I’m nearly 40 years old and I manage my money poorly. I get by like many people, but I don’t have the right plans to have a secure future. Considering some of the hard lessons I’ve learned recently, it’s time I took lessons so I won’t have to do this again.

Tammy and I signed up for a Dave Ramsey “Financial Peace” class offered by a local church. This class is like hiring a personal trainer for exercise–we all know what we should do, but the trainer helps you do it right.

The first steps were easy. We set up another account at the bank for an emergency fund and stocked it with money. That will help us weather the next storm (like a new transmission) a little easier. Tonight, we sat down and wrote a generic budget and were surprised just how much we spend in basic areas like groceries.

The class might not be held tomorrow night due to [the weather](http://www.tammykirks.com/archives/847) but we’ll try to make if it’s open.

Emotionally, this is a big deal for me. Money has been a point of contention between Tammy and I for years, but this class is teaching us to come together and work on our problem with a plan and a goal. Just one session and writing the budget has probably cut my stress in half.