From Debt and Chaos to Financial Freedom: How to Take Your First Step Today

My financial story really starts as far back as I can remember, all the way back to childhood. There were many reasons why I got into the financial mess I was in; but at the root was my lack of money education. My parents and my school never once talked about money, so when I was shipped off at 18 I was clueless. In my early years, I was in the music industry, which meant I was always broke. Since I grew up pampered in a middle class home, I used credit cards to supplement my non-existent income to maintain the life I was accustom to. I bought cars, music equipment, clothes, weekend getaways, dining out, renting more than I could afford, all on credit.

My bad financial habits followed me into my Network Engineering career, and right into both of my failed marriages. If there was ever a bad way to start a marriage, starting out with a ton of debt and bad financial habits is a recipe for disaster. When the marriages became unstable I doubled down on the bad financial choices to try and save the marriages, which was the completely opposite thing I should have been doing. And my excuse at the time was I was just too busy living life, building a career, being a husband, and father that there was just no time left to figure out how to get my financial life figured out.

For many years I would lay in bed at night and would almost bring myself to hyperventilation with the thoughts of how bad my financial and life situation were. At the same time, due to many reasons including the financial ones, my 2^nd marriage crumbled in to oblivion. At this point I had hit rock bottom and was in more pain than I had ever experienced to this point in my life.

Now I’m sure if you have ever listened to Tony Robbins you will know he talks about how most people will never make positive changes in their life until the pain they are feeling is way more painful, then the pain and energy it would take to change their life. And I was at that point. I was all alone with two children that I had to raise, and a BIG FAT financial mess to clean up.

One night late in 2012, I sprang from my bed and jumped on my computer (figuratively speaking of course). I searched the net and read as many debt blogs as I could and checked out as many methods as I could to resolve my debt. I created the income and expense spreadsheet and you can download the Financial TookKit here (use coupon freetookit). After many hours pounding away at my computer, I had filled in my new spreadsheet and my eyes glazed over when I saw the numbers in the balance summary. Before my 2^nd wife left our two incomes was hiding our true financial situation, and now with one income I was going many thousands of dollars in the whole each month.