Worked hard for several days and got a lot done but not enough but no time left. Still have sweet potatoes to get pulled and the rest of the tomatoes. Light freeze this morning but will rain the rest of the week and by Friday turn much colder with lows around 20 so we really have to get the garden finished. Got the chickens moved to the new chicken...

brchbell

So today I have a new outlook on life. I am determined to be the best Mom, Wife, Student, Employee, Chef, and Housekeeper that I am capable fo being. I am tired of thing slipping through my fingers. My house is a disaster, we are up to our eyeballs in debt, I can't cook dinner because I have no idea what I have in the fridge or pantry, and my kids have no jeans (pretty sure they are at the bottom of one of there 7, yep 7, toy boxes). We have spoiled our children, spent money we didn't have, and just become lazy when it comes to money and our household. I will post here, as much as possible, so we can all laugh at my future failures. After lots of research I have a plan! Now sticking to that plan... well we will see. I have a notebook! That was the first step. Now can anyone help me find an extra say 5 hours a day. Lol! I imagine that this is going to be hard and I will regret it at times. But I am sticking to it and by posting here, I am holding myself accountable to let you all know how successful, lol yeah right, I am going to be at this. Have a great day, come back tomorrow when all my fun starts. ...

MommyMeghan

Recently Budget101.com was featured on an online radio show, hosted by Toni Schutta "Real Parents, Real solutions"

The broadcast was 17 Secrets for cutting your family budget! If you missed the original broadcast, you can listen to it online here:

17 Secrets to Cutting the Family Budget

Thanks...

Liss

I sat tonight with my husband, talking about our particular situation. You know the one, kids, parents, grandparents, economy, debt and the like. It's probably the same one that someone reading this is going through too.

Not enough to keep up with the bills, not enough quality time with the kids, not enough energy to do more then the day to day requirements of life. It is disparaging and sometimes just outright depressing.

So as we sat down to try to sort out what was going to be paid when and how, we had to take a really hard look at where our money is going and what we could do to eliminate the waste and apply that to our bills. We found that we are currently spending almost $800 a month on groceries!!

I honestly think that a lot of the issue is that my husband and I both grew up in poverty and ate pitifully. We have really pushed to give our kids only the best, this includes the food we give them.

So as we thought more and more about it and how we were going to reduce our spending, we realized we had to go back to basics, eating meals that wouldn't be served in a five star restaurant. We figured if we could save $300 a month on groceries, then we could apply it to the smallest bill we have and pay off the balance, then we would have the additional $300 a month plus the monthly payment we were giving to that debt and apply it to the next smallest balance and so on and so forth.

To be debt free (outside our mortgage and monthly living costs) by the end of 2010 was our goal and we decided we would start on New Years and this would be our Resolution, then I asked him "Why wait? That's three months worth of waste for no reason" and we talked it out and agreed that now would be a great time to start. Being the beginning of the month it is a great chance to start tracking our money, make some menus that are more cost effective and maybe we can get to our goal a whole lot sooner than we thought.

Here is to a new beginning and a new journey. I can't say how often I will be able to post but I am making a commitment to do so in order to track my progress. I will list what works and what doesn't work and I will get my family back where we want to be. I am so glad to have a place to share my thoughts and trials and find others like myself....

Nikki Valentine

You know, just when you think, "Hey! I've got this frugality thing down pat," you realize you don't!

What was I thinking? Of It's so simple! Stop. Buying. Snack. Foods. Duh!!!

We don't need them!

Our bodies don't need them.

Our wallets don't need them.

Just don't...

DohDohBird