DEBT FREE!!!! :)

If there is one thing about beng a travel nurse that you should know it's that the pay is AMAZING!!!  But, you have to understand that I uproot my life every 3 months, drive countless hours to get to the next assignment, live out of boxes, be away from my family/friends when important things are going on, make a new set of friends in every new place, so in order to do all these things at least 4 times a year there has to be a little incentive!!!  One thing that this profession has done for me has set me up finanical to the point where I don't feel like I have to pinch every penny.  When I was a staff nurse at a hospital in KC, I would have to be very concious as to what bills were due, when I was getting paid next, how much I could afford to put into savings, etc.  In the 9 months that I have been a travel nurse, I have earned enough money to pay off my car, which was really the only thing that put me in debt because I don't have credit cards...and since the last payment on my car finally cleared my bank I can offically say that I'M DEBT FREE!!!!!!  After taking the Dave Ramsey class a couple years ago with my roommate...all I can think about is shouting it from the mountain tops or maybe calling into his radio station and proclaiming it there too!!!!
Becoming debt free was my first goal as a travel nurse, because I believe that my dad would kill me if I would have blown all my money on things that I didn't need...he knows what I make because he does my finances (yes, I know...I'm 27 and should be doing my own finances, but I'm the favorite so what can I say!!!) and I got a lecture about being fiscally responsible when I was home in Feburary...although I already know that I'm responsible!!! :)  However, I was so excited last week when I made my last car payment that I did go out and buy a nice Michael Kors watch, but SSSHHHHH, don't tell my dad!!!! :)
So, my next finanical goal is to beef up my savings account and have enough money for a nice hefty down payment on a house and to have enough change to furnish it when I am done with being a travel nurse...