I like to eat at Bombay Grill!

Yo.
You like Indian food?
I do. Well, if you count Chicken Tikka Masala as Indian food, then yes! I also like naan. And now you know the extent of my Indian food knowledge.
BUT
in my defense, that CTM is so good I don't have time to try anything else? Why improve on perfection!?

So far, we've tried:
Kiran's near 6-10. It was good. It was expensive. It was good and expensive.
Mantra on S. Mason. It is good. It is fairly priced. It has pretty atmosphere.
But our most favorite...
BOMBAY GRILL in Richmond, TX.





It's family run. It's DELICIOUS!!!! And you must go there and become one of us. Do it. Today.

We like to to-go-it.
For Leelah we like to order the Chicken Pakora- might misspell that...

Oh CTM. You are the best.

And in case you don't believe me... Check out their Urban Spoon reviews.

Debt Free and Lovin' It.

Friends.
Countrymen.
Cheeselovers.
Glasses-wearers, Nonglasses-wearers,
UNITE!

We are debt free now. The monkey, no Gorilla, is off our back. We're dunzo.

To commemorate, we made a fun little video as a family.  We even got the dog involved, so you know it's good.

It's no Lawrence of Arabia or Wizard of Oz or Insert Epic Film Masterpiece Title here, but just a little something.

And we owe it all to first: God and His grace.
Second- Second- Baptist that is because our dear family friends, the Belue's and the Richardson's, led Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover class and our money totally got madeover.
And thank you Mr. Dave Ramsey for following God's call of teaching and for your ministry.

Sidenote: We applied to be on Dave Ramsey's show.
We had plans to drive to Nashville and do our Debt Free Scream from his Financial Peace Plaza Lobby. I made the mistake of pumping Leelah up about it and then asking one of my fave peeps if we could stay at her place along the way (I was most excited about seeing my buddy, shaking Dave's hand, and eating a Martha cookie).

I'm not being facetious when I say that I cry every time I hear a debt free scream. I feel like I'm insta-pals with those families.

So we were denied by Dave because during our debt free journey our Corolla got wrecked by a guy who didn't believe in fixing his brakes- it was 50% totaled - not enough to completely total it. We decided to trade in John's car which was junking down so much we had to bail. We traded that car in and put our tax refund into a CR-V for me, with every intention of paying it off and thank you Lord- we did- we financed it for around $13,000. We had the Corolla repaired which thankfully was covered.

This is a no-no.

According to the Financial Peace/Total Money Makeover plan, we should have made an even trade and gotten whatever car we could pay cash for, which would have been in our case a beater car.

I get it and I respect Dave's plan.

Which is why we have been following, blogging (Just search "frugalicious friday" on my blog), promoting, and living it since Feb. 2008. John and I having budgeting meetings every other Thursday for 5 years (and for the rest of our lives!), going to the bank to get our cash for our envelopes, etc. etc.

Even through paying off 14 surgeries, trips to Mayo Clinic, traumas, etc.

We're trying to be classy about it even though we were kind of let down. Again, we understand that he has a plan and that plan is proven success in teaching families how to achieve financial freedom.

God showed me something, that we don't need man's approval. Yeah, it would have been really cool to meet someone who's become a mentor to our family and to join the other families who have screamed for freedom.
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.- Galatians 1:10

Scream or no scream, we are still free.
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.- Proverbs 22:7

John and I know each other much more through all the budget communication.
There's no bank-account-balance-fear.
And us 3 Nichols have accomplished a huge goal together through God's lead.

So in August which is when we are set to be able to pay for it and knowing it's when the sun is closest to Orlando, we are planning to make a Disney pilgrimage.
Leelah has no clue. If she did, there'd be some idolizing happening big time.
We are going to pack her bags for her unbeknownst to her, wake her up the next day and say, "Get in the car. We're going to Disneyworld!"

We are saving and budgeting for every step.

Just like Leelah said when she was five to some classmates, "My family and I are going to Disney when we are debt free! And not until then!"

Thank you Jesus and supportive friends. 

Almost Debt Free. Tips!

It's almost:

Guys. Are you sitting down? Standing up? A littlea both? Eating an apple? I love apples. Galas only please. Running? Laying down? In a zero-gravity plane?

I HAVE NEWS.

$1639.89

Um. Yeah. So close I am tearing up.

$1639.89 left until The Nichols are debt free minus the house!

PRAISE JESUS.

This is a victory. A loooooooong road.

Today I want to tell you that YES you can do this. I'm praying for those reading this with tears of defeat or who's spouse just won't be on the same page. I'm praying for you. You guys can do this. There will be healing.

I can't believe I'm even typing that we are about a month and half or so maybe less of being done with debt. Again, still paying the house and utilities of course.

Can I share what helped us? Reverse-pride. Unbragging. Get proud of the ol' tired stuff you are living with- that's what is going to get you to the end. That's what the "gazelle intensity" that Dave Ramsey teaches- is all about.

Non-Flat TVs and NO Cable:
We were/are proud of the non-flat screen in our living room. Do people want to come watch stuff at our house? No, but we don't have cable either and we are proud of that too!
We know and love our true-blue friends that come to our house, because we literally just sit and talk and enjoy them so much!!!
Getting rid of the cable has helped my soul y'all.
John was ticked at first. I mean I told him that I felt convicted about watching a certain show. If it was on, I'd watch it (It was Real Housewives) and it drained my energy and truly made me ill with all the backstabbery/fake crap.
He did NOT want to release cable. So we babystepped it.
And each month went down a package.
And down another package.
And survived.
Until finally, blammo, goodbye.
Now yes, we have netflix and amazon prime- which I use for my biz, Kindle and we stream shows.
After a yr, John was finally cool with it and now LOVES it. It was all his idea anyway....
I LOVE bragging that I don't have cable. Plus, I got friends that do and they invite me over b/c they are amazing. Thank you 'zing friends.

Cars:
Yo. That's my car with the dings, stains, and I'm rockin an '08 with low mileage. And yeah, huszzby is rollin in the Corolla- '05 baby- "Ol Smokey" with the cigarette burns from the previous owner/renters.
And we like it.
We don't feel oppressed because those bad boys are paid off. We know we are "Living like no one else, so we can live like no one else."
We thank God for our vehicles at all.
Be proud of what some might consider a jalopy and know where it's really taking you to- FREEDOM.

Clothes n' Things:
acquaintance: Hey Jillian, cute shirt!
me: Thanks I got it at KCM boutique for $4. It's Ann Taylor Loft!
acquaintance: Whaaaaa????
If I can't score something $10 and under I don't buy it. $15 and under for dresses. I know that is disgusting to some of you.
This is really easy for me because I really don't like trends anyway.
Now I did just buy a yellow backpack for my camera and it was NOT following these rules. Purses do not fit here, because you will be burned by buying cheap since you use it and abuse it. Also, I am realizing that yellow bags are trendy.
I have loved yellow forever so I am plainly stating that I'm not following a trend here.
But know, that there will ALWAYS be cute shirts and things to buy.

Emeals!!!! Yes. They really do help. I didn't like the fact that I have to pay, but I've acquiesced to the fact that my brain doesn't function this way. It pays to pay them think for me so I can save money and eat better by not going out.

Anyone else care to share???

So we have filled out the form to go see Dave for August. We are awaiting their approval. We hope to be on the Aug. 9th show. We will let everyone know!!!!

Gillian Gets a Mammogram.

Friday was flat tires day.


Hey y'all. I'm being honest. Flat-out honest. Literally.

And look since I'm tellin' this is me:

I've had cataracts since I was 4 yrs old.
Got a hysterectomy due to stupid endometriosis at 26.
Gallbladder out at 20. Ain't no one got time for gallbladder sludge, yo.
Of course, you know my fave thing to say, "I've had 10 eye surgeries. Hi, I'm Gillian, not Jillian."
Dislocated my hip in high school.
Couldn't walk because my joints were whack for pretty much all of 2010.
I have osteopenia. Everyone's doing it.
I'm on hormones that are so synthetic they might as well say, Johnson & Johnson as the manufacturer.
Oh and I wear progressive glasses.
I can no longer night-drive due to all the surgeries, thus I'm a reverse-vampire. 
I've done water aerobics on account of all of the above.
And I complain a lot.

Yes. I'm a 85 yr old 32 yr old. No offense, to my fabulous 85 yr old friends.

So the other day when I was having some, er, pain in well, a friend close to my heart. I thought, of course I need a mammo.

Oh crap.

I need a mammo.

NoooooooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooooooooOOooooooooooooooooooooOOOO.

I can be put under for general anesthesia like a pro, but that - well I've heard stories as we all have.

And I'm sorry. But is it just me or is everyone getting cancer these days? That sucks. My heart is broken in so many pieces right now for so many people battling and mourning. Could North Korea just hurry up already? I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING DANG IT. And it's Cancer-Free, thankyouverymuchpleasepassthejelly!

So my grandmother supposedly had b cancer at age 29!?!?! That is at least what I've been told.

LADIES: IF YOU HAVE A FAM MEMBER WHO HAS HAD B CANCER- YOU NEED TO GO GET A MAMMY 10 YEARS FROM WHEN THAT FAM MEMBER WAS DIAGNOSED. So that means I should have gone in at 19.

SAY WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA????

So I'm, ahem, a little late. But still what I feel - freakishly early- like everything else in my life.

They call me in- but get this- the lady actually pronounces my name right so I kind of sat there looking confused and almost didn't realize it was my turn!!!

I walk into this waiting area and it's beautiful, serene, spa-like. So I was jazzed up! Where's the fruit-float-water!?! Look, I know I got nothin' wrong with my doo-dads. So I'm gonna just relax-
"Oh I'm sorry maam- see that gentleman fixing the coffee machine over there?? Yeah, you will have to wait in your dressing room please." 
What? Oh. Okay.
So I wait in the 2x2 dressing room in the dark basically. Oh well, I got my Kindle!

And I'm sorry if this is making some uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable is also the word I would and Memorial Hermann Katy uses for Mammogram.

I had to get a diagnostic one due to the pain and the family history. Let's just skip to the end- no spots! Except for a little cyst which is normal. They suggested I lay off the caffeine (cha, right lady!) and come back yearly for a screening...
Again, I'm sorry for the details here.

And I was also deemed, "The Most Entertaining Patient of the Day." According to the Mammo-Tech.
Probably because I asked her if they had nets to catch things... In case... Things... Busted off.... This joke-credit goes to John.
I also at one point just said, "I don't know where to put my hands!"
And, "I'm sorry I'm so sixth grade, laugh, laugh..."
It's a defense mechanism.

Why am I sharing this before 10 on a Monday? I know there are some ladies out there who might be weird like me, and look, if I can do it. You can too.

Budget for it and go.

And then budget for the lunch at Escalante's afterwards because you were slightly traumatized...