We have SO MUCH Student Loan Debt
My name is Ashley and we have $270,000 of student loan debt. Phew! That felt good to get off my chest. So, on paper our net-worth is extremely poor. Hence, the title of my blog, “The Poor Doctor’s Wife”. We are working on a big and sometimes seemingly impossible goal to pay off all of our debt except for our mortgage (we have plans for that later). However, we have made progress people. We have paid off $75,000 in two years. Why would we even try such a crazy goal? Find our full story here!
Who is the Poor Doctor’s Wife?
My Family Life
I’m a wife and mom of six, three boys and three girls, just like the beloved Brady Bunch. I was lucky enough to snag an amazing guy, who just happens to also be my High School sweetheart and best friend! I literally stalked him in the halls of our High School. Don’t worry, not the creepy kind of stalking, the cute type! We have had an incredible marriage so far, with plenty of good times and some bad. He has been my rock through the hard times.
I love being a mom. Don’t get me wrong, there are days I question my sanity and feel completely overwhelmed. But most days I just feel immense gratitude that I get to raise my awesome kiddos. Honestly, being a mom is fun! It’s so very, very, very hard but I smile and laugh everyday, it’s a pretty good gig.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Speaking of laughter, that’s a big part of who I am. I don’t have a contagious and exuberant laugh that fills a room but I definitely try to make those kind of people laugh, or all people, really. I love to be funny and silly and nerdy and so on. Basically, I throw pride and dignity out the window and embarrass myself for the slight chance I might make someone giggle. To illustrate this truth, I have a disco light and karaoke machine and I’m not afraid to use it. Laughter is the best!
I’m a Tad Weird!
Along the same lines, as the loving to laugh thing, I’m a little weird! I’m speaking my truth right now. I will suddenly break out into different accents and start dancing like a mad women. To paint a picture of my weirdness for you, imagine a girl about 9 years old brushing her teeth with enthusiasm. That’s pretty normal. Well, let’s add the fact that I was making toothpaste commercials whilst brushing my teeth. Not just one but many commercials, I definitely got my 2 minutes of brushing in. I have always wanted to have my own cooking show or toothpaste commercial, I guess.
Working Hard
On the flip-side, I feel work ethic is extremely important. When hard work needs to be done, I lay my clown nose aside and get to work. I moved to Germany as a young 8 year old girl. My parent’s enrolled us kids in typical German schools, so we would learn the language. I knew the words, “Ja” and “Nein”. That was it. Although, I was just a free spirited 3rd grader, I had a deep desire to do well in school. Also, I had a yearning to make friends, which was a struggle. Thus, I became a “studying machine”. I would come home everyday after school and study German. Homework would take me twice as long but I was determined. That determination and hard work led me to great success in High School, College, and to my life currently.
My Interests
Food is Life
Living oversees definitely sparked an interest in different cultures. What is the best part about a culture? The FOOD! I love food. Food consumption is seriously one of the best things about being human. There is method involved with cooking or baking but so much creativity as well.
Creativity is Intelligence having FUN
-Albert Einstein
Being creative is always been a big part of who I am. I was never too bored as a kid because my imagination kept me busy. I have been drawing since I can remember and later studied art in College. When I do art, the world around me fades away and I’m just in the zone being creative.
Along this vein, I also enjoy being creative with music. I’m not masterful musician but I enjoy writing songs on my guitar and the piano. Ask my family, I’m usually singing around the house, most of the time completely unaware I’m actually doing so.
The Great Outdoors
My childhood consisted of playing outside all day and only coming inside to replenish my energy with food and drink. Immediately after, you know I was back outside, probably running around barefoot. Now I can’t even imagine doing that for 10 minutes, let alone, all day. Now, when I go running outside I’m equipped with running shoes because I will go four to five miles. Running has been a major stress reducer as a mom. I didn’t always like to run but now I love it. Hiking, riding my bike or walking the dog are all some of my favorite things to do!
My Faith
I am a member of the Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter Day Saints and have a strong testimony of Jesus Christ. I’m grateful for Him every day! He is a big reason why I feel that I can accomplish hard things. “With God Nothing Shall be Impossible.” (Luke 1:37) I have felt His love and guidance throughout my life. I find Joy in Christ.
Growing Up and Finances
Growing Up
I grew up knowing how hard and how taxing financial struggles can be. Although, as whole I can’t complain about my childhood, I was happy, had a roof over my head and always had enough food to eat. I remember being worried and praying many times that our family would be ok financially or that my dad’s job would be secure. I didn’t have a lot of toys, clothes, or other extras and that’s ok. I believe it has given an attitude of gratitude.
Out on my Own and Freaking Out
However, when I grew up and had to handle money on my own. I was afraid of money. I knew how “not” to spend it and felt guilt and anxiety every time I did. Fortunately, my husband helped calm my stress with money and I learned to not be afraid of it but I still didn’t know how to use it. I took a family finance class in college and that helped but my perspective with money was still a bit off. It was easy for me to say, “Well, we can’t buy that because it’s too expensive.” But it never occurred to me that I could get creative and find a way to earn the money to afford what I wanted.
A perspective Shift
Dave Ramsey really helped shift my attitude toward money. I used to think money was all about limitations but if used correctly, it can be the very thing that opens doors and gives you choices. And I’m not talking about just having a lot of money, I’m referring to how budgeting allows you to control your money. Rachel Cruze always says, “A budget is permission to spend”. I love that! Now, I dream more. I have the belief and hope that if I want something, like a fancy trip, I can get creative and find ways to earn money to achieve my dreams. Even though, we currently live on a tight budget, I don’t feel trapped by my finances anymore.
I love people. I remember as a little girl just watching people, wondering what they were thinking and observing how they were doing things. I wouldn’t call myself an outright extrovert (mama needs her alone time too) but I like interacting with people, wether it’s laughing together or learning more about people. I guess, that’s one of the big reasons I decided to create this blog. I hope to help people.
Why Pay off Debt?
It had been about four years since graduating Optometry school and we were feeling frequent financial stress and decided we needed to change something. We never felt prepared for emergencies or unexpected costs. To expound, we were scratching our heads at the end of the month, wondering where on earth was our money was going. We weren’t living a lavish lifestyle and yet at the end of the month, we had nothing left over.
Good Ol’ Dave Ramsey
My husband came across this guy named Dave Ramsey and bought two of his books and we both decided to read them. A light bulb went off in our heads and his teachings made perfect sense. As a result, we are telling our money where to go, living within our means and trying to obliterate our debt.
Progress not Perfection
This blog won’t be one of those blogs where everything looks perfect because that’s not me. I have had quite a few friends come over to my house and say “Oh good, you make me feel so much better about myself.” I still crack up when I think about how often I have heard this. I’ll be honest though, at first I thought those comments were perhaps an unintentional slam to my domestic skills. However, now I understand what they were talking about. They saw my piles of laundry, dirty dishes, and other imperfections and knew they could be themselves around me. I created a safe place for them. My hope is that this blog will be a safe place for my readers. I will be real with you and so don’t hesitate to be real with me.
Along with providing budgeting tips that have worked for me, I will share the new things that I ‘m trying out to help us achieve our goals. So, you’re in luck, you’ll get full access to some of my blunders! That should be pretty entertaining but hopefully educational as well. Guys, this life is about progress and sometimes we fail a little to succeed.
Who is my Audience?
This blog is for anyone who has struggled financially or has experienced hardship in general and hope to rise above those challenges. It is for all who can relate to having a mountain of debt and feel weighed down and discouraged. My encouragement and tips can also be for anyone wanting to save some cash. This Blog is for EVERY ONE! I have been living a pretty thrifty lifestyle my whole 14 years of marriage, except for a year or two (I’ll tell you that story later!) and so I’ve learned some things. I Hope that after you visit my blog, you will feel inspired, encouraged, and laugh a little.
If you have Questions Contact Me!