Yeah, when you look at towing capacity - figure in all the weight of the equipment/baggage you are also going to bring.

We're Lutheran (Missouri Synod - so we are very traditional) and I have yet to find anything... I ended up buying both older kids an ICB Bible (the complete scriptures written at a 3rd grade reading level) and we started with Matthew in the New Testament. Every day, we read a couple of pages and are just following through the New Testament. It's cheap (all you need is a bible) and really comprehensive. The 8 yro is able to understand almost everything. If you're looking for Lutheran...you can always use Luther's Small Catechism - there are chapters on daily prayer, how to pray, Holy Baptism, confession, etc. :)

Keep in mind that you could use Sonlight as a supplement and get most of the read-aloud books from the library. The Readers can be bought through their website and the TM (with all the comprehension questions) is like 5 bucks.

We paid cash for both of our cars - one was a Chevy pick-up for $2,000 (awesome condition - the guy died, they just wanted to get rid of it - sad, but it's a good truck). And contrary to my dad warning me about "used cars", that pick-up has never broken down on us. The other is a minivan we bought new, but at a significant discount (like almost half). I can't tell you how awesome it feels not to have car payments anymore. I'm not trying to preach from a high horse - we were money-retarded for years. We were like credit crack addicts. We used to be the worst offenders - about $1,000 a month on car payments. My husband even spent $5,000 on a computer with CREDIT. :glare: Oh, and credit cards...yeah, we had a $20,000 credit card one time. We haven't used a credit card in 3 years. We don't even have one. You don't need 'em. They're a way to keep people enslaved financially to these big banks. You have a savings account for emergencies and a debit card for cashless purchases. It's a big game. Go, Dave! :hurray: You changed our lives! Woohoo!

:iagree: We are also renting for the first time in years and it is a huge relief. No more stressing about PMI payments, property taxes and wondering if the furnace is going out. It's a really nice break. We were constantly pouring money into the house we owned (to keep up with the neighbors). We're saving up for a huge down payment. I want to have no mortgage in my 40's!! :D My parents and in-laws are in their mid-50's and still have more debt than we have - car payments/credit cards and stupid :001_huh: like that. Remember what Dave says, you can change your entire family tree by getting completely out of debt.

We also have an 18 foot pop-up (Viking). The only regret I have is that I wish we would have spent more money and bought something bigger (like a bumper pull). We ended up living in it for a couple of months, so it definitely paid for itself. We plan on trading it in next year and getting a big bumper pull (with 2 sets of bunk beds and a queen-sized bed).

I forgot one! My sister and I met The Rock (what's his real name, Dwayne Johnson?) in Chicago a few years ago. He said, "Hi, Ladies" and my sister almost passed out. He signed a magazine for her and she framed it. :tongue_smilie: He was much better-looking in person than on TV.

:iagree: If you honestly can't fit these things into your budget, Dave recommends holding off on them until you are in a better position financially. For example, if you are in Baby Step One - living paycheck to paycheck, can't come up with the balance to move onto BS2, are one paycheck away from disaster - kids' activities would need to go...

No kidding...I met Jerry Springer and got to sit next to "Steve".

I have heard him say to stop kids activities (on his podcast) if it will not fit into the budget.

GOOD LUCK! :D It really is lifestyle-changing. Like I said in another thread, we were unemployed for 7 months and managed to keep everything under control. We did not lose our house, we've been on Baby Step 2 a lot longer than I had hoped, but we managed to pull through it in one piece. Remember, Dave talks about this...this is the way our great grandparents dealt with money. It was a lot more sensible. A lot of people made it through the Great Depression doing the same kinda things Dave talks about on his radio show. I remember my grandfather telling me when I was about 6 or 7 how he paid cash for his car. He was sooo proud of himself. He told me about how he made himself a car payment every month and went out one day and paid cash for one.

We haven't used a credit card in 3 years. Your friend CAN do it!! (tell ur friend) :tongue_smilie:

:iagree: It is going to be very different. Good luck and get a membership at the Shedd!! :D

Are you getting a workout in every day? Maybe walk for an hour in the evening?

Thank-you so much for posting that link. :001_smile:

From what my sister (the attorney) was saying, Vanderbilt Univ was one of the Tier 1 schools...not sure what that meant, but graduating from that particular law school meant you would make significantly more money than graduates from lower-tiered schools. It was very difficult to get into and very, very expensive. What curriculum did she use? This was like 15 years ago, so I think they just did "textbook stuff". Oh, and she was always really bad in math (I used to make fun of her - I was a science major). I know she started taking college classes when she was high school-sophomore-age. She also did a lot of volunteer work - like at a mental hospital, a nursing home, etc.

That sounds great! Stick with the Baby Steps. You could go onto Dave's website and listen to some of his MP3s to keep yourself motivated. Also, Dave Ramsey is the reason we made it through a 7-month unemployment and came out in one piece. Just follow through the Baby Steps and call in on Debt-Free Friday!

Honestly, I don't think putting them in school is going to change that - my kids were doing that when they were in public school (for 2 years). I think it's a personality thing. I have 2 kids (the ps kids) who stare at everybody when a conversation begins...and then another kid - OH, Dear - the cell phone plan I will have to buy her...unlimited minutes, anytime...anywhere...

Relatives can be a drag...mine do that too. We had huge fights last spring when I pulled my kids out of school (with my sister - of all people). I've also caught my mother-in-law "quizzing" my kids and asking my husband when they're going back to real school. My brother-in-law told me that he thought a teacher should come out to our house once a week to "guide us" and check on the kids' progress. WTH???? :confused: Parents and parents only are responsible and accountable for their children's upbringing. Everybody else can mind their own business. No one is going to know your child like you do. The school didn't teach my son how to read - I did. I'm sorry that you have this problem too. :glare: Growwwwwl...

Yeah, you could supplement with WWE or something similar. The LA spends a lot of time on grammar rules (which is what we like it for).

:iagree: Actually, now that I think about it - Downer's Grove would be a great place for them to look also. That's a really nice town! My brother-in-law is in the Riverside school system and I heard the school was awful...he's got a really nice house though - I think $300,000 for 3 bedroom/2-story?? And they have a big yard also. Traffic all around Chicago Land is just :eek:. It used to take my husband two hours to get home from work - all the way from Glendale down to Bridgeport. :ack2: Oh, BTW, Barb F. - Despite the traffic, corrupt gov't, property crime, congestion, etc...Chicago people are probably some of the nicest (and friendliest) people in the Midwest. :D Make sure you go to Greektown and get a gyro!!

Now that I re-read your post...It says you live in Az? Have you ever been to Chicago? You guys really need to take a road trip if you've never been there. It is going to be a huge shock. :001_huh: Things are REALLY, really compact and congested. You're not going to find a yard with a new house anywhere near the city. Also, in Chicago, some of the older suburbs tend to be more expensive and nicer than the newer ones (like Brookfield). Also, the closer you get to the city, the older and smaller everything becomes. Like the building I lived in was built in the 1800s and the pipes ran all along the walls because it was built before indoor plumbing. :tongue_smilie: Seriously, what price range are you looking at? My friends in Brookfield have a 4 bedroom (maybe 2000 square foot) house with a tiny yard - and they paid $460,000. On the positive side...there are a TON of things to do in Chicago and Illinois is a really easy state to homeschool in.

Boy, is this going to be embarrassingly TMI. :tongue_smilie: Yeah, we're originally from Chicago - Halstead and 31st St. My husband is from Archer and Cicero. Are you looking to live in the city? In suburbs? What price range? Are you looking at public schools? Another very important question...how long is your husband willing to sit in the car to get to work? :001_huh: The commutes are LONG if you're going to live off 290 or 90/94. Traffic off 55 isn't bad, but it sounds like your husband will be off 290. You need to be very careful. Chicago has some REALLY bad areas (that look OK). Don't put money on something until you have REALLY researched it. Have you looked at Oak Brook or Lombard (off 290). Those are middle-class suburbs. If you're looking in the city, stay east of Western and north of Belmont. Chicago city limits are VERY expensive. Daley also complains that he can't clean up the snow, but there's also a lot of taxes, stupid sticker fees, bad cops, etc... I've got all kinds of scary stories about my old neighborhood. Stuff off 55 that's OK (but will be kinda far) and cheap...out towards Joliet (can be nasty sometimes, some parts are nice), Aurora, Lemont (heard Lemont was cute town)... If you can REALLY afford it...:tongue_smilie:Brookfield, Westchester and stuff off 1st Avenue/55 can be really nice. Brookfield has an awesome school district. Naperville, Schaumburg, anything off Kingery Rd is good. Bottom line is...unless you're husband is going to live next door to his work, he's going to be driving a LOT to get to work - or he could take the L. Would help to know more details about what you are looking for...

At 19, my sister began studying at the Vanderbilt University School of Law. She was homeschooled throughout high school.

One day, we work on Grammar Island...the next day, we work on Music of the Hemispheres... We just switch off. It seems to be working well for her.