Total Money Makeover Live Event!

Valerie and I traveled to fabulous Grand Rapids Michigan this weekend. Just the place you'd like to spend a weekend in February! We were there to see Dave Ramsey's live event. For those of you who arent' familiar with Dave Ramsey, he's a talk radio host, author, part-time TV personality, but he's mostly known as a fabulous financial counselor. He's probably best known for his firm belief that "debt is dumb and cash is king." I won't try to put all the details of what he teaches here, but if you're looking for some down to earth financial advice, even if you think you're doing well, he's the guy to seek out.
Both Valerie and I have learned the principles that he teaches and they have changed our lives. We are paying off debt, we're living by a budget - yes, a strict WRITTEN budget, and we are committed to living our life together debt free. Professionally speaking I have become committed to building my business debt free too, which won't be easy, but it will be well worth it down the road.
It was gray and snowy in Grand Rapids, but we had a great weekend and it was a great event. Even though we know most of what he teaches, it was great to get a motivational kick in the pants to keep us fired up about paying of debt quickly.
If you want to know more just drop me a comment or an email. I would love to share. Or just go to www.daveramsey.com

Cool site for healthy living

One of the things I hope to do with this space is to pass on some of the cool stuff I run across, so here's something I think is really going to have an impact in my life. It's a site my wife found called Sparkpeople.com. Essentially it's a free site that helps people live healthy lives - good nutrition, exercise, and a community of people to support you.
The great part about it, and the thing that got me excited about it, is that the site makes it really easy to set goals and track your progress. It has really easy to use food and exercise diaries, and forums where others can help answer your healthy living questions. It's really great if you want to lose some weight, but it's great too for just maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Check it out!
sparkpeople.com

Taking advantage of the winter

State parks are wonderful places, but they are not usually places I visit or camp at between mid-May and September. Too many people and too much noise. In the winter though it's a completely different story.
Valerie and I ventured to Governor Dodge State Park near Dodgeville and camped for two nights. State parks have so much to offer, and it's so nice to nearly have the whole place to yourself. There were other skiers and snowshoers out on the trails, but we had the campground to ourselves. It's so wonderful to spend the evening in a nice warm tent heated with a wood burning stove, and then walk out into the crisp cold air, look up and see a sky speckled with stars and hear nothing but a few coyotes in the distance. It's a beautiful thing. View more photos here: