so we have a paper route...
Am I crazy? What kind of sleep deprived state do I need to be in to finally get it?
7 days a week, every morning 4:30 AM...yes Julia still wakes up periodically throughout the night.
This was the first week. I am so sore from all the running- going back and forth from house to house as Chay drives the car, hands me a bunch of rolled up papers and tells me the next 5 houses to deliver to.
Chay and I decided we better go together for awhile before we venture off on delivering 120 papers alone. So yes the whole family is driving in chaotic circles all over dark neighborhoods at 4:30 in the morning trying to learn the trade of newspaper delivering. Julia and Kenzie really like it for some reason- they enjoy watching Chay and I trying to figure out where the stupid house numbers are and us bickering about getting lost or being on the wrong street...I pop popcorn for the girls and they just munch away in the back seat as they enjoy the show. They now go to bed around 6:30 at night!!!
I decided to take on this new challenge as a way to motivate ourselves to climb out of some debt a lot faster- We still owe on Julia, Chay's student loan...and the dreadful credit card debt- which is almost a swear word to some so I should probably abbreviate it instead- the dreadful C.C. debt. The payments each month are just annoying and so here we go...on a debt diet. Chay wasn't too happy when I told him without really asking him that we will be doing a paper route- but despite it being early it isn't too bad- we kind of like it don't we Chay?...ok that isn't funny...Since we have to deliver papers every single day even on Sundays we are going to work extra hard to pinch and save until we get some debt paid off. The quicker we pay off our debts the quicker we can quit the paper route.
Do any of you know who Dave Ramsey is? Ok I am super nerd- I love talk radio. I listen to Dr. Laura, Dave Ramsey, Glenn Beck- whenever I can. Well Dave Ramsey is a financial guru- he pushes debt free lifestyles all the time. He has a debt-free program that many of his listeners follow (very similar to the church's program)-anyway- so whenever someone finally becomes debt-free they call into the show and tell Dave they are out of debt. Dave congratulates them and throws a big radio party for them and makes them scream on the top of their lungs "I am DEBT FREEEEEEE" then Dave will play some kind of Top Gun Rocky type music for them...and Chay always laughs at me- but it is at that moment when the caller is screaming "I am debt freeee!!!" that I get all teary eyed and practically cry... I know- pathetic- I can't really explain it- well whatever it is I am feeling- I feel it. (I know Mom what you are going to say- it's the Spirit. I am grateful Heavenly Father is mindful of me- even in the simplest of ways- and He wants us to get out of debt!)
so Let Freedom Ring!!!! I still have my own student loan that kicks in next year which makes me want to gag just thinking about it and we have our car that we plan on selling- but for now our goal is to get rid of the small stuff. I want to see if I can actually do this- stick to a budget and succeed.
My dad delivered newspapers when he was a boy. Keith delivered papers and pizzas. Bryon delivered pizzas- in the Thunderbird (yes he did Jaynee-here's a picture of a Thunderbird- I will forever cherish that car- the 20 point turn around)
I delivered pizzas and now I keep the tradition alive- I am now a carrier for the Standard Examiner. Oh and do any of you remember this Nintendo Game "Paper Boy?" I remember Bryon playing this all the time. So Bryon? Are you out there somewhere? I don't think you even know I have a blog- but this video is for you and for the good old days when we would fight over the Nintendo and of course you would always win because you were huge and strong. I still have vivid memories of you holding onto my ankles forever so I couldn't move. I would try to swing at you and bite you but that only resulted in more dead legs and you pinning me down and hucking up loogies in my face...lovely isn't it? Um...for the record- we fought a lot as kids. Love you Bryon- this video game is the theme of our early morning lives now:
12 comments:
I can totally relate! First of all, I love Dr. Laura, Dave Ramsey and Glen Beck! I love it when people call in so giddy about being debt free, and I love hearing the stories, maybe because it makes me feel a little better about myself knowing that I'm not the only one out there who has some debt! :) Anyway, good luck with the route! I totally remember when you delivered pizzas! :) I always kind of worried about you like going alone to a creep house or something! :) At least you have your family with you this time! :)
Wow...good job! I am so impressed. You have lots of determination!! Way to go on the move to being debt-free! It is a nice feeling. Years ago when Braden was Lacy's age Chad and I cleaned the Institute Building here in Boise 3 times a week (I think). It was very needed extra money at the time, but it was a sacrifice. You will be so grateful later on.
You will be so thankful that you listened to the council of the prophets. I believe with all my heart that if we strive to do that which is counseled by the Lord's prophets that when the day comes that you only have a handful of flour and a drop or two of oil, that you will be able to feed your family and not starve to death, because the vats will never run dry. I would buy a few extra bottles of garlic salt so you can gag the stuff down. I actually have tried crackers made like this and they are not that bad...especially if the only thing else left in your storage is dry powdered milk. Remember, your mother is the queen of how to use dry powdered milk. I can make cottage cheese, yogurt cheese cake and my famous whey drink. YUM! YUM!
LOL!!!! I miss the old school Nintendo soo much! Good luck with the paper route! I'm sure it will be a cherished family memory for years to come!
Oh my gosh, I was just talking to my mom a few weeks ago about a lady in our ward. She makes cheese and crap from powered milk on a nightly basis for her family. I was laughing; imagining telling my kids to eat up that dinner was served. And I thought dinner couldn’t get any worse. Anyways, my mom goes, Oh EDK knows how to make all of that stuff out of powdered milk. LOL
I love Dave Ramsey, and like listening to him. I love when they do plasectomy. I can't wait for the day that I can shout I am debt free and do some serious plasectomys!!!!
Good Luck with the paper route!!!
Holy moly guys! Early risers! That makes for a long day. We'll be sure not to call after 6:30PM :)
Holy moly guys! Early risers! That makes for a long day. We'll be sure not to call after 6:30PM :)
Oh my word, April!! You are amazing! Never in a million years would I want to deprive myself anymore of precious sleep--but of course, we are talking about April and you ARE SUPERWOMEN. I love your determination and the Lord will bless you for it. Pizza delivery sounds so much better to me though! My friend did that in Tennessee and he would come home with a ton of cash from tips--and they would put it towards debt as well. Good for you for doing whatever it takes to follow the prophet's council! Your awesome!
I've got to say that I'm impressed that you are finding ways to get out of debt! Way to go. Great things become because of sacrifice...and if you can call the Dave Ramsey show and shout you are debt free - that would be awesome!!
Go April and Chay! I can relate. Remember the icy morning I was filling in for KEith on his route and I ran into a mail box .... in the red car that was not ours but moms. HA.
Go Dave Ramsay...my favorite quote of his is "live like no one else so later you can live like no one else"! Love it! We went to one of his seminars and it changed our lives. For the better. Love you Apey!
Good for you guys! Jeff and I had a paper route for a while when we were in the Seattle area - it was crazy but we had some great times! (I remember we quit it when gas prices start creeping up towards $2 a gallon!!)
We had to be in bed and asleep by 8 pm. That was hard for me to not let all the thoughts in my head keep me up so I had this silly biofeedback technique where if something popped into my head to worry about or think about or analyze, etc. I would put in this bag, zip it up, and drop it at the Savior's feet...it was kind of like Mary Poppin's bag...but it worked and I would usually fall right to sleep!
I threw a paper up on someone's roof once and Jeff had to get it off-that was an experience - the kids tried helping us a little bit on the weekends but Ryan got kind of car sick! Have fun!
April, I have to tell you how inspiring you are. I love that you find ways to help your family out, even sacrificing by getting up so darn early. You are amazing. Your children will learn the valuable lesson of hard work from you, which is priceless.
And, I love that you run while Chay drives...
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