Beans & Rice, Rice & Beans

To say that I was surprised with her response would be an understatement. She lovingly accepted my debts and looked to help dig me out. The caveat would be that we decide we weren't going to live the rest of our lives in debt. We sat together and worked out our joint budget for '02.

Fans of Dave Ramsey will recognize the phrase, "Beans & Rice, Rice & Beans" from his nationally syndicated radio or Fox Business Network shows. It's his go to phrase when reminding families or individuals how to live on a budget, get out of debt and begin building a financial future.

At this point in our journey, we hadn't even heard of him. In fact, I didn't start paying attention to him until last year when I visited my local library and read his books, Financial Peace Revisited and The Total Money Makeover. I don't think that it takes a rocket scientist to figure out some of his baby step principles, but he does make it simple to remember the process.

With the national divorce rate at about 50% of first marriages and the leading reason being finances, we knew that we needed to be financially disciplined in our first year of marriage. Even though we were making adjustments in other areas, we didn't allow our finances to get in the way of enjoying ourselves together.

Goal number one that year was to establish smart spending habits as a couple and begin making small steps in decreasing the credit card debt. Mmm-mmm-mmm good. Nothing was better that first year of marriage than our candle light dinners at home with bean stew.

Don't look now, but Jeff Gordon may need another transmission.