FREE!

Look out...I'm on a mission for free and I'll be sharing it with you!

-Free Redbox movie rental with code: ACME25
-Mark your calendar for Ihop National Pancake Day on 2/23. Details HERE.

 Free Fresco Taco at Taco Bell HERE. (but hurry!  because it will expire when 1 million coupons (tacos) are redeemed which will not take long!)

thanks (www.momsbyheart.net)

Marriage...good until you start talking about debt!

Geez.  I mean I have only been doing this blog/debt reduction thing for two days and already we have got into a fight about debt.  Debt does cause division for sure.  

Our problem in our marriage is this:  "B" wants me to happy so he wants me to have everything I ever wanted, even if we can't afford it.  I want to have everything even if we can't afford it.  Geez.  Does that make since at all?  Well, in our insecurities and downfalls it does.  You see...I want stability and to feel well taken care of and "B" (as any man does) wants to feel like he has completely taken care of and protected his woman.  The problem is...it's twisted.  

Even though I have gotten pretty much anything I want (in reason), it hasn't given me what I truly wanted.  I want to be fully taken care of as far as savings for our future, savings for the kids, and so forth.  I want to look at our money and be happy and secure that it's there so if there was anything I wanted that I could bring it home and know that it's paid for.  I can name several things that are paid for and I love them even more because I know that it's paid for, it's mine, I don't owe anything to enjoy it.  

So, we are having to redo our reactions towards each other and our insecurities.  "B" has got to stand up to me.  He has got to know what truly protects me.  A man has to protect his family from any evil (in reason) and to me debit is evil.  To give me what I want is nice (and I'll probably not get any more presents for a very long time!!) but it's what I desire.  I desire to be secure in our finances.  I need to not pressure him into keeping up with the Jones'.  I can't do it.  I don't want to do it.  Not right now, but I promise you...when our finances our happily in their place...I will feel like the Jones'.  :)

Why pay full price?

With Christmas come and now gone you can really get a idea of how much EVERYTHING is jacked up on their prices. I mean on day it's this amount because of the "Christmas season" and if we don't give into the here and now you'll see that the day after Christmas that very important and great gift has lost its value 50%! ONE DAY and it's now 50% off!
I had a girl come into the store today and wanted Fresh Linen Wallflowers. The sale right now on Wallflowers is 2 for $20.00. I told her that I've seen in on sale for a better price ($5.00 a piece) and that if she could hold out then she could get the better deal. (I know...some sales lady right?!) But it's the truth. You will always be a victim to a here and now sale. unless you understand that you don't have to pay full price....EVER. And guess what? Tomorrow...the Wallflowers are $5.00 a piece! Because she waited she could get 4 Wallflowers instead of 2! And if she is smart she'll go get a coupon from Bath and Body's website.

Adopt this mindset now. NEVER PAY FULL PRICE.

On this blog (to the right) there are many coupon sites that you can go to and print out coupons before you go shopping. My goal is to get my list and then find as many coupons that help me along the way. I mean a penny saved is a penny saved!

Subway-Facebook-Sweepstakes

To kick start the year in a healthier way, Subway will be giving away (10) $50 Gift Cards every week. Here are the details:

*You must become a fan of Subway on Facebook
*Sweepstakes start Monday, December 28 and ends Sunday, January 24
*Winners will be drawn every Monday. You will need to reenter each week!

For more details, go here!

Another reason to join Facebook! There have been lots of freebies and great coupons! If you win, please let me know!!  :)

A little embarrassed...

Already it has hit me.  I mean in my mind, I thought it was a good thing to share what we are going through and how much debt we are in, but now it is just embarrassing.  It should be normal, right?  I mean everybody is in debt, so what is your $32, 000?  But it's not my heart.  I don't want to be like everyone else.  I want to be different.  I want to be like God told us to be...abundant and overflowing.  

So, lesson #1.  Debt is embarrassing.  :(  I don't like this feeling of people knowing how unfaithful we have been with money when we are supposed to be leaders.  I don't like it when people shouldn't and can't say...teach me how you do it.  

Embarrassed.  Yep.  Let me remember this feeling when I start wanting to buy some useless (on sale) product.  

:)

Welcome :)

     As the new year is about to meet us, we start thinking about what we will do differently, what we will resolve to change, and then we make our lists of what seems to be reachable at that moment in time, but when day one hits it seems like all of our energy, life, and want to is stripped out of us.  This is my resolution.  This blog.  Well, getting out of debt is my resolution, but I need help.  I need something that is going to help me change my mind, be accountable, and keep my mind on "helping others" (although really, it's just to help me and hopefully someone else along the way).  So, I will take you along with me on my journey.  I plan to print this blog after the goal has been reached for my girls to read so when they are older and "encouraged" to get a credit card for "emergency" use that they will know that when "emergencies" become every day "wants" that this is what they are going to have to go through.  So...resolution...begin :)

     I will be completely honest in this blog...so brace yourselves...

     We are about $32,000 in debt.  About a year and a half ago, I had the "Amercian dream".  We had a great house...I steady income...and I was comfortable as a stay at home Mom.  And then...you guessed it...my husband lost his job.  We moved to California (for personal reasons), put our house up for sale, and did what we knew what to do...Credit cards.  "B" (my husband) went to school and I worked part time as a hostess.  We were living on our savings and credit.  So, here we are...living to start over again.  

     I know we aren't alone in this.  Many have lost their jobs, lost their houses, lost everything.  And now we are striving to stay alive.  Thankfully, we haven't had to go bankrupt (yet), but I know many who have.  It's hard, it's tiring, life is going on and our debt is still hanging over us. But, like my title of my blog says..."If not today, then when?"  

     "B" and I have two girls "H" and "H".  They are 5 and 3.  Life is getting more expensive, but yet we are still in a time in our lives that we have time.  Time to get things turned around for the good.  I don't think that I would be such in a hurry to get this debt off us if it wasn't for the girls.  One day they are going to need things...prom dresses, dance recital dresses, things for school, college education, and finally, an inheritance.  What am I going to tell them?  What will I leave them?  I don't want them to resentful that they got nothing from us or that I'm going to have to tell them that they can't have what they need because of my addiction to spending.  

     So, join me in my journey :)