One of the biggest reasons for creating MommyLuvs2save was to create a community of moms and dads who want to help their family save money when buying essentials in order to free up money for debt repayment. My own family has paid off over $111,500 in consumer debt including credit cards, student loan debt and 2 vehicles. I am a teacher at heart. I want to use the skills that I have learned to help YOU ditch debt. I want to encourage each of you in your efforts so that one day you can feel the freedom of being debt free. I’m not quite there yet either (we still have a mortgage) so I need encouragement as well 
It can be very difficult to pay down debt. There are many temptations to spend money. We live in a culture that encourages debt and spending. In addition, expenses come up and there never seems to be any extra money for paying down debt. I want to urge each of you to participate in a challenge. Just leave a comment about one positive step you’ve taken for your family each day. Did you eat in instead of going out? Did you save money at the grocery store? Did you pay extra on your credit card? Leave a comment below and we will cheer one another on every day and every step of the way.
The challenge is to leave a comment about what YOU have done to work on getting debt free each day. One winner will be chosen to win a $50 Amazon gift card at the end of each month. To participate in the challenge you must comment on at least 10 posts during the month.
* I will also be sharing my progress from the day prior.
My Progress: I had a pretty good day yesterday, but I didn’t feel as productive as I’d hoped. Ro was off and we did go to our favorite diner for the $1.79 special breakfast, which included 2 eggs, hash browns and toast- not a bad deal. After breakfast I came home and made dinner (believe it or not). I wanted to take a portion of it over to my parents for their dinner. I did just that and visited for a few hours. I came home and had lunch with Ro at the house. We also made dinner at home. It was nice to have extra time together since the girls went back to school. I did have to run out to pick up Olivia and Kayla’s gym shoes. I ended up getting a 10% twin discount and a 10% discount for ordering for their school. It ended up costing $62, which was pretty good for 2 pairs of the required shoes.
After I tucked in the girls Ro ran out to pick up a white bookcase that I found on Craigslist. I’ve been looking for one for forever and ended up only spending $15 for a solid wood white bookcase. I thought that was a really good deal. My girlies are readers and they want a little reading area in their room. They share a room and there isn’t a ton of space, but we’ll make it work. Kayla went to a friend’s house for a play date last week and came home saying “Wow, she has a desk and a chair in her room” to which I replied “Do you know what you have instead of a desk and a chair ? - an Olivia - ha ha ! I can’t believe that at 6 they have friends taking horseback riding lessons, using cell phones, playing with elaborate gaming systems, with iPods and iPads and HUGE houses. Luckily I feel NO need to keep up with the Jones’. It’s a beautiful thing to be content isn’t it ? What a blessing.
What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it You could make 2013 your year. Who will the September winner be ? We’ll see…
No spend day here. All meals at home. Enjoyed chicken pot pie I made over the weekend. Still have enough for another meal which is awesome. Added a few coke points.
Yesterday was anything but an inexpensive day. Had to bring one of our boys (dogs) to the vet…..to the tune of $382. He will also be going in for surgery this week, which be yet another $300+. Ahh, the things we do for our animals. Did earn 240 swagbucks and requested another $5 Amazon gift card.
All meals were made and eaten at home yesterday. A neighbor had a fire, so our neighborhood pitched in to buy gift cards for clothing and food for them. I pitched in $25, but that was the only money spent. The mail was boring, but there were no bills and that made me happy.
Yesterday was a no spend day here. Relaxing day trying to get a few things done around the house. I am starting to feel a little more energetic and actually did Insanity yesterday for the 1st time in a few months. I would like to work on the pounds that have been nagging me forever and I’m not sure I have the motivation yet to work too hard on it but I figure it is a start. Oh and working out makes me feel much better so if I can make myself do it that is a good start to finding that motivation again. It is so hard though…I like it but the whole time I’m asking myself why I am torturing myself! LOL!
Took advantage of the sonic buritto special. Took clothes to k2 k to sell, they are not buying. Did go ahead and get a few markdown items for my girls. 8 pieces $20. Got a dress I wanted last year
But wouldn’t pay full price for…..paid$2! Looks brand new.
A friend called and is giving me her baby swing, bathtub, bumbo chair! Awesome!
Got pork chops and lunch items at kroger.
I applaud you on your contentedness, Karen.. that is an amazing quality very few possess.
Made stirfry for dinner. Used a $3 off coupon at Supercuts for my son. Paid all the bills, only made minimum payments on the cards this month, not gonna beat myself up about it..this has been a major move.(still hovering around 10k)
Good News is that I got a surprise call that ALL of our closing costs will be paid including prepaids. Approx $4,000. Im so glad I pushed for that. It did not come from the builder, but the realeatate agent and loan lady. Wooot, Woooot.
I so agree with you Karen; my daughter has friends that live in nice big houses and they take trips to nice places that I can’t even afford to take with just my husband and I. My daughter has some nice things and seems content on what she does have. She does have a stable household with 2 loving parents that get along get great and never fight; thats more than alot of kids now a days have.
I spent just about $10 at the grocery store for some frozen dinners for my hubby since he has to go into work early this week. I received a check in the mail for $80 for a food tasting I did locally in my town. I am trying to put it towards Christmas gifts. Oh and I also ordered a few phone cases on line for my daughter but had a credit to use.
Had to run to the grocery store but got it cheap. All store brand items. All meals at home. On the swag bucks train again and request a $5 gc from Amazon. I made up my mind that I can only buy things we need from Amazon with our credits. No mail, thank God. I go back to substituting tomorrow just once or twice a week so I’m excited but will miss baby, but we sure could use the money so I have to suck it up and remind myself is for my family. Last week one of our outside dogs passed away, week yesterday his brother died too. I guess you really can die of a broken heart. Please keep our family in your prayer, we have a lot coming at us at one time. Hope everyone has a blessed day.
Sorry about your dogs. Our two are also brothers and have never been apart for any length of time. I’m really concerned how they will do being apart overnight.
Needed gas from our weekend trip. After baseball for both boys I was ok exhausted to do anything but dishes and laundry. Have my things ready for the consignment store tomorrow!
I worked as a guardian/conservator for the state once and saw many, many folks at the end of their lives. I figured out then that you could either play at the beginning and pay at the end, working until you dropped dead, or you could be thrifty (not extreme, but careful) at the beginning and have your middle and later years be the times of comfort. I have seen people of 70 dragging themselves to work, paying for all those things they charged and no longer even use, and the people of 50 who don’t have to work anymore unless they want to. When I am old and tired, I don’t want to be forced to work because I was an idiot when I was younger.
I also worry about the values those high spenders teach their kids when they surround the child with iPhones and big TVs and so on…Your kids are lucky you have such solid values.
No spend day.
Our kids never knew that they didn’t have the best things until they started school. Then they started to see what others had that they didnt. At times oe of the kids will ask for a phone or I pod
But we have always said “no” it wasn’t a need. We have worked really hard to try to instill in our kids wants verses needs but it is hard when they see most of their friends with all the new gadgets.
Our oldest daughter is starting to realize the difference and she is becoming quite a thrifty shopper. She has started her own savings account and puts at least half her money in savings instead of
Spending it all. Hoping they learn from all our mistakes. LoL. Anyway it was a no spend day for us. All lunches packed and dinners made at home.