If money didn't matter..

Today's "Friday Fives" is a list of 5 things I would buy if money didn't matter! We all have days when we say "If I won the lottery, I would....."

Well, I got to thinking that this is something we should all consider. Not that we are likely to win the lottery, but if we would all use common sense and get debt out of our lives, we would find ourselves with a little more money in the bank. Eventually we could get to the point where money would not matter! Just think about everything we could do and how much we could give back if we lived our lives this way!

I am a big fan of Dave Ramsey, whose book The Total Money Makeover
and daily radio show made a real difference to me and my family. We handle money totally different now and are working our way through his plan to be debt free!So, here is my list of things that I would do if money did not matter. I am hoping to be there someday.....

1. Give to my church
I am a big believer in giving your tithe, but above that I also believe in helping to keep your church up to date. The building and grounds are something that many people don't fool with because they think someone else should do it. For the last couple of years I have been on the committee to give our church a "face lift." We started with an out of date kitchen and fellowship hall and have set our sights on other areas, but we rely mainly on donations and fundraising. In this economy it is tough to do. So, if I were to reach the point in my life where money did not matter I would love to write a check to get our church that "face lift" it really needs!

2. Take a VACATION

The only down side, I must say, to being strict on the schedule to get out of debt is that my husband and I have not had a real vacation since our honeymoon more than 10 years ago! I so desperately want to go back to the Bahamas to the Sandals all-inclusive or even to the Moon Palace in Mexico.

I just need a vacation!

Last year we took the kids to Disney, which was great. But, let's face it, this was not exactly a relaxing break from reality.....

3. Buy cars for various family members!

Let's not get crazy, they would not be new, thew would be gently USED but I would get a big SUV for my little sis to drive carpool and haul all those kids around and a BMW for my mom that doesn't stall in the middle of the road.....

For my husband, it would be a bigger truck to haul his dog and all that bee equipment (Yes, he is a beekeeper and will have honey soon!) Personally, I love my Suburban so I would probably just upgrade it for one with a built-in dvd player.

4. Buy a vacation home (or 2....)

Can you tell I need a vacation? I just love to travel, but cannot always afford to stay in the nicer places that are truly a home away from home. How amazing would it be to have a house on the beach or in the mountains where you could go anytime.

As I mentioned here in an earlier post, some friends of mine have a "farm" house where they can go to get away, take friends along and relax for the weekend. It is amazing what a day or two away can do to lift your spirits. No reservations, no crowds, no cheap hotel towels. Just gather a few things and go.

Ahhhh, if only.

5. Open a business

You know, something like a nice restaurant chain. Then I would hire someone to run it for me. Let's not get crazy, I don't know anything about running a restaurant but I would love to have a "family business" to pass down to the boys. Somewhere they could work as teenagers to learn a good work ethic and save their own money. One of our favorite places to eat is the Genghis Grill. We have talked on a few occasions about how much we would love to open one in our area! Who knows, maybe one day. I will have to hope for that long lost rich uncle to leave me a fortune, I guess.

Until then I will keep working on my debt snowball. I have my list ready, although I won't start researching the beach property just yet.....