“Money is for people who don’t play well with others.”
That’s what I saw on a bumper sticker yesterday, and I have to say, it gave me pause. I can’t judge the owner of the car that wore this bumper sticker, but it was a nice car. Newer than ours. A nice looking SUV. So, they obviously weren’t struggling. Or, maybe they were. To me, this statement represented one thing: yet another excuse for people not to take control of their financial lives. Read more
Yeah, I know: the title’s cheesy. But stick with me here, it’ll be worth it.
For the second time this month (ok, more like the 20th), I contemplated blowing a hole in our budget and going on a family outing in order to deal with the getting-out-of-debt stress. It all started innocently enough: We had a great time at a bowling field trip with some homeschool friends, for which my amazing kids promptly saved up enough money in order to cover the bowling and gas costs, knowing that it wasn’t in our budget.
Then we ran a bunch of other errands, one of which included heading to see the tax man. Good news there too: enough back to cover some extra expenses we’ve had over the last two months, and then 2k on top of that which will establish an emergency fund for us. We met up with my mom and did some things for her, she took us out to an early dinner, we made a Walmart run and headed home. A long day, but a good day.
I’m not sure what happened in between Friday and Saturday, but on Saturday I kind of lost it again. I was once again overwhelmed with the stress of facing up to our debt crater, and Rick was out of town fishing, and I just lost it. I made up my mind: the budget was going out the window and we were going to blow $50 or so to go to the movies (4 kids, one of which qualifies for an adult ticket, some popcorn and snacks, and it gets expensive. And no, you can’t go to the movies without buying popcorn. It’s just against the rules. :-)).
I looked up which movies we might see, available times, and even checked out the movie review site we used in order to make a final movie decision.
And then I woke up.
Reality hit. What was I thinking??? We have absolutely no business going to the movies! We’ve got a crapload of debt, and we’re in no shape to spend that kind of money on frivolous junk we don’t need right now.
And just as soon as it hit, the craving to trash the budget passed. And that’s when I realized that this process of getting out of debt is going to require us to deal with regular battles……with ourselves.
I guess my point is that if you are contemplating a journey to get out of debt, it’s important that you expect to have to fight with your own will. Your own cravings. Your own rebellion.
But if you really want to win the battle to debt free, it’s more important that you win those fights.
Because every time you choose to give in to those rebellious, scared, or overwhelmed feelings it means another month of staying in debt. And you deserve better.
How much money did you lose last year paying for fees that you could’ve not had to pay?
I almost spent $100 yesterday that I didn’t have to spend. So, I guess you could say that I made $100. How? By writing a 3 minute e-mail. Read more
One of the challenges of the super-strict budget we’ve needed to impose (to get ourselves out of the crater of debt we’ve dug) has been that I’ve had to cut out about 98% of our unnecessary expenses. That includes beauty expenses. Read more
One of the hardest things, for us, about choosing to stop spending and get out of debt is the impact it has had on our children. We’ ve eliminated about 95% of our activities, entertainment and field trips. Unless we find a ridiculously good deal, clothes are purchased on a need-only basis. Read more
Isn’t she just the cutest little thing you’ve ever seen? This is our oldest daughter, Maddie. Normally I’m not fond of putting the kids’ pics out there in the Internet world, but Maddie’s already somewhat out in the public eye because, at age 11, she published her first fiction work. Read more
This meal has long been a family favorite. My mom’s been making it ever since I can remember, and although it’s a simple dish, it’s a frequent request at potluck dinners. Sometimes too, she’ll stuff this into whole green peppers with the tops chopped off and cook it that way (if you do this, cook until the peppers are soft and brownish – about an hour). Read more
When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes
Are you a prepper? Or are you more of the camp that prepping is for the wackos and the conspiracy theorists? Or maybe you’re somewhere in the middle. We like to consider ourselves thoughtful observers, although we’re more on the side of the preppers than the non-preppers. Read more
One of the things that’s been in the back of my mind as we work our debt freedom plan is how we’re going to make sure to keep our egos and attitudes in check after we’re debt free and rolling in dough from our multiple income streams. So when I came across this article from the Minneapolis Star Trib yesterday, I knew it was one I should take the time to read. Read more
Pic courtesy of St. Paul Pioneer Press (AP Photos/Mark Humphrey, Matt Slocum)
With the big game only a week away, many people are planning gatherings for game day. So, how can those of us trying to watch our pennies entertain for less? To get the most of out this post, first read my Frugal Family Gatherings post. Here are some ideas that, along with that post, will help you keep your pocketbook happy while entertaining your family and friends next Sunday. Read more
