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Using the Envelope/Cash System

We officially started the envelope system only 4 days ago and it has already saved me $75. What I mean is as I was in Walmart I jotted down the nick nack food, clothes and beauty items I would have put in the cart if using the credit or even the debit card. It came out to 48 buckeroos. Then in the past few days I/we have wanted coffee and to swing by the "sandwich shop" for a bite and then burgers the next day. But I didn't have any cash for it so I/we didn't do any of those things. You can only imagine how much I'd sepnd in weeks, months, years not making wise choices with each and every stop at the store.
With that said, the envelope system works. Here is the basic info from Dave Ramsey himself on HOW to make it work. It's easy I promise. Any reason not to do this is called an excuse, especially if you are in debt, are not honest with your spouse about money you spend, have any sort of issue with spending (gambling, binge shopping etc...), or are using any credit cards that DO NOT get paid off each and every month. If you are not in any debt, then congrats!! ;)



Here are a few simple basics for starting a cash envelope system:

viadaveramsey.com
"1.Budget each paycheck. Budget is a dirty word to most people, but you must budget down to the last dime if you're going to successfully implement the envelope system.

2.Divide and conquer. Of course, there will be budget items that you cannot include in your envelope system, like bills paid by check or automatic withdraw. However, you can create categories like food, gas, clothing and entertainment.

3.Fill 'er Up. After you've categorized your cash expenses, fill each envelope with the money allotted for it in your budget. For example, if you allow $100 for clothing, put $100 in cash in your clothing envelope for the month.

4.When it's gone, it's gone. Once you've spent all the money in a given envelope, you're done spending for that category. If you go on a shopping spree and spend the $100 in your clothing envelope, you can't spend any more on clothes until you budget for that category again. That means no visits to the ATM to withdraw more money!

5.Don't be tempted. While debit cards can't get you directly into debt, if used carelessly, they can cause you to over-spend. There's something psychological about spending cash that hurts more than swiping a piece of plastic. If spending cash whenever possible can become a habit, you'll be less likely to over-spend or buy on impulse.

6.Give it time. It will take a few months to perfect your envelope system. Don't give up after a month or two if it's not clicking. You'll get the hang of it and see how beneficial the envelope system is as you dump debt, build wealth, and achieve financial peace! See ... simple!

Certainly, some bills may come in at different times of the month, so you'll need to adjust your written game plan to take it one step further. You need to plan the budget based upon your pay periods.

Say that you get paid twice a month. If you can write down which bills you plan on paying from each paycheck, you will not be left with a surprise bill. Spend each month's income and each individual paycheck on paper before it comes in."

Thanks Dave for the tools for financial freedom.

My wallet with the envelope system right inside.
LOVE IT!!

Cash or Credit to pay for Christmas?

Wahhhhhhh! We used credit. I'll just say it. GUILTY AS CHARGED!!! Charged? Sheesh, funny thing. We charged, and charged.
What if I tell you that we had two kids go from a uniform school to non uniform schools. They needed clothes. They also needed just a few church outfits. What if I say that when we pulled one from one private school into another and had to pay some hefty app/reg fees and a larger tuition. Oh, hubby's job messed up on his paycheck, it was significantly lower than expected. That awesome truck we paid cash for two years ago has broke down with big expenses twice in 6 weeks, and the jetta is literally a pc of junk. That itself has costs us a few bucks. (But less than any sorta car payment added up).

Well, truth be told, we paid cash for almost all of those things that we ended up using credit just to pay the bills. I told myself it was ok, it was just going to be a bill here and there. Paying cash for those things came at a price. We used the credit card also for things like gas, groceries, (and a few eating out ventures. Ah who am I kidding, we ate out LOTS!!!) and now we are stuck with interest and another 9 months of trying to get out of it. uh, ha......ha????? Okay, so not really funny, but sad, scary, depressing, disappointing.

However, I see that minor setback as a great thing. Sorta. As we realized the credit card, which has a lower limit, was close to being maxed out we realized real fast that we had no idea but to get our butts in gear. A few months ago I ordered Dave Ramsey's envelope system/coupon organizer. We pulled that out this week and I got it going. Check book is fully balanced and ready to help hold us accountable. SO cash it is for gas, groceries (Which included eating out) and for medical (any co pays as we have one little one with special needs and goes weekly to OT). So this is just a start but when the cash is gone, the spending in done.
Yeah, it's that easy. We have done it before.

I am not sure I have any readers left but if so share your goals. Well, I think there may be one of you. Hi DAD! ;)

Happy New Year!!

So Close!

I have hesitated and pondered this next post. But with being so all or nothing with Dave Ramsey I decided that the only way to spread the word and be true to the process is to be upfront.

A few years back I was talking with the one gal from Bible Study who really perked my interest in trying out Dave Ramsey's plan. When she shared her debt free story I was SO excited until she added in that due to an accident and settlement they were blessed to become debt free a little sooner. I instantly became discouraged. How often does money just appear and become a blessing to be debt free? And without a chunk of money coming in can we really become debt free before we are in our grave?

After the first 8 weeks and losing $14,000 of our debt by selling everything in our home we didn't need, and the largest one being our Tahoe, I was sold that things can be done to get further out of debt. We wrestled with so many things. If we were not upside down in our home, we'd sell it in a heart beat. So many people have a nice amount of equity but are unwilling to sell because they love their home or they are comfortable there. I totally respect and understand that. So many of us do not want to sell our vehicles that are not paid off, or maybe paid off and we could bank off them and buy a little used vehicle and put all the rest to a debt. Which I understand too. However when you get out of your head that what you have is too nice to sell, or this or that, you become sorta materialistic. We all have that and are guilty. I don't mean to sound judging but it's sorta true. However, once you sell one thing that means something to you, BUT is just a material item that can be replaced, you realize it is so silly to be hooked on something SO much that you can't live with less for a small time period to work at feeling free for the rest of your life. Is having all the FUN stuff, nice cars, large home with all the updates so you can "keep up with the Jones's" really making you happy. How are those credit card bills feeling each month? I hate the mail because for 11 years its been nothing but bills. Credit cards, doctors, hospitals, surgeons, car payments, the house, line of credits, loans... You name it and we probably had it. There were even a few times we got collection letters for medical bills. And this was after insurance. Life was a mess as it is for so many of us. When you take a stand and jump on board and pay things, little by little, it's so empowering. I know now that I am serving God by tithing, and serving HIM by being a good steward with HIS money.

With this post I say that we received our chunk of blessing money from a past stock. We met with a few "financial people" who wanted to know why on earth we wouldn't roll this over. We will take such a "hit" on a penalty for cashing it out and there is all the taxes. We knew in our hearts that the WORLD would say these things. However we know in our hearts that Dave Ramsey is right in stating that the interest we are paying out each month alone (which I will save my pride and not say how much it was total) in all these debts is way more than "X" amount of years in an account to gain interest. So we cashed it out and are now about 7,000 from being debt free minus the house. We have taxes on it paid and have 7 out of 10 (YES YOU ARE READING THAT RIGHT) debts paid off IN FULL (not including all the dr bills, but those are pd as well). One of the remaining being a dept store card. So really a few dollars away from making that 8 things. Humiliating that we had that much? YEP! However we are headed in the right direction. And sadly we are far from being alone in this credit card driven society. We are currently still living paycheck to paycheck with not a lot left over for the remaining debt due to the 3 girls tuition and all 3 being in school all day but it is worth it for their education. And truthfully we look back and have NO idea how we survived all this time except that I think GOD was very generous in ways that He kept us afloat. I am not sure how. Or even why since we SO did not deserve it as we were horrible with God's money. But somehow by His grace HE kept providing the important things.

If you are considering your debt resolutions please check out Dave Ramsey's book "Total Money Makeover" and even check in to the Financial Peace University, FPU. Many churches all over the US hold these and I still hope to get involved with it. I met up with an old friend from high school and she has gone through the classes and showed/told me how they run their finances. I can't wait to visit with her more on making this work better for us like they are doing.

So here's to busting butts for financial freedom. I know, unlike so many people, that we were VERY blessed my a sum of money, but even before this we paid off almost 16,000 in ONE YEAR!!!! It can be done if you really want, and if you are willing to give up the material items in your life. Someone who I value and love greatly and have gotten to know told Ron and I recently when talking about things said, "ALL material items can be replaced, your children cannot." We were actually discussing how we tend to get so worked up over the kids ruining the BIG EXPENSIVE items we own that we don't allow our kids to have fun. We spend all out time stressed out over the scratch that might appear, or the thing that might break or get ruined that we don't even let kids be kids anymore. There is a difference in respecting what you have and worked hard for (or put on credit for) and being so over protective over material items that our children lose out on being a kid. We have found this comment similar and applied it to our financial lives. All material items can be replaced. There is no amount of debt worth looking good, or temporarily feeling, or getting to have that desired thing right now instead of saving and waiting. We appreciate so much more when we work hard for it, hand over the cash or debit card that has that saved money on it.

Happy selling, happy saving and happy paying down debt. Here is to strict budgeting and back to the basics. OH, and no more excuses. What are your and can you rid the excuses from your life?

I can't wait to call Dave Ramsey and tell him WE ARE DEBT FREE!!!!

What's it Worth to You?

Getting out of debt! What is that worth to you? What are you willing to do? What can you do? These are the questions we ask and are still asking ourselves weekly. What more can we do and are we truly doing enough?
I have to laugh at our craziness. We have a timeline on a bill that needs to be paid. We can't use credit, so we are left with cash. Well, we have no spare cash to put towards this. SO we once again looked around the house. What can we live without? Here's a reminder..... Everything we have is a material item. We need our beds so those stay. We need our kitchen table and appliances so those stay. We need the washer and dryer, stay. Couch? Hmmm! I think we can live without the couch. We do have two nice little chair things we can sit on that are already a part of the living room. So we agreed on a price and put the couch, actually a very GINORMOUS (complete understatement) sectional from the La-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery up for sale. I looked online and discovered the exact couch is new for 2,599. Yikes. That is over double what we pd. I then looked at the couch in detail and noted the things that were wrong with it and posted in on the local Craig's List. We had it sold, the people showed up after renting a uhaul and decided they didn't want it because it was not a solid brown. Downer. I was flooded with emails in response and hit the few that said "we want it no matter what. Have the cash and can pick up asap". So we went to the next and it was sold. Again. We delivered to them today and to my surprise they obviously did not measure like I said they needed to do. Sure enough the sectional was way to big for the living room there but they said they will make it work. LOL! So I walked away with the money for it. I was pleased.

Once you sell that first item it's easy to feel great and think, "Now what can I sell?" So we are selling our stationary bike and whatever else we find in storage that we have been living without for the past 7 months. I will keep you posted.
Just remember that if we can sit on the floor for a few months while watching tv, which we shouldn't be anyway, plus it's summer, than so can you. Well, I am not saying go sell your couch, but find things that you have around your house that you CAN LIVE WITHOUT. Sentimental things, heirlooms and those things passed down keep for obvious reasons. NO complaining until you have tried everything you can. Try your best to sell something before running to someone to borrow money. You will feel so empowered. Any feedback? Do I have any readers? I guess if you quit posting people quit reading. If I'm not suggesting realistic things for realistic people then there is no point in putting this out there. I will anyway, even if for one reader. If anything for my own documentation of our journey.

So what's it worth to us? Being debt free! Bottome line!

Have a great summer selling things on the Internet, at garage sales and however else you can. Clean house, less clutter and less debt. Go sell!!!!!

Avoidance!

I think I have been avoiding this blog because I am not really sure what to write about. On top of that I know that I have a few family member that follow and a few friends. I knew that I went out on a limb when I followed my own blog as some of us tend to click on others our of curiosity. Or nosiness. ;) I'm not that one though. LOL Warning, this is a info post and a full blown vent at the end. I have bottled it up and am just going to let it out! (((ROAR)))

We have waited for over 5 years for stock $ from a job my husband had several years ago. He was automatically vested into the company and after his job change we knew we would watch it grow and have a certain amount of money in the end of a waiting period. We have come to that time where we have had to decide what to do with that money. Since we are huge Dave Ramsey fans we definitely know that we need to pull enough to become as close to debt free as possible. Knowing this made us a little lazy in being totally frugal. We have researched and know that we will make more money off not paying all the interest on the credit cards and line of credit we have then to invest or roll over the portion to gain money. When looking at our interest and how long we technically will be paying for these debts, it was way more outrageous. Remember our biggest financial success is from our income. So we know that we will be taking out enough for that. So in the next few months my blog will be saying we are SO close to being debt free. I know that this isn't an opportunity for many, we are blessed. With this I remind anyone who could even be reading this that we started taking baby steps and still are, and we have paid off almost 20 grand in 16 months. That is huge for a family of 6 that lives paycheck to paycheck.

We have had a lot of things come up that are not in our budget lately. ER visit for severe headache/migraine= strep, Urgent care visit for stitches on the back of head, several as in 12 dr visits at $20 per visit just in co-pays, ER visit for medicine reaction, ENT surgery and visits = $400 for dr/surgery center bill, ER visit for high fever after surgery that wouldn't come down, a baby shower for my sister, and a few expenses out of pocket for things for the school. These are areas where we did not include into our budget and KNEW that once we took them out we would regret it. We have no emergency fund. But we manage and know that at least the bills are being paid and on time. We are keeping our credit afloat.

I am not really sure why I blog about money. It's such a taboo to talk about and it's a risk to put it out for all to read. I think that there is a part of me that is not embarrassed because I know we are SO NOT ALONE. There is that other part of me where I have been so encouraged by others blogs that I wanted to write it all out myself. I love being on the computer typing away all my thoughts. I have been judged because I have done it but I really don't care. We are doing something about it and have worked SO hard for 16 months. We are too prideful to put others out and borrow from others. I think it's tacky when you keep making stupid financial choices and spending and every month are needing to borrow from people it's time to find another route. I know people who so this and it really bothers me. Lack of responsibility and maturity is everywhere. I may be too hard on some, we are no better, we just borrow from strangers call credit. But we vowed we would NEVER put out family or friends to rescue us because of our bad choices. I get so irritated when elderly, yes my grandmothers are used for borrowing money. I don't care who does and if they pay back but it's tacky. If you can't pay for something DON'T BUY IT with others money!!! If you need money every month, GET A JOB, get a second job. My husband did and it works. He's had 3 jobs at a time three times and two jobs almost constantly. I love my family but the more I hear the more angry I get. Especially when they are going out to eat, buying coffees, fast food, clothes and drive nicer cars and have new things. It's irritating. I am totally venting and willing to reap whatever comes out of this vent.
I know that we all hit hard times, and I am not opposed to borrowing from family or friends if needed for a last resort once or twice. I just think when it's abused its not ok. I have seen this too much. And truthfully, I never have done so, so maybe that is why it's easy to "judge" if that is how it's coming across.

So on a positive note, I am enjoying shopping for meals each week. I intended last time to jot that down. Not sure if it's to give you 3 ;) ideas or if it was to keep me accountable. So here I go with that:
Mon: leftovers
Tues: freezer meal- pasta primavera
Wed: crock pot chicken, rice a roni
Thurs: hot dogs, party potatoes
Fri: Left overs
Sat: misc
Sun: Dinner with family ??

Welcome Summer!!!

I'mmm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Man has it been a long time since I have committed to posting on here. Mostly because I felt if the debt wasn't going very far then it wasn't important. We have sold most things there are to sell in the house, and are at a little standstill. However we will have big changes this year and big choices to make.

I will be brutally honest! Last night after watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution , I realized that not only are kids not getting healthier foods, but that I was also feeding my kids terrible foods. I was appalled at the head cook for one of the schools he was at when she complained that it takes "too long" and would mean hiring more people to prepare foods from scratch, then to give them nasty processed foods. The head lady at the school even said that she wasn't sure on continuing this project, or mission, Jamie is one because it was double the cost. I was ticked thinking, "How dare someone put a price on my child's health. Most people pay for their child to have hot lunch, they should be fighting for their kids to have better quality. It is their money. And how dare she complain about the time and effort, and even the man power it will take to serve a child better foods." Then I felt so disgusted at myself thinking of the many time A WEEK, (I know embarrassing, humiliating, and shameful) I feed my children this same way. Because I am tired. Because I don't want to spend two hours in the kitchen. Because I don't want to clean up the mess after. Because I don't want the hassle. Man that is selfish. And wrong. I have been blessed with four wonderful children to serve. Part of that servant hood is giving them healthy foods to put into their God given bodies. This IS a very important task that I have been failing miserably at.

I then started doing some research and saw things like McDonald's fries never molding. I vowed to go buy a cheeseburger and small fries to document how long it takes to mold vs raw, hand prepped burger and fries. The only reason why is because I don't want to just believe what I saw but to see it for myself. I will keep you posted on this as well. Apparently the more raw a food the faster it will, should spoil.

You may be wondering what the heck this has to do with saving money, budgeting, or becoming debt free. Here's is the answer: In order to eat fast food, it costs money. I looked at our spending and I was even more embarrassed. I will save you the details of our stupidity but know that we BLOW so much on eating out, going through the drive thru, pizza, coffees, etc.... We even ate take out pizza right before watching the show. (Today I couldn't even eat the leftovers. I made my own healthy lunch). Not only fast food but things like buying frozen foods like chicken nuggets instead of being creative and making your own.

So, Within 30 minutes of watching the show I had two weeks of meals planned out and a shopping list written up. Ron and I agreed on this change. No more eating out unless it is fully planned and not without purpose. This is however, how it was when we were growing up.

So here we go. I will start again posting recipes and meals plans this next week. I will be checking out all of your blogs again too. I will keep you posted on our journey to being det free. I have been absent and could use the revamp!

I have a picky eater so I have included her in the meal plan. She gets to choose a healthy meal once a week. I am hoping this will save her from going to bed hungry.

Here's to saving money on gross foods to buying and preparing healthy foods. NO matter the cost. While not blowing it I can spend it on better things. Yay!!!!!

Freezer Meal Makin Mamma's

So this is the newest of my adventures. Four of us gals decided to meet up with two recipe's each and make our 8 meals together. We made quadruple the amounts and we each got one of each of the eight recipes to take home and freeze. I must admit I have eaten 2 of mine in just a few days. And one didn't even make it to the freezer. At this rate we will have to get together every other week. :)

There are more than a few reasons for encouraging you all to find other women to do this with. If you happen to be a male reading this, encourage your wife to do this. This is a great way to save money, enjoy some girl time, prepare healthy meals for your family and make life just a bit easier with a busy schedule. Taking a wholesome meal out of the freezer to thaw and throwing in it the oven, microwave or crock pot is extremely easy and awesome. Nothing like a day long to prepare meal made in just minutes.

So I encourage you to all get a group together and give it a try. Some tips:
1. Get together the week before and double, triple etc... your recipes to how many women are coming. Compile the grocery list.
2. One or more that can do the shopping. After, you split the cost. There you have it. (for 8/9 meals our cost was just less tahn $50 each. We got 2 meals out of the Taco soup recipe)
3.Bring plenty of crock pots, large pots, fry pans, cutting boards and be ready to be washing dishes hroughout the meal making process.
4.Start early on cooking day. Cook all the meats in bulk then measure to separate to each recipe.
5. Most importantly, if you are making soups or stews, start those first. Make them first. For a few reasons. The chopping and cutting take a long time. The cooking process for the ingredients to soften take quite a while AND you will want to pull off burner/turn off crock pot etc... and let cool some before measuring the soup our equally into freezer bags.
*Side Note... The freezer bags (Glad brand) DID NOT melt when we put the steaming hot stew into them. We gave it a try. So far it was a success.
6. Most importantly HAVE A BLAST!!!

Not only has this helped me with dinners it gave me new and fun foods for myself the the family to try. I also loved more than anything the fellowship I had with the women I did this with. That really was my favorite part. We have amazing conversations, laughed and left with only a few minor injuries. Okay, okay, so I was the only one who walked away with a small burn and a sliced open thumb. But all in all this was the most fun thing I have ever done.

I'll post some of the recipes soon. ;) Keep on living like noone else. Plan your meals so you are not tempted to waste money eating out. Continue to say NO to credit cards. Live on that zero balance budget. Happy meal making everyone.

Dave's thoughts on Cash for Clunkers

Dave's Thoughts on "Cash for Clunkers"


With all the buzz about Cash for Clunkers, it’s easy to think that it was a great way for people to get a better set of wheels. But was it really? No way! Cash for Clunkers was simply a way for broke people to buy cars that they really couldn't afford. It was a bad idea on multiple levels. But before digging into that, let’s take a little history lesson.

About a decade ago, a fair housing program was started, called a sub-prime lending market. The idea behind it was that everyone “needed” to own a home—including broke people. The government decided to start a program to reinvest in communities, which allowed pretty much anyone to borrow money to buy a house. Lending companies charged high interest rates, causing already struggling families to go even further into debt.

Basically, this was a program designed to encourage broke people to buy houses. Most people didn’t even know it existed until it unraveled and became the number-one cause of our recent recession. The government took those stupid loans back and securitized them, which created the financial mess last fall. Helping broke people buy houses didn’t turn out to be a great government program. Guess what? Helping broke people buy brand-new cars—and now home appliances—will turn out just as bad.

The Cash for Clunkers program was designed exactly for people who should not take advantage of the program. You trade your $2,000 clunker in for a brand-new, shiny $20,000 car, and the only way you can afford it is with a high-interest payment. That just means you really couldn’t afford it to begin with. Doesn’t this sound like the sub-prime mortgage problem all over again?

When you drive that new car off the lot, you’re immediately going to lose $4,500. The worst car accidents happen on the showroom floor. New cars go down in value like a rock. The government thinks it’s going to save the American auto industry by putting broke people into cars they can’t pay for. It’s going to come back to bite them—and the rest of us—in the form of taxes galore.

Another bad thing about this program is that we, the taxpayers, are paying for the new cars! It’s morally wrong of the government to take money away from us—against our will—in the form of taxes and give that money to someone else to buy a stupid car they can’t afford in the first place! This is theft, plain and simple.

Cash for Clunkers is a program that redistributes wealth in the name of the environment, and it’s going to be a curse on the car dealer and the manufacturer that carries the paper. It’s going to hurt the broke person who bought a car he couldn’t afford. And it’s already a problem for our country, because it’s adding dollars to the national debt.

There’s always a twist with government programs like this. They try to think of creative ways to help people, but the situation usually ends up worse than it did before they “helped.” In the end, I should decide what to do with my own money. If I want to buy you a car, I will! And if you can’t buy a car without actually paying for the whole thing, then you’re better off keeping your “clunker.”

So good riddance to a really bad program that has done more damage than good.



AMEN!!!!!

Tour de Faith

This is near and dear to us. I know that this is a random post at that but I knew when I heard this man was doing this again this year I knew I needed to post and repost to get the word out. Here is someone on fire for supporting those who wish to have their children in Christian education but may not be able to afford it. Poppa J is on his way to bike 1500 miles and is due back to the area in several weeks. He is riding for donations for the Tuition Assistance Program at our Christian school. The need is there like neverbefore. Not just due to the economy but for many other reasons. This is truly near and dear to our hearts because we have before used scholarship for our children to attend this wonderful school. Please take a moment to read his blog as he just left. Follow along and if after prayer and reading and following his journey on Tour de Faith you feel lead to help financially do not hesitate. Him and his wife will be maching the donations raised. It is due in part of the generosity of others that our children have had the opportunity to have a Biblical education. Not one penny has ever been aken for granted. And for the families who need it as well, it will not either.
Enjoy and thank you for taking the time to read his bike journey!!

Getting Ready for "Back to School"

Thought I'd throw in this picture. I love it! I enjoyed visiting Seattle this summer.

Okay, so I have avoided this blog this summer for a few reasons. We are not really throwing down any debt, which I mentioned in my last post, and because there isn't really anything new going on. There are so many things regarding money I really want to touch on but feel as though the timing is inappropriate. I have an interesting variety of people reading this blog. Some which I know and others in which I do not. Heading back to school and this time of year for us is really overwhelming. I have pondered how much to put myself out there. I will do so with some reservations.

We are hit each year with the uncertainty of where are kids will be attending school. We have been a part of the most wonderful private Christian school for the past 5 years. The school is small, the teachers are outstanding and the curriculum is fabulous. Although this is all wonderful it costs a lot of money. Any of you that are reading and have done private or looked into it know exactly what I am talking about. Every year we make our last minute decisions the week before school begins. It is overwhelming for me. Add on to that, uniforms, school supplies, tuition, classroom fees, registration fees, shoes, coats..... and the list goes on and on.

For the first time this year I will be making due with what we have. The kids will get a new clothing item as needed and not all at once. They will be used or on massive clearance. I will be going thru their school supplies from last year and get only what cannot be used again. They will reuse backpacks and lunch boxes, that's a given. I will get back on track making my own breads and anything bread related. I will not worry one bit about name brand clothes or items.

So with this said I recommend going to Phoebe's post on frugal back to school shopping! I ended her post feeling refreshed and okay with what I am about to do in the next few weeks as we look at going back to school. I refer to her blogs a lot. She was one of two people who inspired RJ and I to do Dave Ramsey.

Stranded for summer

This is how I feel with the debt reduction. Stranded!!! With RJ not working money it tight. There is not one ounce of debt reduction except minimum payments. We have however done a few great things to help us out in the financial area.

We had a very successful garage sale. We made over $350+. We are on a cell phone plan with my parents which saves us all a little money. We usually pay my parents but gave them our tv that was less than a year old and hardly used. They agreed to take the nice tv in trade for cell payments for the summer. Woohoo. Another area we saved. At the price of a silly material item, as much as we liked it.

We are learning more than ever that we have had way too much stuff. I always knew this but the reality hit when my cousin and his wife sold everything they own to go into missions. They will be leaving in a month for training. They also have lived the last few years following the Dave Ramsey book to get themselves debt free. Check out their story here. It's truly inspiring!!

I am still loving blogging and have missed doing it. Check out my other blog to follow the next book I am going to start. The Power of a Praying Wife. Wowzers is it ever a great book. I have started it twice but have never finished it. Follow along and pick up your own copy. It's better than the Love Dare. :)

Untill next time, buy only what you have cash for, only what you NEED, and conitnue to make great choices and talk to your children about money from an early age. It is rewarding as we are learning. And keep praying for your spouse!!!

Finding Freedom Friday: Frugal Flops

Over at Finding Freedom Friday, Phoebe asks what, if any, frugal flops we have had in our journey to becoming debt free. Make sure after reading mine that you head over to hers and read her flops along with others.



SO here I am wondering what my frugal flops have been. I know that I have flopped many times just at being plain frugal. Does that make sense? We try, we make it a way of life, we stumble, get back on track and it is this cycle that keeps going round and round.



Flop #1- seedlings. They died 4 weeks after seeing them pop up through the dirt. I worked hard to take care of them indoors, taking them out for sun on sunny days. Well, long story short, we didn't get a garden area done when they really needed to be planted. Before I knew it none were able to be salvaged. They are gone and we have done away with the garden due to the small backyard we have plus a dog that is living back there too. :(



Flop #2- Homemade laundry soap. Argh!!! I haven't done this yet. I am disappointed that I haven't tried it yet. Why is this a flop, because you can't save money while NOT trying frugal ideas and ways of living. I think I am procrastinating because I love the really smelly smell of my Tide.



Flop #3- Homemade cream soups. Way too much work at the moment. I have a super small kitchen that has little counter space. I found it too much to make when I do not use them very often at all. However, I would really like to give cream of chicken a shot again since it is the one I use if at all.



Flop #4-Couponing at Walgreens. Truthfully I still don't get it, understand it and now don't care about it. :( Sad I know. I found myself using a few products that I wasn't sure I liked. By the time I was driving into town I wasn't saving at all. Instead I am now going to the brand sites I like and seeing who has coupons to offer. I am also using coupons out of the local paper I snag from the families house. I don't buy a paper. SO although I feel like I'm giving up on Walgreens, I am still couponing.



Flop #5- Wholesale shopping. Sometimes shopping at the larger wholesale places like Costco hurts the budget, especially if you do not take cash. There are many products that are WAY better per oz to get there but I buy too many items which means I then have spent too much money. We have reevaluated this shopping trip and the hubby will be helping more. He does a way better job of sticking to the exact list and not adding something here or there.



So there are my flops. They are a bit different due to our journey to be debt free only starting three and a half months ago. We are excited for our progress although our debt reduction slows for the summer.



Happy frugal living to all of you out there in this journey. I am proud of all the blogs I read and with that said proud of what we are doing. There is always room for more frugal living. Excited to read your stories too.

Blog Hiatus

Yep! That's what I've been doing. I have realized a few things in the past month. I have been needing to focus on a few other, should I say, more important things. I have had 3 friends suffer significant losses, the ones we as mothers can't hardly bare to imagine. One whose baby made it to just a few weeks shy of his due date, by the grace of God. He was diagnosed with a lethal genetic disorder and behind praying for ultimate healing, they prayed that God would give him some life outside of the womb. He answered that prayer and my dear friend had an hour and a half with their sweet Logan before he entered into the arms of Jesus.
Another friend just three days after sharing the news with me that they were expecting went in for her 20 week ultrasound, ecstatic to find out the sex of their baby, instead found that their little son had no heart beat. She was and still is devastated!
And the most recent, just a week ago a friend was pregnant with twins, her first children, was not feeling well for a few days. After terrible back pain that kept her from going to work for several days she finally got in to the dr who discovered in her ultrasound that one of the baby girls was taking most of the fluid/nutrients while the other was much smaller. The very next day she ended up in labor and delivery giving birth to one stillborn and one that breathed life for a short time before going to be with the Lord.
My heart is still so heavy for these mothers. I think of them and begin to pray for peace and strength and I just want to fall apart. If I could only take their pain, even if just for a moment so they can feel happy again. I know that it will come in due time but it still stinks. I have done meals, prayed and tried to offer help. I know that is well but still doesn't feel like enough. I decided to bag the blogging and just "be" for this past few weeks. Just focus on me and my family. To read my Bible. I have enjoyed it!
So I am back and feeling good. Summer is right around the corner. It is actually here for my hubby who just finished his last day of work today for the summer. This is exciting and good, however, as far as the budget it stinks. We hit a dead stand still. We will hurt just to make enough to pay the bills. But we will survive, we will make it. We are blessed that God has brought a few kids into the picture for me to watch, and maybe even share God's Word with. I see a wonderful summer ahead of us.
If you get a brief moment to pause I ask that you pray for my friends, my sisters in Christ who are hurting tremendously over the loss of their babies. Their names are Lisa (and Logan), Amanda (and Gracelynn and Madilynn), and Carla (and her baby boy). Thanks for the prayers.

I am excited to be back blogging. And by the way...... I still haven't bought bread from a bakery or store. I have made my own for 2 months now. Yahoooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! That is bread, french bread, rolls, bagels, muffins, english muffins, etc.... Loving it! Especially the bread maker that does all the kneading for me.

Have a great weekend. I know that we will as we are getting the sun and some mid to high 80 degree weather. See you next week with Monday Madness!!

Being more Green AND Saving Money

Tupperware!!

So for those of you that know me know that I LOVE TUPPERWARE! I thought that if there is anyone else who does as well I'd drop you the website of the gal we go to for ours. I know many of you are thinking it is too expensive or don't want to go to a party for it. First, you can order through the website or from the book. No need to have a party to order. Second, is it really more expensive than all the sandwich/freezer baggies and Ziploc, glad ware and plastic containers that you use but you throw those away after a few uses if not after the first?

For those of you that are trying to "go green" consider this:

~Tupperware products are safe. The microwavable ware has NO harsh chemicals that seep out and into your food.They are environmentally friendly because you will reuse them a thousand times over.

~They are 100% lifetime, yes I said LIFETIME guarantee on chips, breaks, etc....If you have some old brown pc of Tupperware from 1973 and it is cracked or thrown at the bottom of the drawer, consider getting it replaced, for free. They have so many amazing products that I use in lunches alone. I DO NOT use sandwich baggies, I use sandwich keepers. I do not buy water bottles anymore or Capri suns, I use lids with cups, their travel tumblers, etc.. I don't use snack baggies for their snackies, I use the snack cups with lids.

~I use the Fridgesmart (The orange rectangle container in top photo) to save me A LOT of money with fruits and veggies. As soon as I get home from the store I throw my fruits and veggies right into the Fridgesmart. I have had lettuce last at least a month, strawberries for a good two weeks, peppers and carrots for longer! They save money because I have not thrown away a fruit or veggie since using them. MONEY SAVER!

~I use the modular mates and/or the cereal storer for all my cereal once opened. I have an overstock of cereal and we go in spurts with eating it. I have NEVER thrown cereal away, because it never gets stale. Also if you have any trouble with bugs, ants or any other critter (thanks goodness I haven't yet) then Tupperware is crucial to have.

Again, why is it better than all the other plastics at the stores?

~Because you purchase the item once and never have to again. The warranty is enough for me.

Sound like a sales woman?? I don't mean to be but I do have this secret obsession with Tupperware. They have great stuff for the freezer, storage, baking, cooking, serving and for kids. I am not having a party, just blogging on something that I have become passionate about due to trying to save money. Buying storage baggies and plastic containers to use once are not on the list, plus, half of the time they are not safe for the microwave.

Check out Melissa's website for the latest colors for summer. And GO GREEN/er and use Tupperware, not baggies and bottle and throw aways.
http://www.my.tupperware.com/melissavohland

I'm going to have a college graduate tonight

We are getting ready, as I type this, for a college graduation that is probably the most special one I will ever attend. So I am only 31, well Monday I will be 32, so it is obvious this college graduate is not my child. IT IS MY HUSBAND!!!

With all he has endured over the past 16 month I am so proud of him. You can check out my personal blog. It's a short post, check it out here. Praise God for getting us though this journey, providing energy, strength, patience, endurance, and the ability for RJ to stay awake while driving late night or needing to finish a paper and for still giving us time with him. God is good. Again we "praise God from whom all blessings flow!"

Lots and lots!!

So this week marks a lot of things that have been happening. We celebrated our daughters 7th bday,(which we spend a whopping $5 for sidewalk chalk for her as her gift) Only because we bought the food for two meals for family. That was WAY more than we thought it would be but there are a lot of us between both families. My cousin got engaged, someone close to me is pregnant, (Can't say who yet), my daughter was asked to be a flower girl in my cousins wedding, my sweet hubby is graduating from college with his Bachelor of Arts Degree in management. We are smitten about this. (God has been good to us during this journey)! I am feeling better from my cold, my sister and I are beginning a journey to lose weight, and I am down 4 pounds in 36 hours. Just by cutting back.

The meals in this house will change drastically. No more fatty, greasy, and unhealthy cooking. Maybe a splurge every so often but come on, being this big isn't fun. My knee hurts, I'm tired all the time, no desire to get out in the sun in shorts (my favorite thing to wear) and tired of not treating my body like a temple. God has blessed me with working parts and I ought to make use of them to my best potential. So my meal plans will look different. I will include recipes if anything spectacular. And cost effective of course.

Meal plan:
Monday-Hot Dogs
Tuesday- Rice-a-roni, apples, and bread
Wednesday-hot dogs at church (mmm, kids aren't tired of em yet)Pinewood Derby night!
Thursday- Roast, veggies and homemade rolls or french bread
Friday- ?? Up in the air. If home then Mac and cheese, from a box. ;) Salmon for me!
Saturday- RJ graduation, something quick, not sure
Sunday- Dinner at in-laws ?

We are living scarcely this next few weeks. Doing the zero balance budget is a great way to be accountable to the extra spendy but makes for being bummed when you want to splurge but there isn't enough $ to do so. We have about 30 bucks for emergency food buying. We will live on what is here, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, etc... The freezer will be empty like the fridge is now. We are resorting to what is in the freezer and cupboards. But it will be enough. Just gotta get creative.

My weakness: I love Tupperware. I use it for everything and rarely use baggies. Saves me unnecessary $ on lunch Baggies that get tossed just to put bread or a sandwich in one time. I could spend on Tupperware like mad. It is lifetime guarantee. For life. They will literally replace anything that breaks. As long as you didn't put it in the microwave when it says not to. ;)

SO I am smitten this week with a lot of great things happening. God is good and remains faithful in our home, family, schools, friends, and even in our budget.

Have a great week and continue to find changes you can make to save money and not charge on credit cards. Summer is coming. Are you having a garage sale? If you haven't used it in the past year or worn in in the last 6 months, it must go. I'm having one soon. :)

March Madness

March madness in this house wasn't being consumed by basketball for several weeks. It was the sad reality that when you DO NOT live on a ZERO BALANCE budget you spend, aka blow, money you wouldn't have otherwise, it is TOTAL MADNESS! We learned. I never claimed nor believed that we would do this journey and never screw up, have regrets, or even wake up calls. We had a minor stumble block and made some seriously stupid choices. WAY overspent at the grocery store. Did not take cash, killer one. We got selfish and got too much fast food. A dollar here and dollar there. Killer two (and not one nice sit down dinner in that mix) Not worth it! I am not even going to say how much in four weeks we blew. Hmmm! Maybe a huge part of the reason we are where we're at. Totally sucks! We cut cable BUT bought stuff to set up an antenna. Free tv now but money went out first to have it.

So enough complaining. The reality is we made some cruddy choices. SO much that for two paychecks we did no snowball growth. :( We sat down last night and wrote out our budget for the next two weeks. Here's the rundown:
*Vehicles just filled up, so we think $160 will get us till then.(2 fills ea.)
*$100 for food/groceries. I have plenty in the cupboards and freezer, we will have to make it work. We have lots of Mac and Cheese if needed. ;)
*We had several dr bills that were slightly overlooked previously due to insurance not having pd their part yet so we didn't get the bill. We are out $600 in just the deductibles. Of course it has taken a few months for them to get their end pd, now we are getting the bills.
* Along with deductibles, we had 2 visits to Urgent Care, and MANY visits to the dr in the month of March. A few pretty pennies went/going here.
*RJ has worked some major OT this last pay period which helped us be able to pay $800 towards a mattress we had on a no intrest no payments option. It is up in June. We have to have it pd, plus it's next on the list anyhow.
*I have not bought bread in 5 weeks, the kids and hubby (oh yeah, and myself too) are eating up the homemade like crazy.
This is a blessing.

So there is more I am sure but April is almost over. Sad, sad! I know. See you back here soon. (Not doing a meal plan this week since I am making some meals I didn't get to from last week and we have a graduation dinner for RJ (YAYYYYYY!!!!!!) this week as well. No need to rewrite what I already have written down just last week. Hope you enjoyed my monthly wrap up of March, in April. Owell. I am a mom of four. Is that good enough reason???? ;)

Have a wonderful last 11 days of April!!

~Blessings~ (and Monday Madness and Meal Planning)

I was stressing a little the past few weeks on my blogging. I was feeling really overwhelmed and wondering if it's even worth it. After a little venting I know that I am #1, documenting our journey! And second it is a hobby. I love to talk and blogging is such a great outlet. When I discovered people really didn't want to hear RJ and I talk about the things we were doing, this made perfect sense. Put it out here. If people want to read and know how we are doing it, what our progress is then they can visit here at anytime. If not, they don't have to. Makes sense. I also feel a little off about the content. I am at a stand point in the book. Sorta just in the snowball phase. Not much new info to go in depth about.

I didn't want this to turn into a "food blog" but must say that as the woman and care taker of the home, oh yeah, and the chef, I am doing so much food wise to help us save. I am excited so I want to share. I also LOVE the things that happen when you put yourself out there.



With Easter being yesterday I thought I would share some of our recent blessings.....

First and most important.... Our blessing of Easter! He is RISEN! I must say that as a follower of Jesus this is my most favorite holiday! The music in church is wonderful too. On my other blog I posted THIS so everyone could hear my most favorite song. I hope that you take a few minutes to listen to it and let it move in you. This was the most important blessing we celebrated this past week. Here are a few others....



Our friend Lisa made it through the past week as she layed to rest her infant son. If you listened to the song above you may have saw and clicked on her site and read her story. She is such an amazing woman. She is a blessing, her family is a blessing and baby Logan is a blessing! God is so good!



Some less important but special blessings~
Piano Lessons:
We decided to add to our budget piano lessons for the older two girls. I know that Dave may or may not support that. Sometimes there is so much focus on sports and other activities that as an adult you rarely get to continue doing. We both wish we would have had some sort of piano/music lessons. Hmm! Living through our kids?? ;) So we felt it was important. And they have been asking. We have the cash and it seems to be a small sacrifice with life long benefits. Blessing #1!

Teacher! The wonderful person doing lessons is doing it for a very small charge. He is incredibly talented with a music degree. He plays many instruments and leads the choir at our church and sometimes the worship. (and he is in his mid-twenties) He is blessed. Blessing #2!

A piano! We do not have one but my parents do. They literally live a half mile away so we can stop by there on the way home from school to practice. Blessing #3!

Ideas! We went to in-laws to celebrate my niece and nephews bdays. Another family there suggested our local Craig's List for a used piano. They found one for $100. They said it is great to have a piano so close by BUT it is hard to go each and everyday and has been beneficial to have one in their house. What a great idea. With that I began searching and saw many for around $100. Blessing #4!

Generosity! I decided to go out on a limb and post on my FB status that we were looking for a piano. I have had a few people message me regarding knowing someone who is selling one. A young lady from our church has one that they used as children in their home and she talked to her mom. Her mom said that we could have it!! Can you believe the generosity of people? BIG blessing #5!

I think we will say we are borrowing it long term just in case one of the kids want it back when they have a house/family! But this is a huge blessing. The girls were so happy when I told them.


Blessing #6 FOOD to nourish our bodies~
MEALS THIS WEEK

Monday~ Pork Roast, steamed broccoli, homemade bread of some sort.

Tuesday~ Mac and Cheese with fruit, green beans

Wednesday~ Homemade Pizza and homemade sauce, cheese and peppers.

Thursday~ Aunt Betty's Chicken. Will share this recipe soon. It is SO good! Corn and fruit.

Friday~ Breakfast for dinner. Homemade French toast using my white bread recipe in bread maker, bacon, and fruit.

Sat/Sun~ Leftovers and meal at in-laws. Trying to remember if there is a bday party this week. ;) (so many this time of year)

Enjoy your week. Monthly wrap up may not come for March. My intentions are their but we have had a lot going on and RJ is using the computer a lot more with his final home stretch in school before graduation. Will work on it though. :)

Monday Madness & Menu Planning

This week is quick and simple. RJ gone a lot again. He is down to the wire in school. Only a few shorts weeks before graduation. Wow! I recall when he decided to embark on this journey and we couldn't imagine 16 months of papers, research, power points, projects, late nights and more reading than he has done in ten years. Here we are on the final home stretch. I am so proud of my sweet hubby! He is a hard working man and has always worked hard so I can be home with the kids. What a GREAT man. A man following God's calling to serve his wife and children by being the provider. When he is not busy providing he is almost always home with us. I take this for granted sometimes and I really wish I didn't. I have to remind myself often of how greatly I have been blessed.I cannot imagine how excited God was when he had in his mind to bring the two of us together. I know how I feel, and I know my feeling are small to Gods.

This week we will have only 2 meals out of 5 as a complete family. We will have to make it a point this weekend to spend some extra time together. Speaking of this weekend, which actually has something to do with finances, or saving money..... I planted my seedlings today. RJ is going to rent some equipment Saturday and work on a small area in our yard for a garden. Well we are going to attempt it. We have a small yard, a dog, and a pool that goes up for the summer. So it will be a tight squeeze. I purchased things that are our favorite. If it works we will be saving about or between $20-$50 after everything. Worth it? maybe not BUT it is some money AND a great thing for the kids to do. It will be fun.

Our meal plan this week......

Monday~ We FINALLY had Creamy Chicken Enchiladas. They we so delicious! I also made homemade rolls. Mmmm! Feeling the total carb overload!

Tuesday~ Beef Noodle Casserole and green beans. This is my moms recipe and I love it. Will share one of these days on my family blog for Thursdays Radical Recipes.

Wednesday~ Papa Murphy's Pizza in Tillamook OR. Heading there to visit my dear best friend Trish. Cannot wait to spend a whole day together. The kids will have a total blast!!

Thursday~ Nachos, nachos, and more nachos with cheese, salsa, sour cream, and poss a meat. ? The kids love it when they get to eat chips for dinner.

Friday~ Baked Potato with all the fixens (chili, cheese, sour cream, and bacon, if the kids don't eat it first.

Saturday/Sunday~ Lots of bday parties and Easter Celebrations. He Is RISEN! Ah, love this time of year!


Sack Lunch tidbit:

I have chosen to use Tupperware, gladware and ziploc containers in the kids lunches instead of sandwich baggies. I have bought the containers slowly over the years, and with lunch meats so I think it compares in cost. Just a thought. I like using them. And the kids love em. Less garbage and less costs. We also use water bottles for juice or water or a sports drink instead of pouch or box drinks. The kids love water so I am happy about that. Anything different they love since I am always saying "no" to everything. ;)
If you have any lunch ideas, things that work for you PLEASE share. This is a big dislike of mine in the mornings. I try ot get most of it done the night before but I just wish they could have hot lunch each day. :)

Way behind on my monthly wrap up so March's is coming soon. I will be without a computer for a bit so maybe this weekend.

Hope you all had a great Palm Sunday!