opportunity.

Best of luck!

Money

Dave’s Smart Money Tour: A Review

February 26, 2015

Last week Jonathan and I attended Dave Ramsey and Chris Hogan’s newest Live Event – The Smart Money Tour.

This is our review of the event.

Overall, I would rate the event a 10/10 and it not only met our expectations, it exceeded them.

How?

1. Foundational and Fresh

We brought a couple of friends with us, each of us at different places in the Dave Ramsey Baby Steps.

Of course, they more or less revolved around those 7 Baby Steps, which could have seemed boring for us since we’ve read the book, coördinated Financial Peace University, etc.

But they repackaged and condensed the timeless principles alongside new stories and partially a new voice – Chris Hogan.

I will get to him in a moment though.

They did an outstanding job of keeping the old and new fans engaged and inspired throughout the entire event. Below are some nuggets from Jonathan’s Tweet fest.

2. Free Budgeting Software

This may have been the MOST exciting news of the night.

Dave’s team has spent the past few years and a couple million dollars creating budgeting software called Everydollar with an app for your smart phone.

Best part?

It’s FREEEEE!!

We’ve been proudly sharing our love of YNAB – You Need a Budget software for over a year now…but this may change our tune.

Free is always better, amirite or amirite?

It launches next month but everyone who attended Smart Money Event received a code to use it EARLY. Boom.

Expect a review on that once it’s up and running. I would love to do a side by side analysis of Dave’s software vs. YNAB.

3. Chris Hogan

This guy is on fire right now.

He’s hilarious, animated, inspiring, and made me cry at least four times with the stories he tells.

Dave was smart to bring this guy on the tour with him. Not that Dave himself isn’t awesome…but it’s great to see him bringing other voices to the Baby Steps and his timeless financial lessons.

Chris also has a new website that I am pumped to use. It’s for retirement forecasting, which can be both motivational and terrifying at the same time.

4. Free Will Kit!

Dave gone and read my mind!

Did you know 78% of people die without a will? That’s CRAZY since 100% of us will die someday.

Now that we have Josie, it’s time to update our life insurance beneficiaries and create a will to navigate those funds in the result of our untimely death. Lord willing it won’t be necessary anytime soon but I will have peace of mind knowing we have a plan for her financially if something, God forbid, should happen to us both.

Below is Josie getting excited about us making a will!

5. Inspiring and Upbeat

The entire event was just a lot of fun!

There were giveaways. A live debt-free scream on stage. And most of all, content that was relevant to all, presented in a way that gave hope.

It wasn’t dry. It wasn’t ordinary. It wasn’t hum drum. It was anything BUT those things. Which isn’t always what you expect when going to a financial seminar.

I love how Dave and his team strive to make learning about money fun and encouraging! Really, it’s what sets him a part in this area.

Overall, I highly recommend this event to others! It’s only happening a few more weeks but keep it in mind if it comes to a city near you in the future!

Money

Financial Peace University Giveaway!

August 27, 2014

Drum roll please….

It’s time for a giveaway around the True Good and Beautiful blog!

What are we giving away, you ask? (just in case you didn’t see the title…)

3 FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY MEMBERSHIPS!!!!

If you know our story, you are well aware that Dave Ramsey has a huge influence on how we choose to live. Using his materials and methods are the sole reasons we are debt-free and living on a budget today. Dave Ramsey’s message has literally changed out entire life.

And we can’t help but pass along this opportunity to others.

No, we weren’t given these by Dave Ramsey’s company.

We are simply a family who believes so powerfully in the freedom that comes in handling money God’s way that we want to pay it forward to someone else. We want to bless an individual or family who would benefit from going through this class.

What is Financial Peace University (FPU)?

“Financial Peace University is a nine-week class on money taught by America’s most trusted financial guru, Dave Ramsey. Dave and his teaching team will walk you through the basics of budgeting, dumping debt, planning for the future, and much more!”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=62emrljp03c

You can see a sample of all nine lessons here.

Most classes start up in a couple of weeks, hence the giveaway. You can see a list of locations, dates, and times at the FPU website.

It literally can change your life and the lives of those around you.

Best wishes and “may the odds be ever in your favor!” 🙂

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Money

Why we Drive a 2000 Dodge Stratus with 190K Miles

October 11, 2013

Many of you know about it Debt Free Journey. Sometimes we get asked, “So now that you have no debt, why don’t you get a nicer car?” We drive a 2000 Dodge Stratus with 190K miles on it.

There are many many days that I want an upgrade. And in reality we have enough cash to go out and buy a nicer vehicle now if we wanted to. But then I remember why we choose to keep this car. The video below gives the explanation of what we are doing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKyV8CTHeJ0

You won’t see the Teixeiras with a car payment because we can do math. When it is time to upgrade someday, we will pay cash from our Drive Free Cars for Life Fund we are saving for in the bank and the car will be at least a few years old, since we will let someone else pay the steep depreciation costs instead of us. We could upgrade now but we want to get as much life from this car as possible because the longer it lasts the more it allows us to save for other things on our priority list as well.

We are tortoises, what can we say? Everyone knows that the tortoise beats the hare, it just won’t be for a while! If you are reading this and have a car payment or a leasing a vehicle (most expensive way to have a car btw) please know we aren’t judging you or hating on you. We want you to win with the money God has entrusted you to steward.

Check out Financial Peace University or Total Money Makeover and discover how to begin making your money work for you and not a bank! We will be your cheerleaders along the way!