From My Home to Yours
5/11/25
~ Buckle up buttercup! ~
Did that grab your attention? I hope so, because it was meant too! That's what hubby and I are doing ... let me explain ...
it has nothing to do with what may or may not be going on in the world right now, it has to do with a purchase that we had to make and now are 'hunkering down' financially in a major way to get the debt paid off in half the time.
What did we purchase ... a new to us vehicle. Yes, it was necessary ... we spent months praying about this decision before taking the plunge. Our decision to spend last year 'hunkering down' was a blessing because it put us in a position to financially be able to make this purchase. Because we invited God into this decision, seeking His guidance every step of the way, and asking Him not to let it happen if it wasn't the right thing for us to do at this time, we saw His hand in action throughout the whole transaction (down payment, the right people in the right place at the right time ... it was truly a God thing).
And now, it's time for us to 'buckle up buttercup' and get our new to us vehicle paid off as quickly as possible. That means that we are back in our extremely frugal mode again, much like last year during our 'hunkering down' season. We don't mind though, with the way my husband has to travel with his job, it is a relief to have reliable transportation ... the vehicle we are replacing is 21 years old! Yes, you read that right. We purchased it off of an elderly couple some 10 years ago, they had purchased it new, and it had 23,000 miles on it ... they had driven it very little. Since then, we've put many traveling miles on it and while it is still in good shape mechanically, it just can't hold up under the kind of traveling we do. The last time we drove it on a trip; it broke down about an hour from home and we literally had many people praying us home safely. We limped it home but knew then that its traveling long distance 'days' were over.
So, there you go, we're buckling down financially again in absolutely every area of our lives ...
we've zeroed in on our target (pay off our new to us vehicle as soon as possible) ...
we've made a plan (at least 2 payments per month) ...
we're praying for wisdom and guidance ...
and we're getting to work!
Do you have a financial goal you want to zero in on along with us?
We call it wise, doable, sound, and frugal wisdom on steroids ... it's time for us to 'buckle up buttercup!'
She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27
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I am happy to hear that you are now safer on the roads. It blessed me to hear how you made God a part of your plan and decision. Here's to all the oldie but goodie vehicles out there. May your new one join the club!
ReplyDeleteI start drawing SS in June. I am prayerfully making my a new budget for that increase.
Have a good week and Happy Mother's Day.
Lana, we keep the maintenance up on our vehicles and drive the wheels off, so to say meaning that we get every bit of mileage out of them that we can. We fully intend to do the same with this one!
DeleteYou are so wise to seek God's guidance in how to use your increase and in making your new budget, so happy that you will be able to start drawing what you worked so hard for throughout your life.
I hope you are having a wonderful Mother's Day!
I don't have a specific financial goal at the moment, but I'll come along for the ride, especially since you've got a new vehicle :)
ReplyDeleteTracy ... love the 'pun!!!'
DeleteWe have a new goal of selling our home to be rid of a mortgage and downsize, which will be a boost to our budget. But in the transition, we have to save enough to cover rent and the mortgage until the house sells. I'm praying for God's guidance in the timing of it all. We are trying to set ourselves up for a better future. Both of our vehicles are paid off, thankfully.
ReplyDeleteDebbie, welcome to the challenge, we can do this!!!
DeleteWe recently finished the remodel of our kitchen. Stage 5 was getting the walls painted. Due to the size and height of the room my husband opted to pay to have that work done along with some needed repairs and upgrades on trim work in various areas of the house. We also planned to get a board on the edge of the front porch replaced, figured into those costs. What we didn't figure on was the need to replace about half the boards! That work has been put on hold because we just laid out a bunch of money for the other work. It wasn't known until we'd already planned and contracted for the paint work that we'd be replacing most of our front porch as well.
ReplyDeleteThen we found out that the back steps aren't repairable but need to be replaced pronto.
Cutting back was already ongoing to help cover the costs of the paintwork we'd planned on. Suddenly we were faced with two more needed repairs, one dire. Like you and Lana we put everything to prayer including these sorts of jobs and repairs.
My son had recently just built concrete block steps up into his garden. He was so pleased with how sturdy and nice they were he built two sets of steps for his front porch. When he heard that we were going to need new back steps he offered to build our steps for us. We paid for the blocks only. That was his Mother's Day present to me! Praise God!
Today we decided, after months of prayer o cancel two things that my husband insisted we had to keep going with. The amount we're getting back due to cancellation is going to pay for the work needed on the front porch! Again, we're so blessed over this.
I'm praying that God will allow us to use the money we've been making payments on the cancelled items as a means of paying ourselves back for the original work done. I'm already brainstorming hunkering down methods to insure we can do just that and more besides each month.
Terri, I hope you will share the additional ways you come up with to hunker down. I'm brainstorming too!
DeleteYep - paying off some back taxes - I am making a hefty payment every month but I intend adding to it whenever possible.
ReplyDeleteIt is good that you have a reliable vehicle - safety is always an important consideration and should be taken seriously - it was a wise decision.
Margie, it was a hard decision but the right one. Now we are zeroed in on getting it paid off as soon as possible! Like you, we plan to throw every cent we can at it as often as we can!
DeleteWe are within 10 months of getting all our consumer debt paid off!! Were budgeting $1000 per month. Summer is always a harder time, but we will buckle up! Thanks so much for your encouragement & inspiration!! Many blessings!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, you're getting close, you can do this!
DeleteI love your hunkering down series! I'm glad to see it back. Helps me stay focused.
ReplyDeleteWendy, thank you for the encouragement!
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