I am happy to report, our little girl is home from the hospital.  While we still don’t know exactly what she had, she seems to be on her way to a full recovery.  We had to change her formula and we’ll need to monitor her very closely, but the doctors expect her to be fine in just a few days.

I want thank all of you who took the time to leave comments, expressing your well wishes, and those who said prayers for her.  It’s humbling to know that so many people who read this site also care about its author and his family.

You guys rock!

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Isaiah 26:3

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Our youngest daughter is in the hospital.  She’s been there, with my wife, since Sunday morning.  She has a stomach virus and the doctors are waiting for her body to regain its strength before they dismiss her.  Hopefully, she’ll be able to coming home soon.

Driving back-and-forth between the hospital, I’ve had a lot of time to think.  (I’m watching the other kids while Mommy spends the night with baby girl.)  Three years ago, we went through a similar experience with my son.  But, unlike baby girl, who is only three months old, he was fourteen months old.

When our son got sick, No Credit Needed was a relatively new site, and we had just begun to pay off our debts.  Now, three years later, we are debt free and we are in substantially better financial shape.

Of course, no matter our financial situation, I’m still worried about our little girl.  But, because we live on a budget, maintain an emergency fund, and have health insurance, I’m able to focus my attention and help my wife, care for my kids, and love on the baby.  Instead of wringing our hands, thinking about how we are going to pay for gasoline to drive back and forth, medicine for when the baby gets home, babysitters to watch the kids, or our portion of the hospital bills, we can actually think about what’s really important - helping baby girl get better.

Money may not be able to buy happiness, but it can provide peace of mind.  If you are thinking about getting out of debt, I hope that this article will serve as a little added motivation.  I cannot tell you how good it feels to be debt free - but I’ll try!  It feels awesome.  I feel in control.  I feel empowered.  Instead of worrying about creditors and payments, I can focus on the future!

I strongly encourage you to get out of debt and live on a budget.  If you need a little help getting started, may I suggest the following -

33 Days And 33 Ways To Save Money And Reduce Debt

Free Online Debt Reduction Guide And Free Debt Reduction eBook

For those who are new to the site, you might be interested in my debt reduction journey.  Click here and you can read follow milestone posts, from the first post to the day I declared my freedom -

How I Got Out Of Debt: Follow The Posts

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Just a quick note -

My Internet connection is down.  Hopefully, it will be repaired soon.  Once it’s repaired, I’ll get back to my regular posting schedule.

Thanks,

NCN

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I recently purchased a new driver - Cleveland Hibore XL Driver - and I really, really like it. I am surprised by how easy it is to hit. I’m hitting the ball twenty yards further than I did with my old driver - and my shots are much ‘purer’ off of the club face.

The new driver is completely different from my old driver. My old driver had 9 degrees of loft, the new driver has 10.5 degrees. The old driver has a stiff flex, the new driver has a regular flex. The old driver has an offset, the new driver sits square.

The thing is - I’ve never really liked my old driver. It never really ‘fit’ my game. But, round after round, it stayed in my bag. And, round after round, I’d adjust my stance and adjust my grip and adjust my rhythm - but I never once played an an entire round and felt ‘good’ about my driver. In fact, I actually played several rounds and never took the driver out of my bag.

But now - I like my driver. I like the way it fits my hand and I like the way that it sets up to the golf ball. When I swing it, it feels like every other club in my bag. I can take my normal stance - right foot back just a bit and left foot flared - and swing. And, the golf ball just - goes!

Shopping for the new driver - and finding one that I really liked - taught me several lessons.

1. It pays to consult an expert. I went to a golf supply store and had my swing tested. I learned about lie angles, swing speeds, launch angles. It took some time - and I had to admit my own ignorance - but it was more than worth it.

2. Spending a little more now will save a lot later. Golf clubs are expensive. And, I paid a pretty penny for my new club. But, when I’m hitting the ball straight - instead of duck-hooking it into the woods - I’ll be glad I shelled out a few extra bucks on a driver that I can actually hit.

3. If it’s in the budget, enjoy the purchase. I hate to spend money. Even more than that, I hate to spend money on myself. For more than two year - yes, two years - I’ve had money allocated for the purchase of a new driver. Even after purchasing a new set of irons last year, I hesitated to spend the money and buy the new driver. But, last week, after yet another disappointing round, I decided to go ahead, spend the money, and get something that I liked. And, man, I’m glad that I did.

4. Priorities come first, and then ’stuff’. I’m debt free. I have three paid for cars. I have a fully-funded emergency fund. I’m working to fund five retirement accounts and three education savings account. Still, I find it hard to justify the purchase of the driver. But, I really, really like to play golf. So, in this case, I decided to reward myself.

5. It really rocks to have a cool spouse. Check this out - My wife and I were shopping when I decided to go to the pro shop to buy the golf club. My wife, who is awesome, not only ‘let’ me go, she encouraged me to do so. In fact, she sat in a chair and held the baby while I tried out various clubs. How awesome is that? And, to return the favor, I held the baby while she tried on outfits for vacation. And, instead of complaining about ‘how much the other spent’ - we just had a good time hanging out and shopping together. Imagine that.

6. If it’s the wrong club, it’s the wrong club. Move on. I thought that I wanted a Callaway X460. I like how the Callaway looks. I like how it feels in my hand. But, when I hit it, I ‘pull hooked’ every single shot. Thank goodness I tested several clubs before making my purchase. Whew.

A few more days and we are off for our vacation. I’ve called a couple of public courses near where we are staying, and I found one where I can play and let my oldest daughter and my son ride along with me. Hopefully, four or five times during the round, one of them will say, “Wow, Daddy, you crushed it!”.

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Saturday, we head to the beach! I can’t wait. My two older kids, ages 8 and 4, are super-excited. We decided to schedule our vacation a bit earlier than usual, due to the fact that our summer schedule is full of activities. I spent several hours, online, looking for a condominium to rent, and I think I found a gem. Built in 2005, the three bedroom, three bath unit looks to be a perfect fit for our family. Mommy and baby girl will share a room, big sister and big brother will share a room, and I’ll have a room of my own. The condominium is surrounded by several public golf courses, has three pools, and sits right next to the beach.

When looking for a condominium online, be aware that the price you see listed on many sites does not include several fees and taxes. Be prepared to pay about 25% more than the list price - You may have to pay cleaning fees, processing fees, usage fees, etc. Be careful and do a lot of research before giving anyone your credit card (or in our case, debit card) number. (Once we get back, I’ll let you know where we stayed and whether or not I would recommend using the Realtor I found.)

The condo we are staying in has free high-speed internet access - so I should be able to blog, even while we are on vacation. We really wanted a three bedroom unit that had direct access to the beach and a pool. In the end, due to the price of the units, we settled for a really nice unit, but it doesn’t face the beach. Instead, it overlooks one of the golf courses and a small lake. But, it is right next to one of the pools. By choosing a room on the inland side, we were able to save more than $600. Sure, it would have been nice to go with the beech front condo, but life is about making choices. And, $600 is $600!

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