Dave Ramsey, Debt, and Dumpster Diving

As a reward for all our hard work to pay off a lot of debt, we promised ourselves a family vacation this summer. Then we need to go to my niece's wedding, (which we unfortunately could not tag onto the vacation). Couple that with growing young men who want to experience Scout camp, High Adventure, Youth conference, and EFY, not to mention swim lessons, tennis, summer school, etc. When you add it all up, we needed some more cash. So even though I swore it off years ago, I got the dumb idea that maybe I needed to finally have the dreaded:

Garage Sale.

Because really, how much money can a 12 and 13 year old make? Not nearly enough to pay for all the above. I don't like to farm them out to babysit because I have first dibs on their time for that, and frankly, they are not skilled labor in any menial task. (I doubt anybody with cash in hand is willing to stand over them and nag as they weed or clean toilets, right?) It would take an entire summer's mowing to earn the cash they need, and with all those camps, they won't even be here to do it.

The deal was sealed yesterday afternoon when I noticed my neighbor, who is moving to GERMANY in 6 weeks, had this beauty parked in her driveway.

As I watched her husband throw in a perfectly good wheelbarrow and patio set, I could no longer take it. I swallowed my pride (she's moving to GERMANY, right?), and called to ask if we could do a little "dumpster diving". I swear I could hear her thinking "I'm so glad I'm moving to GERMANY" as she said, "Uh, sure. Whatever you want I guess. They're coming tomorrow to pick it up though."

So this AM I tromped out and began digging. My thoughts were thus the whole time:

"I could get $50 bucks for this!"

"If my husband's boss saw me doing this he'd give Jared a raise for sure."

"I bet I could get $100 for the patio set! That would almost pay for a week of Scout camp!"

"I bet my neighbor is soooo glad she's moving to Germany, where you surely won't have broke neighbors with 6 kids digging through your garbage."

"I just may have to keep this totally awesome wheelbarrow. I think I saw it at Costco for 100 bucks last spring!"

"I bet nice neighbor Susan, who just waved at me, is wondering if we're going to be the first neighbor into foreclosure."

"I wonder if anybody would pay for a 4 foot tall, wood statue of Brett Favre in a Packers uniform?"

Etc. Etc. Etc.

But after an hour, I have a garage full of loot, a sampling of which you see below. Suffice it to say, if my neighbor had called me first, should could have saved the $300 dumpster fee.

D*** that Dave Ramsey !