WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

I believe in KINDNESS! We never know what a person is going through so it is so important to treat everyone kindly. You will wonder how this goes with getting out of debt, but I will explain that. First of all, we must remember that getting out of debt is a journey. There is no way we can do this by ourselves. We learn, we grow, and we serve others. I can not imagine how wonderful the world would be if we all took the time to be kind.

I want to share a small story to illustrate what I am trying to say. I was getting food at a store deli for our family. I had the lady behind the deli counter cut our meats and our cheeses as I was telling her how we love to have pita sandwiches with the diced meat, vegetables, and dressing. The lady wanted to hear all about how we made these sandwiches. She said: “Oh that sounds so delicious. I am working a 12 hour shift and no one is coming in to cover for me so I won’t be able to have lunch.” As we visited I found out she was a single mom with small children and she was exhausted. It broke my heart as I went home—thinking about this sweet lady not having lunch. As I was making lunch for my family the idea came. I made her the biggest pita sandwich ever. I grabbed a water bottle and some fruit salad. I ran back to the store and there she was. As soon as she saw me holding the food, she started to cry. I watched her counter while she quickly ate some lunch. Can you imagine how much that meant to her and how wonderful it made me feel? And, you guessed it—whenever I go back to that deli and she is there—I get the ROYAL treatment—she goes above and beyond to serve me. 

There were so many times in our journey to becoming debt free that people were there for us to lend a helping hand. When our daughter had surgeries we were blessed with yummy meals, gift cards, texts, messages, donations to help with medical bills, packages, visits, and the list goes on and on. We even had a very dear friend give us a Disney World Trip. This trip was so wonderful after all the weeks watching over our daughter in the hospital. We were able to get away and spend time with all of our children. I look back and think how do I ever thank these amazing people enough!! And, the answer is clear —we pay it FORWARD!!! 

I am so grateful for kind people everywhere!! I want to THANK YOU—you know who you are!! 

Being kind does not have to cost us a penny. A kind word, a hug, a smile, a wave, a gentle hand shake, and “what can I do to help you” goes a long way. I promise you the more you do for others——the more they want to do for you!! Through my life I have been blessed beyond measure from the kindness of others. So, I have always tried to do my best to be kind. 

Try it—make someone’s day today!!!! AMAZING things will come your way. You will be so surprised at how much happier you will be and how your own problems will fade. You will find a JOY that you thought was gone. You can do it!!! Happiness is around the corner!! I love the quote from James M. Barrie: "Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” I promise you what goes around will come back to YOU!!

Here Are Some of Our SECRETS!!

I love the quote by Oprah Winfrey: “If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” Throughout our married life, my husband and I have tried to live by that principle. But, sometimes things come up that we do not expect. We have 4 beautiful children. One of our children has faced multiple surgeries and hospital stays. While we had always lived within our means and prepared for a rainy day, we never expected to face huge amounts of medical debt. Before insurance, the amount of medical bills reached $1.2 million after 15 surgeries. Thank heaven we had insurance, but we still had a mountain of medical debt that never seemed to go away.  We decided to take it head on and pay our debt off completely and as quickly as possible.

First we researched everything we could on getting out of debt. Next, we decided to take what we had learned and make our own plan—one that worked for our family. We tracked our expenses for a month and created a budget! We had envelopes for every expense. Food, Entertainment, Lunch Money, and so on. Once a week we cashed a check and put the specified money in to each envelope. Doing this weekly helped us to keep better track of our money. Once the envelope was empty we were done with that category for the week. No using credit cards. We learned by experience to be very careful. Our children were wonderful with the idea and also became very creative with looking for cheaper ways to do things. We would only use our credit card if it was an emergency. I know this seems drastic but it worked for us! We were a CASH ONLY family and we loved it. I will share in another blog post the ways we stretched our money, but one thing was for sure we NEVER bought anything we could not afford. The money we saved during the 7 years we did this was OUT OF THIS WORLD. We paid off all our debts in full and had a savings account. 

While we were paying off debt we went without Cable TV. Looking back it really was not a sacrifice. We loved our time together. We loved reading and playing games. We loved playing basketball outside and going to the park with our kids. Our children did not get cell phones until they were 18 and could pay for their own. Our children thank us to this day for that decision. We drove reliable used cars that got us from point A to point B. We did not buy new cars. That one decision has saved us a ton of money. 

In order to feel success and keep moving toward our goal, we would pay off our smallest debt first. This gave us a sense of accomplishment. I know the experts say to pay off the highest interest debt first, but for us it was more rewarding to check debts off as paid. Once we paid off a debt we would use that money towards the next debt and so on.

We also decided to pay off all debt before starting to save and that worked well for us. I do encourage an emergency savings account that you save for monthly. This will help with things that come up that is out of the ordinary. Our savings account has blessed our family tremendously. In the past 5 years we have changed out our air conditioner, water heater, furnace, bought new carpet, remodeled, bought new furniture, experienced a family trip to England, and so much more. All of these purchases were paid for in cash. All of this was done while we were paying cash for our two kids to go to college. (We pay for the first year of college for each of our kids and then they do the rest.)  It is amazing what you can do once you are debt free. Saving money is like a snowball coming down the hill—the more you save, the more you want to save. 

We learned that LESS REALLY IS MORE! Our family treasured birthdays, celebrations, and being together. Living on less brings you peace and gives your life a sense of order. No longer are you bogged down by debt. We slept better and had opportunities come up for our family like never before. We loved serving others and wanted others to feel that same peace and comfort.

I know that everyone’s situation is different. And, what works for one family may not work for another family. But, the same rule applies. We must learn to live within our means. We need to learn how to control our money and spending habits. I will share more of our secrets in future posts. But, the best secret I can tell you now is that getting out of debt is WORTH IT!! It is worth the work and effort. I know you can do it! 

Now for our Best Kept Secret Recipes!!

Best Caramel Popcorn Ever!  $3.14

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly:

2 cups brown sugar

1 square butter

1 cup white corn syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Boil 3 minutes and pour over huge mixing bowl of popped popcorn. Mix thoroughly. Wait for 10 minutes and ENJOY!!

Heavenly Caramels  $3.58

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sugar

Combine all together-stir constantly until boiling. Boil until soft ball stage. Pour in to buttered 9 by 11 pan. Cool and cut. 

Easy Christmas Pie $7.48

2 softened 8 oz. packages of cream cheese

2/3 cups sugar 

8 ounce Cool Whip

2 packaged graham cracker crumb crust

1 can cherry pie filling

Beat cheese and sugar until creamy. Mix in Cool Whip. Spoon into crusts. Chill for 2 hours and top with cherry pie filling.

Barbecued Ribs $9.23

Brown 6 boneless pork ribs until done (I cut them into smaller pieces)

Add to skillet after ribs are cooked:

1 tsp. mustard

8 Tablespoons lemon juice

4 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup Ketchup

1 cup chopped onion

Simmer for 15 minutes

Sour Cream Potato Casserole  $9.69

2 pound bag frozen hash browns (cubed)—Southwestern

1 cube butter

2 cans Cream of Chicken soup

1 -16 ounce sour cream 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 medium chopped onion

2 cups grated cheese

Melt butter and saute onions. Combine all ingredients but potatoes in a big bowl. (Leave 1 cup cheese to sprinkle on top.) 

In 9 by 11 pan spread potatoes on bottom layer and then pour mixed ingredients over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.

Let’s Start Filling the Piggy Bank!!

Here are a few quick tips to save money now.

Plan your meals in advance.

Save time and money by doubling your recipe. Use one and freeze the other. 

Brown bag your lunch at least 2 times this week.

Stick to water. If you get soft drinks at the restaurant—STOP!!

Designate one day a week a “no spend day.” 

Have free family fun—go to the library, take a ride and see the Christmas lights, or have a game night. 

For one day only eat those things you have at home. No going to the store or take out. 

Unsubscribe to magazines and newspapers. Everything is now on the internet. 

Quit using credit cards for one week.  

Cancel gym memberships. Walk in your neighborhood or mall when it’s cold.

Swap babysitting with neighbors and friends. Save on baby-sitter fees. 

Check out free events in your area. 

Entertain the kids by spending time with them.

Carpool.

Go through your cell phone bill and cancel all services that you do not use. 

Buy used items when possible. 

Plan your meals with what is on sale. 

Repair clothing instead of throwing it away. 

Stop collecting and start selling.

Make your own gifts instead of buying stuff from the store.

Write a list before you go shopping and stick to it.

Invite friends over for game night instead of going out.

Avoid stress-spending.

Give the gift of labor and love instead of material things.

Avoid the mall.

Avoid Instant Gratification.

Start saving now for your retirement.

Pennies will turn in to dollars. Start making these small changes and you will see a huge difference!!

Yummy recipes—quick and easy

Shepherd’s Pie   $8.68

Brown one pound hamburger, drain and add the following

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can of tomato soup

Spread this mixture in a 9 by 11 pan.

Add one can of green beans (drained) on top of the mixture.

Prepare mashed potatoes in advance and put on top.

Sprinkle with cheese and Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Lemon Peppered Fish $14.87

Buy Halibut, Cod, or Salmon—-we buy it at Sam’s Club

Rinse off and put melted butter over fish

Sprinkle with Lemon Pepper

Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until it flakes

Serve with rice and vegetable 

BBQ Cups $7.26

Grease a muffin tin

Combine 2 cups Bisquick with 1/2 cup water. Put 12 even balls of dough into muffin tins. Push down and on the sides to form a cup.

Brown 1 pound hamburger until done. Drain and add 1/2 diced onion.

Add 1 cup barbecue sauce to hamburger and onion.

Pour meat mixture into cups. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes. Pull out of oven and sprinkle with shredded mild cheese. Bake for an additional 8 minutes. Enjoy!!!

Easy Pancakes $1.27 or $2.58 when you add fruit

1 cup flour

2 Tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg beaten

1 cup milk

2 Tablespoons oil

Mix everything. Heat pan and make pancakes.

We love to put a smashed banana in the mix or a 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries.

WHAT WE PERSIST IN DOING BECOMES EASIER. . . . .

I love the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson- “That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the nature of the task has changed, but our ability to do it has increased."

I want to start out with an experience. Three months ago my husband and I were called on a service mission. It has been such an AMAZING experience! We have loved every minute of it! I still remember our very first day. Bob dropped me off and then went to park the car. This is the view I saw—a huge stairway, and you guessed it, all our meetings were at the top. (See how dark and dreary that climb looks.)

Ever since I broke my foot years ago I have struggled with climbing stairs. When we began this service mission, I would always use the elevator. But, there were many times there was such a wait for the elevator that it was necessary for me to take the stairs. I would literally crawl up the stairs. But, over time I was able to climb the stairs quickly and have no pain whatsoever in my foot. Every time the stairway became easier and easier for me. Today when Bob dropped me off, I ran up the stairs. As I was sitting in our meetings it occurred to me that climbing the stairs has become such a habit and so natural to me that I do not even think about using the elevator.

Just like this experience, I know we can feel overwhelmed becoming debt free. At first it will be painful. I promise I remember that feeling. There will be times when you want to give up. But, remember every day it will get easier and easier. Before you know it, it will become a part of you! 

We are going to learn so many things this week. I will share more yummy, inexpensive meals to make, and we will learn some short cut tips to start saving money now.

This is what the staircase looks like to me now--all bright and cheery.

When you BELIEVE——you can ACHIEVE

Do you see it? I can see it. A brighter financial future is coming your way. Believe in yourself—YOU CAN DO IT!! I know you can! I believe in you!

Wow! Can you believe everything we have learned in just one week? Here are just a few of the things: 

• We no longer will keep up with the Joneses. 
• We will stop comparing ourselves to others
• We will work on our financial journey every single day.
• We will choose our meals wisely knowing that our biggest savings will come from our fridge.
• We will go back to simpler times and appreciate what we already have.
• We will declutter our home and our lives. 
• We will know happiness comes from relationships and experiences not material things. 
• We will control our money not let our money control us. 
• We will keep a notebook of all our expenditures for a month so we can see where our money is going.  
• We will be happy now.
• We will enjoy the journey. 
• We will believe that we can do it!!! 

I have loved taking this journey with you! There is so much more I still want to share! I know the challenges you face and what you are going through. I wish we could speed up the process, but it is doing the small and simple things over time that will make a HUGE difference in our lives. Keep going, keep working, and I know you will achieve your financial dreams.

The Happiest Millionaire: What Does Your Future Hold?

What does the future hold for us? It’s time to see how our money is affecting our lives!

As time passes we will begin to see if our money brings us joy or makes us miserable. Is our money working for us or against us? Every day time is ticking. Moments turn into minutes, minutes into hours, and hours into days! You get the picture. Our money is either making interest in 401K accounts, CD’s, and savings accounts or interest on past due bills, late fees, and credit card payments. Time moves forward—there is no way to stop it! We can not change the past but we can change today and the future! 

Please make sure to watch my facebook video and read Day 1, 2, 3 and 4 of my blog before reading this post. This is a process and I want to make sure you get the full picture. It is so important that we find out the true value of a dollar—that we go back to the basics. We need to not only find out how we use our money but our views of it. We need to make our financial journey so ingrained in us that once we are debt free—we stay debt free. 

When Bob and I lived in Kansas we knew of a lady who won a million dollars! Wow, we were so excited for her. But, then we heard her story, and it broke our hearts. This lady spent and lost the million dollars in under a year! WHAT? That is crazy! She spent it on things that were not lasting. And, before she knew it, the money was gone. I have read countless stories since or have known people who have inherited great sums of money that have had the same thing happen to them. In fact, many of them became so in debt after their money was gone and wished they never had the money in the first place. WHY?? The plain and simple truth—they did not know how to handle their money. They did not experience the financial journey of learning to live within their means, saving for a rainy day, paying off debt and staying out of debt, and making wise money decisions.

One of my very favorite movie stars of all time is Fred MacMurray. You know him best for his roles in My Three Sons, The Happiest Millionaire, and Follow Me Boys! He reminds me so much of my dad—a gentle giant! What I learned about Fred MacMurray is AMAZING!!! Did you know he was one of the wealthiest stars for his time? Fred MacMurray eventually became one of the highest earning actors in Hollywood and the fourth highest earning American. All the articles go on to say that he was very wise with his money and lived a happy, simple life. He left a wonderful financial legacy for his family that is still going to this very day! I have read every book, article, and magazine I could get my hands on about him. Do you know what his secret was? Every friend, family member, and co-worker said the same thing. Fred treated his money the same way before he was famous as he did after he became famous. He lived simply but enjoyed life to the fullest. He took a brown bag lunch from home to the set of every movie and TV show he was on. Fred looked at the bigger picture of his financial freedom. (Click here to see an amazing video of Fred’s daughter talking about her dad.)

I remember when Bob and I were first married. We were both 21 and just starting out. I was working, and Bob was going to BYU. We counted every penny and did everything to survive. For our date night on Friday’s, we would walk a mile and a half to McDonald’s and each get a 25 cent ice-cream cone. Man, I treasure those memories. I loved our talks and long visits going back and forth to get our treasured treat. I remember one night while we were walking Bob asked me a question: “What would you do if we came in to a lot of money?” I had to think about this question for over 5 minutes before I could come up with an answer. I had been raised with 10 siblings and had such a wonderful, happy life, but money was extremely tight growing up so I had never thought about that question before. I turned to Bob and said, “I would buy a bag of red licorice of my very own—that I could eat all by myself.” And then I quickly replied, “No, I would buy two bags of licorice—one red and one brown.” After Bob stopped laughing, he said, “No honey I mean a LOT of money.”

We need to invest the time necessary if we truly want to be successful in our financial journey. If our focus is on spending money, we will spend all of our time trying to earn more. But if we are intentional with our money and setting up for our future, we will have both the time and money we need to enjoy our lives. Every day you will treasure it more and more. Can you imagine the feeling you will get when you have time to do the things that matter most to you? Aiden our grandson called me the other day. “Hi grandma this is Aiden—your best friend!” I smile every time I think about that. I love that little kid so much. And, it occurred to me that he was indeed one of my best friends. We do a lot together. We read stories, watch movies, play spider man, make cupcakes, look outside for treasure, take walks, and the list goes on. I’m so grateful I have the TIME to do these things. Would our relationship mean as much if we did not have the time to invest in it?

When we invest time in our financial journey, we can have the means to do what we want with our time. Your children are watching you and will take on your money habits. What is the financial legacy you are leaving them? Whether you are single, married, divorced, or whatever your situation—YOU CAN DO IT!!! You can achieve financial happiness!!  It is never too late to begin your financial journey! THE TIME IS NOW!!! Time is ticking!! So, let’s get going!!!

Let’s Get Down to Business—to DEFEAT THE DEBT!!

It’s time!!! It’s time to see where all of our money is going! For one month we will track every expenditure. Buy a small notebook and begin keeping track of the money you spend. For instance— December 8th groceries $132.23, Lunch $7.93, and so on. Make sure to take this little notebook with you everywhere and record every penny you spend. Please do not include Christmas purchases. That will not show a normal month. And, by next year we will be paying cash for Christmas. No more putting our Christmas purchases on a credit card and paying it off for the next six months. Next year we will be prepared by saving and planning for extra purchases. By keeping track of where our money goes for a month, we will begin to see our habits and how we can better control our finances. We want to get to the point where we CONTROL our money versus our money CONTROLLING us! We will learn that it is not the money we earn that is important but the money we spend. This will be very eye opening and beneficial to see where our money goes and how to begin our budget. 

As we track where our money is going, we will be able to make a plan to cut excess out of our lives. That will make a huge difference!! Many of us believe that we can just take on an extra job or figure out a way to bring in extra cash to make ends meet. We will never get to financial freedom until we learn to live within our means. 

Ok friends, get busy. Buy a notebook and start keeping a record of the money you spend!

Back to Simpler Times

One of my very favorite shows growing up was “Little House On The Prairie”. I love to watch that show even more now that I am older.  It occurred to me why I love that show so much. It is the SIMPLICITY of it!! I love their simple way of life and the feelings I get when I watch it. I love the Christmas episode when the Ingall’s family are excitedly putting out their stockings waiting for good old Saint Nick to arrive. Christmas morning Laura is radiant and so happy as she pulls the gifts out of her stocking —-a penny, a candy stick, and an orange. Laura exclaims that it is the best Christmas she has ever had.  You would think by the look on her face that she was given a million dollars. I thought about the irony of today. We are literally crazy people to make sure we get everything on our children and grandchildren’s lists. We do everything we can to ensure a perfect Christmas. I must admit I have done this myself. I look back when I was younger and for the life of me I can not remember the presents I received for Christmas, but I do remember the feelings, memories, traditions, and my family! We fill our home with so many material things that I wonder if what our children really want is our time, our attention, and our love. I’m not saying that we return our Christmas presents. But, I wonder if we can think about what truly fills our homes, our time, and our lives. 

This brings me to our next step on our financial journey. Start decluttering your home! This will not happen overnight or even this month. But, day by day we will feel better and free ourselves from the material things that drag us down. Remember the rule of the Golden Gate Bridge from my second post. We need to work on our financial journey every single day. It will be a process but you will begin to love this journey. Start simple—-clean a drawer a day, then a cupboard, and then a closet. Every item you pick up you will ask yourself these questions. Does this item bring me joy? Does it serve a purpose or have I used this item in the past year? If the answer to these questions is no, then I have some ideas for you. I have learned from experience that you can pull these things together and have a garage sale, but the biggest bang for your buck is to donate these items to DI or to another organization. Make sure to get a receipt and keep a detailed list of what you donated so you can claim it on your taxes. Another idea to do with your unwanted items is to sell them on E-bay. Our oldest daughter paid for a semester of college by selling half of her Sailor Moon collection on E-bay. I have also sold items to Kid-to-Kid and they pay you in cash. Another bonus to cleaning out our homes is that you never know what you will find. I found some art work that I bought at a garage sale for a few bucks but later found out it was worth two hundred dollars. Another time I found two birthday cards with 20 dollar bills inside. It is amazing the treasures you will find when you put your home in order. 

I’m sure you are wondering what in the world does decluttering our home have to do with becoming debt free. As we are working on our financial journey of becoming debt free, it will affect all areas of our lives. We will feel the desire to put all of our affairs in order. You will think about every purchase you make and what you bring back in to your home. You and your children will thrive and love the feeling of material freedom. You will feel a sense of peace and your stress will lower considerably. I promise you the more you declutter you will come to love the simplicity that permeates your home.

When we lived in Kansas years ago Bob received a transfer back to Utah. We decided that I would stay with the kids in Kansas for four months so they could finish out their school year. Before Bob left for Utah we literally cleaned out our home and put everything in storage. We let the kids pick out five toys and five outfits to wear. We prepared our home so that at any given moment we could show our home to prospective buyers. At first I worried about the kids not having all their belongings but what we found out later is that they absolutely LOVED IT!!! We went to the park more, used our imaginations, played games together, and made our own fun! Life was so simple and easy.

As we unclutter our lives we will be surprised at how much we will lower our stress. We will put our lives in order. We will find a peace that has been missing. We will remember that happiness does not come from things but from memories, experiences, and relationships.  We will slow down and enjoy our children. We will think twice about what comes in to our homes. We will even think about what we spend our time on. (In a future blog I will write about decluttering our schedules but for now we will work on our homes). We will sell, donate, or throw things away that we no longer use. We will bring simplicity back in to our lives. 

We are preparing ourselves, our children, and our homes for the change that is coming. Everyday we will take baby steps in securing our financial freedom. Check in every day my friends. We are only beginning. The best is yet to come!

Let the Savings Begin!

Welcome Back! It’s time to get to work!!

First, I want to tell you a story about the Golden Gate Bridge. Did you know that workers repair and work on the Golden Gate Bridge every single day but Christmas Day? This is so the bridge stays in good repair and does not break and fall in to the ocean. Our financial lives are just like the Golden Gate Bridge. If we do not take care of our finances, we too can fall into an ocean of debt before we know it. We are going to do small and simple things to take care of our finances daily. 

To begin we will clean out our fridge! I know that sounds crazy but did you know the average family wastes 40 percent of the food they buy in a month. So, if we spend 1,000 dollars on food in a month—-more than likely we are wasting 400 dollars of it. Wow 400 dollars—-times that waste over a year, a decade—-we need to put an end to waste. By cleaning out our fridge (and if we have time our cupboards), we will know exactly what we have to use to make meals and organize our shopping list. Yes, our biggest savings will come from the grocery store. We are going to plan our meals weekly so that we can spend less and eat out less. 

We are going to incorporate two nights a week into our meal planning. One night will be leftover night—-If your family does not like leftovers—-have a pancake night—-your family will love it! The second night is soup and sandwich night. Next, every Sunday we will pull our families together for 10 quick minutes and plan our week of meals. This is so important —-our children will be more likely to eat what we have planned if they help plan it. As our kids got older, they each had a night to plan and prepare the dinner meal. I love when it is their night.

Here are some simple, yummy, inexpensive meals to make. All of these meals are under 15 dollars to make and feed a family of 6. I will continue to add recipes over the next couple of days and weeks. You can also freeze portions or use as leftovers.

Pork Chops in the Crock pot  $8.68 for a family of 6 

Fry and cook pork chops —one pork chop per family member. Make sure to use boneless pork chops

Put cooked pork chops in crockpot

Cover with 3 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup

Cook on medium heat for 4 to 6 hours—-stir every couple hours

Serve over rice and with a vegetable

Easy Lasagna  $11.69 for a family of 6 

Cook lasagna noodles

Fry one pound of hamburger—-then add 1 to 2 bottles of Garden Combination Spaghetti sauce

In a cake pan (9 1/2 by 11) make layers of the following: 

Cooked lasagna noodles

spread hamburger sauce mixture

sprinkle with parmesan cheese

sprinkle with canned mushroom bites and canned sliced olives

sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and mild cheese

spread 2 spoonfuls of cottage cheese

Repeat this 3 times to make 3 layers. 

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Serve with toss salad and garlic bread

Potato Casserole  $7.24 for a family of 6

Peel and quarter 10 potatoes

Add 2 cans of cream of Mushroom soup

Add one cup milk

Sprinkle with cubed ham  (I buy the cubed ham package back by the meat department)

Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.

Serve with rolls and a vegetable

Sweet and Sour Chicken $9.25

Cook and cut 4 chicken breasts

In a pot put the following:

4 Tbsp. cornstarch 

1 cup sugar

1 cup vinegar

1 can of Tidbits pineapple

8 Tbsp. Ketchup

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 tsp. salt

Bring to a boil. Add cooked chicken pieces. Simmer for 10 minutes

Serve over rice.

As our weeks continue in the blog I will show you how to buy what’s on sale and incorporate that in to our meals. But, for now we are taking baby steps. The savings will be huge by planning a list—-serving yummy meals and eating out less.

The more Bob and I were on our journey of becoming debt free we would buy in bulk. When a fantastic meat sale came along —-we would purchase hamburger, chicken, fish, and roasts for a year. What fantastic memories I have of our children sitting around the table helping us wrap meat in freezer paper, labelling, and putting the meat out in our freezer in the garage. We would laugh, visit, and get to know each other. What a wonderful feeling to know that we not only worked together but saved over 1,600 dollars that year from purchasing our meat on sale. Once there was an awesome sale on toilet paper —-we again purchased a year supply and saved over 347 dollars for the year. Just from those two items we saved over 1,900 dollars. Again buying products in bulk and on sale I will save for later in my blog. For now we will concentrate on saving monthly and not letting our food go to waste. By saving on our grocery bills early on—-we were able to save cash to purchase these yearly items. We did not use a credit card—-the interest would defeat the purpose of the money you would save by purchasing so much at one time. If you are trying to get points on your credit card, go ahead and use it, but make sure you pay it off before the end of the month so there is no interest.

One tip that was a BIG savings for us is that we no longer bought expensive brands. Instead of buying Tide detergent for 8.99 we bought Sun Detergent for 1.99. We bought Kroger, Western Family, and store brands as much as possible. The savings were immediate. For instance buying a container of Kroger brand cinnamon spice was 99 cents versus the McCormick brand which was $4.69. This is where you need to compare different brand prices. The food tastes the same but just a different label. The savings will rack up and you will notice a major difference. There are 3 brands that our family could not give up on and that was Farr’s ice-cream, Heinz Ketchup, and Campbell’s soup. That’s ok. It’s more important that your family eats the food than wastes it. Our goal is to save by purchasing store brands when possible, diminishing waste, and planning our meals. So, when 5 pm rolls around we are not scrambling for dinner and running to a fast food take out line. 

I always kept fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, peanut butter, cheese, and crackers on hand. Our kids loved eating these items for snacks. Again, visiting with your family and finding out what foods they like will help save you a lot of money. Always try to use what you have first. If you have half a bag of potatoes that need to be used—peel them, dice them, and fry them up as hash browns. Serve with scrambled eggs and toast. Your family will love breakfast for dinner and that meal will cost only 3 dollars and 29 cents. 

You will save more money than you ever realized by doing these simple steps. Clean out your fridge, use what you have, plan meals, incorporate leftover night & soup and sandwich night, and involve your family!!

Our financial journey has begun. Just like the Golden Gate Bridge—-taking care of and maintaining our finances will take us to places we have never imagined. Our pot of gold waits on the other side. It is so worth the work and effort. Ok my friends let’s get busy!!

Enjoy the Journey: My Story So Far

I'm so excited to begin my blog! You, my friend, are welcome to take a look into the life of Robyn. I have always been one that when life gives me lemons, I make lemonade. It's hard to believe that we are going on 5 years of being debt free. The feeling is AMAZING! Here is our journey.

Twelve years ago, we were drowning in medical debt and knew we had to do something. After researching different methods to get out of debt, my husband and I became very creative managing our finances. This blog will give you simple, encouraging steps you can take to transform your financial life. Are you ready for your money makeover?

The first thing you must remember is that it will not happen overnight. This is a journey, not a destination. Your journey to financial freedom begins with a single step, and I would like to suggest the first one.

The most important step to financial freedom is not "keeping up with the Joneses". In the world we live in, it is so easy to look around at others and compare what we have to what they have. Theodore Roosevelt said it best when he said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." One of the most important books I've ever read was entitled The Millionaire Next Door. This millionaire lived a very simple life, and no one had any idea what his net worth was. He decided early on not to compare himself to others.

Starting today we are going to quit comparing ourselves to what other people drive, where they live, and what they wear. We are going to look at the bigger picture. We are going to feel the peace of being able to sleep well at night knowing that we are debt free or on our way there. The first step to making a change is the desire to have one.

Our Journey Begins...Check back every day so you will be loving life with Robyn!

Thank you everyone for entering the drawing! I wish I could give you all a $50 bill, but then I would not be debt free. 😀 Congratulations to Shirlene Handy--please message me your address!!